• Overview
• 
• Review
• 
• Specs
• 
• Compare
• 
• Images
• 
• User Reviews
• 
• Discuss
• 
• Get alerts on 'Acer'
• 

For external connectivity, three USB 2.0 and a mini-FireWire port are available together with a full-sized ExpressCard slot. A 5-in-1 memory card reader takes SD/MMC, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro and xD-Picture Card formats. The wireless radios are comprehensive and able to pick up 802.11a/b/g/n signals as well as Bluetooth 2.0 frequencies. For those still living in a wired world, Gigabit Ethernet and modem ports are available.

Considering that many 12.1-inch machines like the ThinkPad X61 and Toshiba Portege R500 have comfortable full-sized keyboards, the keys on the Acer 1100 are a mite too small for our liking. This makes long typing sessions a little uncomfortable. As previously mentioned, the touchpad buttons are way too stiff though the touchpad itself is fairly responsive. Fortunately, the package includes a Bluetooth optical mouse so you won't need to deal with the touchpad if you don't want to.

Performance And Battery Life

The Acer Ferrari 1100 comes decked with an AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-66 processor clocking in at 2.3GHz. As it is running on the 64-bit Windows Vista Ultimate Edition, the system can recognize the full 4GB RAM. Do note that some users have reported issues when using the more commonly available 32-bit drivers and software. The Windows Experience index showed a score of 3.1, sufficient for most productivity tasks, but stay away from more computing-intensive applications.

Running a DVD movie on half-screen brightness, the Ferrari stopped running after 2 hours, which is respectable but hardly impressive for a thin-and-light machine. With power-saving techniques and judicious use of the wireless radio, expect the machine to run significantly longer.

Service And Support

This notebook comes with an international one-year warranty from Acer. Recognizing that mobile computing has become a key activity for executives, the Taiwan company promises to fix any hardware issued within 2 hours, or it will deliver the unit to your preferred location free. Extended warranty can be purchased from the service center, with packages ranging from S$249 (US$175.01) to S$397 (US$279.03), depending on the degree of coverage and service required. For DIY troubleshooting, a toll-free telephone helpdesk is available for assistance. Acer support Web site offers downloads of updated drivers as well as an email for notebook issues. In the event that further technical assistance is required, the machine can be brought to any Acer service center worldwide for diagnosis.

• Most Popular

• Upcoming

What's Hot

 

Latest Downloads