New Acer TravelMate 8100 Available

Have you looked inside of an 8103? - I know Acer only too well - good luck there - RAM is always in pairs!

 

yeah the TM8104 has 2x 512mb ram sticks. TM8103 has 1x512 mb ram. [ ]

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by raguu

 

Memory


1GB (512MB installed in each of two memory slots) or 512MB (512MB installed in one of two memory slots) DDR2 333 SDRAM

User upgradeable up to 1GB (one 512MB memory card in each slot)* or 2GB (one 1GB memory card in each slot)* subject to availability of 1GB cards

*If upgrading after initial purchase, one or more of the memory cards provided with the system may have to be replaced with optional larger memory cards in order to achieve the maximum capacity.



LInk:http://us.acer.com/acerpanam/page9.do?dau34.oid=7985&UserCtxParam=0&GroupCtxParam=0&dctx1=25&ctx1=US&crc=3160585103

 

AznDJone - you're right - you'll be throwing away two (2) 256MB sticks instead !!!!! Certainly some original logic there! We've all been there!

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by raguu

 

Alright boys, calm down

I was saying a single 512 stick for the 8103 because on acer's site it lists the 8104 as having a 512/512 configuration and the 8103 has a 512/0 configuration. Good thing it doesn't have integrated graphics or the lack of dual channel may have hurt performance.

 

anyways, I think I'll go with 8104 just to be safe... It's nice that I found some links on this forum to certain online stores who are selling 8104 for under $2200. Since people are so in love with TM8100, I think it shouldn't be too difficult to sell my 512 mb ram stick after the 1 year warranty expires. I'll just buy a 1gb ram at that time.

 

Greetings,

Thanks for the stellar review. I really enjoyed reading it. Just a quick question. What are your impressions of the 8104's battery life?

- b

 

Does anyone know the bootup and shutdown time for the 8104? My current laptop takes for ever to boot and shutdown and I want to make sure I upgrade to something that is as fast as possible.

 

What other laptops are you considering?

Dell Lattitude D810 (RELEASED TODAY http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=2188)

IBM Thinkpad T43 (End of Feb. or maybe March?)

Does anyone know if Fugitsu has anything like the Acer 8100 yet?

 

I went to dell.com and configured a Latitude D810 with the specs as close to the 8104 as I could. The Dell has a single layer DVD burner not the dual layer like the Acer. Although this configuration matches the Acers 100GB 5400 rpm drive I would probably opt for the 60GB 7200 drive for 100 dollars less.

Latitude D810 $2,608 (after 250 discount), but this includes 3 year mail in service.
Or $2,498 with 60GB 7200 HD instead of 100GB 5400.

Do you guys have any thoughs on how this compares to the Acer 8100?

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by Steven

 

HI; Would anyone know the list prices of the acer 8103/8104 models in the U.K? Are they the same specs as the ones elsewhere e.g in terms of harddisk as the american one seems to be 100GB? Thanks.

 

I think the list price for the 8104 will be GBP 1299 + VAT. Not sure about the 8103, but Acer UK should be able to confirm. They should also have specs, though I'd expect them to match the US ones pretty closely.

 

ETA Update and purchase info:

Athreya: I called Acer about Authorized Resellers and was told that under certain circumstances if the notebook was not purchased from an authorized dealer then Acer might deny the warranty (rare but possible. I mentioned that PCNation is not listed on their site even though PCNation states that they are; the Acer rep seemed surprised that they were not listed. He did say that to be able to resell Acer's 2yr total care warranty you would have to be authorized!

I have placed my order with PCNation for the 8104wlmi + the total care warranty for $2182.49 + $199.00. This includes free 3 business day shipping.

PCNation has pushed back their ETA to 3/3. Rebecca at 800-235-4050 x 3012 is my salesperson. I advised her that PCNation is not listed on Acer's site and she is contacting her rep. to correct this. They have 50 units on order and I was 7th in the cue. They will drop ship from their supplier's warehouse.

Finally, I was going to order it thru CDW (their delivered price is about an extra $10 ) but the big difference for me is this:

CDW has a NO return policy (except for damaged goods) and PCNation has a 30 day return policy (15% restock charge).

Hope you find this info helpful. FYI: I can cancel the order, no charge, prior to ship date and credit card is not charged until shipped.

I would love to cancel because one of you find it in stock sooner...I'm hoping!

 

CDW began posting today accessories for the Travelmate 8100 series. The two items currently listed are the Port Replicator for $102.87 and the 2nd 6-Cell Battery for $174.51. Still patiently waiting on my 8104 to arrive from them.

 

Academic Superstore has the acer 8103 and 8104 laptops. There's a special note on the 8104 stating it will ship mid February - no such note on the 8103. They are not an authorized reseller, however, so you cannot get the extended warranty. Price is 2199 and 1899 for the 8104 and 8103 respectively.

 

I also ordered from PC Nation today but I got the 8103. I can upgrade the amount of ram and the CPU seemed negligeable(1.9 vs 2.0 really), but the big reason is that I gambled thinking maybe I could get the 03 quicker than the 04. We'll see. They had 2-5 days to ship on the 03. I haven't seen anyone else post who has an 8103 so maybe I can be the guinneau pig for the questions about the CPU and memory from discrepencies in specs posted about. I feel confident that it indeed does have the 750 1.86Ghz and 533 DDR2 (hopefully just 1 stick), but will let everyone know if it gets here in a timely fashion.

-Kevin

 

Joeld100: Did you by chance happen to check out the specs of the 8103 at Academic Superstore? It seems to always be something different no matter where you look at them!

 

raguu: I'm interested in a 2nd ac adapter should you come across one. FYI: I spoke with Mark today at ACER and he said he believes the TM8100 adapter will work but I'd prefer to see the part listed first.

Thanks for the post; I'll keep checking at their site!

 

I didn't see the 8103 specs raguu, but I noticed that the 8104 specs were a little off - I feel confident that since acer is only selling 2 versions of this series, that it'd be rather tough for the resellers to screw them up spec wise - the worst they could do is botch their own website.

dock44 - smart move - I'd probably do that to save a bit of money more than to get it faster (although it's a nice side effect). If it didn't have a single stick of ram, that would stink - 1) that would mean acer's web site is wrong (wouldn't be the first time) and 2) imagine trying to sell 2 256mb ddr2 so-dimms... Good luck

 

Golf: Will do - I'm hoping that one comes with the Port Replicator - they usually do - however CDW hasn't "populated" the specs for it yet on their website - so I'll have to wait and see. BTW - your comment on CDW having no return policy is slightly mis-leading - they in fact do have a return policy - you can read more about it on their website - though it does say it varies from product to product. I had bought a Docking Station for an older Acer laptop, was extrmemely dissatisfied with it's "bulk" and they gladly accepted it back through their "RMA" system - no questions asked.

 

Hello...i'm new...although i've been following this thread for quite a while.

I called PCMall/Macmall and asked for ETA and surprisingly they said 2/4.
for the Travelmate 8104, which I ordered in January.

 

raguu: the CDW business rep. told me in his email that their policy is "100% non-returnable" for the notebook. I then asked him if that meant they did not even offer a return with a restocking fee...he said no.

PCNation revised the ETA from mid-Feb as of a week ago to March 3rd as of today.

 

kangandegon: good for you! I just called PCMall and they said they have 1 that is scheduled to arrive from ACER on 2/4 but they do not have any more on order. For now they are only ordering them as they receive orders.

Be sure to share your excitement with the rest of us that are hoping our ETA's will come earlier!

 

Hey guys, just wanted you guys know that I won't be getting the 8104 after all. It's been fun talking to all of you and I learned a lot, but after a recent desktop failure (the thing was really old anyway), I decided to purchase a desktop instead of a notebook. In case anyone is wondering, It's an Athlon 64 3500+, 2 gigs of DDR400, PC3200 RAM, 2 GeForce 6800 GTs running in SLI mode together, a 200 gig HD and a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 NX Platinum. I figured this system would also serve my music recording purposes better, as well my addiction to ultimate gaming machines [ ] . Well it was nice talkin with all of you, and I hope you guys get the 8104 before Christmas! lol, Sellitus out.

 

mmmmmmmm SLI(slobbers) I'd love to have an FX, dual Ultras or dual 800s, raid raptors, 4 gigs etc... You gonna build it or who did you buy from?

-Kevin

 

Brian: hope this is not off topic - can you tell me which DVD format R+ / R- / etc. that work with the 8104 super drive? Also is there any thread in the forum that can educate me on using DVD burners?

I just got a Dell Dim. 4700 w/DVD and I'm having all kinds of issues with different media.

One of the replys on the 8104 review was that the initial sys start up promped to burn a back-up (even though it ships with a ghost image ) and I want to have the correct media when my 8104 arrives.

Thanks!

 

I don't know - sli? I think the X700 could take that setup

Nice rig - I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

 

Golfkwesi. The following is based on a reply I gave in another forum to someone who knew very little about the formats, so ignore the bits you already know.

From Acer UK on 8100 series: "All models feature a DVD-Super Multi Double Layer burner "

Now I can't find any specs on the Acer ones, but I guess all Super Multi DVD drives most have similar compatibility (if not speeds). Here are details on the Toshiba Tecra M2's Super Multi (single layer, I think):

* compatibility : CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-RAM
* maximum speed : Read: 24x CD-ROM, 24x CD-R, 12x CD-RW, 8x DVD-ROM, 4x DVD-R, 4x DVD-RW, 4x DVD+R, 4x DVD+RW, 2x DVD-RAM / Write: 16x CD-R, 8x CD-RW, 4x DVD-R, 2x DVD-RW, 2.4x DVD+R, 2.4x DVD+RW, 2x DVD-RAM


So it's pretty much all there. DVD-RAM is more suited to data backup etc. Whereas -/+RW discs have a spiral data track (like an LP or CD), the -RAM format discs have concentric circles (like a computer FDD or HDD). This means that multiple tasks can be done concurrently (e.g. Read and Write), and data doesn't have to be in sequence on the disk.

For TV-type DVD recorders, -RAM is the only format that allows 'timeslip' (simultaneous record of one program and playback of another program, or an earlier part of the same program) on one disc.

From what I've read, on computers you can use a -RAM disc like any other RAM disc (drag and drop etc) without using any burning software. -RAM discs also last much longer than RW discs in terms of the number of write operations.

HTH


Reg

 

Dock44: I bought it from Cyberpowersystem.com . I actually priced all the pieces seperately and this company beat the price by a very hefty amount. I recommend them if you ever want to buy a desktop...great parts and great prices. I can't wait for my system!

 

Reg: thanks for the detailed reply! I'm trying to Google it and educate myself but haven't found the right article yet.

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by Ziptar

 

Damn nice, and here I was trying to figure out how to get a 2026WLMi in the U.S. I guess now I don't need to.

No I need to decide between the TM8104WLMi and the Dell 9300.

It'll be interesting to see how the performance of this stacks up to the Dell 9300. particularly the 9700 Pro vs. the GeForce FX 6800 Go. Other than that and the Dell having the 17" WXGA, they are very similar in specs and maybe very close in price.

I am interested to see

 

if i got the 9300 I would go with the WXGA anyway, Gaming would probably not be so hot with the WUXGA.

Acer Aspire 1680WLMi w/ Hitachi 60GB 7200RPM Drive

 

daacon: I have the Inspiron 8200 with the uxga ( 1600 x 1200 ) and the screen is great except that the text is much smaller than you may be used to.

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by golfkwesi

 

any new full-fledged reviews of the 8104 anywhere?

 

daacon: my Inspiron 8200 is about 2 1/2 years old and doing great too. There is enough technology jump every 2-3 years so it makes sense for me to get a new notebook since I use it daily for my business. Sure hoping our orders get filled sooner than expected!

 

Ziptar: Have you looked at the new Dell Lattitude D810 (Small business only not available through dell home). This seems like a closer match to the Acer 8100.

 

Thanks Just looked at it. It's close but to configure it near teh 8104 it's ~$2600 and it looks like no DL DVD+-RW. I like that teh Lattitudes have the metal enclosure.

How well does the X600 perform??



Acer Aspire 1680WLMi w/ Hitachi 60GB 7200RPM Drive

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by Steven

 

Some of the things I liked about the D810.

Unlike the 8100 you can get it with a 7200 rpm hard drive. I would think the 5400 rpm in the 8100 is a bit of a compromise in performance for the extra size. I believe HD speed is very important to overall system performance and the 5400 is a bit disappointing.

The D810 also offers both types of pointing devices which would probably be most important to users coming from an IBM which has the pointing stick.

I don't know for sure but the port replicator for the 8100 did not appear to have pass through for the monitor connection. My coworkers using D800 and D600 laptops just plop it down on the port replicator and they are up and running in seconds. It did not appear the acer port replicator would be as quick. I only saw the picture on CDW for the acer PR but it did not look that good.

Also, I believe the Dell latitude comes with three years service and that is extra for the Acer. Which makes the price closer.

 

I think the PR for the Acer 8000 series is the Port Replicator III. The 8100 series will have the new ezDock, which I haven't seen anywhere yet. I think the older PRIII is the one on CDW though I could be wrong.

-Kevin

 

Wow, the Acer 8104WLMi looks very powerful. The only weak spot I can see, and I wish they would have changed, was a better hard drive. First, as many have said, 7200 RPM instead of 5400 RPM. But, another very helpful feature, would have been a SATA hard drive instead of a PATA. The native command queing of the SATA, would have helped performance quite a bit. And, the 915 chipset is more than capable of handling SATA. Aside from that, I think it is an almost perfect notebook. Let's see if any other companies step up, with Sonoma lines, which use all the advancements of the Alviso architecture.

SuperG

 

Anyone knows if it would be posible to replase the HDD with a SATA one later on?

 

also are there any comparisons available online between the PATA and SATA? What precisely is the difference in performance?

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by matom