So the portable PC market is set to equal that of desktops and probably vault over the latter in next few years. Though the portable PC hasn’t killed the conventional desktop as yet, we have good reason to want our laptops to behave like desktop PCs.
We’re on the hunt for the one notebook that will rule them all so that when the time arrives, we’ll be well equipped to, rule them all. Our business with the Acer’s Timeline series of notebooks has been going rather smoothly so far.
If the Aspire TimelineX 4820T was feeling much obliged to us for giving it a thorough look-over, we shared similar emotions when it landed on our desk. The last we did this to an Acer notebook, it was a Timeline 3810TZ.
This young Timeline member comes packaged with a 3-pin plug to AC adaptor for the supplied AC adaptor that juices up the machine of course. A quick guide, limited product warranty and international travelers warranty are included among the paperwork that comes with it.
There’s also a soft cleaning cloth for those who are in the habit of wiping down their laptops instead of counting on their full-sleeved garments to do the job miraculously like yours truly.
Acer has been more generous with the software as compared to the hardware and other frills and fancies. The laptop is loaded with the Windows 7 Home Premium OS, Norton Online Backup Security, McAfee Internet Security Suite 2009 trial, Microsoft Office Personal 2007, Microsoft Office Trial, Adobe Flash Player 10, Acer Video Conference Manager, Windows Live Essentials, a host of trial versions of games and more.
The first impression we got upon sliding the TimelineX 4820T out of its cloth bag was that it looked so sharp, it could cut us. It’s all edgy corners, with the looks touched up by a brushed aluminum lid that peters out into shiny black and silver insides.
It’s easy to tote at 2.2kg (with the Li-ion battery inside), though it cannot really boast of being light enough to be more portable than other devices in its category.
We opened the lid to find a chiclet-style keyboard sporting a bunch of special controls like ten function keys, hotkey controls, an embedded numeric keypad, media control keys and so on. The keys are fairly bouncy, though it will take some practice before you can get down to touch-typing with ease. Their flatness just adds to the whole trimmed down theme running through the notebook’s design.
Acer 4820T
The touchpad is quite expansive and optimally complemented by the palm rest. It accepts multi-touch gestures and pinch-to-zoom functionality. The scroll screen lining the right side is very responsive and the single mouse button placed at the bottom works just as well.
It’s a good thing that we don’t have dedicated right and left mouse buttons on this one, it’s always a smart policy to avoid creating wanton crevices for dust particles.
Those who don’t know how to partition their drives had better get cracking with those DIY computer basics before starting on this PC because the drives do not come partitioned out-of-the-box.
We got down to opening several applications at once including the web right away. When you hover over the icons on the taskbar representing the programs being run, a miniature version pops up.
Tracing a finger on the touchpad to move the cursor slightly upwards onto the pop up opens it immediately. It’s the dog days for Alt+Tab control combination.
The 14″ Acer CineCrystal LED-backlit TFT LCD has its visuals powered by the Intel GMA or switchable ATI graphics depending upon the model. We’re not too keen on the display after losing a thumb wrestling match to see who’d get to sit directly in front of it. It was a particularly stirring episode of Glee and the contest was fought bravely. Needless to say, the hostilities could have been avoided if Acer had put an anti-glare display on this laptop.
We’ve got no issues with the visual quality – they’re crisp and vibrant. Unfortunately, that can’t be spotted even from limited viewing angles. There’s just one way you can watch movies or view other content on the display and that’s by sitting directly in front of it without tilting the screen far back. So why the polished, reflective screen?
The in-built virtual surround sound left and right speakers supported by Dolby Home Theater may be well-meant, though the absence of high volume output and bass lacks a proper punch.
There’s hardly any point in fitting a home theater class audio system onto a laptop even if it does serve fine because we’re not sure if anyone would want to disturb the general public while watching stuff when on the move.
The most commonsensical thing to do while at home and craving to view content stored on the device is to hook it up to that HD flat, which is what the HDMI port with HDCP support on left edge is for.
The said side also houses a Kensington lock slot, air cooling vents, a VGA port, a microphone jack, a USB 2.0 port, a headset/speaker/line-out jack and an Ethernet RJ-45 port. There’s also an Acer Crystal Eye webcam and two microphones integrated into the bezel.
4820T Notebook
The notebook’s base hosts a battery bay, an HDD bay, a battery release latch, a memory compartment and ventilation slots supported by the cooling fan. There are three USB 2.0 ports, ODD access indicator, ODD and DC-in jack on the right edge. Don’t panic and reach for the power button if you forget to retrieve your disc before switching off the PC.
Just stick a paper clip into the emergency eject hole on the right side to draw out the optical drive tray. Under the laptop’s lid are a number of indicators sprinkled generously around the keyboard.
These include the battery, power, Num Lock, HDD, communication, and Caps Lock indicators. A user-programmable key and PowerSmart button for cajoling the device into energy-efficient mode are placed on the top right hand corner above the keyboard.
After spending some quality time with this laptop, we realized that you’re going to have ‘more than just time’ on your side with this Acer offering. It’s a good thing that Acer resisted the temptation of putting an Intel CULV processor in this baby unlike a lot of their competitors.
So what do you get when you put a 2.26GHz Intel Core i3-330M processor and 3GB DDR3 RAM into a TimelineX laptop powered by a 6-cell Li-ion battery? 5 hours of powerful computing performance minus any lags while surfing the web on Wi-Fi and simultaneously playing back a DVD.
The DVD Super Multi ODD is a thoughtful touch that Acer has added to the notebook, considering the fact that many of us still swear by the good old DVDs. At the same time there’s considerable room for storing content on the device with its 320GB and 500GB HDD options. It must be noted that you’re going to miss 3G connectivity, the FireWire port and the ExpressCard slot if you’re looking for them on this gizmo.
Pros:
What makes the TimelineX 4820T truly portable is the extended battery life that it offers. A notebook that delivers over 5 hours of multi-tasking on a single charge ought to hold great appeal for those who’re always on the move.
The 2.26GHz Intel Core i3-330M processor and 3GB DDR3 RAM provide for some sturdy computing performance while web surfing, casual gaming or accessing any other application on the laptop.
The air cooling vents do their job well. The notebook merely feels comfortably warm after 4 hours of use.
Last but not the least, it looks slick and very business-like with its cool gray overtones.
Cons:
Our faith in the delicate lid protecting the display is rather flimsy. It rocks back and forth on its shaky hinges at the slightest provocation.
We would have liked an anti-glare screen on this notebook and the speakers could do with some more muscle.
Source:http://www.techshout.com/reviews/2010/10/acer-aspire-timelinex-4820t-notebook-review-powerful-performance-in-a-sleek-chassis/
