Acer TravelMate TM8104AWLMi Notebook

Acer TravelMate 8100, model number: 8104WLMi

Strengths: High Benchmark ratings, Quality, Price, "best bang for the buck"

Weaknesses: Needs additional usb port(s) on rear of laptop

Summary: After researching many different laptops to replace our Chief Financial Officer's old laptop we decided on the Acer Travelmate 8100. It is in my opinion the best value for our needs and price range. It has quite high benchmarks from several reputable sources. and is rated a best buy by many computer magazines. After using it for the past week we are pleased with its high quality, stability, and speed. The exterior is very sturdy and well designed and it rivals other well known brands.

94% of People (34/36) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?

  Report this as inappropriate.

 There are no comments for this review. Post a comment.

Great purchase!

Strengths: Speed, memory, graphics are superb

Weaknesses: Runs a little hot but can be adjusted thru power settings

Summary: This little notebook has speed, memory, and design that you won't find on comparable laptops like IBM or Toshiba. The price can't be beat. Acer also has great customer service. And this lappy is not preloaded with all the CRAP programs like AOL,etc.

82% of People (9/11) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?

  Report this as inappropriate.

 There are no comments for this review. Post a comment.

TRAVELMATE TM8104WLMi NOTEBOOK

Strengths: 2GHz W Dual Layer, Windows XP Pro, 15.4"TFT

Weaknesses: Skimpy documentation, no bundled software. Audio lacks power.

Summary: After twenty years I am somewhat computer literate. In shopping for a new notebook I selected HP, Sony, and Toshiba as my choices. I had worked up a list of specs that I wanted. In order to achieve my goal I had to design a notebook from each company in order to acquire what i expected. During this process Acer had placed an ad in a local advertising the TM8104. Remarkably it was the notebook as i had envisioned. Pricewise it was hundreds of dollars less than HP, Sony or Toshiba. I used item for item for comparisons. Acer is easy to use. It is friendly and expertly put together. Its diverse ports covers the full range of necessities. The screen tops all the others. Some might consider the documentation a little skimpy. For me it was sufficient. I did find the technical assistance quick and helpful. XP Pro could be a boon to many users. AcerEManager, launch manager and GridVista utilities are useful. I did not find the lack of software a detriment. I have no interest in the "junk stuff". The optical drive works like a charm. Audio could be better. However, competitors are just as poor,if not worse. Just too tinny. the curved keyboard still mystifies me. I do not seem to benefit from it. Connectivity is excellent. All in all a bargain pricewise plus a great machine.

80% of People (8/10) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?

  Report this as inappropriate.

 There are no comments for this review. Post a comment.

Excellent notebook for: work, play and school!

Strengths: ATI X700 Video Card w/ 128 MB, 100 Gb SATA HDD, 16:9 15.4 viewable screen!

Weaknesses: Can heat up a little while playing resource intensive games. Limited software bundle.

Summary: My wife and I purchased this notebook because of our growing need for an additional PC. We live in a one bedroom apartment so purchasing a desk for another desktop was out of the question. I didn't really plan on this happening but the notebook has become a desktop replacement. I can do everything I need to do on the notebook and have the mobility and processing power my desktop lacks. Excellent purchase, could be used as a desktop replacement or mobile media center. This notebook is very powerful and is overkill for the casual email/IM PC market.

75% of People (9/12) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?

  Report this as inappropriate.

 There are 1 comment for this review. Read all comments. Post a comment.

Acer TravelMate TM8104AWLMi

Strengths: Price, features, SPEED. No bundled garbage; so you only get what you want.

Weaknesses: USB ports are on sides, 3 on right 1 on left. Would be less of a tangle if they were on the rear. Would be even fatser if it had AMD Turion chip set.

Summary: I wanted a laptop for use in my classroom to use as an electronic grade book, lesson design, and records. So my primary uses are for business and documentation.

I researched for approxamately one month before finally selecting the Acer TM8104WLMi. It stood out head and shoulders above ALL the rest. Its case is very sturdy, and I have found that the curved key board(?) is not even noticeable when I type. Customer service (phone support) was very helpful when I botched the set-up process and nearly locked myself out of the login.

I have been very satisfied with the Acer. It is a very fast set-up, and I find the weight to features ratio is very acceptable (I carry this thing everywhere). It is an excellent choice for a portable desktop replacement.

As for the heat up during gaming that some claim there is a quick fix that help to keep the unit running cooler: Uninstall the emPower software (it takes over for windows); there is a fatal flaw in the program. When you set your CPU speed it locks to that processor speed ALL THE TIME, this explains why the unit runs hot. After uninstalling the software use the windows profiles. "Portable/laptop" will auto throttle, "Max battery" will throttle (try to spend more time at lower speeds), and "portable profile" will throttle every chance it gets when you need it.

67% of People (4/6) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?

  Report this as inappropriate.

 There are no comments for this review. Post a comment.

TM8104WLMi

Strengths: Processing speed, good video chip, excellent price/performance ratio.

Weaknesses: Weak software bundle, sound quality, shell build quality.

Summary: Having used IBM's T42 before I compare TM to that notebook in my review.

Out of the box T42 looked and felt much better in terms of build quality. It almost feels like some of TM components are ready to break. Vibration and shock resistance was never an issue with T42. TM looks ok so far though it was not exposed yet to many of the abuses my T42 went through.

TM's processing speed is very good, even in comparison with T42, and when price is considered, you can't beat what TM has to offer.

Acer should have been a bit more generous with the software it provides with TM - it is pretty much bare bone XP and nothing more. If you already have software from previous systems, then this is no issue.

TM has been designed with plenty of consideration for the location of the I/O connectors (USB, IEEE 1394, etc.). One connector that I have hard time with is the docking station. It is located on the back of the unit whereas bottom would have been much better as in T42.

Overall, I am very pleased with TM. Great bang for the buck both on paper and in reality.

67% of People (2/3) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?

  Report this as inappropriate.

 There are no comments for this review. Post a comment.

Acer TM8104WLMi

Strengths: Number of Features at this price

Weaknesses: Manufacturing/Quality Control, Support

Summary: More features for the money than any other laptop. Its not even close. Try configuring any other machine with 100GB SATA, 1 GB Ram, DVD-RW, 15in TFT (w/ DVI out). Mine had several problems right out of the box: the display produced red shadow, unit would run sporadically on battery power, shutting down without notice regardless of remaining charge. Calling support telephone is a waste of time. Whem someone finally answers, its some high-school drop-out whose job it is to convince you that its not their problem, that you should try to get used to it or, that there's nothing that can be done. Failing that, you can mail the thing away. When they receivce the defective unit, it takes 10 Business days before anyone would be able to offer an assessment.

Maybe, I'm just old-fashioned

67% of People (2/3) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?

  Report this as inappropriate.

 There are no comments for this review. Post a comment.

Acer TravelMate 8104

Strengths: price, design

Weaknesses: weight

Summary: As a former user of Acer 3613(which has been taken over by my mother for entertainment), i have totally positive experience with this brand. This is the reason why i'm buying Acer again.

Acer's prices is always its feature. With less than $1600 one may only get from other brands sth. a little better than Acer 3613, while with Acer i have almost the most updated product.

I especially appreciate the clear, wide screen. It is one of the most important influence on my decision on a computer, for i often work with programming for hours and prefer placing several windows(program, papers, e-manual, online search, etc.) on a single screen.

It is quick. It is a pleasent feature especially when doing some computation or simulation with statistical softwares.

Compared with Acer 3613, 8104 has a better design in appearance. It has the same screen size but is smaller overall. It looks prettier. Sound effect does not sound like a tin can any more. Once i'm used to the curve-shaped keyboard, my arms feel better.

Weight has always been a problem for Acer. This guy is not portable as usual.

Yes, it gets hot easily. The fan seems always working, which produces some noise. I haven't found out how to adjust it yet.

0% of People (0/3) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?

  Report this as inappropriate.

 There are 1 comment for this review. Read all comments. Post a comment.

Travelmate TM8104AWLMi_Great Deal

Strengths: Alot more feature for Price compared to other brand. Reliable brand.

Weaknesses: spinning of the CD sometimes is loud. USB in the back would be a plus. Card reader sometimes card get stuck.

Summary: Previous owner of Acer Laptop. More more features for the price (e.g. bluetooth, speed, memory, design, etc.) It is in my opinion the best value for our needs and price range. I would recommend the Acer Laptop brand.

0% of People (0/1) found this review helpful. Was this review helpful or unhelpful for you?

  Report this as inappropriate.

 There are no comments for this review. Post a comment.