The main draw of Acer's latest carbon fibre flagship model is its cutting-edge components and swivel webcam. However, in terms of design, there is much room for improvement.

Acer's latest flagship model sports interesting additions such as a swivel webcam and a curved keyboard. Based on Intel's Core Duo processor and high-end ATI graphics card, the Acer TravelMate 8200 was built for raw power. However, we were rather perplexed by the target market for this laptop, since it's lacking entertainment features such as multimedia buttons, yet incorporating a high-definition audio chip from Realtek. The TravelMate offers a SmartCard slot for security but fails to include important corporate features such as a biometric fingerprint scanner or Trusted Platform Module security chip. In the end, it is a jack-of-all-trades but master of none. A powerful notebook but with no specific audience in mind.

Design
Moulded from the same material used on racing vehicles, the black exterior is constructed from carbon fibre which is stronger than aluminium, yet significantly lighter. Acer intentionally kept the carbon fibre weave pattern which may appeal to F1 racing fans, but could alienate consumers of the fairer sex. Coming in at a hefty 3kg, the weight savings from the case material is probably the only factor keeping it from a desktop replacement classification. Though its footprint is a reasonable 364 x 271mm, the TravelMate 8200 needs to lose some bulk from its 38mm thickness. Executives or students who are required to carry their notebooks for long periods may want to consider a lighter machine.

The carbon fibre weave will appeal to race car junkies.

The front section features the audio jacks and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi sliding switches. A small LED light -- orange for Wi-Fi and blue for Bluetooth -- gives a quick visual indication of active wireless functions. On the sound jacks' left is a memory card reader with a thoughtful dust cover attached. During tests, we discovered that miniSD adaptors are difficult to remove as the slot is not spring-loaded.

Dedicated buttons are sparse around the TravelMate's curved keyboard. Lacking volume and multimedia controls, the typing area feels a little naked. Four application keys on the top right launch email, Internet browser, Acer's Empowering Key software and a user-determined application.

Most of the connectivity ports are lined on the sides of the machine, with the exception of the DVI, S-video, Acer's ezDock port and power jack which are found at the rear. Primed with the latest components, it is not unexpected that the system generates a lot of heat. However, the designers could have given a thought to right-hand mouse users who may find their hands slowly roasting during long periods of intensive processing.

Features
Intel has retired the Pentium M branding and Core Duo is the new name given to the latest dual-core Yonah chip. Instead of processing data in a single stream, the new technology allows software to split computing tasks into two paths so both cores simultaneously crunch numbers for speedier performance. Coupled with the latest Centrino platform, the front side bus speed has been bumped up from 533MHz to 667MHz, increasing the speed of data transfer and overall performance.

The TravelMate 8200 is one of the most connected notebooks available. Which is not a surprise when it comes with a AU$3,999 price tag. Wirelessly, it can hook up to 802.11a/b/g, Bluetooth and infrared devices. The modem and Gigabit Ethernet ports provide speedy access to wired networks. For external peripherals, four USB 2.0 and one mini-FireWire ports are provided for high-bandwidth connection. Digital camera buffs will appreciate the integrated memory card reader which is compatible with SD/MMC and Memory Stick formats (some of the smaller flash cards require the use of adaptors). For past and future expandability, both Type II PC card and ExpressCard/34 slots are provided. However, those looking to invest in larger ExpressCard/54 devices are out of luck with this machine.

The widescreen display is, unfortunately, not bright enough for outdoor use.

The 15.4-inch active-matrix widescreen display is unfortunately not bright enough for outdoor use during the day. Acer tries to make up for it by offering a maximum resolution of 1,680 x 1,050 pixels for the LCD. Just above the screen lies a rotating 1.3-megapixel webcam which can function via Acer's video application, as well as any third-party software. Though image quality is nothing to shout at, it is still adequate for video conferencing and quick picture shots. The 225-degree swivelling range makes it easy to frame your images and videos.

The graphics are driven by ATI's Mobility Radeon X1600 chip. With 256MB of dedicated VRAM, it is able to utilise the HyperMemory technology to grab an additional 256MB of system memory for graphics-intensive tasks. Gaming and high-definition movies are no problem for this powerhouse. Users who bemoan that a 15.4-inch display cannot do justice to their movies will be glad for the S-video, VGA and high-resolution DVI output options.

The audio capability of the TravelMate 8200 does not fall short of its video capabilities. Using Realtek's HD audio chip, the aural output is easily optimised to the environment. The stereo speakers are adequate and loud enough for most users, though true AV buffs will link their hi-fi sets using the notebook's S/PDIF port for greater audio clarity and reproduction. The location of the speakers gives us mixed feelings, straddling the audio jacks in the front of the unit. Playing music with the screen closed is not an issue, but the arms may muffle the sound during typing. Despite the speaker position, this notebook does not have the capability to playback a CD without booting into Windows, a feature that is present in most multimedia laptops such as the ASUS A6J.

The DVD double-layer Super Multi drive (DVD±R/DVD±RW/DVD-RAM) is docked in a hotswappable bay which allows the optical drive to be replaced by optional Acer MediaBay modules such as hard drives or an additional battery. Proprietary software like Acer Empowering Technology, GridVista and Launch Manager increases user-friendliness by offering easy-to-understand configuration options. Of particular interest would be the GridVista application that allows up to eight multiple windows to be displayed, speeding up document comparisons and multitasking. However, performance suffers when using this feature due to the processing load required by the application.

Performance
Our review unit came with the Intel Core Duo T2500 processor running at 2.0GHz and 1GB of DDR2 RAM. Obtaining a score of 236 on MobileMark 2005 and 168 on SysMark 2004 SE benchmark tests, the TravelMate 8200 is a proven powerhouse. Video performance is one of the best we have seen so far, enduring the torturous 3DMark06 graphical benchmark to report a result of 1,888. This system is definitely able to handle almost any game out there.

We tested the nine-cell battery rated at 7800mAh and found it barely adequate. Despite a display with inadequate brightness, the TravelMate is able to eke out three hours eight minutes on the power cell. For those who need more computing time, a second six-cell battery can be swapped with the optical drive for an additional two hours 30 minutes (at an additional cost).

Support
This desktop comes with an international one-year warranty from Acer. The Acer support website 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 centre worldwide for diagnosis.

Acer TravelMate 8204WLMi
Company: Acer
Price: AU$3,999