Acer Travelmate 233X
Acer's Travelmate 233X presented us with a mixed bag of results and features. On the one hand, it has the equal lowest memory, a middle of the field processor and the smallest amount of graphics memory on offer of any of our test notebooks. It also managed the second lowest productivity score in our tests, which would seem to indicate a notebook best left behind. Where it really impressed us, though, was in battery life, where it simply blitzed the field.
| Introduction |
| Acer Travelmate 223X |
| Apple iBook |
| Dell Inspiron 2650 |
| IBM ThinkPad R31 26562MM |
| Sony Vaio PCG-FX950 |
| Toshiba Satellite 1400 |
| How we tested |
| Benchmarks |
| Specifications |
| Editor's Choice |
The Travelmate 233X makes a few concessions to style. Instead of the basic black that many notebooks clothe themselves in the 233X comes with a matt silver lid with a glossy Acer badge embedded in it. Under the hood is a 1.13GHz Mobile Celeron, 128MB of SDRAM and an 8MB onboard Intel 830MG chipset graphics and audio solution. This is a notebook geared towards the corporate market; while it sports a combination CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive, the lack of graphics grunt and relatively low memory make the 233X a less appealing choice for the home/multimedia user.
Keyboard layout is quite good; Acer's opted for a nearly full layout with the Windows key in the proper position. The 233X also has four function buttons for common features. We're not fond of the 233X's power button, which is a sliding switch on the side of the notebook; in our experience this makes the unit all to susceptible to inadvertent powering-on when in a bag. Speaking of bags, the 233X is the only notebook in our roundup to come with its own notebook bag.
Without a doubt, the Travelmate 233X's best feature is its exceptional battery.
If you're after the fastest possible system for under three grand, the 233X isn't your machine. If, on the other hand battery life is the single most important thing in your mobile computing experience, the Travelmate 233X comes highly recommended.
Acer Travelmate 233X
Company: Acer Australia
Price: AU$2,999
Distributor: Selected resellers
Phone: 1300 366 567
