Acer Aspire 9504WSMi

(Source: Geizhals)

Product: Acer Aspire 9504WSMi
Type: Notebook

Configuration:

* Intel® Centrino® Mobile Technology
* Intel® Pentium® M Processor 760 (2MB L2 cache, 2GHz, 533MHz FSB)
* 1GB DDR2 533 SDRAM
* 120 GB hard drive
* 17″ WXGA+ (1440 x 900) TFT display
* 256MB ATI Mobility Radeon X700
* DVD-Dual drive (DVD+/-RW)
* Bluetooth®
* Gigabit LAN
* 802.11b/g wireless LAN
* Hybrid digital/analog TV tuner card
* Bluetooth VoIP phone
* Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
* Acer Arcade software
* Weight: 8.4 lbs
* Dimensions: 401 (H) x 290 (W) x 42 (D) mm

1. Today, we have a PC World review of the Acer Aspire 9504WSMi. But you might have seen this review before given that PC Advisor published it in December last year. It seems this is a case of a reviewer publishing in two different sites (are they connected?), which is not really that uncommon. In any case, since this blog has yet to feature a review on the Aspire 9504WSMi, PC World’s review is a good opportunity to introduce one.

   Basically, the Aspire 9504WSMi is a pre-dual core, pre-Windows Media Center multimedia notebook, with a 2GHz Pentium M processor, an ATI Mobility Radeon X700, 120GB hard drive, 1GB DDR RAM and a 17in 1440×900 TFT display. Of course, some of the functionality normally achieved with Windows Media Center is fulfilled by the bundled Acer Arcade software. So, specs wise, there’s little not to like, but in view of the upcoming dual core notebooks, I’m sure many of us would like to save our hard-earned cash for something better (like the TravelMate 8204WLMi).

   Overall, the Aspire 9504WSMi gets a vigorous thumbs up by PC World, with an overall verdict of:

   We couldn’t find a weak point and, believe us, we put the Acer through its paces. With a WorldBench score of 90, it’ll breeze through most tasks. If you’re looking for something powerful with great entertainment potential then look no further than the Acer Aspire 9504WSMi.

2. The first Acer Aspire 9504WSMi review featured on The Acer Blog was from PC World, but that review was slightly lacking in detail. So, its good to have a more detailed one from TrustedReviews.

   On almost all aspects of the Aspire 9504WSMi, TrustedReviews couldn’t find anything spectacular, but this was deemed reasonable considering the great value you would be getting from Acer’s “…knack of undercutting its competitors.”

   TrustedReviews concludes with: “Acer once again offers superb value with a fully fledged entertainment notebook that will be perfect for the student or home office, though you’ll need to accustom yourself to the layout of the keyboard if you want to have a happy relationship with your notebook. ”

3. The revenge of the Acer Aspires continues with a CNET review of the Acer Aspire 9504WSMi notebook. Like the previous two reviews by PC World and TrustedReviews, this review accords the Aspire 9504WSMi a solid rating - which, in this case, is a 7.1 out of 10.

   According to CNET, the 9504WSMi’s strong points include its relatively low price, built-in TV tuner, ability to play audio and video without booting up, slot-loading capability, double-layer DVD burner, wide range of connections and of course, solid performance, while its weak point are the limited tech-support hours and relatively low screen resolution. Overall, CNET concludes that, “The fully equipped, multimedia-minded Acer Aspire 9500 gives pricey, entertainment-focused desktop replacements a serious run for their money.

4. PCWorld.com recently ran a cross-brand comparison between the top “desktop killer” notebooks on the market, not unlike in style to PCMag’s recent media center notebook comparison.

   Among the desktop replacement notebooks featured were the HP Pavilion dv8000z, Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV600, the HP Compaq nx9420, the Acer Aspire AS9504WSMi, and the Acer TravelMate 8200.

   Although my personal choice would be an Acer TravelMate 8200 due to its strong performance and revamped Acer style, it seems that the HP Pavilion dv8000z was just too good - taking top spot with an overall rating of 85. At second place, also with a rating of 85, was the Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV600. And at third place was the HP Compaq nx9420 with a rating of 83. The Acer Aspire 9504WSMi took fourth while the Acer TravelMate 8200 took fifth place with ratings of 83 and 81, respectively.

5. It’s a pity that such a solid Acer desktop replacement notebook got marked down because of its “awkward keyboard” and “mediocre speakers”, but when you have such capable opposition, that’s what usually happens.

   What we’re talking about is the recent Top 5 notebooks list published in the August Issue of the PC World magazine - where the Acer Aspire 9504WSMi got only 5th place in the desktop replacement category, despite having the second highest WorldBench 5 score, third highest battery life and second lowest weight.

   Admittedly, the results were very close, with only 1 point separating the 9504WSMi with the Toshiba Satellite P105 at 4th place, and 3 points with the HP Pavilion dv8000z at 1st place.

   So, your mileage with the different notebooks may truly vary - especially if you happen to get some good retailer discounts for any one of them.

6. Here’s yet another Acer Aspire 9504WSMi review, but this time, it’s by PC World Canada.

   The 9504WSMi’s strong points were its brilliant screen, wide variety of features, good battery life and excellent performance. But no review is ever complete without the product’s drawbacks, and this review of the 9504WSMi is no exception. The cramped keyboard (due to the addition of a dedicated numeric keypad) and sub-par speakers were identified as the notebook’s minus points.

   So, with this review, we’ve probably seen everything we need to know about the Aspire 9504WSMi. From limited tech support hours and a relatively low screen resolution, to a cramped keyboard and sucky sound, all the drawbacks a prospective buyer needs to know should already be available. Of course, the same goes for the upsides of this machine.

None Yet.