Acer Aspire 9800

(Source: NotebookReview.com)

Product: Acer Aspire 9800
Type: Notebook

Standard Configuration:

* Intel Core Duo processor
* 20.1″ CrystalBrite WSXGA+ TFT LCD display
* Up to 2 x 120GB SATA Hard Drives
* Dual Layer DVD Burner (or HD-DVD drive)
* 256MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600 graphics card
* 3-Watt speakers and a 4-Watt subwoofer
* Bluetooth 2.0
* Acer InviLink 802.11b/g
* VoIP Bluetooth phone
* Integrated hybrid TV Tuner (analog+digital)
* Acer OrbiCam (1.3 megapixel webcam)
* 5-in-1 card reader
* Dimensions: 490 (W) x 380 (D) x 60 (H) mm
* Weight: 7.8kg

1. I’m not sure how possible it is that the Powers That Be read my post yesterday, but TrustedReviews has published a full review of the 20.1″ Acer Aspire 9800 - the very subject of yesterday’s rant post.

   Of course, since the HD-DVD-equipped version of the 9800 will only be coming out later this month, the model reviewed did not have a HD-DVD drive. Nevertheless, there’s still quite a bit of stuff to munch on if you’re interested in knowing how the 7.8kg notebook will fare in actual use.

   So, what’s the verdict? Well, it seems that, “There’s no doubt that Acer has created the ultimate desktop replacement notebook in the shape of the Aspire 9800. It’s powerful, feature rich, has a stunning screen and isn’t overly expensive for what you’re getting. It’s not really my cup of tea (if I drank tea that is), but if you need all of your IT and AV needs wrapped up into one, admittedly large box, the Aspire 9800 should suit your needs perfectly.”

   Notebooks I can’t really lug around aren’t my cup of tea either, but the 8 out of 10 overall rating given by TrustedReviews says some good things about the Acer Aspire 9800.

2. In contrast to TrustedReviews’ assessment of the Acer Aspire 9800, CNET only awards the 17.3-pound notebook an overall rating of 6.8 out of 10 (TR awarded 8 out of 10) in their recent review of it.

   Based on their conclusion, it seems that this relatively weak rating reflected the Aspire 9800’s sheer lack of portability and lousy ergonomics - despite its strong feature set. While I realised its lack of portability would be a heavy drawback (no pun intended), ergonomics was something I believe most of us had forgotten.

   But if you’re looking for a HD-DVD-enabled notebook with all the multimedia features to make HD video playback a dream, then the 9800 is probably still one of your best bets. 20.1″ of screen real estate, a 2.16GHz Core Duo processor and a 256MB nVidia GeForce Go 7600 will still blow your mind out, even if your muscles won’t appreciate the 17.3-pound monster.

1. If you’ve been keeping up with the news (on notebooks at least), you would have seen a lot of hoo-hah on how the latest big notebooks could suck, or how they could be the next craze for gamers, or how desktops are slowly dying out due to the emergence of what some people are calling “true portable desktops”.

   Yeah, I’m definitely exaggerating a little here, but all this does show that almost everyone is interested in knowing how an 8kg notebook like the Acer Aspire 9800 or the semi-mobile Dell XPS M2010 desktop will fare in today’s diverse, yet demanding market.

   I’m interested as well of course. It’s just that there’s just too much news flooding my RSS reader on notebooks we’d need to get reviews on first!

2. Although a non-HD-DVD-equipped Aspire 9800 is already available in certain markets, a HD-DVD-equipped version is not (duh…).

   So, High Definition enthusiasts will be glad to know of Acer’s announcement at Computex yesterday that the HD-DVD-equipped version of the 20.1″ entertainment monster notebook will be coming out later this month.

   The (additional) HD-DVD optical drive is set to increase the price of the 9800 by around US$200 to US$300, from it’s current price of around US$2,700. But of course, a couple of hundred bucks is a small price to pay if you were looking for a high-end entertainment notebook anyway.

   [News via Digital World Tokyo]

3. My initial post on Acer’s upcoming 20″ HD-DVD monster, the Acer Aspire 9800, didn’t have a picture to give you at least some idea of the size of this notebook.

   So, here it is, along with more detailed specifications from NotebookReviews.com. Some extras I failed to note earlier include an integrated hybrid TV-tuner (for both analog and digital signals) and the option of going for a slot-loading DVD Super Multi Drive instead of a HD-DVD drive.

   [News via NotebookReviews.com]

4. As I wrote at the House of Dell on the 20″ Dell XPS M2010, huge notebooks aren’t cheap. In fact, they are expensive - even though Acer’s 20″ offering, the Acer Aspire 9800 isn’t anywhere as expensive as its Dell counterpart.

   So, why is it that some consumers will still lap up the Aspire 9800 (and similiar laptops, no pun intended)? Well, according to USA Today, it’s precisely because of the “hugeness”, and thus, uniqueness of these niche notebooks.

   Now, because of this uniqueness, not only does Acer get to place a premium on such niche notebooks, but it also gets to open new markets and build its reputation.

   At least, that’s what USA Today says.