Acer TravelMate 8200

Acer crams two of the most powerful notebook components you can get inside the 6.6-pound, sleek TravelMate 8200: Intel’s Core Duo processor and ATI’s Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics card. Add in a top-notch webcam and you have one of the best mainstream laptops for power users, as long as you have the cash.

The 8200’s tapered profile gives a deceptively skinny impression, complementing the sheen of the black-and-gray lid. The carbon fiber cover isn’t just for show; it adds durability. Like other TravelMates, the keyboard sits at a slight angle, which should provide extra comfort for marathon typists.

The marquee feature of the TravelMate 8200 is its dual-core processor, the 2-GHz Intel Core Duo. Paired with a whopping 2GB of memory, this notebook turned in a remarkable MobileMark 2005 score of 270, the highest we’ve seen yet from a dual-core system. Battery life was a respectable 3 hours and 13 minutes, which is about average for this type of notebook.

Gamers will appreciate that this is one of the first notebooks to feature ATI’s Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics processor. The 8200’s 3DMark03 score of 8,144 is about as good as it gets for a 15.4-incher, beating the Alienware Area 51-m5500 we tested last month. The 8200 also fared well in our F.E.A.R. test, scoring 70 fps on autodetect settings, albeit at a relatively low 640 x 480 pixels.

The 15.4-inch WSXGA+ screen offers a maximum resolution of 1680 x 1050 pixels, ideal for viewing widescreen DVDs and editing photos; however, the icons on the desktop look tiny. Some may not like the matte finish, as opposed to the glossy coating found on most systems in this category. Since this notebook was designed primarily for business use, we don’t think the target audience will mind.

The unusually large 120GB hard drive is a definite plus for those with large music, movie, and photo collections. A 5-in-1 memory card reader on the front of the notebook will appeal to anyone with a digital camera. Not only are Bluetooth and triband 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi standard, but both come with hardware switches on the front, making them easy to turn on and off (and to squeeze extra power out of the battery). A line-in port is also up front, making playing the tunes stored on your MP3 player through the 8200’s built-in speakers easy.

If you’re into videoconferencing or you’re looking to add video to your instant messaging chats, you’ll love the 1.3-megapixel camera integrated above the display. The camera delivers crisp picture quality and swivels up to 225 degrees for maximum flexibility.

Acer’s support is limited to phone and e-mail, as opposed to IM and on-site service. The only software worth mentioning is a trial version of Norton AntiVirus, CyberLink Power DVD, and Acer’s proprietary recovery software, which is a little clunky; you’re safer sticking with Microsoft’s built-in backup tools.

It’s pricey at $2,499, but the TravelMate 8200 is an outstanding choice if you’re looking for an attractive notebook with powerful components. You’ll sacrifice prepurchase customization and additional support channels if you commit to the 8200, but this laptop is near the top of its class.