Why is Acer so cheap?

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phoderpants

Gawd
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I found this on Newegg this morning and for that price, I can't find anything else with those specs. Are Acer laptops known for being any good? I was going to buy an lenovo for law school, but I may have to go with this...that is, if the quality of the build matches the specs.
 
I'd skip that model, personally. I'd save up another hundred or 2 and get Acer's Travelmate 4400 series if you want Turion, or 5672 if you want dual core. It's obvious by the chipset you're looking at that you don't care too much about video, but either of the above would be better.


Build Quality is pretty good...I liked the low end Acers more than the low end Dells, personally.

Neither of them hold a candle to Lenovo, however (assuming you mean their IBMs, not the in-house Lenovos, which I know nothing about). T/X series > *
 
Ok, thanks guys.

I guess I should have said that I am looking for something definitely under $1000, because this won't be used for games at all, just internet and typing programs basically. That's why I was looking at the Acers. What do you guys think of the R-series IBMs?
 
the R series will be more solid than any acer
More solid than any dell too.

but you cant beat a low end T series with employee discount. (forum search for an EPP code to use)
 
I've ordered 4 Travel mate 4200's at work. Build quality is good for the price, the screens are decent. Just turn up the brightness via the hotkeys as the stock brightness is very low.

Have an XP CD ready to reformat the harddrive on an Acer LT. They ship with FAT32 w/the harddrive split evenly into 2 partitions. :mad:
 
t3mp said:
I've ordered 4 Travel mate 4200's at work. Build quality is good for the price, the screens are decent. Just turn up the brightness via the hotkeys as the stock brightness is very low.

Have an XP CD ready to reformat the harddrive on an Acer LT. They ship with FAT32 w/the harddrive split evenly into 2 partitions. :mad:
Click to expand...
Who uses FAT32 these days?! :rolleyes:

NTFS for teh W1N! ;)
 
InorganicMatter said:
Lenovo X40 FTW!

What can I say, I've always liked IBM.
Click to expand...

Can't echo this enough. IBM ThinkPad's are TANKS. I'm still running my ThinkPad T21. I simply upgraded the HDD, RAM, and CPU to run some of my new apps. But, I can still see myself with this same laptop several years from now.
 
Acers have a lower price mostly due to their lower name brand recognition. They're pretty average build and quality. But if you can afford the IBM/Lenovo unit, buy it.
 
From what I've seen, IBM-Lenovos are basically the norm in law school, and for good reason. They are great laptops for people who want to get work done, and their conservative appearance, solid suite of input devices and rugged build quality reflect that.
 
My experience with the cheaper acers have been so so quality vs like hp's in the price range and crap batteries. A lot of the acer cheap models at least in the last year or so have real bad battery life. Other then that the do seem to be a pretty good value if you go from plug to plug.
 
I have used some Acer laptops, but never owned one. They are OK, nothing special, nothing bad from my experience.

Don't waste your money on IBM/Lenovo. With coupons you can get a Dell Latitude with better specs for less money. The Latitude line is built just as well, though I can't say the same for the Inspiron...
 
NulloModo
having used a Latitude D600 (arguably the better of dell's in-house line), they do NOT compare to the quality of thinkpads, at all.

yeah, you get better specs for cheaper. but the D600 i've used, i wouldnt trust it in a 1 foot drop. The HDD isn't cushioned like it is in a thinkpad. and its an all plastic body with SOME metal framework as a chassis. No thinklight either. The trackpoint buttons suck. etc.

My friend's T40 or my X40 on the other hand, are so much better it's not even funny.
 
Because Acer sucks, that's why! :mad: We had a room full of those, unstable PoS. No thanks. Stay the hell away from them. :mad:
 
omega-x said:
NulloModo
having used a Latitude D600 (arguably the better of dell's in-house line), they do NOT compare to the quality of thinkpads, at all.

yeah, you get better specs for cheaper. but the D600 i've used, i wouldnt trust it in a 1 foot drop. The HDD isn't cushioned like it is in a thinkpad. and its an all plastic body with SOME metal framework as a chassis. No thinklight either. The trackpoint buttons suck. etc.

My friend's T40 or my X40 on the other hand, are so much better it's not even funny.
Click to expand...

I've never owned a Thinkpad, but I've used them for extended periods of time, and my D800 is just as solid. Keyboard feels just as right, screen is bright, no flex in the palm rests, and I have knocked it around a bit and it has yet to complain.

I will agree the trackpoint sucks, but all trackpoints suck, the very idea of a trackpoint sucks (IMO).
 
I have an Acer Aspire 5002 wlmi. Its definately stable, the screen is pretty swell, my only complaint is the hinges for the screen have cracked in two places. I also have a toshiba portege 200, and I like the acer better. The keyboard and touchpad both perform better on the acer, and the screen is a lot better (could be due to touchscreen on the portege).
All and all I amy happy with my Acer and for the price (about $900) it was a value. 1 gig of ram, 100gb hard drive and a turion 64 bit processor.
 
omega-x said:
yeah, you get better specs for cheaper. but the D600 i've used, i wouldnt trust it in a 1 foot drop. T
Click to expand...

I wouldn't trust ANY laptop in a 1 foot drop. Who the fuck drops their laptop? This is the problem when people describe durability. Most users will never need the durability afforded to them by the IBM laptops. I'm not saying they're not built well I'm just saying that most users don't need one built like a tank and pay the extra $200.

I'm typing this on a used 2 year old Acer btw that has been rock stable and with a nice screen. Go for the Acer.
 
Snotrocket said:
I wouldn't trust ANY laptop in a 1 foot drop. Who the fuck drops their laptop? This is the problem when people describe durability. Most users will never need the durability afforded to them by the IBM laptops. I'm not saying they're not built well I'm just saying that most users don't need one built like a tank and pay the extra $200.

I'm typing this on a used 2 year old Acer btw that has been rock stable and with a nice screen. Go for the Acer.
Click to expand...

There's a funny inverse there. people that are worried get ibm and baby it through its life.
typical people (morons, not anyone here) get dell's, dont care, and end up dropping it at SOME point.

I'm just content KNOWING my laptop could take a light beating. but the 9 hour battery life doesnt hurt either.
Granted i didnt pay retail price for my X40. the EPP discounts are killer.
 
9 HOUR BATTERY LIFE!!!???
That is truely awesome. I dont think my laptop can even run for 9 hours plugged in. You really get 9 hours on one battery? Thats reason enough for me to get whatever laptop you are referring too.
 
omega-x said:
There's a funny inverse there. people that are worried get ibm and baby it through its life.
typical people (morons, not anyone here) get dell's, dont care, and end up dropping it at SOME point.

I'm just content KNOWING my laptop could take a light beating. but the 9 hour battery life doesnt hurt either.
Granted i didnt pay retail price for my X40. the EPP discounts are killer.
Click to expand...

9 hours is pretty impressive, but with a P-M and that miniscule screen and not running any optical drives and without your LCD on full brightness I guess it is possible.

I get 2 hours usually, but I have a 15.4" screen, run the LCD at full brightness, and usually have a CD or DVD spinning.

And on a tangent - more laptops need dual battery slots.
 
Yeah. 8-cell main battery on X40 = 7.5 hours, add 1 or 2 with a super-worn 4-cell wedge(underside) battery(it'd be 3-4, fresh), then undervolt.

1.5ghz LV proc + 1.8" HDD + no optical drive or extras + small lcd on miniumum = the insane life.

With cpu on dynamic switching, lcd at max, and playing a DVD iso, it averages around 5 hours.
 
omega-x said:
Yeah. 8-cell main battery on X40 = 7.5 hours, add 1 or 2 with a super-worn 4-cell wedge(underside) battery(it'd be 3-4, fresh), then undervolt.

1.5ghz LV proc + 1.8" HDD + no optical drive or extras + small lcd on miniumum = the insane life.

With cpu on dynamic switching, lcd at max, and playing a DVD iso, it averages around 5 hours.
Click to expand...

The X40 uses a microdrive as the HD? Hmm, didn't know that. Or is the 1.8 some were proprietary IBM thing...

Still though, more power to you if you if you can stand to use a machine under that many restrictions. I cant stand to use my lappy with the LCD at anything other than max, maybe my eyes are bad, but anything else just looks like crap.
 
well thinkpad screens max is sometimes TOO bright.
as to the HDD, it's a standard 1.8" hdd (like in a rio karma, but not an ipod's), it's just slow at 4200rpm, but i deal with it with 1gb of ram. as to no optical drive, i have not had a single situation where ive needed it.
 
omega-x said:
well thinkpad screens max is sometimes TOO bright.
as to the HDD, it's a standard 1.8" hdd (like in a rio karma, but not an ipod's), it's just slow at 4200rpm, but i deal with it with 1gb of ram. as to no optical drive, i have not had a single situation where ive needed it.
Click to expand...

Gotcha, different strokes for different folks I guess. I have never seen an LCD that was too bright, but I like bright. I use my optical drive all the time. I really wish my lappy had a DVD-burner, and I am thinking of buying one for it, but I am kind of freaked about compatiblity issues. For what I do I end up burning a couple CDs a day usually, DVDs isn't necessary for work, it would just be a fun plus.
 
Snotrocket said:
I wouldn't trust ANY laptop in a 1 foot drop. Who the fuck drops their laptop? This is the problem when people describe durability. Most users will never need the durability afforded to them by the IBM laptops. I'm not saying they're not built well I'm just saying that most users don't need one built like a tank and pay the extra $200.

I'm typing this on a used 2 year old Acer btw that has been rock stable and with a nice screen. Go for the Acer.
Click to expand...

mine's been beat to hell and back at times :)
 
phoderpants said:
I found this on Newegg this morning and for that price, I can't find anything else with those specs. Are Acer laptops known for being any good? I was going to buy an lenovo for law school, but I may have to go with this...that is, if the quality of the build matches the specs.
Click to expand...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16834115218

This is what I own it's simple powerfull and will not break despite haveing dropped it down my stairs no less thasn 6 times.
 
I have an Acer myself, and its as rock solid as it gets. Sure u really cant compare it to an ibm in build quality, but for the price, they are as good as they come.

Think about it, its like comparing a toyota vs a bmw. Theyr both cars, 4 wheels, doors, windows etc. and can last u for 200k if u take care of it. But why does one cost $20k and the other twice as much. Because its the build quality and the name and fame, but not everyone can afford to buy a $40k+ car whenever they want.
 
acer's are dirt cheap primarily because they reuse as much reference designs as possible from one generation of laptops to another generation. they may even use the same mobo layout, with only maybe the graphics changed or chipset. in doing so they don't need to reinvent the wheel each time they release a new generation of laptops and go through the same extensive testing and fabrication process as their competitors.

even if you look at models from the same generation, the only significant difference are things like ram/hdd/cpu/display, it's still the same mobo with different config

the saved overhead costs result in the lower prices
 
omega-x said:
the R series will be more solid than any acer
More solid than any dell too.

but you cant beat a low end T series with employee discount. (forum search for an EPP code to use)
Click to expand...

Does anyone have a line on one of these IBM EPP numbers that he's talking about? I've been forum searching and have found nothing so far. Thanks all.
 
Do a search for "Russell" as the keyword, and "Marduk" as the poster.

There's a link to the actual EPP site, and a code to use.

I think I saved like $800 or so on my T43 with that link & code.
 
seems to work for me.

Build quality isn't top notch or anything but I leave lappy on all day and everyday. Never had any problems.

Good keyboard to type too.
 
If you buy an Acer laptop, you may as well just thrown your money out the window.

UNLESS!!!

Unless you are just looking for a moderatly cheap disposable laptop. They are cheap, cheap, cheap.
The build of on them is flimsy and feels cheap. They are not solid at all. They break ALOT!!
I have one at my shop that is about to be on it's 2nd motherboard. It is only 13 months old, and very
well cared for.

I try to convince EVERYONE who comes to my shop to buy something else first. Most will listen.
Some however buy one anyway. I will happily sell you one if that is what you REALLY want, I tell
them. I usually wind up buying them back as a parts laptop a few months later.
 
boomheadshot45 said:
i heard acers screens aren't the best
Click to expand...
Yea, my acer's screen is rather cheap. I'de recommend the IBM's anyday over the acer, even for the price difference. There are some things that IBM did better with laptops then any other builders.
 
^^The screen on my acer looks real nice, but the casing/hinges are poorly built. I cant believe it cracked.
 
omega-x said:
NulloModo
having used a Latitude D600 (arguably the better of dell's in-house line), they do NOT compare to the quality of thinkpads, at all.

yeah, you get better specs for cheaper. but the D600 i've used, i wouldnt trust it in a 1 foot drop. The HDD isn't cushioned like it is in a thinkpad. and its an all plastic body with SOME metal framework as a chassis. No thinklight either. The trackpoint buttons suck. etc.

My friend's T40 or my X40 on the other hand, are so much better it's not even funny.
Click to expand...
.....IBM's are also plastic body with metal chassis.
Latitude's use an aluminum/titanium alloy for it's chassis.

Dunno what Thinkpad you've taken part, but the R32, T40 and t42's that I've replaced harddrives in are just in a little metal shell...what cushioning? My sister's T42 harddrive has died 3 times since she got it, crappy fujitsu harddrives that IBM uses.

IBM's parallel ports didn't work with my school's emulators like other hp and dells, and they don't have hardware serial ports. I have to carry around and deal with usb dongles. Sometimes they work, sometimes I have driver issues. Would be nice if it was in hardware like with Dell Latitude for business use since tons of hardware still uses RS232 for console interfaces.

They aren't very convenient for business professional use / and they aren't geared toward home users. I don't really understand IBM's marketing strategy.

Dad is an engineer for IBM and it's hard to beat the employee discount plus other incentives. But I still envy the guys at work with Dells and other people who have superior laptops :(
 
I bought the laptop the OP posted, back when it was much more expensive :rolleyes: of course. It's been a year and some months, and it's holding up great, and I don't exactly treat it well, I just throw it in my backpack with my other books, and set it on the floor propped up against my nightstand every night when I go to sleep. The grey finish where you rest your palm will wear off though, I suggest some clear tape.
 
Snotrocket said:
I wouldn't trust ANY laptop in a 1 foot drop. Who the fuck drops their laptop? This is the problem when people describe durability. Most users will never need the durability afforded to them by the IBM laptops. I'm not saying they're not built well I'm just saying that most users don't need one built like a tank and pay the extra $200.
Click to expand...
I sure as hell do. IBMs just work. I've tried all the major manufacturers out there, IBM laptops are like an all-Intel (mobo, proc, chipset) workstation, it just goes and runs like hell forever. I've got IBMs that are at least 10 years old, just now starting to flake out. Show me an Acer that can do that.

IBM is worth the extra dough, I'd drop the extra $200 in a heartbeat for it.
 
The sturdy durability arguement is funny too. I definitely have a warped chassis on my IBM and it hasn't been dropped. T42's and T40's I've used are also just as flexy

Check out this drop test and durability test done by an independant test laboratory.
http://www.veritest.com/clients/reports/dell/dell_notebook_testing.pdf

omega-x said:
NulloModo
having used a Latitude D600 (arguably the better of dell's in-house line), they do NOT compare to the quality of thinkpads, at all.

yeah, you get better specs for cheaper. but the D600 i've used, i wouldnt trust it in a 1 foot drop. The HDD isn't cushioned like it is in a thinkpad. and its an all plastic body with SOME metal framework as a chassis. No thinklight either. The trackpoint buttons suck. etc.

My friend's T40 or my X40 on the other hand, are so much better it's not even funny.
Click to expand...
You should trust the D600, it would fair better than your IBM, :p

edit yet again:
http://www.veritest.com/clients/reports/default.asp?visitor=
you can find more tests that they did, some are pretty interesting, didn't see to many other durability tests though : /
 
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