t60/p vs Acer TravelMate 8204WLMi

[activelink]

can i have your experts' opinions on this?

[AssPenny]

I can give a little feedback.

These two really arent an apples to apples comparison, but here we go. The Acer 8204 is a nice unit but i would qualify it as closer to a desktop replacement. Its specs are sweet (mem, HD, webcam, etc) for the price its going for, around 2300USD. Currently, the screens on the Acer have been having problems (very dim) and the battery life is much lower than estimated. People are getting 2-3 vs the 5-6 reported. The build quality is good, but not even in the same ballpark as the T60. There is lots of flex in the Acer, keyboard is "clacky", and the whole unit creaky. If were to sit on a desk or on your lap while watching TV, its just fine.
The T60 is designed for much more abuse. While the foo-foo stuff isnt there, that just translated into less to breakdowns. The T60 is something you want to take on an airplane, hotel room, meetings, etc... The Acer wouldnt stand up nearly as well. Batterly life is much better on the T60 (weaker video), and the screens are much better too. The IBM is so much more solid, (roll cage, dual screen locks, tight hinges, magnisium shell, spill proof keyboard, etc).

If you want a sweet lappy for home with some minor travel, for games, then the Acer is just peachy.

If you want something dependable to take on the road with you with the professional look, then the T60 is superior.

Hope that helps you a bit.

[rocketman]

I was surprised to read all the posts about dim displays on the Acer 8204's. I have an Acer Ferrari 4005 and the display is beautiful, bright and sharp. I wouldn't think that Acer would be using inferior panels now but perhaps they tried to cut corners after making 2GB of ram standard. Too bad if it's true.