Acer TravelMate 3045WTMi - an Ultra-Light Stylish Notebook

Multimedia

Ultra-portable notebooks usually don't come with the best of multimedia features. The 3045 model is not an exception.

The display is good for work, but its contrast is too low for video playback. The other characteristics are standard for this class of devices, and the notebook features nothing special. Its viewing angle is quite small, and the maximum brightness is also not very high.

The same concerns the audio system - you shouldn't expect much from it. Its built-in speakers barely work well with movies. They may be too quiet for a noisy room, and you should keep in mind their distortions.

Noise and Temperatures

The situation with noise and especially with heating is not peachy either. The problem is evidently in the ultra-slim dimensions of this notebook with a powerful hot processor.The small dimensions generates extra load on the cooling system, meaning the CPU fan snaps into action quite frequently. The fan action is required, as the notebook frequently gets noticeably hot. The bottom, the fore part of the keyboard panel, the wrist pads, and especially the touchpad get quite hot after an hour of work. This poses a problem if you are using the laptop on your lap.

Bundled software

The software bundle includes all standard utilities from Acer, which will be reviewed in another article. It's an imposing bundle - a password manager, a backup utility, power management utilities, wireless network utilities, etc.

Acer also introduced the utility to monitor shock and vibration for HDD heads.

There is also an easy-to-use utility Orbicam, which controls the built-in web camera.

Personal notes

Most importantly, the notebook comes with Microsoft Windows Vista. This operating system looks really good, but its complexity has grown in geometric progression.

First of all , there are compatibility problems with Mobilemark 2005 under this operating system. Second, it's much more difficult to configure power options than in Windows XP, because the options are hidden in the depth of nested menus (at least three levels deep). In our opinion, Windows XP is much more convenient. As usual, developers simplify things for inexperienced users, and make it much more complex for advanced users. And finally, you cannot configure the notebook to turn off when the battery is fully discharged. It always turns off at 4%.

We'd like to note that the hard drive spins for a long time (this notebook worked as a test system most of the time).

The system failed to detect the optical drive from time to time. At startup, of course. The trick with "find new hardware" did not work here.

The keyboard is convenient. You can type without much damage to your fingers and peace of mind.

We like the on-screen notifications, when you press buttons (for example, to enable the wireless interface).

Additional equipment

The notebook comes with a Supermulti external optical drive in the same black-and-silver style. The drive looks stylish and is connected to the IEEE 1394 port instead of USB.

The second interesting bonus is an IP phone. It's very convenient - the phone is designed in the form of a PCMCIA card, which can be stored in the corresponding slot inside the notebook. So you can carry the phone everywhere. It communicates with the notebook via Bluetooth. The phone is powered by a CR2032 battery.

Positioning

The notebook is evidently intended to be used mostly for travel. Acer has given most of its attention to the notebook's weight, dimensions, and attractive appearance.

The notebook should please users who travel frequently, both short-term (for example, a short trip for business negotiations), when even a small battery will be enough, and long-term (for example, on business trips, when you will need a large battery or both). Nevertheless, this notebook is an addition to a desktop computer rather than an entire replacement.

Keeping its intended use in mind, we are surprised that the laptop is equipped with a powerful processor from Intel, especially as it comes with integrated graphics. This CPU is not always used to its full extent, and it gets hot in the ultra-slim case. Such a notebook could have used a less powerful processor with lower power consumption.

We are not sure that this notebook will be regarded as an image model. Nevertheless, we repeat that the 3045 has a very attractive design.

Conclusion

It's a small, nice-looking, functional, and most importantly, light-weight notebook with an extra battery and IP phone in the bundle. For the most part, this notebook would suit frequent travellers who need to bring a notebook PC with them. Its low weight, attractive design, powerful processor, and ip phone makes it an idea notebook for business users.