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Acer Plans A 16 lb. Notebook
jagger writes "Well not exactly gigantic but at 16 pounds and sporting a 17-inch screen this thing is stretching the term portable. It also features a 3EGHz Pentium 4, 1GB of RAM, a 7200rpm 160gb hard disk, DVD-burner and the kitchen sink. ZDNet has a rundown of all of this beast's features." This sounds like a joke (or a typo), but the story says otherwise.
See this story for more information...
16 pounds? Man I would much rather tote around a 6.9 pound Apple 17in Powerbook. Yeah the Acer starts around $1500, but if you configure it with WinXP, a DVD burner and wireless networking, we are pretty close in price to Apple's solution. Besides I am more than willing to spend a bit of a premium or so for something that I don't throw my back out hauling across the country on a long flight.
It's like the laptop version of my sister!
"Come on, let's go drink till we can't feel feelings anymore."
This would be great for some college students. A large part of the appeal of a laptop is that you can put it away and reclaim your desk space easily. Also, occassionally moving it to a friend's apartment or a research lab wouldn't be nearly as big a deal as a normal desktop system.
...
Anyway, I think my physics book weighed about that much
I agree. The only thing thats actually big about this notebook (other than the size ofcourse) is the hard-drive - the rest are nothing *that* great.
However, one selling point maybe the fact that this notebook is just $1,499 - which is quite cheap considering the configuration (and the fact that if you are a gamer, it comes with Nvidia's GeForce FX Go 5200 graphics card).
The rest of the features are cool, but nothing *so* special. Honestly, I would rather have a desktop for way lesser price than a beast that weighs so much.
The term "outside the box" is squarely within the box at this point.
Even business stalwarts Toshiba launched bulky widescreen notebooks into the market last year. Barely portable, these devices are designed as crosses between desktop replacements and media PCs. Sony even have a compact PC system which comes at it from the other angle.
Why is all this happening? It's because notebook prices are now at around the price which consumers are willing to pay for new computer systems. So if you walk into a shop and you can afford a notebook, it's an attractive proposition in the home. You don't need to build a huge permanent home for it, you can move it from room to room and people like the idea they can take it with them if they need to.
But really they're after compact luggable home computer systems, the real desktop replacement if you like.
The real news wont be 'is this is a joke' (which indicates to me that the poster doesn't understand the current market very well but this is Slashdot after all...) but when a vendor makes a notebook without a battery.
The day is coming.
I don't believe it's positioned as anything "special" (cue 'short school bus' comments). It would indeed be a handy desktop replacement, requiring less real estate than a desktop CPU + monitor (even an LCD, unless you mount it on the wall). I suspect it would also require less overall power, leading to lower heat output than that of a similarly configured desktop.
No, you probably wouldn't want to try to use it very long on battery power - or on your lap - but it would be nice to be able to fold up such a capable machine and transport it from point A to point B with minimal fuss. For the record, external devices often == "fuss".
Not to flame, but a product is not a dumb idea (or a "poor move") just because you personally don't want one. To each his own, right?
I want to drag this out as long as possible. Bring me my protractor.
according to Acer's website, this monstop is powered by a 12-cell lithium ion battery: up to 1.0 hour life depending on configuration and usage. Battery recharge times: 2.0 hours with system off, 4.0 hours with system in use.
Hey!, by the time you add the extra battery, external HDs, keychain USB drives, digital camera, iPod, bose headphones, bag, DC/AC power supplies, voltage converters. I've got mine to 23.4lbs in the bag! Beat That!
-CowboyNick
the Netork card is set to Promiscuous Mode
Since the Ferrari laptop has a logo and red paint job, does this one have an ugly Hummer-style case? Does it make machine gun sounds when you fire it up?
Will Rob Enderle buy one?
Reading Slashdot is ruining my spelling and grammar.
However, one selling point maybe the fact that this notebook is just $1,499 - which is quite cheap considering the configuration
Given the cost and weight, mabye they saved money by swapping out the titanium or aluminum case for the much lower cost cast-iron case...
... as if being a Gamer Geek wasn't enough of a form of birth control...
With a 3GHz Pentium 4, not only could this be your lunchpail but it could also be your stove.
John
Well, obviously I disagree. :)
The primary value of the laptop is it's small form factor, low weight and unitary design that allows you to use it, well, on the top of your lap.
A 16 pound desktop replacement is never going to be used on your lap, except, perhaps, under some sort of duress. You're going to put it on a desktop to use. The ergonomics of a desktop machine are superiour to a laptop's ergonomics when used on a desktop. The unitary desktop machine died for good reason.
When I just need to stick something in my bag so I can write a paper or something, say while doing research at the library, I take my notebook, but I don't enjoy using it.
When I need the full power of a desktop in a remote location I take a lunchpail and bless it for not having the laptop form factor.
If all you want is a handle on your laptop, well, that's what the carrying bag is for.
KFG
This product fills the gap for those who don't really want the portability of a laptop or the low price and ergonomics of a desktop.