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In CNET Labs' mobile benchmarks, the TravelMate 8104WLMi used its potent parts to full advantage. The system finished our tests 20 percent ahead of both the HP Compaq V4000 and the Toshiba Satellite M45, though again, the latter two laptops featured less powerful configurations. The TravelMate 8104WLMi also earned a long battery score of 3 hours, 31 minutes, compared to the HP's 3 hours, 7 minutes and the Toshiba's 3 hours, 1 minute. We should note that the Acer ships with a much bigger battery than the HP and the Toshiba.
As with most mainstream laptops, standard warranty service for the TravelMate 8100 lasts for a single year. During that period, you can mail or carry in your laptop to a service outlet near you for repairs. You can also call Acer's toll-free phone-support lines for help, though you'll reach a live technician only between 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. CT on weekends. Outside those hours, you can leave a detailed message, and the company promises that a technician will call back within an hour. Unfortunately, the company's support Web site doesn't have much going for it, mainly consisting of a limited knowledge base and driver downloads.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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BAPCo MobileMark 2002 performance rating |
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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BAPCo MobileMark 2002 battery life in minutes |
Find out more about how we test Windows notebooks.
System configurations:
Acer TravelMate 8104WLMi
Windows XP Professional; Intel Pentium M 760 2GHz; 1,024MB PC4300 DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz; ATI Mobility Radeon X700 128MB; Seagate ST9100823A Momentus 100GB 5,400rpm
Compaq Presario V4000
Windows XP Professional; Intel Pentium M 760 2GHz; 1,024MB PC2700 DDR SDRAM 333MHz; Intel 915GM/GMS, 910GML Express 128MB; Toshiba MK8025GAS 80GB 4,200rpm
Toshiba Satellite M45
Windows XP Home; 1.73GHz Intel Pentium M 740; 512MB PC2700 DDR SDRAM 333MHz; Intel 915GM/GMS 910GML Express 128MB; Toshiba MK1031GAS 100GB 4,200rpm
