The Acer TravelMate C310 runs on Windows XP Tablet Edition 2005. Our test unit also came with some useful Acer-branded software, including Acer System Recovery, for creating recovery CDs, Acer Soft Button, which puts frequently used applications and functions in a central location, Acer Launch Manager, to configure launch buttons above the keyboard, and Acer ePower Management, to modify the power settings for maximum processing speed, maximum battery life, or steps in between. The software bundle also included Microsoft Reader, Adobe Reader, CyberLink PowerDVD, and NTI CD and DVD-Maker. Notably absent was Microsoft Office OneNote, a useful note-taking and audio-capture app.
Priced at $1,999, our TravelMate C314XMi review unit included some pretty high-end components for a tablet, such as a fast 2GHz Pentium M processor, 1GB of speedy 533MHz RAM, and a smoking Nvidia GeForce Go 6200 graphics card with 128MB of dedicated video memory. Those components led the Acer TravelMate C314XMi to top scores on CNET Labs' performance benchmarks, besting the $2,099 Toshiba Tecra M4, which had half as much RAM, and the $2,099 HP Compaq tc4200, which had a slower 1.8GHz processor.
In our battery-drain tests, the TravelMate C314XMi lasted 3 hours, 22 minutes--a bit better than the Toshiba Tecra M4's 2 hours, 47 minutes. Neither system challenged the HP Compaq tc4200's 4 hour, 56-minute battery life. If you want longer battery life and can do without the DVD drive, purchase a $149 battery for the tablet's swappable bay. Acer says the extra cell can add nearly 4 hours to your battery life.
While most business systems ship with a three-year warranty, the Acer TravelMate C310's lasts only one year (software and accessories come with a mere 90-day warranty). During that time, you can mail or carry the system in to an Acer authorized service center anywhere in the world. Users can call for live telephone support on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on weekends from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT. Outside those hours, you have to leave a message; Acer claims a technician will call back within an hour. The company's support Web site offers the usual drivers and manuals along with a meager knowledge base (with only one article on the TravelMate C310 series) and the option to e-mail a question to a technician. When we used the online form to submit a question, we received a response a leisurely seven days later.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
 |
BAPCo's MobileMark 2002 performance rating |
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
|
BAPCo's MobileMark 2002 battery-life minutes |
Find out more about how we test Windows notebooks.
System configurations:
Acer TravelMate C314XMi
Windows XP Tablet 2005; 2GHz Intel Pentium M 760; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM PC4300 533MHz; Nvidia GeForce Go 6200 128MB; Seagate ST9100822A 100GB 4,200rpm
HP tc4200
Windows XP Tablet 2005; 1.8GHz Intel Pentium M 745; 512MB DDR SDRAM PC3200 400MHz; Intel 915GM 128MB; Toshiba MK6026GAX 60GB 5,400rpm
Toshiba Tecra M4-S515
Windows XP Tablet 2002; 2GHz Intel Pentium M 760; 512MB DDR2 SDRAM PC3200 400MHz; Nvidia GeForce Go 6600 TE 64MB/6600 TE 128MB; Fujitsu MHT2080BH 80GB 4,200rpm
What You'll Pay
- Set Price Alert
