Acer Aspire 9810

CPU 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7200

RAM 2GB DDR2 667

Hard Drive 120GB SATA

Graphics Card(s) NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600 (256MB)

Optical Drive HD DVD

Screen Size and Resolution 20" / 1680x1050

Dimensions 18.7" W x 13.86" D x 2.43" H

Weight 16.98 lbs

Approximate Price ~$2600

As you can see from the specs, this is one hell of a machine, especially if you intend on using it for video playback purposes. The beefy Aspire 9810 is one of the first laptops out there to include an HD DVD drive, for all of you out there interested in portable HD video. A Core 2 Duo processor will also ensure you have plenty of power on tap for multitasking.

For all its great numbers and specs, there are some flaws with the Aspire 9810. A point of contention in my eyes is that the 9810 has a weaker graphics card than some of the other models in the roundup. Maybe it's my gaming predilection speaking, but for this kind of coin I'd like a more robust graphics card implemented so I would be able to game on a mobile solution at high resolution with all the eye candy turned up. To get an idea of how the NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600 performs, check out our review of the Go 7600-equipped Toshiba Qosmio AV650.

One more question abounds, and that is why Acer chose a 1680x1050 resolution bundled with that HD DVD drive, as this resolution is not true High Definition. A better choice may have been 1920x1200 which would allow 1080i/p content to be played in true high def. Another factor to consider with the inclusion of the HD DVD drive is that the high def standard has still not been decided. Whether Blu-ray or HD DVD will emerge victorious is anyone's guess, so the true value of having either drive right now is somewhat debatable. Also, the HD DVD drive doesn't record high definition video, it only plays it.

Despite these few quibbles, this laptop is one of the best bargains of the bunch. When you consider that a standalone HD DVD unit will run you about $500-$600 alone, that leaves you spending about $2,000 for a system that comes with a 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo CPU, 2GB of RAM, a fairly large amount of hard drive space, mid-range video card, and a big beautiful LCD, all in a package that you can still cart around to class, or on business trips.