Acer Aspire 5102WLMi

A dual-core notebook for less than $900? Acer delivers just that with the AMD Turion 64 X2-powered Aspire 5102WLMi, which boasts strong multitasking performance along with all the features you could want in a 15.4-inch notebook.
 
Style mavens may not appreciate the 5102WLMi’s rather utilitarian silver design; it’s all business here, folks. Once the lid is popped, you’re treated to a smooth, silver-and-black interior with glossy highlights. The 5102WLMi’s non-glossy, 15.4-inch WXGA display is fine for watching DVDs. Colors were crisp and vibrant, and we didn’t see any heavy glare or reflections.
 
The 14.1 x 10.6 x 1.2-inch body features a wide, comfortable keyboard that makes typing a leisurely endeavor. The actual keys, however, exhibited a bit too much flex. Beneath the keyboard is a spacious touchpad. Nestled between the left and right mouse buttons is a square scroll button that lets you move the cursor without needing to move your finger up, down, left, or right; you simply press and hold the button in a particular direction and the cursor will match your movement. We found this method of navigation infinitely superior to scrolling.
 
Above the keyboard are several quick-launch buttons that open Internet Explorer, Outlook, and Acer’s Launch Manager, which lets you customize the functions of the buttons. Twin speakers, housed in the front bezel, produced typically weak bass. You’ll also find on/off switches for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections. Microphone, headphone, and line-in jacks line the front of the system for easy access.

 

Despite the 5102WLMi’s weak MobileMark 2005 scores (168 is well below average for a mainstream system), this machine proved to be an able multitasker. AMD’s Turion 64 X2 processor eased through DVD playback while running a full antivirus system scan. We added the additional task of checking e-mail, and the notebook continued to run smoothly. The ATI Radeon Xpress 1100 graphics card managed a rather unimpressive score of 1,311 on our 3DMark03 tests, so don’t expect to play games on this machine.
 
The six-cell battery included in this configuration lasted three hours, which is below average for a mainstream notebook. If you need more juice, Acer offers an eight-cell battery for $149, but it grants only an additional 30 minutes of endurance.
 
The 5102WLMi offered fair Wi-Fi performance, delivering 12.6 Mbps from 15 feet, and 9.4 Mbps from 50 feet. Bluetooth connectivity is available for those who wish to sync their smart phones wirelessly or place VoIP calls using a Bluetooth headset.
 
One of the more interesting features of the 5102WLMi is the Acer Gridvista Extension utility, which enables you to view multiple open windows or applications by allowing you to see through them. For example, if you’re working on a report and need to view a Web page at the same time, you can make a Word document transparent so you can see the information on the page behind it. While this is a very cool feature, we would have liked the ability to adjust the level of transparency.
 
Acer also throws in the NTI CD & DVD-Maker 7 suite, a bundle of entertainment-related programs, including NTI Wave Editor and NTI JewelCase Maker for designing personalized disc labels. The system comes with a one-year parts-and-labor warranty with lifetime toll-free service and support.
 
The design of the Acer Aspire 5102WLMi may not inspire, but this system will handle your home or office workload without blowing your budget.