The Bottom Line
Pros
- Low Price
- Good Battery Life
Cons
- Does Not Include Productivity Software
- Lacks FireWire Port
- Bulky Dimensions
Description
- Intel Celeron M 350 (1.3GHz, 1MB) Processor
- 256MB PC2100 DDR Memory
- 40GB 4,200rpm Hard Drive
- 24x CD-RW/DVD Combo Drive
- 15" XGA LCD and Intel Extreme 2 Graphics with 64MB Shared Memory
- AC'97 Audio
- v.92 56Kbps Modem, 10/100 Ethernet and 802.11g Wireless
- Three USB 2.0 Ports, One Type II PC Card Slot
- 14.3" x 11" x 1.5" @ 6.4 lbs.
- Windows XP Home, PowerDVD, Norton Anti-Virus, NTI CD-Maker
Guide Review - Acer TravelMate TM2304LCi-XPH
4/11/05 - Acer's TravelMate TM2304LCi-XPH has a lot to offer for those on a really tight budget and don't require some features.
Powering the TM2304LCi-XPH is the new Celeron M 350 processor. It runs at 1.3GHz with a 1MB cache and incorporates many of the same power saving features found in the Pentium M processor. This gives it strong battery life for a portable budget computer. Matched up with this is 256MB of PC2100 DDR memory that is the minimum that any system with Windows XP should come with. It would be nice to see Acer use some faster memory.
Storage space is average for the budget notebook segment. It comes standard with a 40GB 4,200rpm hard drive and a 24x CD-RW/DVD combo burner. This allows the TM2304LCi-XPH to be used to create data and music CDs or play DVD movies. It does however lack a memory card slot for reading digital flash cards that are found in most budget systems.
The system comes with a 15" LCD XGA screen and integrated Intel graphics common among most notebook computers now. What is surprising about this is the 2300 series chassis is designed for a 15.4" wide screen LCD found on some models. This means the case is larger than necessary for the 15" screen.
One major area that the TM2304LCi-XPH could use improvement is the software. In order to get the price down, Acer has elected not to include a productivity software package. This means consumers buying this will need to spend extra for this software.
