Acer Aspire 8930

A few months back in November of 2008, Acer released its successor to the Aspire 8920: the 18-inch Acer Aspire 8930 notebook. Although its predecessor didn't win over the hearts of many users, the new-and-improved 8930 features improved hardware specs in the same Gemstone metallic casing. Designed specially for gamers and multimedia enthusiasts, the new Aspire laptop includes a 2.5GHz Intel 9400 Core 2 Duo processor, HDMI port, Bluetooth support, a Blu-Ray combo drive, built-in hybrid HD digital TV-tuner with a remote, NVIDIA 9700M GT graphics card (512MB - DDR3), and Windows Vista.

In addition to these first-class components, the Acer 8930 boasts a striking profile and aesthetic, ultra stylish design. The glossy display has great brightness and contrast levels with a native resolution of 1920 by 1080. Needless to say, watching HD movies and videos on the Aspire 8930 is certainly a pleasure. And thanks to its large 18.4-inch screen, the horizontal and vertical viewing angles are also a treat.

While some may consider it too bulky for a mobile PC, its larger size offers a few noteworthy advantages. For instance, unlike some other thin-and-sleek laptops, the keys on the keyboard aren't abnormally small, which makes it easier to type and avoid missed key presses. The media controls are intuitive and responsive, and the volume slider is surprisingly user-friendly. Likewise, the touchpad has good sensitivity and provides a decent grip that eases navigation for the user.

As an added bonus for media and entertainment buffs, the speakers on the Aspire 8930 are in a league of their own. Each notebook comes with a Dolby 5.1 speaker system, which includes 5 speakers and a subwoofer. These speakers are among the best in its class--the sound quality is remarkable and the volume reaches extraordinarily high levels. All in all, the flawless display combined with the Dolby speakers make for a perfect mini home theatre.

As for the internal components, the built-in WiFi adapter provides excellent range and great speeds. Despite its powerful processor, gigantic screen and clear-cut graphics, the Acer 8930 has a reasonable battery life, lasting nearly three hours with moderate usage. Intel's Core 2 Duo T9400 is near the top of the line in terms of Intel processors. Accordingly, this high-performance system can handle even the heaviest multitasking duties with great ease.

This high-end laptop is available to consumers for just under two grand, providing users a good value for their money.