Acer Aspire 1502LMI

Over the next few months, we will be hearing a lot more about 64-bit computers in the home. Often, manufacturers brandish the phrase 32-bit or 64-bit without explaining what the numbers really mean. For a hardcore gamer or video-editing enthusiast, having a 64-bit processor in your PC means it can cope with much more Information, giving better performance.

Where does that leave the rest of us? Acer's new notebook, containing a 64-bit AMD processor, is aimed at home and small business users. The processor is an AMD Athlon 64 3200+ and is combined with 512Mb of memory.

The 60Gb hard disk is unexceptional, but more than adequate for most people's needs. The sturdy grey frame weighs in at a hefty 3.5kg, but is in keeping with the desktop-replacement market this notebook is aimed at.

It performs well, if not outstandingly, but packs enough power to play DVDs and the latest games at high quality. The 15in screen is sharp but has a resolution of 1400 x 1050, which is higher than most. While that's good for overall image quality, it can make text hard to read. The recordable DVD drive can write to all formats apart from DVD-RAM.

The well-designed keyboard and integrated touchpad are comfortable to use and a row of function buttons at the top of the keyboard allow you to quickly perform common tasks, such as printing, or connecting to Wi-Fi. In addition to the wireless function, there's a modem for dial-up connections.

There are two PC card slots for adding additional hardware, but most of what you'll need is inside the case. If you have a digital camera or MP3 player, there's an SD/MMC memory card reader on the side, plus four USB 2 ports, an infrared receiver and a mini-FireWire port.

It's a sturdy machine and considering the weight, it's unlikely you would want to take it on the road often. It does, however, contain a wealth of connection options and has all the features a general user would need.

There's anti-virus, DVD playback and DVD/CD creation software included, alongside a one-year warranty.

Contact: Acer 0870 900 2237
www.acer.co.uk