Acer TravelMate 3012WTMi
Notebook Reviews > Acer TravelMate > 3012WTMi

Review Date: 29th July' 2006

Taking up only as much space as a standard A4 paper would, the Acer TravelMate 3012WTMi is yet another of Acer's (now) long list of ultra-portables.

In the TravelMate 3012WTMi, Acer tries to achieve that delicate balance between portability and performance power; and it seems that they have succeeded indeed.

The TravelMate 3012WTMi is Acer's first ultraportable notebook to use the Intel Centrino Core Duo Mobile Technology and as such is powered by an Intel Core Due T2300 processor running at 1.66 GHz. Complementing the processor is the 1GB of DDR2 RAM which is user-upgradeable up to a max of 4GB.

As with most ultra-portables the graphics in the TravelMate 3012WTMi are handled by an integrated chip, the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 to be precise. With such a graphics engine you shouldn't expect any gaming performance from this notebook; as for business needs, the Intel GMA 950 is more than capable of handling such needs. And it's Vista-Capable so rest assured that your investment won't be wasted once Microsoft releases its upcoming major Windows version.

With a native resolution of 1280x800 pixels, the TravelMate 3012WTMi's 12.1" wide screen offers its user ample desktop real estate allowing for simultaneous opening of multiple document/web page windows. The display itself is quite clear, sharp and with good brightness. While on the subject of the display, it's interesting to note that Acer includes its GridVista software with the TravelMate 3012WTMi. This allows users to divide the screen into fixed grids and assign certain programs to a specific grid on the screen, very helpful for people who multitask regularly.

Right on top of the screen is Acer's OrbiCam, an integrated 1.3 megapixel camera which can be rotated within 225 degrees. This camera makes it easy to conduct video conference calls using the Internet, especially that it has an interesting feature allowing it to automatically track your face (and zoom in or out) as needed while you move your head around during a call. In addition, the included VoIP Bluetooth handset completes your conferencing needs.

With the standard 3-cell battery the TravelMate 3012WTMi weighs in at 3.3 pounds and has a battery life of up to 2 hours. Not much for mobile warriors. But not to worry, the optional 6-cell battery pack gives you additional battery life for a total of almost 3.5 hours; while only adding a mere 0.4 pounds to the weight bringing the total to 3.7 pounds.

Sadly, part of the reason for the 3012WTMi's small size and relatively light weight is the lack of an integrated optical drive. Users have to depend instead on the included external DVD burner drive.

Other features of the TravelMate 3012WTMi include three USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire (iLink) port, a PC Card slot and a card reader capable of handling SD, MMC and MemoryStick cards. Connectivity options include the aforementioned Bluetooth support including WPAN (Wireless Personal Area Network) capabilities, a Gigabit Ethernet connection and WiFi with Acer's SignalUp technology providing enhanced antenna reception.

All in all, the Acer TravelMate 3012WTMi offers a very compact and highly portable notebook that's quite capable of satisfying all the computing needs of today's mobile warriors.