Acer 5920

I just bought an Acer 5920 , and here goes its review. First and foremost the acer 5920 available in India, comes with a DVD resource which includes both Vista-32bit and XP-32 bit drivers. I will provide the XP drivers here as its not easily available. The bios version is latest and provide good XP support. You just have to change the sata settings to IDE from AHCI. and that does that job. The configuration is this :-

Processor
Intel® Centrino® processor technology , featuring:T5550 (2 MB L2 cache, 1.83 GHz, 667 MHz), supporting Intel 64 architecture Mobile Intel GM965 Express Chipset Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG5 (dual-band tri-mode 802.11a/b/g) Wi-Fi CERTIFIED network connection, supporting Acer SignalUp wireless technology

Operating System
LINUX

Memory
2*1 GB Dual-channel DDR2 SDRAM upgradeable

Graphics
Mobile Intel® GM965 Express Chipset with integrated 3D graphics, featuring Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 (Intel® GMA X3100) with up to 358 MB of Intel® Dynamic Video Memory Technology 4.0 (8 MB of dedicated memory, up to 350 MB of shared system memory), supporting Microsoft® DirectX® 9Dual independent display support16.7 million colorsExternal resolution/refresh rate:2048 x 1536: 75/60 Hz1920 x 1440: 85/75/60 Hz1920 x 1200: 75/60 Hz1920 x 1080: 100/85/75/60 Hz1600 x 1200: 120/100/85/75/60 Hz1600 x 900: 120/100/85/75/60 Hz1400 x 1050: 85/75/60 Hz1280 x 1024: 120/100/85/75/60 Hz1280 x 960: 85/75/60 Hz1280 x 768: 85/75/60 Hz1280 x 720: 100/85/75/60 Hz1024 x 768: 120/100/85/75/60 Hz800 x 600: 120/100/85/72/60 HzMPEG-2/DVD accelerationWMV9 (VC-1)8 and H.264 (AVC) acceleration S-video/TV-out (NTSC/PAL) support

Audio
Dolby10-certified surround sound system with two built-in stereo speakers and one subwoofer supporting low-frequency effects Certified Dolby Home Theater10 audio enhancement featuring Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Live, Dolby Pro Logic II, Dolby Headphone and Dolby Virtual Speaker technologiesHigh-definition audio supportS/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface)11 support for digital speakersMS-Sound compatibleAcer PureZone technology with two built-in stereo microphones featuring beam forming, echo cancellation, and noise suppression technologies

Storage
160 GB hard disk drive125-in-1 card reader, supporting Secure Digital (SD), MultiMediaCard (MMC), Memory Stick (MS), Memory Stick PRO (MS PRO), xD-Picture Card (xD)

Optical Disk Drive
8X DVD-Super Multi double-layer drive:Read: 24X CD-ROM, 24X CD-R, 24X CD-RW, 8X DVD-ROM, 8X DVD-R, 8X DVD+R, 6X DVD-ROM DL (double-layer), 6X DVD-R DL (double-layer), 6X DVD+R DL (double-layer), 6X DVD-RW, 6X DVD+RW, 5X DVD-RAMWrite: 24X CD-R, 16X CD-RW, 8X DVD-R, 8X DVD+R, 4X DVD-R DL (double-layer), 4X DVD+R DL (double-layer), 6X DVD-RW, 8X DVD+RW, 5X DVD-RAM

Communication
Acer Video Conference, featuring:Integrated Acer Crystal Eye webcam, supporting enhanced Acer PrimaLite technologyAcer PureZone technologyWLAN1, 4, 5: 3945ABG (dual-band tri-mode 802.11a/b/g) Wi-Fi CERTIFIED network connection, supporting Acer SignalUp wireless technologyWPAN1: Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)LAN: Gigabit Ethernet, Wake-on-LAN readyModem: 56K ITU V.92 with PTT approval14, Wake-on-Ring ready

Dimensions and weight
364 (W) x 270.2 (D) x 30.8/43.7 (H) mm (14.3 x 10.6 x 1.2/1.7 inches)3.0 kg (6.6 lbs.)

Power Supply
ACPI 3.0 CPU power management standard: supports Standby and Hibernation power-saving modes44 W 4000 mAh 6-cell Li-ion battery pack:About 3.0-hour15 battery life3-pin 65 W AC adapter

I/O Ports
ExpressCard/54 slot5-in-1 card reader (SD, MMC, MS, MS PRO, xD)Four USB 2.0 portsIEEE 1394 portConsumer infrared (CIR) portExternal display (VGA) portS-video/TV-out (NTSC/PAL) port1Headphone/speaker/line-out jack with S/PDIF supportMicrophone-in jackLine-in jackEthernet (RJ-45) portModem (RJ-11) portDC-in jack for AC adapter

Display
15.4" WXGA high-brightness (220-nit) Acer CrystalBrite TFT LCD, 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, supporting simultaneous multi-window viewing via Acer GridVista8 ms response time

Keyboard
88-/89-/93-key keyboard1 with inverted "T" cursor layout, 2.5 mm (minimum) key travelSeamless touchpad pointing device with 4-way scroll button12 function keys, four cursor keys, two Windows keys, hotkey controls, embedded numeric keypad, international language support, independent Euro and US dollar sign keysEmpowering KeyEasy-launch buttons: WLAN, Bluetooth, email, Internet, programmableAcer MediaTouch keys: Acer Arcade Deluxe1 play/pause, stop, previous, next, record

Software
Acer Empowering Technology (Acer eNet, ePower, eAudio, ePresentation, eDataSecurity1, eLock, eRecovery, eSettings Management)Acer Arcade™1 featuring Cinema, Video, Music, Acer HomeMediaAcer Arcade™ Deluxe1 featuring DV Wizard, VideoMagician, DVDivine,, Acer HomeMediaAcer Crystal Eye1Acer GridVista™Acer Launch ManagerAcer GameZone1Acer Video Conference Manager1Acer Video Conference Manager featuring Video Quality Enhancement (VQE)1,13 Adobe® Reader®CyberLink® PowerProducer®Norton Internet Security™NTI CD-Maker™Microsoft® Works 8.5 with Office Home and Student 2007 Trial1
Options and Items
Acer Xpress VoIP phone and Acer Video Conference Manager packAcer Media Center remote control512 MB/1 GB/2 GB DDR2 667 MHz soDIMM module8-cell Li-ion battery pack3-pin 65 W AC adapterExternal USB floppy disk drive

Warranty
One-year International Travelers Warranty (ITW)

Note
Acer recommends Windows Vista® Business.1.Specifications vary depending on model.2.64-bit software is required to enjoy the advantages of 64-bit processing.3.Acer InviLink™ Nplify™, a high-throughput wireless solution, delivers superior performance and reliable connections while enabling emerging voice, video and data applications. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED®, it supports Acer SignalUp™ wireless technology and is compliant with 802.11a/b/g and 802.11b/g standards.4.Actual throughput may vary depending on network conditions and environmental factors such as network traffic or overhead, building construction and access point settings.5.Models with 802.11b/g WLAN support, validated with Intel® Centrino® processor technology, may be offered in some regions.6.Up to 1 GB of available system memory may be allocated for system resource requirements.7.Shared system memory may be allocated to support integrated graphics, depending on system memory size and other factors. Actual system memory available to the operating system will be reduced by the amount of dedicated and shared system memory utilized by the graphics solution and resources required by the operating environment.8.Subject to availability of software driver support.9.Powered by CyberLink® technology.10.Dolby®, Pro Logic® and the double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby® Laboratories. Dolby Home Theater® is a trademark of Dolby® Laboratories.11.Supports 7.1-channel surround sound and 2-channel stereo output (multiple streaming).12.1 GB is 1 billion bytes. Actual formatted capacity is less and may vary depending on preloaded materials and operating environment. Acer eRecovery Management utilizes up to 10 GB of the stated hard disk capacity as dedicated backup space.13.Two VQE-enabled Acer notebooks with dual-core processors are required to enjoy the exclusive benefits and added performance of VQE.14.PTT countries: Asia: China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan. Europe: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland. Oceania: Australia, New Zealand. N. America: Canada, USA.15.Battery life varies depending on product specifications, computer settings, and applications or features launched, and may be reduced if Windows Aero™ is enabled. All batteries' maximum capacity diminishes with time and use. In a continuing effort to improve the quality of our products, information in this document is subject to change without notice. Images shown are only representations of some of the configurations available for this model. Availability may vary depending on region. As a phenomenon known to thin-film transistors (TFTs), liquid crystal displays (LCDs) commonly exhibit a small number of discoloration dots, as so-called "non-conforming pixels." This phenomenon is a limitation of TFT LCD technology, not a product defect, and as such is not covered by Acer's warranty.2007 Acer Inc. All rights reserved. Acer, the Acer logo, and Aspire are registered trademarks of Acer Inc. Other trademarks, registered trademarks, and/or service marks, indicated or otherwise, are the property of their respective owners. About Acer Since its founding in 1976, Acer has constantly pursued the goal of breaking the barriers between people and technology. Focused on marketing its brand-name IT products around the globe, Acer ranks as the world's No. 3 (3Q07) vendor for total PCs and No. 2 for notebooks, with the fastest growth among the top-five players. A profitable and sustainable Channel Business Model is instrumental to Acer's continued growth, while the successful merger of Gateway Inc. as a wholly owned subsidiary completes the company's global footprint by strengthening its presence in the U.S. and enhancing its strong position in Europe. Acer Inc. employs 5,300 people worldwide. Revenues in 2006 reached US$11billion. See www.acer.com for more information.

So lets start with OS installations :-

i) Windows XP SP2

Once you have changed the sata settings in bios , its pretty much a cakewalk . Just put the cd in and start installing. The standard 5920 here comes with 2 partitions one ext3 and the other fat32. Ext3 comes due to the Linpus preinstalled. You can use gparted from any linux livecd to partition your disk . Do make just one primary partion and one extended partion as Windows XP is not able to read partion table and hanges after " Setup is inspecting hardware". Also the laptop comes with grub preinstalled. If your XP cd gives some issues while installing, you should use a DOS bootable floppy and try FIXMBR . For linux users there is a package called ms-sys. It loads an XP compatible bootloader with ease. Just use it from any live cd and it does the job .Following commands are required :

ms-sys -m /dev/sda ( Your Device)

ms-sys -w /dev/sda1 (Your primary partitin)

ms-sys -p /dev/sda1 (Making your primary drive the C: drive)

With this done there should hardly be any issue. Once XP is installed . Just go through the drivers and install them .

ii ) Ubuntu 8.04 ( Hardy)

Ubuntu Installs with almost no issues at all . Once done almost all the devices are working properly. The eye candy by the desktop-effects is also very good. You might face some isssues with sound but those are not driver related but just settings. By default the PC speaker is muted so do unmute that for lappy speakers to work . Also in volume control the microphone and mic boost are muted , so do unmute them . Also increase the micboost in the other device specially the mixers .That should let voip to run perfectly . Wifi and wired network is also properly working . Though it does recognise bluetooth devices ,I have not transferred files yet . You need to install blutooth file sharing and OBEX server from synaptic to transfer files using bluetooth.

One the whole ACER 5920 works great in both XP and UBUNTU. Performance is damn good. X3100 Media Accelerator works decent . Will provide you with the 3d test score next time.The 667 MHZ is bit underutilised. It should be 800MHZ as all devices are capable of it. Will find a way and then let you know.