Getting More Notebook Bang For The Buck

CRN Test Center engineers looked at two new notebooks suitable for desktop replacement. One is an SMB unit from Acer that costs less than $1,000. The other is a Toshiba that&'s a little pricier, but its special rugged features make it better suited for life on the go. Solution providers will find these units to be an easy sell because of their terrific value.

Acer TravelMate 4060
Ideal for all general-purpose computing and entertainment applications, Acer&'s TravelMate 4060 is a value-priced Centrino notebook targeted at the SMB market. The TravelMate 4060 includes a fast 1.73GHz Pentium M processor model 740, an 80-Gbyte hard drive, 512 Mbytes of memory, a combo DVD/CD-RW drive and a generous wide-screen 1,280-x-800 pixel 15.4-inch display driven by an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900. Ruggedly made and finished in silver, the unit includes 802.11b/g wireless, Gigabit Ethernet, a 56-Kbps modem, three USB 2.0 ports and one PC Card slot—but the base model does not include FireWire or a media card reader.

Measuring 14 inches wide by 1.5 inches high by 11 inches deep and weighing 6.5 pounds, the TravelMate 4060 is very portable. The large display is useful for working on two pages at once or for watching DVD movies in wide-screen mode. This is a lot of notebook for $999, and that price includes Windows XP Professional.

Acer has been a channel focused company for more than 25 years. All partners are given the same prices, and all partners gain access to Acer&'s product line without being tied to rebate programs. Acer provides presales support, local Acer personnel and an MDF program. VARs must provide integration support to end users. Training is provided on the phone, via the Web and on site. Acer&'s products are sold only through the channel, and all products are available through its distribution partners.

Toshiba Tecra S3
The Tecra S3 is the newest model in Toshiba&'s premier S series of notebooks. Not only is the S3 a powerful, feature-filled system, it also contains a wide assortment of Toshiba&'s exclusive EasyGuard technology. Toshiba&'s EasyGuard hardware and software enhancements are intended to ease connectivity, increase security and physically strengthen the notebook itself. These extra features can prevent machine failure more often than not.

The EasyGuard technology includes an embedded security chip that stores encryption keys, passwords and user credentials, allowing only authorized users to access the information. An integrated biometric fingerprint reader replaces typing login information with a swipe of the user&'s finger. A Hard Disk Drive Protection System detects sudden acceleration and parks the hard drive head until it&'s safe to resume normal operation. A USB key and password scheme keep all information on the hard drive encrypted. Impact bumpers built into the notebook&'s corners protect internal components from damage, and a spill-resistant keyboard gives users enough time to shut down if anything gets wet.

The Tecra S3 measures 13.3 inches wide by 1.5 inches high by 11 inches deep and weighs 6.3 pounds. Its 15-inch display can be purchased with a native resolution of either XGA (1,024 x 728) or SXGA+ (1,400 x 1,050). The display is driven by an NVIDIA GeForce Go 6600 with as much as 128 Mbytes of dedicated video memory. Pentium M processors ranging in speed from 1.73GHz to 2.26GHz are available, and 256 Mbytes of memory is standard. Hard drives from 40 Gbytes to 100 Gbytes are available, as are various types of optical drives including double-layer DVD recorders.

Gigabit Ethernet, wireless 802.11b/g or 802.11a/b/g, Fast Infrared and a v.92 modem are standard while Bluetooth is optional. Ports include a media card reader, PC Card slot, three USB 2.0 ports, S-Video out, one parallel port, one serial port and a FireWire port. Microsoft Office OneNote 2003, Works and Windows XP Professional also are included, with prices starting at $1,599.

Toshiba&'s channel program has three levels: Platinum, Gold and Silver, with the determining factor being a partner&'s sales volume. Silver-level partners do not get rebates or MDF. Gold-level partners selling between $100,000 and $250,000 get rebates in the form of monthly checks. Platinum-level partners must sell more than $250,000; they receive rebates and MDF. All partners can take advantage of the Preferred Partner Rewards Program, which lets sales reps earn points that can be redeemed for rewards, merchandise incentives and travel packages, and all levels also are eligible for Toshiba&'s Business Demonstration Program, which provides a 40 percent discount on selected products.