Portable property is becoming affordable. The Acer TravelMate 290 priced at HK$9,468 is a bargain I would recommend.
Weighing just 2.56 kilograms and only just 3.2 cm thick, it is fitted with Intel Centrino mobile technology which lets you access public wireless LAN networks. Similar systems from Samsung, Fujitsu and Sony cost nearly twice as much and in terms of performance and features, the Acer TravelMate 290 is no slacker. Fitted with an Intel Pentium M processor at 1.3 gigahertz and higher, it comes with 128 megabytes of Ram, expandable to 2 gigabytes.
The Intel 855GM chipset also offers an integrated graphics solution with up to 64 megabytes of Ram for superb graphics.
Acer claims that the Li-ion battery pack offers 5.5-hours of operation time.
Beside wireless connectivity, it comes with built-in Ethernet and integrated 56K modem. Together with three USB 2.0 ports, parallel port, VGA port, PCMCIA CardBus slot, and a FireWire port, you could connect the TravelMate 290 to almost all the latest peripherals. S-video-out is also supported.
The TravelMate 290 is available 14.1-inch or 15-inch sizes. The price mentioned is for a 14.1-inch basic configuration.