If you aren’t still aware, we have a comment section at the bottom of every article where readers can post their comments on the article. The comments are moderated and we (the authors) have to approve it before the public can see it. Now, the reason why I am saying all this in a laptop article is because of the sheer number of comments that we still receive, every single day for an article that’s six months old. With technology outperforming itself like never before, even six months is a long time and that’s very well reflected in the processors used for the laptops mentioned below. From Pentium M and Celeron we now have all three laptops with dual core processors with two of them featuring Intel’s Core Duo Processors. So without wasting further time, let’s have a look at the three contenders.

Please Note: We will be mentioning important points in the laptop description below. For a complete comprehensive feature list please refer to the comparison table.

Acer 5572ZNWXMi (Rs. 39,490)


This one has the richest set of features among all three. It’s powered by Intel’s 1.6 GHz T2050 Core Duo processor. Although it doesn't belong to the Intel’s latest line of Core 2 Duo processors (Notice the '2' between Core and Duo) the performance difference under normal applications is almost unnoticeable. Only in 3D rendering applications and encoding tasks will you notice a difference of about 10 to 20%. RAM is same across all three laptops—512MB DDR2and the Acer features a 667MHz module. The 5572ZNWXMi comes with a massive 120GB SATA hard drive. That’s pretty commendable for a budget laptop. Another noticeable feature is the screen resolution—1280x800 for a 14.1 inch wide-screen. The screen comes with a glossy anti-reflective finish that’s makes the colors more vibrant. The motherboard features Intel’s 945 chipset and has Intel’s GMA950 onboard graphic processor.

The downside, though not major, is in the placement of USB ports. There are three in total with one on the left hand side and two behind. All the current generation laptops with good design make it a point to have all the ports on the front or sides so that they are easily accessible. Another downside is the provision of a PCMCIA slot instead of ExpressCard slot. ExpressCard is the new standard offering much higher bandwidth. Though not many devices are available as of now, it will surely be the de-facto standard six months ahead.

Connectivity options are pretty standard with a 10/100 LAN, 56K modem and wireless 802.11 b/g. It features a standard six cell battery that lasts for around two hours and comes with a patent leather carry bag. Other extras worth mentioning include a 0.3 MP webcam and a SD/MMC/Memory Stick Duo/Pro Card reader. With regards to the weight, at 2.4 Kilos its neither light nor too heavy.

As with most entry-level laptops, the OS installed on this system is Linux. It has a one year 'carry-in' warranty. Carry-in indicates that in case of a problem with the laptop and a part needs to be replaced, you will have to take the laptop to the service center. In Mumbai, there are only two service centers, at Mahalakshmi and Mulund.