The Acer Guy

I recently received a mail from a reader in the UK wanting to know when the Aspire 5920 was going to arrive in the shops. He also said that on the Amazon UK site these new Gemstone models were scheduled for availability “from late August”.

I spoke to the sales management about this back at Acer HQ and can confirm that the new models are being shipped to the UK distributors as I write and that they should be in the shops “within a couple of weeks”.

I know this is still a long way off for many of you but it’s better than “late August” surely!

If any of you have a question about Acer that you’d like me to answer and that isn’t part of an existing conversation send it in to me here and I’ll see if I can help.

You want comments? We got comments:

1. Andrew wrote, on June 30th, 2007:

   

   The acer 5920 is on sale now at:

   http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Acer_Aspire_5920WSMi_Laptop_LX.AGS0X.015/version.asp

2. martin frost wrote, on July 5th, 2007:

   

   hi, i have just bought one of these from laptops direct which was delivered today – 4th july…

   it stated in the ad on the site that it was a 5920WSMi but what i received was a 5920G. any ideas why the code is different than described? is it an import of some sort so therefore are the specs different?

   anybody have any ideas? thinking about returning it…

   thanks, martin

3. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 5th, 2007:

   

   Martin.

   That’s a very good question and I hope my answer will put you at ease…

   I’ve had a look at the official product descriptions and it seems that the “WSMi” model extension was used for models prior to the introduction of the Gemstone (new Aspire) and ProFile (new TravelMate) series.

   In fact, looking at any of the local Acer sites where the 5920 is currently sold, the 5920 models are only referred to as AS5920G so that is the correct name. Don’t know where they got the WSMi name from but it is not correct.

   Laptops Direct is also a “client” of Acer so the notebooks on sale arrive through the official channels (think of the potential warranty problems if it were any different). Yours is NOT an import and the specs of your model are THE SAME as all the others sold in the UK.

   Now, stop worrying and tells us what you think of it!

4. Chris wrote, on July 6th, 2007:

   

   Are any retail shops in the UK stocking the 5920? would like to have a physical look before I buy!

5. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 6th, 2007:

   

   Hi Chris,

   I am trying to get the complete info, but the people I need to ask are in meetings. I believe the product should be in Comet in roughly 2 weeks. There is also talk of Tesco too…

   The timeline is as above though

   As soon as I have final answer, I will put it up here.

6. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 6th, 2007:

   

   UPDATE: Word just through it should actually arrive in Comet next week!

7. Stephen wrote, on July 7th, 2007:

   

   Hello Michael,
   These two notebooks (Acer 5920WSMi and Acer 5920WLMi) are available on two different websites (both claiming exclusivity!) – can you tell me what is the difference in the two as they both seem to have the same spec and cost the same!
   Thank you
   Stephen

8. Jam wrote, on July 7th, 2007:

   

   Hi guys,
   Are you 100% sure Michael that Comet will be getting in stock next week? If so, great – which model will they be selling – the same as laptops direct?

   And also, will there be any variations of the current 5920 which is available in the UK as at the moment it has no HD ROM, TV tuner or Bluetooth.

   Thanks, jam.

9. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 8th, 2007:

   

   Hi Jam,

   That’s the message I got through from Acer UK so there’s no reason to doubt it. Although 100% is a BIG number…

   I’m looking at your second question and think you might have to wait for the initial “standard” stock to sell out as the specs page on Acer’s UK site does mention all of your requests as factory options.

   My guess is that if you’re not seeing it on the first models, it’s because of the “rush” to get them to the shops..

   It’s a good question though so I’ll ask clarification on Monday.

10. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 8th, 2007:

    

    Hi Stephen,

    Sorry I couldn’t get back sooner.

    At Acer we use something called a Road Map that describes the life cycle of all Acer products. It also gives a country-by-country overview of what’s available across the EMEA region and what it’s called in its final market.

    This document lists the Aspire 5920 as 5920G (there are two versions DVD and HD-DVD) and they have their own codes AFTER the G.

    The WSMi and WLMi names were dropped after the introduction of the Gemstone series.

    In short, the online stores seem to have got it wrong. There are only two models available (anywhere in the world). One has DVD the other HD-DVD. Everything else on these models is the same and they are both called AS5920G.

    Hope that helps.

    Michael

11. Jam wrote, on July 9th, 2007:

    

    Hi Michael,
    Any luck in finding out whether variations of the 5920 will be released in the UK?

    Thanks, han.

12. Andy wrote, on July 10th, 2007:

    

    Hi there, I’m looking to get this model too. Getting really excited!

    I’m a bit confused though, as you said Michael there are only two versions, one with HD DVD and the other without. Does that mean that both versions both have bluetooth and TV tuner as standard? If so why are there reports of a ‘dummy’ bluetooth button on the laptop?

    Just trying to clear things up! Much appreciated for spending your time on this!

    Thanks
    Andy

13. Jam wrote, on July 10th, 2007:

    

    Currently in the UK there isn’t any models which include HD ROM, nor built in TV Tuner and also no bluetooth – those ‘reports’ you mentioned about the dummy button are true.

    In terms of other models being released here, Michael was supposed to tell us on Monday, but he’s gone off to the mountains, lol.

    Thanks, jam.

14. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 10th, 2007:

    

    Hey… that’s not fair…

    I almost feel “needed”

    I did contact Acer UK about this and I have not had a reply to date, hence the deafening silence.

    However, logic dictates that the currently-available stock is the very first batch of Aspire 5920s which probably doesn’t reflect the long-term selling objectives of the retailers (Laptopsdirect, Comet et al). They were simply what was available first.

    There might also be a logistical delay somewhere along the OEM production line that means HD-DVD models will arrive in the UK along with the second wave of notebooks (for the record that’s the model I want to buy myself so I’m facing the same wait).

    I haven’t seen any HD-DVD-equipped 5920 reviews anywhere so my guess is they’re not ready/out yet. I’ll look into this too.

    As for the other comments (the infamous dummy button, Bluetooth, TV tuner etc.) I’m no wiser than you guys. It wasn’t mentioned anywhere in my marketing brief

    Have a look at the Product Reviews section or if you really want to find out about all its defects check out my article here on the CNet video review. There’s also a pretty good discussion going on over at the Trusted Reviews forum, but I guess you’ve already been there…

    In the meantime, I’ll fire off another mail this evening so that I can enjoy my week off knowing you’re all happy

15. Andy wrote, on July 11th, 2007:

    

    I wanted to wait for the HD DVD version too, but I don’t think I can hold out as theres no estimated date. Don’t suppose you have any ideas Michael?

    I do remember seeing a review with a HD DVD version somewhere on the net, I will have to wait till the morning to find it again. I do remember it saying the 15.4″ screen didn’t do it much justice but came out very clear. No mention of TV-tuner though.

    I’m heading off to the US soon to study for a year, might be tempted to hold out and buy one over there!

16. Jam wrote, on July 11th, 2007:

    

    Hi Michael,
    I’ve seen varied opinions about the colour of the interior of the 5920, some saying ‘off white’, ‘beige’ and ‘greyish’. I’m getting slightly put off this notebook, especially when some people are saying even the build quality is poor.

    What really is the actual colour of the 5920?

    ——
    Jam.

17. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 11th, 2007:

    

    It’s called CeramiFinish and it was chosen to limit eye-fatigue. Aspire users are traditionally heavy multimedia users and sit in front of the screen for hours on end playing their favourite game or whatever.

    The beige, cream, off-white, call-it-what-you-will colour was chosen by the guys at BMW Designworks USA because of all available colours, this is the one that wears your eyes out the least.

    This is actually one of the key components of the “Industrial Design” that went into the new Gemstone concept.

    Of course whether you like it or not is strictly personal. I saw it at the launch and am the first to admit that it is “strangely unexpected” but it grows on you in about 5 seconds. After that you stop thinking about it which I guess is why it was chosen in the first place.

    I know I haven’t sorted it out properly but you can click on the Flickr photos on the right and judge for yourself.

    As for quality. I really can’t say myself although I would be pretty surprised if Acer pushed out a dog after they went to such an effort to make it better all round.

    I also have a interesting scoop coming. One of the first buyers of the Aspire 5920 in the UK has actually made his own personal review which I have agreed to publish in full. After all, what’s a blog to do if not stimulate real opinions?

    Maybe his “real customer” point of view will put you more at ease.

18. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 11th, 2007:

    

    I had a look at the Gemstone press release. The colour is officially called pearl grey.
    I guess it’s like the weird names they give car colours. For me it’s off white.

19. Jam wrote, on July 12th, 2007:

    

    Thanks Michael. I’ve seen some real life pictures of it lately and am quite impressed. Hopefully it be in Comet in the coming days.

    —–
    Jam.

20. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 12th, 2007:

    

    Just me passing by to admit failure once again…
    The person I need to ask all the questions you guys have raised over the Aspire 5920 is out of the office until the 16th (by which time the 5920 should have arrived at Comet).
    Oh, will someone please let us know if and when it arrives in the stores? I’ll keep trying my end to find out all the other info you asked for but you’ve got to keep your side of the bargain OK?

21. Chris wrote, on July 14th, 2007:

    

    The (admittedly not overly knowledgeable) guy in my local Comet didn’t seem to know when they would be coming in (other than “within a month I would think”). However they certainly didn’t have it out when I went to look this morning.

    As a secondary point, is there any information on the other models in the gemstone range? When are they likely to be available?

22. Andy wrote, on July 14th, 2007:

    

    Yeah I sent an email to comet asking if they could give a release date, but they said although its listed they have no date as of yet. I’m getting very tempted to buy from the net as I’m sure comet won’t be able to beat internet prices either!

23. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 14th, 2007:

    

    No disrespect for Comet but you’re unlikely to get hard-core information like that from the sales floor.

    One of my first Saturday jobs was in the electronics department of Boots way back when Next was the place to shop. I worked there for a couple of months with my best friend from school and I remember how we used to make up about 50% of the technical information we gave to customers just for a laugh.

    As I said a few posts up the man I really need to speak to (I found him at long last) returns on Monday so I should have answers to some if not all of the questions you guys have asked which, in case you’ve forgotten, were:

    1. When is the Aspire 5920 going to be available in retail stores (Comet, Tesco etc.)?
    2. Which models are going to be available (orig. question: will there be any variations of the current 5920 which is available in the UK as at the moment it has no HD ROM, TV tuner or Bluetooth)?
    3. Why are the online stores (Laptopsdirect) calling it “5920WSMi” and “5920WLMi” when it’s 5920G?
    4. Do the current models have integrated Bluetooth and/or TV tuners and if not will they be available as options? (orig. question: there are only two versions, one with HD DVD and the other without. Does that mean that both versions both have bluetooth and TV tuner as standard?)
    5. Why is there a dummy Bluetooth button on the left hand side?

    As far as your next question is concerned, I could tell you something but then I’d be shot, fired and shot again. However, if you read the press release of the Gemstone launch it does mention versions up to 20″ so expect to see bigger and badder models soon.

    The Gemstone was launched in back in May and are only just arriving in the shops now. If they introduced another next week say (not going to happen), how long do you think it would take for your local Comet to stock them…. (Hint: read between the lines).

    While I’m here I’m going to carry out a bit of gratuitous market research myself, if nothing else but to prove that I can ask you questions too…

    Why are you guys looking at the Gemstone? What I mean is what do you want a media-intensive notebook like this for and what pushes you towards one make/model over another? Is it gaming speed? connectivity? video editing? storage memory? What?

    I won’t lie and say I’m just curious – I’d like to shape future brochures around a more media/gaming-intensive language so I thought I’d better start talking to you before I repeat my Boots experience…

24. Jam wrote, on July 14th, 2007:

    

    Hi Michael,
    They’re good questions you gonna ask that guy – looking forward to the answers.

    I’m considering the Gemstone because of its specs which come for such a low price – £800. In the US, there is a deal going around for 5920 which includes a HD ROM (though 1.5Ghz processor) for one $1100 – thats approx £560!!!
    I was gonna buy the Dell Inspiron 1520, which should have better build quality but it lacks a HDMI port, which I really need.

    Anyway, good luck with the questions.

    —–
    Jam.

25. Chris wrote, on July 16th, 2007:

    

    For me the main driver is value for money, no one else is doing anything comparable for the same price.

    As for asking about other upcoming models, it just seems odd to announce models and then give no indication of timing or price. For example if I wanted a 17in santa rosa notebook at the moment I can’t buy an acer one. However I might not want to wait the indeterminate amount of time before one becomes available…. If i did wait I then might find I couldn’t afford it!

26. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 16th, 2007:

    

    Ahh the game of life….

    I wish I had a crystal ball that told me what and when. It would certainly make my job easier… Anyway, my answer above (with regards other models) still holds…

    OK I got answers (thanks Adam) to all those questions you asked.

    When is the Aspire 5920 going to be available in retail stores (Comet, Tesco etc.)?
    “Comet: Next week. Tesco: August”

    Which models are going to be available (orig. question: will there be any variations of the current 5920 which is available in the UK as at the moment it has no HD ROM, TV tuner or Bluetooth)?
    “There is really only 1 model available in the UK at the moment: T7300, 2G, 160Gb, 1Gb Turbomemory, DVD Super-multi, NVidia 8600 with 256Mb VRAM, Wireless N, Vista Home Premium. 0.3Mp CrystalEye camera. None have HD DVD or TV Tuner but other features like HD-DVD will be introduced soon”.

    Why are the on-line stores (Laptopsdirect) calling it “5920WSMi” and “5920WLMi” when it’s 5920G?
    “It is their mistake, these letters are part of the old naming system, we will speak to them about getting this changed”.

    Do the current models have integrated Bluetooth and/or TV tuners and if not will they be available as options? (orig. question: there are only two versions, one with HD DVD and the other without. Does that mean that both versions both have Bluetooth and TV tuner as standard? If so why are there reports of a ‘dummy’ bluetooth button on the laptop?)
    “No, BT and TV Tuner are not standard. Specs are as above”.

    Why is there a dummy Bluetooth button on the left hand side?
    “Because it is a possible feature, but has not been selected for inclusion in all models in all markets, and as all chassis are the same standard, it is blanked off”.

27. Adam wrote, on July 16th, 2007:

    

    Hi Michael,

    Thanks for the information. I’ve been wanting to know if Bluetooth and a TV Tuner will be included – it seems now that they won’t, at least here in the UK, which is a great shame.

    Do you know if it is possible to get bluetooth fitted (preferably internally) that will work with the current “dummy” button – will an external USB bluetooth adaptor work with this button?

    Do you know if either bluetooth and / or a TV Tuner will *ever* be fitted to UK Gemstone models? It would be so much better than having to purchase bulky external USB devices – also all the current UK reviews of the 5920 state that it includes bluetooth, so it seems Acer won’t supply the spec reviewed by magazines to customers, which is not very good.

    I still of course think the 5920 is good value for money, just wish it came included with the bluetooth as per the reviews (I realise a TV Tuner would be a “luxury extra”).

    Thanks again for the info…

28. Jam wrote, on July 16th, 2007:

    

    Thanks a lot Michael for asking those questions. I’m not bothered tbh if it includes a TV tuner or Bluetooth, rarly will use those features, especially bluetooth since usb 2.0 is faster.

    I’m gonna have a look at the 5920 at comet when it comes out next week. The photos that Jing has put up seem very nice.

    Currently I’m having a soo much confusion. I’m really being tempted by the Dell Inspiron 1520 because of its build quality and customizability. On the other hand, the 5920 has a HDMI port which I’ll probably need.

29. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 16th, 2007:

    

    Hi Jam,

    You mention Dell one more time and my friend Richard@DELL will spontaneously appear and tempt you away….

    Plus don’t knock the Aspire’s build quality. Unless you’re planning on taking it up a mountain or on the Paris-Dakar it’s fine

30. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 17th, 2007:

    

    I was checking the stats and it seems that somewhere near 30% of the visitors to this site are from the US (20% from the UK).

    What that means is that many Americans (and Canadians) have been left out in the cold over the Aspire 5920.

    Until now.

    Word is it is available on-line at Best Buy right now and should be available on Best Buy store shelves any day now (if it isn’t already). Other retailers will follow during the next few months.

31. Andy wrote, on July 17th, 2007:

    

    What do you think the price difference is going to be between comet and somewhere like laptopsdirect?

    Also I read somewhere that someone installed a fresh copy of vista on the laptop, freeing up a few resources. Is this safe to do or would you start having problems with drivers and stuff? Its just that I don’t like all that pre-installed rubbish some manufacturers try and get you to use!

32. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 17th, 2007:

    

    I personally would stay away from that idea, but then 9 times out of ten I don’t know what I’m doing.

    The one thing I can say is that Acer is pretty good when it come to crapware. In fact if you look at the press release it says it comes pre-installed with:

    The Aspire series comes with Microsoft, Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Home Basic or Windows Ultimate edition preinstalled. Additional installed software includes Acer Empowering Technology, Acer GridVista, Acer Video Conference Manager, Microsoft Office Ready 2007, Adobe Reader, CyberLink Power DVD, NTI CD-Maker and Norton Internet Security.

    All in all that means you get the Empowering Technology suite which is pretty nifty when you need it, Video Conferencing and screen management, Adobe reader, a DVD burning/replay suite and an antivirus. I wouldn’t call that crapware at all.

33. Andy wrote, on July 17th, 2007:

    

    So what do you think the price would be like in Comet when compared to laptopsdirect?

34. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 17th, 2007:

    

    You’re asking me?

    I have absolutely no idea. I haven’t set foot in a Comet store for about 15 years.

    Plus I’m bound by unwritten ethical and professional laws to protect the interests (read: not upset) retailers or etailers by favouring one over the other so that’s a road I just can’t go down…

35. Jam wrote, on July 17th, 2007:

    

    I personally expect it to be the same price. The PcPro review suggested that prices would actually drop for the 5920 a few weeks after it was released.

    I’m planning to buy it from Comet after I’ve seen it for real there. I still prefer buying from the ‘good old local shop’ rather than the internet.

    And sorry Michael, no more mentions of D**L anymore.

36. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 17th, 2007:

    

    Actually I love mentioning Dell. And I’m not ashamed to admit to having bought a few myself over the years.

    Besides, sooner or later my man Richard WILL drop by to say hi. He’s even cooler than I am as he gets to go to the Rodeo every year… Imagine doing that on your day off

    You pays you money and takes your choice I guess. I happen to think that Acer’s notebooks have one of the best combinations of price and quality on the planet and I’ve been using them heavily since before I started working for them so I can personally testify their durability.

    There are mainstream ones, high-level ones, special ones and entry-level ones so it does pay to look carefully at what you need before committing but all in all, unless you buy cheap, you’re really not going to dip out whatever you buy. Even if it’s a Dell

37. RichardatDELL wrote, on July 17th, 2007:

    

    Oh dear Jam, you and the Acer Guy are just too much temptation to resist.

    Lets start here: “there are mainstream ones, high-level ones, special ones and entry-level ones so it does pay to look carefully at what you need before committing but all in all, unless you buy cheap, you’re really not going to dip out whatever you buy. Even if it’s a Dell.”

    I think that you will find the choices are much easier with Dell. All that customization allows you to avoid 99% of the trade offs of the mainstream high level and special ones. Instead you make it the way you want it and it does what you need it too.

    Id be tempted by the Dell Inspiron 1520 not only because of its build quality and but especially that customizability…right down to the flashy and personalized color of your choice. How could you possibly go wrong!!!

    In addition to the customization and personalization, we also introduced some new support services including Dell DataSafe™ Online, a back-up service that provides 12 months of complimentary online storage space for every Inspiron (up to 3GB) and XPS product (up to 10GB). Dell’s PC TuneUp is preventive health care, ensuring fewer maintenance hassles and more time for fun and productivity. All new consumer systems come with Dell Support Center pre-installed to make self-help and access to tech support easier than ever. Thats a nice add-on.

    And speaking of the new Inspirons, how do you like this:

    http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2150797,00.asp
    “It’s one of the few laptops, if not the only one, that gives you discrete graphics, a surplus of memory, different-color frames, and a host of other features that usually cost extra. For this, Dell can easily add another Editors’ Choice notch to its belt.”

    I can even take mine to the rodeo if I want, not just every year but all the weekend fairs throughout the Texas countryside….that would be the brown one that goes with the jeans and brown cowboy hat

    So Jam, hope we see you soon!

38. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 17th, 2007:

    

    Told you

39. Andy wrote, on July 18th, 2007:

    

    Its at Comet! Just had a quick look at their website and the 5920 is being sold ONLY on the website at the moment. I don’t think its down at the stores yet. Its being sold at a pricey £899.99. I think I’ll save myself a handy 100quid and go elsewhere!

    However I think theres a mistake on their spec page, it states it DOES have bluetooth! I’ll bet thatll get a lot of hopes up!

40. Jam wrote, on July 18th, 2007:

    

    Horray, finally its at Comet. Hopefully it does have bluetooth and is a different batch to the current UK ones.

    Although, I very even mroe tempted by the Dell now. (thanks ‘richardatdell’ ) But, it has no HDMI not DVI port which is really stupid. Therefore, I’ll probably go with the Acer. Then again, the Acer’s supposed to get very hot when gaming – the GPU reaches 100C whereas the Dell is quite a lot cooler.
    OHHH, I DON’T KNOW lol.

    —-
    JAM

41. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 18th, 2007:

    

    Jam,

    Are you a serious gamer? Then why have’t you answered my question halfway down this reply???

    I wish I knew how to put up a survey but I’m still very Web 1.0 when it comes to the fiddly bits of this blog That’s why it looks so crappy!

42. RichardatDELL wrote, on July 19th, 2007:

    

    Jam, all good gamers should be looking at the Dell XPS laptops….they are fierce!!

43. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 19th, 2007:

    

    Uh oh… the genie’s out of the bottle…

    Jam, flip a coin, pull out straws, visit your local fortune teller, just make your mind up soon or we’re never going to get rid of him!

44. Jam wrote, on July 19th, 2007:

    

    Nah, not getting an XPS – I want a 15″ screen with a directx 10 compataible GPU, which the XPS range doesn’t include.

    And oh yeh, update on the Inspiron 1520, many people, especially in the US, are annoyed that there the LCD screen seems ‘grainy’. = not good.

    Back to the topic, the 5920 has dissapeared from comets website. Probably adding some things to its description etc I think. Yesterday they displayed it as a ‘web exclusive product’ which I’m very annoyed about. I want to actually see it in real life before I think about buying it.

    Thanks,
    —–
    Jam.

45. Andy wrote, on July 20th, 2007:

    

    I’ve just pre-ordered the 5920 off laptops direct, not gona get it for at least another week unfortunately, but they were happy to take the money and call me to see if I wanted to buy any more of there products!

    I will update you with a frank review and try to answer any of your questions if you need any!

    Just to let you know that some people on another forum think that the comet version has bluetooth as it was mentioned in their spec, but I believe it was a mistake hence the absence of it on their website now!

46. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 20th, 2007:

    

    Hi guys,

    I have an update for everyone in the UK.

    On the Acer UK website there are TWO models mentioned. Apparently they have different specs/part numbers.

    Have a look here and see for yourselves which one you want before buying, looking, drooling whatever…

47. Adam wrote, on July 20th, 2007:

    

    Hi Michael,

    That’s great news! Thanks!

    It seems there is now a Bluetooth model Aspire 5920

    Model / Part Number: LX.AGW0X.169

    (But it’s NOT a 5920*G* ?!)

    (Seems identical to LX.AGS0X.015, except for the addition of Bluetooth).

    That’s much better!

    Searching on Google for LX.AGW0X.169 reveals no hits yet, so I hope some UK suppliers have it in soon.

    However, do you think it’s worth me waiting (say 1 – 3 months) to see if a UK version is released with an integrated TV Tuner as well? As that would be my “dream laptop” – drool!!

48. Jam wrote, on July 20th, 2007:

    

    Errm, possibly Adam. However, I expect it to be a lot more expensive, possibly more expensive than actually getting a USB TV tuner seperatly.

49. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 20th, 2007:

    

    Hey Adam,

    I have to agree with Jam here. You have to know when to draw the line

    There’s no way of knowing what or when is going to happen in the next few months as often these things arrive out of the blue for me too, but even in the most optimistic cases, if you want my opinion, you’re looking at Christmas before your dream machine arrives and even then I’m not 100% convinced it’ll be a 15.4″ screen which supports Jam’s theory.

    Given the success of the Gemstone (5920) it’s VERY unlikely that Acer will change it (it ain’t broke!). Much more likely they’ll introduce better-specced (more expensive) models…

    Jam, can you recommend an external TV tuner for Adam?

50. Adam wrote, on July 21st, 2007:

    

    Thanks for the advice Michael – I’ll probably satisfy myself with the bluetooth-enabled version of the 5920 (as long as the extra cost is not too much over the “plain” 5920 – I still think the bluetooth-enabled version should be £799, as that is the price + model that all the reviews used – I hope the bluetooth version doesn’t have too much of a premium attached to it, otherwise I’ll threaten to buy the Asus F3SV!).

    So now I’ve got to decide between 3 laptops that I’m interested in:

    1. Acer TravelMate 5720G (LX.TK30X.033) – around £650
    2. Acer Aspire 5920 (LX.AGW0X.169) – around £800 ??
    3. Asus F3SV (F3SV-AP073G) – around £850

    I’m not really a “gamer”, so the TravelMate 5720G (with similar-ish specs to the 5920, but an ATI Mobility Radeon X1700 video card, so no DirectX 10 – but I’m not sure if that worries me much) seems a bargain at under £650 – is there a catch? (Seems much better value than the 2GB RAM/160GB HD version of the Aspire 5633, for example). Are there any UK reviews yet of the 5720G?

    The Aspire 5920 (with bluetooth) has the best all-round hardware specification (although the 0.3 megapixel camera seems a bit measly for the “prestige”-level of the laptop).

    The Asus F3SV has a weaker graphics card (8600M GS instead of the GT) than the Aspire, no turbo memory (not sure if that really bothers me!) and probably the sound system is not quite so good – but it already has bluetooth built-in, it has a better 1.3 megapixel webcam, it already comes with a carry bag + optical mouse (£20 extra for Acer), and, critically, it comes with Vista Ultimate (which I would otherwise like to upgrade to at some point), which is worth quite a bit! Plus Asus is *supposed* to be a better quality build than Acer (may not be true now though with the advent of the Acer Gemstone models). I do prefer the Acer’s “middle button + scroll wheel” system below the trackpad though!

    Decisions, decisions!

    I’m on quite a tight budget at the moment, and can’t purchase any of these laptops just yet, but the TravelMate 5720G is the most affordable for me – I’d love to see some reviews of it anyway!

    I have found some good USB TV Tuners (e.g. Hauppauge WinTV Nova-T USB 2 tuner with MCE remote control – also some “dual” tuners so you can record one channel whilst watching another, or record 2 channels simultaneously), so will probably be ok getting one of these.

    Thanks again for the advice!

51. Adam wrote, on July 21st, 2007:

    

    The Good News:

    Apparently the Bluetooth-enabled UK version of the 5920 is going to be £800 at Comet (not £900):

    http://www.comet.co.uk/cometbrowse/product.do?sku=405191&tab=specification

    The Bad News (at least for me):

    But now it says that Firewire is “not featured” – what’s going on ?!?!

52. Jam wrote, on July 21st, 2007:

    

    Yep, the price is £799 at comet with built in bluetooth!!
    Firewire must be included, I’m sure on Acers website it states its as standard and not a manufacturers option.
    Plus, the I’m also sure that the webcam isn’t 0.3 MP, thats just ridiculous. Thats another question for you Michael

    Finally, I would suggest looking for either a Pinnacle or Hauppauge Tv tuner. They are both respectable makes in this type of area.

    ——-
    Jam.

53. Andy wrote, on July 21st, 2007:

    

    I’m very sceptical about the Comet laptop. I rekon its a mistake on there website, but Ive emailed them and asked for the question to be elevated so someone can speak to Acer/distributor to check it does have bluetooth. If thats the case I’ll be buying that straight away (and cancelling my Laptopsdirect order!)

54. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 21st, 2007:

    

    Emm… I think the web camera pixel resolution question has already been answered above (0.3)…

    I can ask again but I’m not sure I’d get a different answer… We should ask Jing. After all he’s got one…

    In his review he says:

    For those of you who use Skype, this notebook is the perfect companion. Its video functionality is especially good and doubles up as a adequate still camera, taking low-res, but visually distinguishable shots. The dual microphones also do a good job of video conferencing as it detects sound/voices from sources over a metre away clearly according to a few Skype Test Calls.

55. Jam wrote, on July 22nd, 2007:

    

    I’ve been putting the model number of the 5920, off comet’s website, into google and I’ve been finding different “LG” numbers to that of the laptopsdirect.co.uk one.

    I’m should be heading off to Comet soon anyway, maybe today, hopefully they’ll have it up. However, as people have said, the salespeople are very stupid and probably will give a confused answer if I ask about bluetooth.

    0.3 MP is very low for a webcam. A bit dissapointed with that but I won’t be taking pictures with it, just streaming video.

    —–
    Jam.

56. Adam wrote, on July 22nd, 2007:

    

    Hi Jam,

    Let us know if you find out more info on the Comet version of the Aspire 5920 – cheers!

    In the meantime – has anyone used, or seen any reviews of, the Acer TravelMate 5720G (preferably the LX.TK30X.033 model – i.e. T7300 2GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB RAM, 160GB HD, ATI Radeon Mobility X1700, etc) ? I haven’t found much info or opinions on this laptop so far via searching!

    –
    Kind regards,

    Adam.

57. Rogerroot wrote, on July 22nd, 2007:

    

    Hi Jam, let us know how it goes at Comet. Their website says its £899 for instore price.. can you confirm?

58. Jing wrote, on July 24th, 2007:

    

    If anyone knows of a method to check what megapixel the webcam is, I would find out right away.

    Amazon have got the 5920 in stock now, earlier than their estimated date, but unfortunately, even after contact with their customer services, I cannot tell if it has bluetooth or not. They’ve just run out of their first batch of stock, so hopefully a customer will write a review on Amazon stating whether the unit has bluetooth.

    Comet are selling a unit that claims bluetooth, but for a spec sheet that states firewire is “not featured”, I would be wary of relying upon that too much. Best to ask them exactly what model you are getting, starting with code LX.

    If it ends with 169 it has bluetooth, 015, then it doesnt.

59. Jam wrote, on July 24th, 2007:

    

    Hi guys,
    I couldn’ find the 5920 in my local Comet – probably becuase the shops quite small. I’m trying to find a bigger Comet near me and then I’ll phone to them to check price and avaibilty.
    I’m getting frustrated however with the lack of assurance with the 5920 though. I may drop down in performance and get one of the Sony FZ’s.

    Thanks,
    Jam

60. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 24th, 2007:

    

    Jam,

    What’s going on man? You’re buckling under pressure! Where did the Sony come from?

    After all the hard work we all put in (Richard too!) to set you on the path to enlightenment you falter just moments away from attaining it!

    What’s all this about assurances? Acer UK have confirmed that there are two models available, both mentioned on the official page. I know you’re starting to doubt Acer’s sincerity, but the specs have got to be spot on. All you need to do is locate the one you want.

    If Comet puts you off, I know a man in a suit who’d like to know why…

61. Jam wrote, on July 25th, 2007:

    

    Lol, sos Michael, but I don’t think I’ll like the 5920’s interior colour. Currently, I’m ‘trying’ to like it, if you know what I mean.

    I’m not a serious gamer anyway, at max, I play flight simulator. Sony FZ’s seem light and thin, a perfect laptop for myself, considering I am yet to buy a first ever notebook – I’ve always been a desktop man.

    I don’t like the Dell anymore. There’s reportadly been too many problems with it.

    Sony FZ vs Acer Aspire 5920

62. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 25th, 2007:

    

    Game on! (for want of a better word )

63. Andy wrote, on July 26th, 2007:

    

    Ive just seen the Woolworths website is selling the 5920 now. £899, AND INCLUDES BLUETOOTH!

    I have always been unsure whether the Comet website was correct in stating their model had blutooth, but I have a feeling this kinda confirms it as two retailers getting it wrong is kinda unlikely. So I canceled my order with Laptopsdirect (who by the way also stated incorrectly in their feedback will be stocking the bluetooth version on the 30th july) and have ordered one from Comet.

    When I get it in on monday Ill post up with a review and most importantly whether they are correct about the bluetooth!!

64. Rogerroot wrote, on July 26th, 2007:

    

    Firewire not featured on woolworths model as well?

    does that mean we have to choose Bluetooth OR firewire?

65. Rogerroot wrote, on July 26th, 2007:

    

    It still might be a mistake, looking at the woolworths page it seems they are actually reselling the version from Comet.. so they probably just grabbed the specs from them.

66. Andy wrote, on July 26th, 2007:

    

    Why do you want Firewire though? Ive always found most devices with firewire also have a USB option too. Isn’t USB 2.0 faster than firewire anyway?

    If I needed to make a choice Id have bluetooth, aswell for sending or receiving files n stuff easily to my phone, I use my phone as a remote control when watching a film or something. I can move the cursor and everything with it when using my Sony Ericson!

67. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 26th, 2007:

    

    Now that’s a cool trick I might have to ask you to explain Andy…

68. Rogerroot wrote, on July 27th, 2007:

    

    Yep Andy please explain!

    my old camcorder has firewire, but only usb1.. not a big issue but still would be nice to have.

    anyways if woolworths are reselling from comet, and advertise they are doing as such.. why on earth are they charging £100 more than comet?

69. Andy wrote, on July 27th, 2007:

    

    I’ll explain as well as I can…. I use a Sony Ericsson W800i, and pair it up with my pc which is simple enough. I then found a handy tool on the phone itself called remote control and with that it connects to the pc and allows me to move the cursor, click left and right etc. Quite handy when lying in bed and watching a movie on a big screen or whatever. Im sure there would be some java apps floating around the internet for non-sony ericsson users.

70. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 27th, 2007:

    

    How about I start a new thread (this one’s worn out) or even a page called something like 1000 things you never know you could do and store all these gems?
    I’ve just got a Nokia E65 and have no idea how to use it but a built in remote would be a killer!

71. Rogerroot wrote, on July 27th, 2007:

    

    Cool, i have a W810i.. will have to try it out

    going to buy online from comet today or tomorrow.. doing a google search on their model number ‘AS5920G-302G16N’ shows a bunch of european sites selling it too.. the ones i can decipher all say they have bluetooth. no firewire but meh.

72. The Acer Guy » New section up for all your brilliant (and downright looney) ideas… wrote, on July 29th, 2007:

    [...] Andy (you get full credit) wrote in with a question and spilled the beans on one of those secrets you usually stumble across when you’re a) least expecting it, b) drunk, or c) just not switched on enough to write it down. [...]

73. Andy wrote, on July 30th, 2007:

    

    Happy to say my 5920 arrived this morning from comet. And its has Bluetooth! So I’m a happy chappy! First impressions are good, I don’t understand when people critisize the laptop’s design as its one of the best looking laptops around and a hell of a lot better than normal, square boring looking laptops. Only thing I’m dissapointed about is the mouse ‘clicker’. Feels and sounds plastiky and tacky, but I’m going to be using an external mouse so no probs for me!

    Will return with a review!

74. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 30th, 2007:

    

    Andy,

    Happy to hear you’re happy. I’m also a little jealous too as I don’t get to play with new toys all that often…

    Anyway, (if and) when you’re ready, mail your review to me at reviews@theacerguy.com and I’ll put it straight up.

75. Chris wrote, on July 30th, 2007:

    

    For those who are still hoping to look in person before buying, my local Comet said it would be available from the 2nd…..

76. Rogerroot wrote, on July 30th, 2007:

    

    Good to hear Andy, I ordered mine on friday afternoon, but it won’t arrive till next tuesday! I asked about bluetooth, i could hear the girl on the other end browsing to the exact page i was looking at on their website.. so wasn’t overly confident when she said it was there.

    looking forward to trying out your phone remote control trick

77. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 30th, 2007:

    

    From what I’ve heard the one on sale at Comet does have Bluetooth but you guys (read Comet themselves) have burned such a trail of doubt in my mind that I’m no longer sure despite assurances from Acer UK… Please confirm…

    BTW You are going to review it aren’t you (and the remote trick)? I think it’s absolutely brilliant that you guys get to say what’s good and bad and can’t wait for the next one.

    As far as I know this is the first (only) site on the web that actually invites real customers to take the initiative… Who know’s… It could even go viral

78. JohnDN wrote, on July 30th, 2007:

    

    I got a 5920 from LapTopsDirect and was very annoyed at lack of Bluetooth (since Acer.com says its a standard feature). I’ve been trying to get it replaced, so far without success because none of the UK models seemed to have it. Mine is a model LX.AGS0X.015 What is your’s Andy? Is it the LX.AGW0X.169 which has recently been added to the Acer.uk site? And has your’s got everything else it should have – like 802.11a/b/g/Draft-N. Before I send mine back again I would like to be sure of what’s available!
    Like to hear what Rogerroot receives too!
    Sadly you can’t trust either Acer or the suppliers to give correct answers.
    Thanks

79. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 30th, 2007:

    

    Hey John,

    That’s not exactly true… Not to be overly defensive, I work for Acer and I’m doing my damned best to give it to you straight (and take it too!)…

    I think what happened here is that a Bluetooth-specced 5920 was sent out for review, but then different countries and even different clients (Laptops direct, Comet, Tesco etc.) were able to choose what they bought for their stores independently from Acer’s original “standard” (ie reviewed) spec, based on their own preferences and sales objectives.

    It’s kind of like car dealers – the car you buy in the UK is specced by the local dealers not by HQ. What you buy in, say, Italy is different to what you buy in the UK (ie what is standard in one country might be an option in another).

    So, the fact that there are two models available in the UK simply reflects what the retailers and e-tailers decided to buy and what they think they have a better chance of selling.

    These specs are subject to change as and when the market decides they need to…

    Acer is very country-specific when it specs out its notebooks which is why you should always check your local site (co.uk in your case and NOT .com) as there is a very high possibility of the specs being different from one to the next.

    I’ll agree the Acer UK two-model announcement wasn’t perfectly synched with the actual availability of the product, but if you wanted Bluetooth and where you bought it said it had it but it didn’t I don’t see why you shouldn’t be able to change it for what you wanted.

    Plus, and this is something I personally feel strongly about, if a car salesman can’t tell you whether or not the car you’re interested in buying has got air conditioning, sunroof or sat nav, would you feel comfortable buying it from him?

    Surely the same applies to your choice of notebook? I’m prepared not to buy a specific brand if it’s only available from a shop I don’t like or trust, but then that’s me.

    Have another look at the specs on the Acer UK site. Choose the one you want and make damned sure it’s what you get.

80. JohnDN wrote, on July 30th, 2007:

    

    Hi Michael,
    Thanks for your response but this is my view:
    You hear about this new machine – where? – the only place at the time was from the reviews, about 4 of them in the UK, all say 5920 includes Bluetooth. So you have a look at the Acer website to check the spec. This is what it says:
    “The Acer Xpress VoIP phone[2] , …
    Intel® Next-Gen Wireless-N (dual-band quad-mode 802.11a/b/g/Draft-N) ….
    Built-in Bluetooth® rounds out this powerful communications package, conveniently delivering data transmission of up to three meters, with wider profile coverage.”
    Some of the features listed – like VoIP phone [2] are marked as options, or as ’specs vary’ but NOT BT which appears to be a major feature.
    From there on I was pretty confident about BT and, I think, went straight to LapTopsDirect (LTD) site. They have a ‘feature list’, not a detailed spec and the lack of features like BT and USB, etc, etc did not worry me. So I purchased. When I got the machine, I phoned Acer UK and asked about BT. The guy asked around the office and came back to say it should have BT – this fact alone qualifies the confusion, I think. The fact that Acer UK now lists a second model with just BT as an extra suggests they realise they have a problem. If you read feedback on Trusted Reviews, AcerGuy!, LTD feedback etc, it is obvious that we have all been misled, although I am not suggesting deliberately. So I think the ball is in Acer’s court to make amends to many unhappy customers.
    By the way, when you click through from Acer.com to AcerUK, you don’t see a detailed spec, you see a price list link – which does not (or didn’t) include the 5920. Eventually I found the spec on AcerUK which you refer to – but it is not easy to find because the tab marked Technical Specifications looks as if it refers to the features page, in that it is the only tab visible.
    One last point: if Acer and its resellers are selling a model which is clearly different from all the available publicity, then they need to make doubly sure that they point out the differences, don’t you think?
    Perhaps you could take all that back to your colleagues in AcerUK. By the way I think the 5920 is a great machine, I’m looking forward to the day when I get what I reasonably thought I had ordered!!
    Best regards
    John

81. Jing wrote, on July 31st, 2007:

    

    JohnDN, you summed up everything Im thinking. I purchased the 5920 from Laptops Direct and again expected Bluetooth built-in because it was stated in most reviews. Just because Laptops Direct didn’t state Turbo Memory when we purchased, it is not a good reason as to why we should not expect it. When I asked laptops direct about it, they simply shoved me off to Acer Support, who will not do anything about it, than say “we supply different models…blah blah”.

    It isn’t our fault if we couldn’t research LX.AGS0X.015 feature list at the time of purchase. Yes they have a webpage up now, but they have probably sold quite a few without bluetooth already and I can vouch that page only had the AWARDS they had won from TrustedReviews and TechCast Networks at the time I purchased, BOTH who stated bluetooth was included. I feel those who bought early should at least get a free bluetooth dongle for their trust and expectations in Acer. The fact they advertised those awards when I purchased makes me feel deceived.

    Michael, you say that the different clients pick the notebook specification they purchase from Acer. Are you absolutely sure? I have a feeling the retailers purchased the models Acer were offering. Which initially was just the non bluetooth model.
    Surely the clients are only allowed to purchase those laptops Acer supplies in certain territories?

82. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 31st, 2007:

    

    Great answer John and your views are very much appreciated.

    However, at the risk of being flamed, sued and basically left out to dry for the rest of my life online, I’m still not convinced by some of your argument.

    If I were Christopher Locke, or the company was mine, I’d have an answer for you, but as I’m a little distant from the UK distribution system, yet work for Acer and have an unofficial blog, I have to choose my words very carefully.

    Again, I’m not writing on behalf of Acer (if anything I’m risking my job) but I still don’t see how Acer has created “many unhappy customers” by supplying to its direct customers (Comet, Laptopsdirect et al) the machines these companies specced themselves independently from the content of the reviews you read online.

    I’ve also been to the forums you mentioned and have joined in a few of them but even there I don’t see the animosity towards the company you refer to.

    While you’re absolutely correct to expect a given product for the money you hand over and I’m right there with you as far as getting your money back if it isn’t what you ordered, I still think that the distance between this and Acer misleading people is a too far even for someone as cynical as me to accept as a direct consequence, deliberately or otherwise.

    Having said that, I think you have raised a valid point about the co-ordination of information and this I most definitely will make sure gets noticed not only in the UK but everywhere my footprint arrives as it undoes all the work my colleagues and I put into getting the Gemstone series off to a flying start.

    It also serves as a lesson in coherence and I will do my bit to make sure my team works even little harder to avoid repeating the same kind or error.

    There again, if Laptopsdirect continues to list the Aspire 5920G incorrectly as 5920WLMi there is precious little I can do to help other than recommend whoever bought it there and feels they’ve been mislead to leave a message on the Product Feedback tab warning others about this issue.

    One final thing. I could of course be entirely wrong here and am more than willing to back down the moment that flash of illumination blinds me into retreat so let’s keep this channel open, OK?

83. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 31st, 2007:

    

    Hey Jing,

    That’s the channel I was on about but yours is a tough one for me to answer.

    I can see how the ping-pong match between Laptopsdirect and Acer Support got under your nose and hopefully that’s where the drip-feed of information this blog provides my colleagues in bigger offices than me will eventually start to change things.

    As I said in my reply to JohnDN, this site is unofficial which means that a) I don’t have the authority to answer officially, b) I don’t even have the authority to speak on behalf of Acer, and c) I can agree or disagree with you (and viceversa) ’till we’re both blue in the face but it’s going to take a while for anything published here to filter through to places where changes can be made.

    Yet that’s exactly what I want this blog to achieve. Please don’t think of it as a self-congratulatory haven for Acer’s successes (or my ego). It takes a very non-corporate stance because that’s exactly how it started and how I would organize an official blog if I were ever given the chance.

    So far no-one’s getting paid for doing this so the only beneficiaries here are you.

    If you have an issue or something to say, there is a pretty good chance of it getting noticed and reported here (which is why I decided to publish your unedited review in the first place, Jing and for which I’m still grateful).

    There are also support issues (again, nothing to do with my area of expertise) that need to be resolved out in the open and again, this is a great place for them. Check out the OrbiCam thread if you want to see the efforts one support guy in particular has put into putting things right on his own time.

    Whether or not the Acer UK site had all the information you needed when you needed it I cannot say as this isn’t an area I personally work on but I’m sure you’re right and feel bad that many of you “fast movers” feel you got cheated as a result.

    I do want to build a bridge over a pretty large stretch of water but I also understand that it’s going to take a while for the mayor of blogland to open it.

    Again, you keep asking and I’ll keep forwarding. With a bit of luck and a tail wind, that should speed things up considerably.

84. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 31st, 2007:

    

    JohnDN,

    Hope you don’t mind but I’ve had a look at the UK Distance Selling Act regulations and from what you’ve said my guess is you’re perfectly within your rights to exchange your AS5920 or “withdraw from the contract” as they put it.

    I know it’s not the solution you were perhaps hoping for and I wish I could apologize on behalf of 5300 Acer people but right now mine’s the only one I can offer.

    Also in the wake of this issue, I have received a mail from Acer UK saying that they will ask Acer Worlwide to change the description on the Acer.com site. There is a drop down menu right next to the main product image that says “For product specifications and price, please access our local operations” from which you can access the UK site but that’s still a lot of hoops to jump through.

    I am surprised by (and appreciative of) the velocity of this response as it shows that Acer’s taking your feedback seriously and that this blog’s not such a bad idea after all.

85. JohnDN wrote, on July 31st, 2007:

    

    Michael,
    That’s a lot of feedback and action. I appreciate your efforts and your openness Naturally, I also concur with the response given by Jing. I still think you’re being a bit guarded, not surprisingly.
    Let’s cut to the quick. Any laptop has certain key features which characterise the model; it is pretty clear what these are for the 5920G from the excellent description on the Acer.com website. And that description also shows clearly what are the options/add-ons/whatever which need to be chosen carefully, and for which you would need to dig deeper at the point of supply. So let’s all agree that Bluetooth was intended by the inventor to be a standard feature. So what was shipped in the UK? It would appear from customers that there were many variations, although funnily enough the reviewers got everything! Feedback mentioned in or out for Bluetooth, Draft-N, Firewire, Turbo Memory, 6 or 8 cell … , so clearly early production was compromised, maybe shortage of parts or whatever. The 2 boxes I have seen were obviously filled in the factory and were both marked LX.AGS0X.015 which one would assume is the definitive indication of the contents – but maybe that was not the case on the early models. It would also appear that someone in their wisdom has realised that Bluetooth has been missing, so we now have LX.AGW0X.169, which I assume will supercede 015 since it is unlikely there will be 2 models in the market with such a minor difference? So if my reading of the information available today is correct, what I want is the LX.AGW0X.169 and I don’t really mind how someone from either Acer or LapTopsDirect gets it to me!!
    So, yes, I did feel misled – but I went to pains to say ‘not deliberately’, and saying there are some unhappy customers is not as strong as saying ‘animosity’. I still believe that Acer has a good product and reputation. This is just a glitch, but one which Acer could easily sort out, and look after it early adopters. Let’s not forget these people are likely to be pretty canny users, probably buy more PCs than most, and whose opinions get around the most. Acer should look after them. I for one could easily go back to Toshiba and Dell.
    I don’t want to “withdraw from the contract”. That way, we both lose out. Due to holidays my 5920 is still sitting in a box, nearly one month in, waiting to see if I can get a positive outcome from this.
    Wouldn’t it be good if my final contribution to this blog would be to say “hey, Acer’s really a good, customer focussed company – they have sorted out this problem”?
    The alternative might be *!*!*!
    PS: can you enlighten me on ‘Enlightener Media flow’? I have seen awe enspiring descriptions and videos of this from Acer, but I’m blowed if I could find it on my machine.
    Keep up the good work!
    cheers
    John

86. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 31st, 2007:

    

    John,

    How on earth do you expect me to have any success at getting this blog noticed if I’m not “guarded”?

    I see (and agree with) your points. It’s hard to see how I couldn’t. Oh, and while I’m at it I stand corrected on the “anomosity” remark. I think I got a bit carried away with my thesaurus…

    There are important lessons here, if anyone’s listening. Acer’s users (particularly early adopters) will rightly look at any site under the Acer umbrella for information on a given product. However the product they find might not be the same as the one sold in the their home country. This needs to be emphasized more to avoid confusion.

    Acer has country-specific “standards” and these are promoted in each country (hence the local sites). Acer.com (worldwide) is a sepeate entity (notice the headline for the Aspire 5920 is different) to any of the local sites under the Acer EMEA umbrella and so buying a product in one country based on a detailed analysis of product specs from another is like playing Russian roulette.

    Acer.com is actually the local site for Taiwan. It is not the local site for the USA. There’s very little I can do about this but to recommend that no matter where you’re from, always look at the local site of where you are before considering an Acer product. This also affects your warranty.

    While I’m here I personally believe that local retailers should also take an active role in getting clear information to their customers. Not wishing to pass the buck, but you did buy it through a retailer. There is quite a lot of responsibility for clarity there too.

    So how do we solve your issue? Well, actually you’ve just given me an idea. I was looking for a way to thank Jing and everyone else for their reviews and you’ve just given it to me. I had a couple of Mnemonicks to give away but in the light of all this, I bet you’d rather have a Bluetooth dongle. I’ve got five to give away for reviews so please allow me to make amends by pointing one in your direction.

    Now before you rag on me for attempting to buy my way out of this that’s not my intention, nor do I want the argument to drop. Just the opposite. I am the “only” Acer guy out here (there’s got to be someone else!) and I need valuable contributions like yours to get it on the radar.

    Once it’s there, I have a much better chance of getting issues like this solved faster and more efficiently.

    So, if you’re interested drop me a mail.

    OK. Back to your question. The Media Flow is a neon light that carves a path from the power input jack, around the right of the keyboard, past the Empowering Key and media keys and down to the mouse.

    If I’m not mistaken it doesn’t work (light up) when it’s powered from the battery.

    It’s a design feature, and not a functional one. The purpose of it is to create a sort of visual clue as to the location of specific keys so that more users are encouraged to use them. As BMW designed it, you could almost describe it as delineating the dashboard.

    Jing’s had his for a while so he can tell you what it’s about but there again I don’t think Jing’s your average Aspire user

    Convinced?

87. Jing wrote, on July 31st, 2007:

    

    Actually if Im correct, the distance selling act allows a consumer to return an item for any reason, unopened within 7 days without extra charges. After that, it is 30 days, but the store is allowed to charge some sort of restocking fee, unless its faulty, at which point they can accept the return (if they are a good store), or act as a liason between you and the manufacturer.

    John, I know you are probably as annoyed as me that bluetooth is not included (probably more so), but I can bet that any course of action whereby you return the laptop will cost you more than purchasing a bluetooth dongle itself, which is putting me off trying. The identical spec is about £12 from Amazon. But if you’re prepared to fight the good fight, let me know how it goes . I might be tempted to follow in ones footsteps should you be successful. But at the moment, I feel somewhat indifferent. I still think the free bluetooth dongle would be fair game from Acer, since we paid the same price as those getting bluetooth now.

    It does feel like bluetooth was left out accidentally, but the more I think about the matter, it seems more like a conscious decision to release laptops to manufacturing without a part (e.g. bluetooth) in order to get them out quicker. I wouldn’t rule out cost savings either. But with Acer as Michael stated, heavily responding to the country specific needs of their users, the complaints seem to have pressured Acer into quickly bringing a bluetooth model to light. This probably makes us existing owners feel even worse, especially with Comet charging £799, the same price as the non bluetooth model, even though it’s RRP price seems to be £899. Essentially, what gets us is probably that the model without bluetooth should be cheaper than the model with. But not the case.

    Regarding the Media Flow
    http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1296/818793621_f068989a54.jpg
    This is as good as it gets. 3 lights and another lights up when charging. Pretty impressive (The promo video I mean). But far from believable.

88. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 31st, 2007:

    

    Still waiting for your mails…

89. Jing wrote, on July 31st, 2007:

    

    ShopAcer still haven’t got any stock of the LX.AGS0X.015 model, a month after I purchased mine . And this is the model without bluetooth.
    I wonder what is going on.
    http://www.shopacer.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=26&PN=2

    The ShopAcer rep says in a post:

    “A lot on companies will not be getting the stock for sometime but we are at the top of the list for the next batch into the UK and have secured large quantites. It will be around a month before the bluetooth version hits the uk but the LX.AGS0X.015 version should be here very soon.”

    It seems Laptops Direct, Comet and Amazon have got their hands on not just the 5920, but the bluetooth model too. This leads me to believe Acer are discriminating against smaller stores who placed an order before those such as Comet and Amazon. Tell me I’m wrong Michael? How can ShopAcer be at the “top of the list” and still not have stock of the non-bluetooth model…puzzling…
    http://www.shopacer.co.uk/pp/Acer_Aspire_Laptops/Acer_Aspire_5920_Series/Aspire_5920WLMi.html

90. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 31st, 2007:

    

    Jing,

    You’re asking me questions I can’t answer (don’t have that information).

    I could say that when a national-outfit with the size and buying clout of Tesco’s or Comet places an order, it’s usually a lot bigger than a smaller store and therefore there’s a natural pecking order to the sales strategy but this could also be a load of garbage.

    Or you could simply ask Paul at Shop Acer how it went down and post his reply here.

    Either way I’m no longer sure I’m understanding the issue. There’s a new product, it’s apparently great, it’s slowly creeping into a particular market (UK), and there’ve been some unfortunate (careless?) glitches over the description/specs/availability both on Acer sites and at retailers.

    You and JohnDN raised some points that I think were described fairly and accurately enough for me to “lower my guard”.

    Now what is it that you want to know?

91. Michael Walsh wrote, on July 31st, 2007:

    

    Jing,

    I’ve also just noticed that at that link you posted ShopAcer has it listed as 5920WLMi. Remember this is incorrect as LX.AGS0X.015 is 5920G.

92. JohnDN wrote, on July 31st, 2007:

    

    Hi Michael,
    Thanks for your response and your offer – I’ll take you up on it.

    Somehow me feels we’ve done this to death! These careless specs (?) are a minefield. I worked for a while in IT distribution. We had a motto – if we’ve screwed up, go out of our way to get the customer what he wanted, I can tell you such a policy is great at building business.
    Be careful:
    The LX.AGS0X.015 box is also marked 302G16N, what does 302G16N mean?
    Shopacer: LX.AGS0X.015 no 802N, no BT, no Turbo Memory, 6cell ??
    Comet: 302G16N, is it a LX.AGS0X.015 or an LX.AGW0X.169 or something else – but there aren’t any others are there: no turbomem, no Firewire, wireless undefined (might not have N)??
    Amazon: Aspire AS5920 ? could be anything ??
    We could go on and on!

    The reason that internal Bluetooth is a significant feature is that on a portable PC having the comms functions inside is a real benefit. Carrying the thing round with a dongle hanging out is a disaster waiting to happen, but then you’d know that!

    Yes the retailers should get it right, but hang on, they are not assembling these machines themselves, the boxes are assembled in the factory and something on the box should define the contents. Ah, but there’s only been one model in the UK so far hasn’t there – like hell! I don’t suppose the retailers understand what’s going on either. I guess they’ve been taking whatever they could get their hands on.

    Going back to Acer, we have:
    acer.com >> global.acer.com: looks pretty much like a general worldwide site to me – as I think is the generally accepted internet convention.
    us.acer.com: looks like the US site.
    acer.com.tw: looks like the Taiwan site.

    ‘Enlightener Media flow’: Like Jing, I think this is virtual ware, I don’t think it does, mains or battery. It seemed like a nice idea. As a BMW driver I suppose I could aspire to it! But I’m not going to get worked up about it. Thanks Jing for your input.

    Must go and do some work! Keep up the blog Michael, I’m sure it helps to get things clarified one way or another.

    John

93. Jing wrote, on July 31st, 2007:

    

    Sorry Michael. Didn’t mean to make it sound like a question directed at you .

    I was just something for your readers to contemplate when they go around shopping for this notebook. Maybe prompting them to question ShopAcer themselves should they wish. Or…question the morality behind buying from the big corporate stores…
    Or simply scroll past this pointless post ;D.

    In case anyone cares, in addition to this notebook, I bought an xbox 360 controller which works really well on PC, vibration and everything), that rocks in Halo 2 and Tomb Raider Legend… Media Centre Remote (really the only practical way to use media centre), and tv tuner (To record Heroes on Wednesdays of course). Now it really an entertainment machine. All for only £57. I read about the bluetooth phone remote control above, which sounds pretty cool, but is no substitution to a dedicated MCE remote in my opinion.

94. Andy wrote, on July 31st, 2007:

    

    Seeing that your all talking about specs at the mo, I may have some important information…..

    My 5920 from comet seems not to have Turbo Memory! Although it does have bluetooth and clearly says on the side of the box LX.AGW0X.169.

    Does anybody know how I can double check this…btw I did a clean install of vista and deleted the partitions(after a backup of course)as I didnt like all that crap on there and it has shown improvements in speed and memory.

    I installed all the drivers correctly except I couldn’t get a SATA Driver from Intel working as there wasn’t a setup file.

    How otherwise can I check I got turbo mem? I’ve looked in Device Manager and installed progs but all I see is Intel Matrix Storage console. I’ve tried installing the driver from intel but it only installs the Matrix Storage Console.

    Looks like no turbo memory to me!

95. Jing wrote, on July 31st, 2007:

    

    This is certainly not surprising to my unfortunately. I was doing a little questioning to Acer 5920 owners in the “Notebook Review” forums, and when some people were polled, they either had turbo memory and no bluetooth, or bluetooth and no turbo memory. I think one person said they had both. Im trying to look for the topic again.
    *Here it is (after a lot of searching):
    http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=140597
    The person in this topic who had Bluetooth and no Turbo Memory was from Greece. Make your own assumptions there.

    Is turbo memory written on the laptop spec sticker? If not, then its unfortunately not there.

    Try installing the Turbo memory drivers here to verify if you have turbo memory:
    http://www.intel.com/support/chipsets/itm/

96. Jing wrote, on July 31st, 2007:

    

    Last post today.

    In that topic I linked to in notebook review, a guy said he bought his in Belgium, and that has both bluetooth and turbo memory.

    Its model is LX.AGS0X.071.
    http://www.acer.be/acereuro/page4.do?sp=page3&dau22.oid=24168&UserCtxParam=0&GroupCtxParam=0&dctx1=2&CountryISOCtxParam=BE&LanguageISOCtxParam=nl&ctx3=-1&ctx4=BeLux&crc=1031314234#inu57_42422

97. JohnDN wrote, on August 1st, 2007:

    

    Andy,
    Checks for Turbo Memory:
    Apart from the product description on the dashboard (which I guess could be wrong anyway?), see Intel Flash Cache Logic chip in My Computer/Hardware/Device Manager/Storage controllers, also see Intel Turbo Memory Driver in the Programs. Of course the real test is to take the back off: you will see (hopefully) a small circuit board holding a pair of Intel flash memory chips (Intel SD74 NAND Flash Memory). Not to be confused with the WiFi plug-in which is more clearly marked.

    By the way, the product description on the Acer.uk site, which Michael says we MUST go to, states that the LX.AGW0X.169 includes TurboMemory. Actually I’d be getting worried because there is no mention of TurboMemory on the Comet site. Also Firewire seems to be amiss and Wireless is a bit vague – there should be 802.11a/b/g/Draft-N according to Acer, but its more likely to be a/g/N but at least make sure it includes ‘N’.

    When you’ve sorted this lot out, please feed back exactly what you have got. A number of people will be keen to see what LX.AGW0X.169 and/or the Comet version really contains.
    I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. What do you think Michael – and stop hiding under the table.

    By the way, various people have asked about the webcam, is it 0.3 or 1.3 Mp? Acer have always said its 0.3, but some people seem determined to talk it up to 1.3 (eg LapTopsDirect). I can’t see any indication in the product/user guide myself, but the screen picture comes to a max of 640 x 480. I think I am correct in concluding that means it’s a 0.3Mp camera?? Actually, I agree with Jing that the resulting picture is quite good.

    cheers
    JohnDN

98. Andy wrote, on August 1st, 2007:

    

    My laptop doesn’t have mention of the Turbo Memory on the sticker on the inside of the laptop. I have tried installing the drivers to no success and can confirm theres nothing in the programs and no such information in the device manager under storage controllers.

    Well it looks like Acer have royally ****** up if they have it wrong on their website aswell! It seems not even the manufacturers can get their own specs right!

    I have heard Turbo Memory can easily be installed for as little as £20 but I don’t think I’ll bother.

    Just a little pissed off about it not being there.

    Ill give Acer a call tomorrow and see what they say, think it’ll be one of those ‘we’ll call you back I have to speak to a manager’ ones!

99. Michael Walsh wrote, on August 1st, 2007:

    

    Morning everyone,

    I’m so glad I started this thread

    OK, first up, there’ll be no crying here. When I get up from under my desk I don’t want to see any tears except my own

    It’s easy to draw a million conclusions here but I think the safest (tearless) way is for me to get in touch with the UK Product Manager and ask him to have a look at what’s on the Acer site to make sure the specs there are 100% correct (can’t imagine they’re not but there again I am human). Andy, don’t waste the call. Let’s see what answer I get.

    Then I’ll try and sort out the product numbers issue.

    Finally, please don’t look at other countries’ specs and compare with your own bacause you won’t get any real references that way. When I ask the UK product manager I get a UK-only part number and spec. Nothing you see for sale in Holland, Belgium or Azerbaijan for that matter can be or should be used in comparison because they’re inevitably different.

    I’ll post the moment I have something for you (the next time I come up for air).

100. Andy wrote, on August 3rd, 2007:

     

     I’ve just seen Acer have swiftly taken off the 1gb Turbo Boost off the 169 version laptop from their website. Obviously was a mistake and theyve only just realised.

     I was wondering what rights I stand with here, as I was expecting to get my turbo memory! What can I get as compensation?

     Just like to show my appreciation for Michael for setting up the site and the threads as its helped a lot people (and hes been getting a bit of stick lately and should be getting praises instead!)

     BTW Im gona be a bit slow in getting that review up as I’m busy this weekend and I’m gona be shooting off to stay in America soon too!

101. Michael Walsh wrote, on August 3rd, 2007:

     

     Hi Andy,

     Thanks for the support. This blog’s had a crazy month, but if “tough love” is a sign of appreciation, then I guess it’s worth it.

     Two things in answer to your questions: firstly, have a look at my answer above (87).

     Secondly, you might want to get in touch with Tom to see what his US-spec 5920 had and whether it’s worth waiting till you get over there to get the full (HD-DVD) package.

     Either way let us know how you get on.

102. Nick wrote, on August 3rd, 2007:

     

     Why are both UK models of the 5920 both called the Aspire 5920G. I thought one was the ‘G’ model and the other just plain ‘5920′. Weird.

     I’m beginning to get slightly annoyed with Acer at the moment, I’ve spent ages on the phone to Comet and Acer, nobody at Comet seems to know what they’re talking about and the guys at Acer just didn’t want to know. I was trying to find out exactly which model Comet were stocking but the best guess I have now is Comet has the bluetooth version but no turbo memory… Does anyone know if that’s correct?

     And why is everyone selling the laptop with a 6 cell battery, when the Acer site (and 2 people I was talking to at Acer) say both models have the 8 cell battery. I’m beginning to get grumpy now, I want to buy the laptop now but instead I’ve been running around trying to work out what’s what

103. Michael Walsh wrote, on August 3rd, 2007:

     

     Hi Nick,

     Welcome to the world of live glitches.

     The reason why Acer UK has changed its site is because of you guys spotting that things didn’t tie up so pat yourselves on the back and realize that your voice does count. There was obviously a rush to get the information up and things went a bit sideways at some point.

     I’ve been assured by the product manager that they’re now correct but don’t yell at me if they’re not.

     I have no idea as to why they’re both called 5920G now, they just are. From what I can gather from you guys is that you can either have it with Bluetooth (LX.AGW0X.169) (from Comet) or with Turbo memory (LX.AGS0X.015) (from everywhere else). Not both.

     I know now I’ve written this someone will write in and say that’s not true.

     Both models seem to have 8 cell batteries (Jing can confirm for his).

     What can I say? (a couple of four-letter words spring to mind). Hope this helps??????

104. Nick wrote, on August 4th, 2007:

     

     Thanks Mike, this site has quite literally been invaluable to me. I think I’ll definitely be getting this laptop within the next few days, but I’ll go for the one with turbo memory. A bluetooth dongle costs bugger all after all. It’s a little peculiar that they’re both the same price, seems Comet is milking it a little but I don’t expect any less from high street stores anyway really…

     The only thing I now have to decide on is where to buy, Laptops Direct, CCL or ShopAcer… May be others but those are the 3 I know of properly. Laptops Direct somehow annoy me though, their replies on Product Feedback just drive me barmy and make me want to beat them with a spoon… :@

105. Michael Walsh wrote, on August 4th, 2007:

     

     No problem Nick, here to serve…

     I’m going to take advantage of your choice of model to remind you (and others) that I’m offering a Belkin Class 2 Bluetooth USB Adapter (Version 2.0 + EDR) in exchange for a review of the AS5920 (I have three more to give away).

     There are two reasons for this. The first is the it completes your setup. The second is that this way I start getting real customers to do real reviews in real words.

     I’m seriously considering turning this blog inside out and allowing you guys to write the posts or at least have the possibility to ask more questions so the Dongle is my little experiment to see if there’s any interest. Interested?

106. Nick wrote, on August 4th, 2007:

     

     I’m interested, I used to write for a tech site a while ago, but for some reason the name escapes me at the moment… Wasn’t very well known cos the owner went a little weird about the time we got it to really take off, and the whole thing got destroyed… Oh well.

     I’ll write a review on the lappy top for you if you want as soon as I get it, got no problem with that at all. I’ll be testing it out pretty heavily when I get it so I might as well write about it

107. Nick wrote, on August 4th, 2007:

     

     Just thought I’d point out to anyone wanting to buy this laptop, if you’re after the bluetooth version you can get it for £730 from here:
     http://www.laskys.com/pcs_and_laptops/laptops_and_pdas/laptops/acer_as5920g_302g16n.html
     Although I haven’t called to confirm it is definitely the bluetooth version, but it doesn’t mention turbo memory, says it has bluetooth and uses the same product code as Comet. Saves you £70 at least…

     Just thought I’d try to be useful (Someone throw me a halo!)

108. Iain wrote, on August 4th, 2007:

     

     Nick – may I recommend Amazon – got the 5920G with turbo memory. Ordered just before midday Tuesday, arrived 10am Thursday.

     So far, very, very impressed! I’ve been looking at this laptop for over 6 weeks (was originally considering a Ferrari).

     I went to order a couple of weeks ago from LaptopsDirect but they’d sold out. Then placed an pre-order about 10 days ago with LaptopsDirect but on Monday not all of their delivery came in. I then had to endure different members of staff there telling me different things, some were rude, most were unhelpful. Some event tried to tell me that I’d have to pay to have a refund!

     Finally I was able to cancel with LaptopsDirect – and just as I was about to order with Comet I noticed Amazon had stock. Quick, efficient and cheap delivery (£8.99 express).

109. Nick wrote, on August 5th, 2007:

     

     I’ll definitely be looking at that one then, can’t buy it for the next 2 or 3 days though *grumble* It’ll be a fight between Amazon and Laptops Direct, the guy on the phone from Laptops Direct was pretty cool and answered all my questions very fast and was really friendly. Credit where it’s due etc. There’s some other things I need to get so I may be getting it from there along with the other things I’m buying… We shall see

110. Mikey wrote, on August 6th, 2007:

     

     Hi Guys

     I have ordered the Acer 5920 from Comet so expect the internal Bluetooth module but not the Turbo Memory.

     A bit annoyed hearing about the cheaper Laskys model!

     Anyway I have heard conflicting reports about how useful the Turbo memory is? In the real world are we seeing better performance figures?

     Plus, would it be easy to fit a Turbo memory module in the future?

     Mike

111. Nick wrote, on August 6th, 2007:

     

     To anyone looking at Comet, I e-mailed them on July 30th asking about the exact specs on their 5920 model, and have finally got the reply today:

     “I am pleased to confirm that the Acer 5920 notebook has blue tooth, it has no firewire, Graphics memory is 1GB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M shared graphics with 256MB dedicated, and the GPU the 8600 is GS.”

     Not having firewire at all? Is there anyone who has bought from Comet who can confirm this, it seems a little peculiar.
     Also the graphics memory is a bit of a stretch, as the GPU can borrow the extra 768MB from the RAM, and the GPU apparently being the GS model? … If that really is accurate then something really weird is going on, as
     a) it means they have their own model which I’ve already been told (by Comet) that they no longer get their own models
     b) they’re offering a lower specced laptop at the same price as the higher specced machine everywhere else

     Correct me if I’ve missed something though…

     And about the turbo memory, Mikey, I just left 2 comments on review page for the 5920

     [quote]Nick said …

     Hey Jimmy, the thing with the turbo memory at the moment is that there just isn’t the support for it yet. Vista can use it, but not properly (yet). By the time Vista gets a new service pack it should have updated it’s turbo memory support so it will really come into it’s own then.
     I think the problem with it at the moment (if my memory serves) is that currently Vista isn’t “learning” what to put in the turbo memory. As far as I can tell when there is proper support for it the turbo memory will be well worth it (in my eyes at any rate)[/quote]

     [quote]Nick said …

     After saying that I just found this:

     http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/intel/showdoc.aspx?i=3009&p=1

     I’m guessing it is still largely down to lack of proper support both on Intel and Microsoft’s side, but from what I gathered from reading on other sites it should be a lot better after Vista gets a new service pack[/quote]

     Make up your own mind really, I’m trying to be optimistic and hoping that Intel and Microsoft will actually get some welly out of it

112. Rogerroot wrote, on August 6th, 2007:

     

     8600m GS?!? I haven’t seen a single 5920 with a GS yet.

     My comet 5920 will arrive tomorrow.. now im seriously worried. If it doesn’t have a GT i’m going to be quite pissed.

     Andy, are you still around? Can you confirm what chipset is in yours?

     If it does turn out to be a GS, what are my options for returning it and getting my money back? I’m fairly new to the UK and am not sure on consumer rights etc. I’d like to know before I open the box.

113. Nick wrote, on August 6th, 2007:

     

     I would usually just think it was Comet not having a clue again, but the person who replied to me replied on the day I sent the message telling me she was getting in touch with someone who will know etc.

     I’m pretty sure I know the main points of the distance selling act, but I’m just reading through it now to be sure (You’d best be grateful, reading through government acts gets really annoying, complicated and at times painful because of the way they are written, I thought I’d never need do it again after I finished studying law at college )

     Anyway, you have 7 days commencing from the day you receive the goods, (or possible the day after you receive the goods) to cancel the contract.
     You need only call Comet and arrange to either send it back, have them collect it, take it to a Comet store however they deal with it. You’ll have to call them and ask. I think they can ask you to pay postage costs though but I will try and work it out for you. May have to call Comet themselves to work it out.
     However I think if there are grounds to say they mis-informed you on the product then they pay for postage both ways etc. I *think*.
     I’ll read up on it but it may take a while and might not yield much of a result… Calling Comet and asking them though is usually a good idea though

     Hopefully though the message I got on the stats were wrong so you won’t need to send it back (unless it doesn’t cost anything then you can buy it from Laskys… )

114. Rogerroot wrote, on August 7th, 2007:

     

     Thanks Nick.

     I took a look at Comets return policy, what you said sounds correct. According to distance selling act they have to give a full refund (box opened or not) if I decide to return it for any reason in 7 days.

     I’ll post the specs of the machine once it arrives.

115. Nick wrote, on August 7th, 2007:

     

     Yeah, you’re allowed to open it up and see if its what you wanted etc. As long as it is returned to them in the same condition as it was bought in, (i.e. no damage) and everything is sent back with it then they can’t say no. The whole point being that distance selling means the customer has had no real indication of what it is physically like, so you get 7 days to tinker

116. Mikey wrote, on August 7th, 2007:

     

     Guys

     I cancelled my order with Comet and have purchased the laptop from Laskys. They are actually very good – very prompt service and quick free delivery.

     I expect to receive the laptop in the next day or so.

     I too am worried that the Laskys 5920 version may also include the GS chipset.

     I will let you know and hopefully we will hear what version Comet are selling too.

     It seems strange that the 5920 is sold out at Laptops Direct et al. And yet there are plenty of stock at Comet and Laskys. If it is all about the graphics card then I will be gutted. I only assumed it was the difference of Bluetooth or TurboMemory.

     Mikey

117. Rogerroot wrote, on August 7th, 2007:

     

     laskys has their graphics chipset listed as: GF860 MB

     obvious typo, but why can’t there be a single retailer who can be clear and instil some confidence in their (potential) customers?

118. Rogerroot wrote, on August 7th, 2007:

     

     Good news, the comet 5920 has a 8600m GT!

     Thanks for the panic attack Nick

     time to play!

119. Nick wrote, on August 7th, 2007:

     

     Please forgive me, didn’t mean to panic you

     By all means though, vent your anger on Comet, I don’t like them at all now. That was just the message I received from them. Glad it’s not the GS you’ve got though anyway

120. Chris wrote, on August 8th, 2007:

     

     Hi All,

     This place is great. I have been after his laptop since I first read a preview of it a while back.

     I am however rather confused. I have noticed that there are two models in the UK, 1 with turbo-memory but no Bluetooth (LX.AGSOX.015), 1 with Bluetooth no turbo-memory (LX.AGWOX.169). I want the turbo-memory and don’t really care about Bluetooth as it is slow and a data cable or WiFi is better and faster.

     Was about to get this from Comet thinking there were only two models in the UK, but they have a AS5920G-302G16N, which does not mention turbo-memory and on the website states NO Bluetooth also. But here people seem to say it has Bluetooth but not the memory confusing.

     Then I went to Amazon and there’s does not give the model number, states turbo-memory, but not the number of cells the battery has or the 2.1 surround sound.

     I just want to buy the LX.AGSOX.015, with the exact spec the website has, with turbo-memory and an 8 cell battery. Basically exactly the same as Jing Yeow’s reviewed one. IS the Amazon machine the LX.AGSOX.015 and full spec (I already have an account there so would prefer to get it there if I can), if NOT where can I got one? Most websites that do give the model number say 6 cell battery or miss of the turbo memory and they all seem to miss the 2:1 surround sound off, is this generic to all 5920’s! Help please I have been waiting ages…

     Also does anyone know when Tesco will start selling these machines?? And which model it will be when they do??

     Thanks
     Chris

121. Mikey wrote, on August 8th, 2007:

     

     Laptopsdirect.co.uk definitely sell the LX.AGSOX.015 version. I believe the same with Amazon.

     Mikey

122. A Bee wrote, on August 8th, 2007:

     

     Just got my latest issue of PC Pro magazine through the post today (October issue?? no.156?) and it had a review of an Acer Travelmate (the 5720G I think) for £650 inc Vat (from Laptopsdirect) with ATI’s new DirectX10 graphics card, 160GB HDD, 2GB RAM, 15.4″ screen, Core2 Duo T7300 2GHz. Looks great but poor battery life.

     * sorry I’m too tired to go and double check the details in the magazine. This issue of PC Pro will be in the shops next week (I think), got it a week early because I’m a subscriber.

123. Iain wrote, on August 8th, 2007:

     

     I can confirm that the Amazon version has:

     - No bluetooth
     - 1GB turbo memory
     - 8 cell battery

     Will confirm the exact version number when I get home tonight as I haven’t got it with me today.

124. Rogerroot wrote, on August 8th, 2007:

     

     The LX.AGWOX.169 from Comet has:

     - Bluetooth (using my phone as remote control
     - No Firewire
     - No Turbo Memory
     - How do I check the battery?

125. Chris wrote, on August 8th, 2007:

     

     Thanks all I just need the confirmation of the model number of the amazon 5920, as offered by Iain.

     Oh and 1 last thing while I sit here waiting for amazon to suddenly get them it stock, figures crossed.

     Do all the 5920’s have the surround sound and built-in subwoofer, in the base as no-one ever mentions it?? (I meant retailers not you guys).

     Thanks for the help

126. Jing wrote, on August 8th, 2007:

     

     The 5920s do have a built in sub. If you look at Tom’s review on the first page, you can see it in one of the pictures where he takes his battery out on the bottom left of the notebook.

     For those that are worried they will get a machine that is missing more than just bluetooth and turbo memory, I have to say…”Stop worrying!” All these UK 5920’s are manufactured by Acer, to be identical apart from having bluetooth or turbo memory, which it is up to you to find out for certain. So you will get all the core specs regardless of where you purchase in the UK, for the time-being. All this will be meaningless if and when Acer release more models. But for the meantime your machine will have an 8600M GT, and it will have firewire and from Michael’s assurances, an 8 cell battery. What it might not have is TURBO MEMORY or BLUETOOTH.
     To reiterate:
     Turbo Memory model:LX.AGS0X.015
     Bluetooth model: LX.AGW0X.169

     Yes, there really should be a better naming convention that having customers searching around for model numbers. That’s the disadvantage of selling a zillion different configurations on a world wide scale. There are bound to be shortages and discrepancies that take time to spot.

127. Rogerroot wrote, on August 9th, 2007:

     

     Err yes Jing is right.. it does have firewire, just found the socket

128. Iain wrote, on August 9th, 2007:

     

     Chris – the Amazon model number is LX.AGS0X.015.

     Cheers.

129. Andy wrote, on August 10th, 2007:

     

     Hey I was wondering if anybody could tell me something about their media buttons. I did a clean sweep of Vista, I didn’t check before but now when I have iTunes playing in the background I cant change the track without having to bring iTunes to the front and do it from there.

     I was wondering if this was the same with the Acer install of Vista? I have now had to add and change registry values so I can change the track while iTunes is in the background, which also means I can only use the buttons for iTunes instead of Media Player now!

     (If anyone understood any of that please reply!)

     Andy

130. ia h wrote, on August 11th, 2007:

     

     hi i have orderd one of these 5920 g(gemsone as i was told).
     after a fair bit of hunting around i have found that laptop direct sell this product for 799 and comet for around 730 the difference i have found is laptop d sell theres with the turbo memory and no blue tooth but comet do have blue tooth on there model but no turbo memory ,hence the price diffrence .
     nether have hd at the moment .BUT as for the wsmi and wlmi i have been told they refer TO THE SPEC FOR THE MODEL FROM SCREEN SIZE TO WIRELESS ECT

131. Michael Walsh wrote, on August 11th, 2007:

     

     Hi Ia

     Just a quick note about that last observation you made

     BUT as for the wsmi and wlmi i have been told they refer TO THE SPEC FOR THE MODEL FROM SCREEN SIZE TO WIRELESS ECT

     That’s not true. This kind of model identification was changed with the introduction of the Gemstone series.

     Have a look at this thread to see Acer’s official response.

132. Mikey wrote, on August 13th, 2007:

     

     Hi All

     Just to let you know I received the 5920 from Laskys. Very quick delivery – same spec as Comet for £730.

     It has bluetooth and the 8600GT card. Ace!

     thanks
     Mike

133. ia h wrote, on August 14th, 2007:

     

     thanks 4 that ,is it also right that the comets cheaper model comes with basic sound speake system ?????

134. Deyrick wrote, on August 22nd, 2007:

     

     Received mine from LaptopsDirect yesterday, the 015 model (no Blue Tooth) the lack of which is no problem as I dont use anything with it anyway, I have bought it primarily for use while away from my Desktop and predominatly for games and watching DVDs. Only done some windows updates so far and tested a DVD (nice quality). Will need to test it with some games. I was suprised by the amount of memory (720Mb) used by the OS, good job it comes with 2Gb of ram. Removed a bunch of stuff from startup and disabled a few things, got it down to 650Mb which is still a little excessive. Anybody got a good site/thread for optimising Vista a bit more for reduced memory usage, which should increase performance a bit.

     Jings game use review was good, have downloaded latest vid drivers but not installed yet, may have to try the 158.45’s unless someone else knows of better ones.

     Nice blog/thread by the way, very informative.

     Deyrick

135. Nick wrote, on August 24th, 2007:

     

     Just to let you all know, Tesco now are stocking the Acer 5920, the 5720 and the other Gemstone laptop, the model number of which escapes me.
     The 5920 in stock is the turbomemory version and is at £799.97

136. Tan wrote, on August 30th, 2007:

     

     Hi,

     I know this may not be the correct area to pose such a question, but I mentioned earlier that I am considering purchasing a 5920. I have soon discovered the the Acer 5720G on laptops direct http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Acer_TravelMate_5720G-302G16_LX.TK30X.033/version-1.asp

     This has a very similar performance to the 5920, but is over £150 cheaper. The only aspect that seems to be comprised is the graphics, I am no expert on graphics cards but can I ask whether or not it is such a compromise?

     Thanks

     Tan

137. Michael Walsh wrote, on September 3rd, 2007:

     

     Hi Tan,

     I guess it depends on how much of a gamer/entertainment enthusiast you are. Be careful too, the link you posted is to the TRAVELMATE 5720 and not the ASPIRE 5720 (I’m not responsible for the naming), which is a slightly de-tuned version of the 5920 with a similar design.

     Basically the major difference between the two lines is that the TravelMate series is for work use and occasional fun, the Aspire is built the other way around.

     That might seem like splitting hairs but when you add up the differences in priorities, requirements and expectations of the people they’re aimed at, it makes for a completely different notebook. In fact it’s so different, Acer has “split” into two divisions (business and consumer) to keep both camps happy.

     Personally I stand in awe listening to people like Jing updating their drivers for max performance. But then I often feel like the guy on the left in the Apple ads

138. Michael Walsh wrote, on September 3rd, 2007:

     

     It’s been a busy morning so far.

     I’ve been gathering info on the next-generation Gemstone laptops (gamers heads up) and was looking into the Turbo memory/Bluetooth argument.

     Then I noticed that Acer UK has changed the naming once again. Now the two models are BOTH called 5920G!!!

     So to clarify (again!):

     5920G (formerly 5920) (LX.AGS0X.015): Turbo Memory but no Bluetooth
     5920G (LX.AGW0X.169): No Turbo Memory but with Bluetooth

     The difference appears to be with the chipset. In fact, if you look at the Wikipedia site on Turbo Memory it says: “Intel introduced Intel Turbo Memory on May 9, 2007, on the Santa Rosa platform and their Crestline (GM965) chipsets.”

     Now, if you take a (closer) look at the specs the difference becomes clear:

     5920G (formerly 5920) (LX.AGS0X.015): Mobile Intel® GM965 Express Chipset (Turbo Memory but no Bluetooth)
     5920G (LX.AGW0X.169): Mobile Intel® PM965 Express Chipset (No Turbo Memory but with Bluetooth)

139. Mark Golledge wrote, on September 7th, 2007:

     

     I’ve been looking around for the 5920 (LX.AGS0X.015) but can’t find anywhere stocking it.

     Seems both Tesco and laptopsdirect are awaiting more stock.

     I’ve contacted Tesco but they haven’t got an estimated date of arrival.

     Does anyone know how long this might be?

     Prefer to buy at Tesco given the clubcard points I can get…silly I know but every little helps!

140. silas184 wrote, on September 8th, 2007:

     

     I am also waiting for the LX.AGS0X.015.
     Comet at Castle Vale Birmingham had some stock of the other bluetooth model and a display machine if anyone is looking to see one in the flesh.
     I presume everyone is waiting for the same container to arrive in the UK. I may prefer to buy from Amazon.

141. Michael Walsh wrote, on September 8th, 2007:

     

     Hey Mark and Silas184,

     I have forwarded your questions to Acer UK, but as it’s the week-end I don’t expect an answer before Monday “at the earliest”. Has anyone else spotted them anywhere?

142. silas184 wrote, on September 9th, 2007:

     

     Thanks Michael, I have a credit card burning a hole in my pocket at present!

     As regards your earlier questions:
     >>>>>>>>>>
     Why are you guys looking at the Gemstone? What I mean is what do you want a media-intensive notebook like this for and what pushes you towards one make/model over another? Is it gaming speed? connectivity? video editing? storage memory? What?
     >>>>>>>>>>

     I type this on an Acer Travelmate 220 that is about six years old. It has had intensive use in that time and now suffers from a broken latch. It now runs very slowly because of the amount of software I have installed. Considering I purchased it for £100 because of a software fault which I fixed after a reinstall it has certainly been good value.

     My choice of make/model is based on bangs per buck.
     Because I tend to keep hardware for long periods of time my philosophy is buy the highest spec for a midrange budget in the hope that it will still be able to keep up three or four years down the line.

     To my mind for a budget of £800 the 5920 has the best bangs per buck with an HDMI port available.

     The HDMI port is somewhat of a rarity on any laptop under £1000. Following my same principles in the purchase of a 1080p HDTV I purchased a 40″ Sony W series and I am anxious to use it with Vista. I don’t do gaming but I do like multimedia.

     I would have liked Acer to have offered a 4meg option or at the very least just using one socket for a 2meg stick. I will probably be ebaying the two 1meg sticks and replacing them with two 2meg sticks.

143. Michael Walsh wrote, on September 10th, 2007:

     

     Still waiting for an answer from Acer UK about Tesco’s… Hold that card….

144. Mark Golledge wrote, on September 10th, 2007:

     

     Thanks Michael,

     Laptopsdirect says by 14 September so I presume that’d be the case for Tesco…but my presumptions have been wrong before!

145. Michael Walsh wrote, on September 11th, 2007:

     

     Word just in is that demand has seriously outstripped supply, and Tesco’s are down to their last few dozen and have had to order more.
     The recommendation is to twist the arm of anyone with a bit of clout at your local Tesco’s to order one of the remaining few…
     Sounds like hype I know but that’s the score :-O

146. Mark Golledge wrote, on September 11th, 2007:

     

     Just noticed that Laptopsdirect have a new version of the Acer Aspire 5920 laptop in stock:

     Aspire 5920H which is LX.AN60X.001 costing £829.00 and includes an HD-DVD and 250GB HDD.

     With the LX.AGS0X.015 going for £799.97 surely this has to be a superb deal…perhaps one of the cheapest laptops with HD-DVD?

     Comments please….worth a buy?

147. Mark Golledge wrote, on September 11th, 2007:

     

     Apologies – not in stock (2-7 days).

148. silas184 wrote, on September 12th, 2007:

     

     Indeed – Placed an order tonight, glad everybody was out of stock of the LXAGS0X.015 for the last few days now.
     Worth the extra £30 for the extra 90gig and the HD-DVD gets thrown in for free. So if it is the Betamax format compared to Blueray I wont feel too bad about it.
     Will review it when it arrives.

149. silas184 wrote, on September 12th, 2007:

     

     Pleased to say that Laptop Direct have stock of Aspire 5920H which is LX.AN60X.001 and have actually despatched to me less than 12 hours since placing my order.

150. daletur328 wrote, on September 12th, 2007:

     

     I haave just seen the 5920h also and at such a small increase in the price, seems about the same spec as the other less the 8600m GS instead of the GT. will this make a great deal of difference? I do like to play a few games but nothing to intensive. And it also doesnt mention in details the DVD compatibility ie + or – or both/dual layer. can anyone help please before i spend a lot of money saved for.

151. Michael Walsh wrote, on September 13th, 2007:

     

     I gotta admit Mark’s post was the first I’d heard of thie 5920H :-$
     I’ll try and find out a little more regarding specs from Acer UK today and will post them the moment I get them.

152. Mark Golledge wrote, on September 13th, 2007:

     

     Any news on the 5920H for those who’ve been in the first batch of purchases?

     Difference seems to be no pre-N wireless and GS not GT (updated info sheet on Laptopsdirect).

     Not too bothered about the pre-N but will GS instead of GT make much of a difference?

153. Michael Walsh wrote, on September 14th, 2007:

     

     Nothing of note, Mark. Obviously my “info channel” isn’t the fastest one on the planet but I’m hoping to have something soon…

154. silas184 wrote, on September 15th, 2007:

     

     5920H arrived or did it? The laptop has an 5920G label on the front and serial number has 5920G but it is the model number as described suspect usual Acer confusion regarding models.
     When ordering did not notice the difference in video card designation 8600GS, as I am not a gamer shouldn’t bother me too much. Disappointed to see that the networking only states a/b/g though. Otherwise happy bunny here.
     Styling works for me, performance is 4.7.

155. silas184 wrote, on September 15th, 2007:

     

     Re HD-DVD drive have burnt both -r and +r and model is

     DVDW/HD TS-L802A

     -R -RW +R +RW

     CD-R CD-RW

     Further details available via google.
     Hope this helps.

156. Laura wrote, on September 17th, 2007:

     

     For those of you wondering when the 5920 will be available in Tesco.. my local store says out of stock until 17/09/07 (which is today), so I’m hoping they’re in stock later today or tomorrow. May not be the same for every Tesco in the UK though.

     Also.. I heard that the turbo memory doesn’t do much for laptops and will probably need replaced at some point. Any truth in this?

157. Chris wrote, on September 19th, 2007:

     

     Hm, getting less and less impressed all the time. Having sent the 5920 I got from laptops direct (the turbo memory version) back to them because I was unhappy with the bright red pixel in the middle of the screen, I recieved an email saying they were out of stock and offering one of the other 5920s instead. If I did nothing then they would send me what I ordered at the end of the week. Imagine my suprise when they sent me a 5920H instead. Now I am going to have to get that back to them and try and get what I wanted in the first place. Vostro 1700 is looking better and better….

158. Michael Walsh wrote, on September 19th, 2007:

     

     Hi Chris,
     Not one to mince my words, that’s a real pain in the arse!
     I think nearly everyone understimated the demand for the 5920, which is great news for all invloved except the poor customer who gets messed around when supply runs dry.
     Stand your ground. Get what you want, or change retailer and, if necessary, manufacturer.

159. Chris wrote, on September 19th, 2007:

     

     Yeah, it is not ideal! The main problem I think is with laptops direct though, their service is hardly amazing.

160. Michael Walsh wrote, on September 19th, 2007:

     

     This is going to sound like me washing Acer’s hands of all responsibility I know, but what you said is unfortunately correct, unless of course for some reason Acer UK is stalling on delivery and Laptops Direct are passing on the ripple-effect of low supply to its customers.
     Either way, take it back. It’s not what you want or what you paid for is it?

161. Chris wrote, on September 19th, 2007:

     

     No. This is all the fault of laptops direct. They have no record seemingly of having sent me the laptop I now have, or indeed having received the one I sent back to them. Add to that the fact it takes 45 minutes to get them on the phone and I am not a happy chap. Note to others, don’t buy from these people!

162. Laura wrote, on September 19th, 2007:

     

     I think Acer are actually “stalling on delivery” because nowhere else (Comet, Tesco, Amazon) seem to have any in stock either. I’ve been considering ordering from laptops direct but it’s really disappointing to hear about their bad service.. I’m guessing you didn’t pay extra for them to check the first laptop?

163. Chris wrote, on September 19th, 2007:

     

     Nope, sadly not. Having finally sorted something out, it seems that they are not getting any stock of the turbo memory one now. So back to the drawing board.

164. Michael Walsh wrote, on September 19th, 2007:

     

     Hey Laura,

     I was being ironic… it wouldn’t make much sense for a company that DEPENDS on the sales of competitively-priced, fully-featured notebooks (i.e. with small profit margins) to actually stall delivery when demand is so high and the buying public so fickle (read that as a compliment).

     As with all electronic components you’re going to get duff models that need replacing. It’s just statistics/plain bad luck. I personally LOVE Amazon’s return policy (no questions) which is why I put up the ad on the side bar in the first place, but hey, that’s just me.

     Sadly I won’t be getting any information out of anyone at least untill next week as most managers are preparing to head off to Spain for the annual global conference this week-end so I’m not even going to bother sending off a mail as I know it’ll just get lost in the preparations.

     Chris, you want me to get Richard@DELL in on the conversation? He’s always willing to take a bite out of me

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