Acer Aspire 8920G - Expert Reviews

Review summary: New 16in and 18.4in screens with better colour reproduction and Blu-ray

Verdict: We've been impatiently waiting for Acer's new Gemstone 'Blue' laptop since the original Gemstone won numerous awards for its feature-packed design and affordable price. It won no awards for its looks, though, which were some of the ugliest we've seen ...

Review summary: The Acer Aspire 8920G has the performance tools and a big, honkin' screen to wow home-theater aficionados.

Pros: Unprecedented 18.4-inch widescreen. Top-notch performance scores. 4GB of RAM. Resolution is precisely 1080p. Blu-ray burner built in. Relatively light considering the screen size. CineTouch controls are intuitive. Excellent sound quality.

Cons: Design induces yawning. Feature set is underwhelming. Pricey. Sub-par battery life.

Verdict: The Acer Aspire 8920G is equipped with an unprecedented 18.4-inch screen and performance parts that are future-proofed.

Pros: First 18-inch display we've seen ; true 16:9 aspect ratio ; inventive media control panel mimics a remote control

Cons: Higher-end model is twice as much as lower-end version, despite minimal specification differences ; minor Blu-ray control issues ; we expected better bass from a system with a subwoofer

Verdict: With Blu-ray and a true 1080p display, the 18-inch Acer Aspire 8920 is a movie fan's dream, but we'd go for the cheaper of Acers' two preconfigured models.

Review summary: THE Gemstone Blue's ease of use and good performance make it a decent notebook.

Pros: Big screen, Blu-ray player, HDMI, digital TV tuner, space for a second hard drive

Cons: HDMI output can't be scaled by the graphics card, CineDash panel is awkward to use, bright power LEDs cannot be dimmed, no FireWire

Verdict: With an 18.4" high-definition screen, a 5.1 speaker configuration, a digital TV tuner and a Blu-ray player built-in, the Gemstone Blue is almost like a complete home theatre setup. It's fairly easy to use and it's a good performer, so it's a good ...

Award: Editor's Choice!

Review summary: A huge high-def display, awesome sound, and loads of multimedia extras make the Aspire 8920G a compelling desktop replacement notebook.

Pros: High-quality 1080p LCD panel, True 5.1 speaker setup, Unique CineDash media controls, Full-size keyboard with number pad

Cons: Small, squarish touchpad, No FireWire port, No TV tuner (yet)

Verdict: The Aspire 8920G is a multimedia paradise, meant to replace or replicate all manners of A/V equipment for use in cramped spaces (a den, bedroom, small apartment, weekend place, and so on) or to shuttle-occasionally, given the 9-pound system weight ...