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We saw a minimal increase in AS10D3Ebattery life compared to the predecessor. During idle, the measured run time of 580 minutes is actually shorter than the one of the predecessor 8473TG (628 minutes). The situation looks better during the WLAN test: 365 minutes, compared to 347 minutes for the 8473TG.
The Lenovo ThinkPad T420i NW16NPB lasted an almost identical 363 minutes during the WLAN test. The Thinkpad L530 shut down after 430 minutes. The AMD-based HP ProBook 6465b could keep up reasonably well with 335 minutes. The 14-inch HP ProBook 4530s is outclassed here and only lasted 293 minutes.
Responsible for the good battery life is the 66 Wh lithium polymer battery (6000 mAh). Unfortunately, charging the battery takes very long. When the laptop is on, it takes 4:05 hours for the battery to charge completely.
Case
The chassis of the P643 Travelmate is not going to win prices for attractiveness. It's not a delicate design and the weight of 2.4 kilogram (5.29 pounds) indicates a certain heftiness, which is also apparent visually, since the notebook is 31 millimeter (1.22 inches) thick. Business users don't mind, even though the ThinkPad T420 (also 14-inch), which is also considered bulky, only weights 1.96 kilogram (4.32 pounds). Toshiba's Tecra R840-11E also weighs in at around two kilogram (4.4 pounds).
The high weight is a result of the materials used the construction of the notebook. The chassis is mostly made of a magnesium-aluminum alloy, although the area around the keyboard and the display lid are manufactured from brushed aluminum. Although the look is both unobtrusive and sophisticated, fingerprints are a constant (and difficult to remove) nuisance, especially on the display lid. The display bezel is matte-black plastic and conveys that this is a serious business notebook. Fingerprints or scratches don't have a chance here, nor on the underside of the notebook (which is made from the same material).
The matte surface areas appear to be tough and resilient. The high torsional rigidity of the chassis, the display lid, and the quality of the hinges, also contribute to this impression of toughness. We wouldn't have thought it possible, but the silver hinges Acer uses are indeed massive. They hold the display lid firmly, without any rocking motion, and in any position. When the display lid is opened to the maximum angle, it hits a very firm stop.
When we examined the predecessor TravelMate TimelineX 8473TG, we found the area around the optical drive to be the weakest point of the notebook, as far as stability is concerned. This has now been rectified, as pressure applied to the keyboard (Enter key) or on the bottom does not cause deformation any longer. The lid is fairly thin but still quite rigid due to the aluminum surface. It also resists pressure well. There is no lock on the lid - this seems to be one of the last bastions of pro-business laptops (T-series, HP EliteBook, DELL Latitude).
There is a big cover (secured by five screws) on the bottom of the laptop. Underneath there are the HDD in a rubber bracket, two slots for the DDR3 RAM (one occupied), and one mini PCIe slot that is not used. This spot could hold a 3G module, although a slot for a SIM card or integrated antennas are missing.
A second, diminutive cover allows access to the WLAN-module with two antennas. The ends of the antennas are terminated above the display (Acer SignalUp). The docking port for the Acer ProDock, and the multi-bay DVD drive, are distinguishing features a business laptop offers. A rail mechanism allows the drive to be removed while the laptop is in use.
We also identified water channels for the keyboard on the bottom of the laptop. Accidental spills are supposed to drain at this location. What we have never seen on an Acer before is an opening to clean the fan system. Pressurized air applied in this location cleans the dust of the heat sink at the end of the heatpipe.
Connectivity
Compared to the predecessor 8473TG, Acer has modified the port selection mostly for the better. Instead of one USB 3.0 port there are now three, the eSATA port is missing, but a ExpressCard/34 slot is now included. Business laptops for professional still tend to offer this slot, so users can use the cards they might already have. As of right now, the following cards are available for purchase: controller for FireWire, serial port, and eSATA. TV tuner cards, which have fallen out of favor, are also still available.
We don't particularly like the location of the ports on the sides. Unless a docking station is used, cables crowd the table on the left (HDMI all the way in the front) and on the right (USB ports). The card reader in its elevated position on the front, and the WLAN switch in the same location are handy, however. (DELL Inspiron M301ZR batteries)
Keyboard
Acer continues to use the floating keyboard of the predecessor. The spaces between the keys are very small and the keyboard leaves a very homogeneous impression. The feedback manages to impress. Key travel is ample, impact firm, and the keyboard does not flex anywhere. Typing accuracy is improved because the keys are slightly concave (lower in the middle). This is a feature usually seen on desktop keyboards. We didn't like that fingers get caught fairly easily on the hard edges of the keys. Even though this hampers feedback, it has no negative impact on typing speed.
The layout poses no problems. None of the keys are undersized (good-sized Enter, Shift, and Ctrl keys); the arrow key are separated from the other keys. The Ctrl and Del keys are in the corners so new Travelmate-customers can get acclimated quickly. A keyboard backlight is not available.
Touchpad
The touchpad is from Synaptics (V7.5) and recessed fairly deep into the palm rest. This can be distracting at times. The slightly rough surface allows for precise control of the cursor. The touchpad supports multitouch-gestures and has a vertical scrollbar, which is no marked. The mouse buttons offer clear tactile feedback. The long travel allows for easy and quick control. The buttons are made out of smooth plastic, but since they give a bit, they feel almost rubberized. Overall the touchpad is a pleasure to use.
Display
The non-glare 14-inch display has a a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels (16:9 aspect ratio). No other resolution is available for either the 14-inch and the 15.6-inch Travelmate models. Considering how many screen options the HP ProBooks and the Lenovo ThinkPads offer, this certainly leaves to be desired. Demanding users need to look at the Lenovo ThinkPad T420 or HP ProBook 6460b, both of which offer a resolution of 1600 x 900 pixels. (ACER AS10D56 batteries)
We tested the backlit LED display with the Gossen Mavo-Montior. With a maximum brightness of only 195 cd/m2, the TN panel is on par with affordable consumer notebooks. Brightness distribution (87%) is just good enough to avoid bright or dark spots. On a completely white screen, the uneven distribution would be noticeable.
Deep blacks and vivid colors are not the forte of the Travelmate. The extremely low contrast ratio of 138:1 causes pale, washed out colors. A higher contrast would certainly improve the outdoor experience. Photos and movies don't look very good, unless the user has never experienced a better panel.
Color space is critical for professionals and impacts their decision on which TFT panel to get (TOSHIBA PA3928U-1BRS batteries). The display should be able to accurately reproduce as many colors of the spectra as possible. sRGB and AdobeRGB are the most commonly used ones, neither one of which the P643 with its run-of-the-mil panel can reproduce (photos 1 & 2). The predecessor 8473T didn't fair any better since it's using the same panel (photo 3). The comparison in the second row of pictures shows what a good color space can look like.
The 14-inch notebook fails to convince outside. As long as it's overcast, and the user remains right in front of the display, brightness is OK. The average brightness level of 184 cd/m2 is not suitable for really bright surroundings. The non-glare display certainly limits disturbing reflections in the work environment. The P643 does not come with an ambient light sensor to control screen brightness automatically.
Color changes and inversions happen either fairly quick (vertical) or a bit slower (horizontal). Viewing angles are generally quite limited. Looking at photos or watching a movie is certainly no fun at all for anybody outside the very limited sweet spot. Ghosting and blurry contours are the result.
It should be noted that notebooks in this price range don't usually have decent viewing angles. Only more expensive units like the MacBook Air 13 Mid 2012, ThinkPad T530, or the Asus Zenbook Prime UX31A Ultrabook proof how much better an IPS or a very good TN panel can look.
Speakers
The integrated mono speaker is not very good, but that's acceptable for a business laptop. Bass is lacking, lows are muddled. Since Acer didn't even include stereo speakers, we recommend external solutions hooked up via the headphone jack, HDMI, or Bluetooth for those seeking better sound quality.
Verdict
In the beginning of our review, we asked if a Travelmate could compete with a Thinkpad. This was not just a rhetorical question. For a very affordable price, Acer has managed to offer a low-cost ThinkPad alternative. While Lenovo offers countless configurations at higher prices (for example HD+ Display, SSD, Core i7), Acer only has one standard configuration. But the lone configuration delivers.
The TravelMate P643 is able to keep up with a ThinkPad basic (L and T series) as far as performance is concerned. The Geforce GT 640M offers plenty of performance for the home user and casual gamer. For CAD/CAM software, the NVS 5400M (T530) would be a better choice. Build quality and sturdiness are convincing (magnesium chassis). The pretty extensive security and administration software suite seems to be useful for the small business owner. (SONY VGP-BPSC27 batteries)
In other areas, the Acer falls a bit behind Lenovo, input devices being one of them. Aside from the missing trackpoint, the differences are negligible though. Lenovo also offers a Mini DisplayPort and FireWire400. As far as battery life is concerned, the T530, which comes with a 93 Wh battery, is far superior. The basic version only offers a six-cell battery, which should level the playing ground.
A T-series ThinkPad plays in a different league. The TravelMate P643-MG is certainly able to compete with the less expensive L-series in most areas and beat it in some (gaming performance). Even though ThinkPad fans and Lenovo insiders won't like it: Acer created a business laptop that is able to keep up with a ThinkPad in the 800 Euro price bracket. Above that price level, the ThinkPads reign supreme.
More info: laptop-batteries.com.au , laptop-battery.org.uk , battery-store.eu
