ACI VISION PRO

VERDICT: An attractive machine that has been designed with an eye on the future: it will support Intel's new Dothan processor, the second generation of Pentium M, when it's finally released.

ACi has built a reputation for itself in this country for supplying laptops to corporate buyers who are looking for a small rollout of machines but with specific needs in mind. The ACi Vision Pro (£1408 inc. VAT) is built around the Intel Centrino technology and as such is fitted with the 1.6GHz Pentium M processor, Intel 855 chipset and PRO/wireless 802.11b mini-PCI adapter for connecting to company networks and Wi-Fi hotspots. The system is rounded out by the addition of 512MB of DDR SDRAM and a 60GB Toshiba hard drive, which adds up to more than a sufficient package for the power user.

NEW PROCESSOR
We were hoping that the ACi Vision Pro would be fitted with the next generation of the Pentium M processor, codenamed Dothan. However, Intel has delayed the launch of the chip and we were forced to review the unit as it will be initially offered. Once Dothan is available, the motherboard is able to take a processor upgrade to the new smaller chip size as the packaging will remain the same. That said, we found the performance of the Vision Pro to be more than acceptable in its current state, scoring a Mobile-Mark 2002 benchmark of 168, which is above the average for many systems of this speed.

We were impressed with the battery life of the Vision Pro, which under test provided up to 278 minutes of power from a single charge. At over four hours of use this is a system worthy of recommendation to those who need to work for long periods of time away from mains power.

The build quality of the Vision Pro is above average for such a machine. While there is no extra protection in the lid, the magnesium alloy layer is thick enough to protect the panel from all but the most severe of knocks. The chassis is made from a combination of plastic and magnesium alloy, giving the Vision Pro a durable feel but a transportable weight of 2.9kg. This is particularly important as the laptop is fitted with a 15-inch TFT screen that is capable of supporting a native resolution of 1400 x 1050 pixels with ease.

The screen is supported by the ATi Mobility Radeon 9600 graphics adapter. Under test, this system scored a 3DMark 2001 SE score of 9453, which is more than capable of handling the latest 3D accelerated games with ease.

BUILD QUALITY
One area where we felt that the Vision Pro didn't quite live up to our expectations was in the form of the keyboard, which was bowed and raised in the middle, with keys that felt less than secure in their mounts. As the system we reviewed was a pre-production unit, we hope that this problem will be addressed before release.

The optical drive is located on the front of the chassis and came in the form of a QSI DVD/CD-RW combination drive. ACi supply Ahead Nero Express and CyberLink PowerDVD pre-installed on the hard drive for use with this drive. On the left-hand side of the chassis is a card reader that will support the use of Secure Digital, MultiMedia Cards and Memory Sticks, allowing for a greater degree of flexibility when using PDAs and digital cameras.

The ACi Vision Pro is an excellent example of a two-spindle system. While its weight and size may not be ideal for the frequent traveller, its battery life makes it more than usable for the occasional trip away from the office.

PRICE: £1199/£1408 (EX/INC. VAT)
PROCESSOR: INTEL PENTIUM M 1.6GHZ
MEMORY: 512MB DDR SDRAM
HARD DRIVE: TOSHIBA 60GB
SCREEN SIZE AND TYPE: 15-INCH TFT
DISPLAY RESOLUTION: 1400 X 1050 PIXELS
GRAPHICS CARD: ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9600
DIMENSIONS: 329 X 273 X 36MM
WEIGHT: 2.9KG
PC CARDS (TYPE II/III): 1/0
WIRELESS LAN: 802.11B
ETHERNET: YES
MODEM: YES
USB PORTS: 3
FIREWIRE: 1
STANDARD WARRANTY: 1 YR C&R
WARRANTY UPGRADE: 3YRS ON-SITE AVAILABLE
CONTACT: 020 8830 1958  WWW.ACIPLC.COM 

BATTERY LIFE: 278 MINS
MOBILEMARK 2002: 168
3DMARK 2001: 9453

RATINGS AND TEST RESULTS

VALUE FOR MONEY: 7
PERFORMANCE: 8
FEATURES: 8
MOBILITY: 6
BUILD QUALITY: 7
OVERALL: 8