The newest “ultraportable” notebook (30.5 x 22.5 x 3.5cm, 2 kg) in Acer’s TravelMate series, the 6292 combines a small form-factor and lightweight construction with a powerful processor, sharp display and compelling graphics that make it an unobtrusive yet robust companion for the frequent business traveler.
With support for Intel’s Santa Rosa platform and an Intel Core 2 Duo T7100 processor running at 1.8Ghz with 4MB of Level 2 cache and an 800 MHz front side bus, along with 1GB of DD2 RAM, the 6292 I tested ran multiple applications and games with ease. The graphics, supported by the Mobile Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100, were rendered crisply.
The screen itself is 12.1” with resolution of 1280 by 800 pixels, and with Acer’s CrystalBrite technology makes for an attractive display. While the screen size is on the small side, making opening just one window at a time practicable, it is fine for an ultraportable and I had no problems watching a DVD movie on a recent trip.
While the location of ports and drives is always a challenge with laptops, and with ultraportables in particular, some of the choices with the 6292 are unfortunate. Since an optional docking station is intended to be used in the office the ports available are somewhat minimal, although there is a card reader The DVD/RW drive is located on the side, which is good, but I found the LAN jack’s location on the left side to be inconvenient. There are three USB ports, two on one side and one on the other, however two are stacked making using them both at once tricky. The headphone jack is located on the front, also a little inconvenient.
The keyboard is a little smaller than my personal notebook, which took some getting used to, but the presence of hotkeys on the side for things like activating wireless (802.11 a/b/g/draft n) and Bluetooth were useful. A curious absence were dedicated volume and mute keys, however these can be accessed on the keyboard as function keys. I’ve never been a fan of the track pad mouse, and I like Lenovo’s decision to have both the track pad and trackball on its business ThinkPads. However, Acer’s track pad is as usable as any.
Above the display built into the case Acer has included a CrystalEye Webcam. Although it loses points for not swiveling independently, its video quality was quite impressive and made it well suited for Web videoconferencing. A biometric fingerprint scanner is also included between the left and right mouse keys for added security.
While it lacks in some features, for its intended purpose as a business travel companion and at its reasonable price point the 6292 fits the bill. It makes a handy and easy to carry road notebook, but I’ll look forward to getting back to my more feature-rich PC once I’m home.
