Acer 6920G

Acer has been on a roll of late with its Gemstone series of laptops, which have enjoyed huge popularity in the budget and value segment. Looking at tapping into the higher-end market, the company recently unveiled its 'Gemstone Blue' range of laptops, which is primarily aimed at the mid-level and desktop replacement segments. Acer is offering a few innovations in this range, such as 16:9 aspect LCD panels, Blu-ray drives, and a new touch panel for multimedia management.

We were able to spend some time with the mid-level Acer 6920G. Does this new laptop live up to the hype generated around this range? Read on to find out.

At the launch event of the new series, it was clear from the onset that Acer had consciously decided to step away from its rather drab designs of the past. The 6920G is certainly a step up. It sports a glossy top panel and a well-designed (though highly reflective) LCD panel. The area around the LCD panel is of a similar glossy nature as the lid.

The area next to the keyboard is unique to the new series. Just above the keyboard is a huge speaker grill that forms the basis of the new Dolby 2.0 speaker system. The left side of the keyboard is occupied by the new CineDash Media Console, which Acer has introduced with this series. This touch panel allows you to manipulate Windows Media Player or other compatible players. It also interfaces with Acer’s own version of a media center called Acer Arcade Deluxe.

The keyboard itself has been moved a bit more towards the center. The bottom area of the keyboard has a silver textured finish, which is common to the touchpad as well. The right side of the keyboard sports a series of quick-launch keys, which are reprogrammable.