The TravelMate 8481T Has a Small Footprint

The Acer TravelMate Timeline 8481T’s 13-inch body and 4 pounds of weight with the battery pack connected makes it quite easy to slip into a purse or computer bag, and carry it around town.

The 8481T’s battery pack connects to the back of the notebook. Unfortunately, it has a strange shape that makes the PC sit on a desk in a somewhat awkward fashion.

As mentioned, the 8481T comes in a body size that would normally feature a 13-inch screen. However, by reducing the size of the bezel, Acer has been able to offer a 14-inch LED LCD display in the notebook.

Sandwiched between the left- and right-click buttons on the 8481T’s notebook is a biometric sensor that adds an additional layer of security to the PC. To access the device, users will need to swipe their fingers across the sensor.

The 8481T’s keyboard might look nice, but trying to get used to it will take some time. The keys are flush with the bottom panel of the notebook and are somewhat shallow, making it a little more difficult to type than some might like.

The nice thing about the 8481T is that it comes with a host of useful ports. On the left side of the PC is an HDMI port, as well as a USB 3.0 port. Users can also connect devices via eSATA and USB 2.0.

Acer’s Pro Shield software is arguably one of the best features of the 8481T. Pro Shield allows IT staffs to do everything from setting BIOS security to choosing files to “shred.” Acer’s software makes the 8481T even more secure than many comparable devices on store shelves.

Since backing up is so important in today’s corporate world, it’s no wonder Acer has made it easy for users to quickly and efficiently back up content on their hard drives. The software also provides automatic backup for a hands-off approach.

One of the nice things about the 8481T is that the computer’s 320GB hard drive is partitioned out of the box, allowing users to quickly back up contents to a second virtual drive as soon as they start adding content to the machine.

Thanks to its Windows 7 Professional installation, the 8481T allows employees to run a virtual installation of Windows XP from the computer. Windows XP Mode is arguably one of the most enterprise-friendly software packages on Windows, ensuring near-universal support for software and accessories already running in the office.

Acer made the surprising decision to bundle Netflix with the 8481T. That decision might be nice for general consumers or employees who want to relax over lunch, but for CIOs concerned with productivity, it could be an issue.