Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • PC Hardware

    My Love Affair with Acers Ferrari Notebook

    By
    Rob Enderle
    -
    January 28, 2004
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Every other notebook I have ever had pales in comparison to my new Ferrari-branded notebook from Acer. Since I brought my new purchase home, my IBM T-40 has been hiding in the corner, the Toshiba Tablet is putting up a brave front, the 17-inch Gateway is on the shelf looking the other way, and even the new Sony 505 looks abashed next to this stunning red box.

      From its three coats of high-quality automotive paint and Ferrari branding on the case to its brushed silver interior and tastefully etched logos, this machine is a thing of beauty. When I walk into a room with this baby, even the Apple users join the throngs of admirers. However, much like owning an exotic car, there are some trade-offs to all of this fame.

      For instance, I rarely let this laptop leave my sight. I am convinced that should it be out of sight for a moment someone else will touch, fondle or “borrow” it. And because I worry about the finish, I am constantly aware of what Im doing in the vicinity of the notebook. The dogs and cats know that it is off-limits, and I dont allow anyone near it with food or drink. I have a hard time thinking of putting it in a computer bag and have started to wish that I had a laptop cover, which, like a car cover, would protect it against unfit eyes, my laptop bag and the elements.

      As you would expect, performance is very strong, but battery life isnt. Im getting around 3 hours of heavy use with the 802.11g network at full power. Of course thats the same trade-off with a car; you dont buy a high-performance car and expect to get good gas mileage. (I think I just heard a snicker from the IBM T-40, which gets around 7 hours.)

      Part of me wishes this notebook was fueled by the Athlon64 rather than the Athlon XP-M chip because, like with the car, I want ultimate performance—but then I take one look at the machines lustrous coat, and somehow everything else seems trivial.

      Other features include a 15-inch SXGA+ screen, coupled with 128MB ATI Radeon 9200 graphics, 512MB 333 SDRAM, a 60GB hard drive, DVD (+/-) RW, Bluetooth and 802.11g Wireless. No, it doesnt come with electric windows and air-conditioning; it does, however, have an extremely rare Ferrari optical mouse in Ferrari red, which will probably be in use years after the laptop goes to laptop heaven.

      One impressive piece of execution is that when you fire the machine up it plays a WAV file of a Ferrari race car revving its engine. That alone is worth the relatively low $1,899 price of admission. (I found it priced as low as $1,725 at PCVideoOnline.) Even when Im in a meeting, I dont turn the sound off because of the unbridled envy that seems to show up in the eyes of my, granted mostly male, co-attendees. So far no one has complained.

      The desktop screen also boasts a unique design, complete with a Ferrari racing motif and active calendar.

      When talking about products targeted at individuals, I actually see a lot of IT value in the concept. A few years ago I was involved in a study to see why some firms experience failure rates that exceed 30 percent for laptop computers, and it came down to the fact that people simply were abusing their machines. If employees were given a product they were proud of as opposed to one purchased at a bargain basement piece, they took better care of it, particularly if they knew they could buy it after a reasonable two-year service life for a laptop computer.

      Planning hardware upgrades? eWEEK Labs tells you what you need to know.

      Executives often want products that are exclusive to them and are often more concerned with status than practicality, which means they often end up with products that cost up to twice what the company is deploying to the rank and file. With Acers Ferrari notebook, here is a product that has the same exclusive nature and may actually cost less than the standard product given to everyone else (that can be our little secret). How often is it you can make an executive happy and stay within budget? Using a product like this to save money, even in an enterprise, is hardly unusual according to eWEEK Labs.

      However, the overall goal of a product like this is to enhance the brand and drive attention to the rest of the product line. This is called a Halo product because it tends to shed positive light on other products from the same company. Even if people dont buy the Ferrari notebook they will, after seeing or hearing of it, be more likely to consider an Acer product and think of the company in a more positive light.

      Overall, this is one of the highest quality laptops I have ever had, and it should serve its purpose of improving Acers image admirably.

      This idea of using another brand to enhance the value of an unrelated product (I have a Ferrari watch too) is far from unique, but Acer gets full credit for applying it to the PC market.

      Rob Enderle is the principal analyst for the Enderle Group, a company specializing in emerging personal technology.

      Rob Enderle
      https://enderlegroup.com
      Rob Enderle is a principal at Enderle Group. He is a nationally recognized analyst and a longtime contributor to eWEEK and Pund-IT. Enderle is considered one of the top 10 IT analysts in the world by Apollo Research, which evaluated 3,960 technology analysts and their individual press coverage metrics.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×