Ferrari 1000 Shines on TheAcerGuy

Don’t believe the hype.

If ever there was a phrase that sums up the fear, uncertainty and doubt surrounding marketing campaigns for cult objects, this is undoubtedly it.

Hype is what gets brands noticed and, if they’re not careful, it’s where they fall. There’s no getting away from it. You’ve either got it or you don’t.

The Ferrari name has got it. In fact I’m not sure how many brand names evoke so much passion (love, envy, call it what you will) and at the same time elicit so much expectation. A Ferrari is the end of the rainbow, right? An exotic dream whose sole purpose is to transport its lucky owner into an almost surreal reality.

A bit more down to earth, maybe, but the Acer Ferrari 1000 has got it too. Anyone who’s read my earlier posts in this blog will have noticed that I’ve picked up on some negative sentiment here and there towards this stunning little ultraportable. Doubts over its coolness, and whether the outboard DVD can mess up your life continue to surface, and I wanted to find out for myself whether or not they were valid concerns.

So I borrowed one for the week-end.

First things first. The Ferrari 1000 is gorgeous. The moment you open the box, you know this isn’t your run-of-the-mill notebook. The thought and care that has gone into the details is on an entirely different level here.

Details like dedicated cases for each of the external components. They’re well designed, well made and look stunning. In fact, I wouldn’t feel at all ashamed at pulling the Ferrari 1000 out of my briefcase at a meeting.

And before you even begin to talk about the big, black, masculine Ferrari badge, both my 10-year old daughter and my tech-loathing wife loved it too, so I guess that sets that record straight.

While we’re on the subject, we had some friends over for dinner on Saturday. The Ferrari 1000 was sitting on the table in the living room and one by one, each of our guests commented on how cute/cool/fabulous it was.

Fact 1: this PC attracts attention like no other I’ve ever had.

Fact 2: it’s seriously cool – no matter what cynics may tell you.

So what about all the technical side of things? Hey, I’ll leave the performance ratings comparisons to those that actually care. For me, the Ferrari 1000 has just about everything I’d want from a second PC. I say second because, just like its automotive namesake, you really wouldn’t want to use it as your only means because its unique compactness is a little uncomfortable if you need to sit in front of it day in day out, even if it is a nice place to be.

Don’t get me wrong, the CrystalBrite screen is almost easier to look at than my 24” desktop monitor and the keyboard is a joy to use. But 12 inches of screen is, well, half of what I’m used to. Great for brief use, a bit of a strain if you overdo it.

Having said that, the Ferrari 1000’s got a port replicator port at back, meaning you can use it with a bigger monitor and standard keyboard while in the office, yet still enjoy all the benefits (and there are hundreds) of its seriously compact, lightweight design when you leave. In that sense it’s an ideal combination.

I’ve also noticed that the battery duration has been questioned. Well for starters the Ferrari 1000 comes with two batteries (three and six cells – neither made by Sony) and pressing the Empowering Key brings up an easy-to-use menu that allows me to switch from maximum performance to maximum battery life – which, incidentally, was 3 hours and 53 minutes – in just three clicks. If that's not enough, you can pull out the 6 Cell battery and slip in the 3 Cell one for an indicated 1 hour 39 minutes of extra ultraportable freedom. That’s 5 and-a-half hours - more than enough for me.

All in all, the Ferrari 1000 ticked all my boxes. I personally have never handled such a well-built laptop. No creaks, beautifully solid keyboard, and a joy to use. When you’re used to 15”+ screens pressing down on your thighs (this is my "old" TravelMate 4670 for a size comparison - it weighs almost double too and generates twice as much heat), having this lightweight gem resting almost imperceptibly on your lap is a revelation.

As I write, I’m doing a home study course on SEO techniques. It’s DVD-based with lots (hundreds) of videos to get through. On Friday and Sunday I used the Ferrari 1000 and sat through about 3 hours of videos each night with no trouble whatsoever. Once it had sniffed out my wireless network, flicking back and forth between the Flash presentation screen and the web to check on real-life examples was child’s play. I could have done it all night. Well actually I did.

It’s got 3 USB’s, a built-in 4-in-one card reader, integrated webcam and the brilliant Bluetooth handsfree VoIP phone (Skype users rejoice), and enough storage and processing power to handle everything you could possibly throw at it. Objectively, it’s really hard to find anything to criticize, except perhaps the fact that tomorrow I have to give it back.

Well, even that has a solution doesn’t it?