Acer Ferrari 1100 Review

Although primarily known for its no-frills, low-cost notebooks, Acer's crown jewel Ferrari line of portables has always turned heads. The Ferrari 1100 is the first 12-inch Ferrari to include a built-in optical drive. While we love the speedy performance and sporty, sophisticated design, we wishthis notebookhad a little more endurance.

The 1100 falls between the ultraportable and thin-and-light categories because it has a small 12-inch screen, but weighs a relatively hefty 4.4 pounds. But, unlike Acer's Aspireseries, whose dated beige color scheme is supposed to resemble the interior of a BMW, the Ferrari 1100 looks and feels like its namesake.

The lid has a fine black-and-gray racing check pattern with Ferrari's small yellow insignia stamped in the center. The rest of the carbon fiber chassis is matte black with glossy gray accents, except for the glossy bezel and area above the keyboard, which houses launch points for Outlook 2007, Internet Explorer, and Acer's Launch Manager. Flanking the stiff touch buttons are tapered speakers. In a clever touch, the power button looks like an ignition, and the touchpad has the same checkered design as the lid

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