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ACER TravelMate 8104 "Sonoma" Review - Page 13

post #241 of 293
8/12/05 at 2:57pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peto_SVK
Hey guys,

do you have any suggestions how to use my battery in ACER TM 8104 first few days... I mean if its correct to use the laptop just with battery like 4-5 times and let the battery recharge throughout the whole night in order to formate it to the maximum capacity...


Thank you all for replies.

Peace,
Peto
I don't have any suggestions other than don't bother. It will get to its max capacity fine through normal use. If you use the battery, sure, run it down to nearly nothing and then recharge. If you use utilities like BatteryMon or MobilityMeter, you'll probably find what I and I think others have found, and that is that the Wear Level (100 - (MaxChargeCapacity/MaxDesignCapacity)) will drop to 4% with a few weeks or a month, and then more as time goes on. My original Motorola battery currently has a wear level of 13%. I bought an additional primary battery which came as a Sanyo brand. It seems to lose capacity even when not in the laptop. ("Bleeds" charge.) I'm currently testing it, i.e. charged it fully, removed it from the laptop and dated it, and will place it back in a week or 2 to see if it lost charge. I think no matter what you do your battery will wear out in a year or 2. When I go on a trip I try to be sure both batteries are freshly charged. I've read that you can leave these batteries in the laptop all the time with negligible effect on the wear. The only deterrent might be heat, and these don't get hot in their location in the 8104.
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post #242 of 293
8/12/05 at 4:08pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Laika
well the original LM did hang up - tried the 8100 updated verion of LM and now the Ferrari 4000 version which is even newer. All have done the same - even if the Ferrari v. has done it a bit earlier than the the other two versions. I did uninstall the LM both times and reboot like the setup told me to do. Memory seems to be working okay. I'm running Norton Antivirus that came with the machine. I do still use the Acer Power Managment.

qtzgacer.exe seems just to eat up the 98-99 % - before I kill it - but not every time - okay the Ferrari version did do that every time - but didn't have that for long - have unistalled it now.

Maybe I should write a nice email to Acer on Monday?
HERE is one of Darth's original posts on the subject. I don't have the ePowerManagement installed anymore, but I think you should be able to. You might check Bluetooth and WiFi settings in ePM as well as LaunchManager. Perhaps they should be OFF in ePM and set as you want in LM. I don't know which loads first.

I don't use any Bluetooth so I have mine set to OFF. I don't use WiFi often so I "usually" have it set to OFF, mostly to avoid the annoying popup "no wireless found....etc", which even the checkbox in wireless properties doesn't seem to get rid of.
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post #243 of 293
8/14/05 at 4:53am

Overclocking x700 in 8104???

Hey guys,

MrM I've just read the review of x700 on TOMHARDWARE website to which you added a link in your first posts in this thread.

It is said that x700 in TM 8104 is "underclocked" by 50 Mhz... from ATI's reference GPU 350 Mhz to 300 MHz.

And so my question goes...Would it be a big difference overclocking it to ATI's 350 and if it would not deteriorate the x700 or shorten its lifetime...
Maybe this question loox silly to you guys, but I dont have any EXP with ATI cards and with overclocking at all.

I'm looking forward to your reading replies.

Peace,
Peto
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post #244 of 293
8/14/05 at 5:22am
Correction:
*reading your replies

and does ACER TM 8104 include a Win XP CD or its just installed in it...
I think I've read that it can be burned on CD...hmm..I cannot believe
you can make a bootable Win XP CD fro already installed windows on a
machine, can you?

Peto
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post #245 of 293
8/14/05 at 3:33pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peto_SVK
And so my question goes...Would it be a big difference overclocking it to ATI's 350 and if it would not deteriorate the x700 or shorten its lifetime...
Maybe this question loox silly to you guys, but I dont have any EXP with ATI cards and with overclocking at all.
No experience here. I'm seen other threads in which users have successfully overclocked the x700. You might surf the forums for X700 and Overclock for info.
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post #246 of 293
8/14/05 at 3:39pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peto_SVK
and does ACER TM 8104 include a Win XP CD or its just installed in it...
I think I've read that it can be burned on CD...hmm..I cannot believe
you can make a bootable Win XP CD fro already installed windows on a
machine, can you?

Peto
The 8104 does NOT include a Win XP CD. If you leave your HDD configuration "stock" (hidden Recovery Partition, C-drive Fat32, D-drive Fat32) then you can restore Win XP if needed. This subject is covered in depth in other 8100 threads also.

I had my own XP CD which I used to totally reformat and reinstall XP to my own taste, but I only know enough about it to get myself in trouble and not others. I was unsuccessful in creating a bootable XP CD that the 8104 would recognize. If you're inclined to fiddling, and either good at it or responsible for it, then fiddle away. Otherwise, it is not necessary.
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post #247 of 293
8/15/05 at 5:44am
Thx Mrm.

I'm not sure and if I got it correctly that if you format all partitions(also recovery) to NTFS one, problems start to occur.

Is it not that system on TM 8104will function correctly but you wont be able to do recovery?
Whats the point of the recovery partition if you do have your own WinXP CD?

I know 100 GB is quite enough space, but why I should have some GBs used by recovery if I dont need it.
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post #248 of 293
8/15/05 at 2:17pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peto_SVK
Thx Mrm.

I'm not sure and if I got it correctly that if you format all partitions(also recovery) to NTFS one, problems start to occur.
NO, NOT NECESSARILY. IT'S JUST THAT YOU'VE REMOVED ALL THE ACER STOCK CONFIGURATION, SO THE FUTURE FUNCTIONALITY IS UP TO YOU.

Is it not that system on TM 8104will function correctly but you wont be able to do recovery?
YES.

Whats the point of the recovery partition if you do have your own WinXP CD?
NONE.

I know 100 GB is quite enough space, but why I should have some GBs used by recovery if I dont need it.
AGREED.
EDIT: My answers are inserted in your quote above.

These general issues have been discussed in the "mega" 8100 thread and others. It's a large thread and tough to search, but you can get some idea of others' experience.
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post #249 of 293
8/16/05 at 3:12am
Also guys I am bit anxious about the monitoring software you use.

Dont u use ACER monitoring bundled software that was with ACER TM 8104?
I have seen you have been using programs like MobileMeter(BTW,cant get it anywhere without a password ),RM clock and recently you were talking about Launch manager 4000 or what?

Pls, take me to the right way, cuz I am bit confused which software is the best to get the maximum of this Lovely machine.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

Peto
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post #250 of 293
8/16/05 at 11:41am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peto_SVK
Also guys I am bit anxious about the monitoring software you use.

Dont u use ACER monitoring bundled software that was with ACER TM 8104?
I have seen you have been using programs like MobileMeter(BTW,cant get it anywhere without a password ),RM clock and recently you were talking about Launch manager 4000 or what?

Pls, take me to the right way, cuz I am bit confused which software is the best to get the maximum of this Lovely machine.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

Peto
MobilityMeter, AKA MobileMeter:
http://dssc3031.ece.cmu.edu/~tamaru/...erreadme-e.htm
http://www.geocities.co.jp/SiliconValley-Oakland/8259/

RMClock
RightMark CPU Clock Utility (RMClock):
http://cpu.rightmark.org/products/rmclock.shtml
http://www.notebookforums.com/showth...3&page=1&pp=20
(RMClock has changed since the beginning of the undervolting thread, so read the middle and end of the thread too. Basically, if you set Management Tab, PST, State 0 - 6x - .700 and State 1 - 15x - 1.100, with Modify on each set to "Auto adjust...." then you will be fine.)

Launch Manager 4000
ftp://ftp.acer-euro.com/notebook/ferrari_4000/driver/

In all these items you again need to surf the forums for in-depth info. This is a "review" thread, not a "support" thread. Forum info can be hard to find due to the large quantity of it, but it is out there. Good luck.
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post #251 of 293
8/16/05 at 12:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peto_SVK
Also guys I am bit anxious about the monitoring software you use.
There is also Centrino Hardware Control http://www.pbus-167.com/chc.htm, which would be perfect and replace my combo of RMClock+MobileMeter if it could display HD temperature in tray (it does not as of 1.9 beta 02).
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post #252 of 293
8/16/05 at 2:56pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by DarthAcer
There is also Centrino Hardware Control http://www.pbus-167.com/chc.htm, which would be perfect and replace my combo of RMClock+MobileMeter if it could display HD temperature in tray (it does not as of 1.9 beta 02).
"My" temp savings with CHC were not nearly as good as with RMClock, so I went back to RM. Might have been a user problem.
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post #253 of 293
8/20/05 at 4:04am

Running F.E.A.R. on ACER TM 8104

Hello guys,

so I am an ACER TM 8104 user too and I am very pleased with it so far.
Maybe just a bit displeased about FEAR (demo game) running on it. I expected it to run without any hitches but my FPS rate is about 22(1024*768, 2x Anisotropic and 2x FSAA I think, medium Texture resolution, medium light quality), with
medium settings...shadows turned off... However, I was having big problems running it smoothly on my dektop(P4 3.0GHz HT, 512 ram, Fx 5600 256 DDR) thought it was set to low graphics preferences. So maybe FEAR is a very demanding game....

I would be pleased guys if you told me whats your FPS in F.E.A.R. game.

But I am still very very ... very satisfied with the outcome of my new love...its reallly a beast and its a notebook . I afraid DEAD PIXELS
so much and none can be seen

One more question: I received also RECOVERY CDs with Acer. I thought there are no CDs included and if you want to recovery you need to use that hidden partition. So my question: if I delete hidden partition will I be able to do recovery(install windows) just with those CDs?

I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

Peace, Peto
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post #254 of 293
8/20/05 at 11:03am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peto_SVK
Hello guys,

so I am an ACER TM 8104 user too and I am very pleased with it so far.
Maybe just a bit displeased about FEAR (demo game) running on it. I expected it to run without any hitches but my FPS rate is about 22(1024*768, 2x Anisotropic and 2x FSAA I think, medium Texture resolution, medium light quality), with
medium settings...shadows turned off... However, I was having big problems running it smoothly on my dektop(P4 3.0GHz HT, 512 ram, Fx 5600 256 DDR) thought it was set to low graphics preferences. So maybe FEAR is a very demanding game....

I would be pleased guys if you told me whats your FPS in F.E.A.R. game.

But I am still very very ... very satisfied with the outcome of my new love...its reallly a beast and its a notebook . I afraid DEAD PIXELS
so much and none can be seen

One more question: I received also RECOVERY CDs with Acer. I thought there are no CDs included and if you want to recovery you need to use that hidden partition. So my question: if I delete hidden partition will I be able to do recovery(install windows) just with those CDs?

I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

Peace, Peto
CONGRATS PETO!!!
I haven't tried the FEAR demo but I'm looking for a new game so I'll download the demo when I get a chance. There are some threads in the Gaming section on FEAR, not sure if others may have had problems with the demo. "Demos" are not always a good indication of how a final release will play. EDIT: http://www.notebookforums.com/showthread.php?t=100456

Yes, you get RECOVERY CDs with the Acer, you do NOT get a "pure", standalone, WinXP CD that can be used for fresh, independent installs, etc. The Recovery CDs are essentially a "ghosted image" cloned from Partition Magic Ghost software. I'm pretty sure if you delete the hidden partition you will NOT be able to use the Recovery CDs. It gets a little complex, and I think there are posts on the subject in the mega-8100 thread and others, but the hidden partition executes programs that read and reinstall the Recovery CDs. You can probably find free utilities that will unhide and read the contents of the hidden partition.
Again, if you're a good and\or responsible fiddler, OR if you have your own WinXP CD, then you can find a way around it all. Good luck, and congrats again.
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post #255 of 293
8/21/05 at 6:09am

Battery monitoring software

Hello,

MrM, I remember you showing your Battery status with Battery Mon or s\h like that.

I dont have money to pay for it and it can be downloaded at least as a trial version. So, do you happen to know any other Battery monitoring software.
Especially I would like to know the maximum capacity that it was formated to and also other infos regarding batter...

THx...
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post #256 of 293
8/21/05 at 7:34am
hi, i got my 8104 a while ago... i've been going tru the websites of acer (US, Taiwan, europe) and i noticed that they dont really upgrade/update thier driver at all.. i've read somewhere that some forumers are using omega or the newer ati drivers and also the new epowermanager ... i tried downloadin the mobility ati drivers from ati.com, but unfortunately it din work because acer wasn in the brand list..

my question is.. where do you guys download your newer/omega drivers from? and which acer site you do guys go to get new drivers?

thanks alot
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post #257 of 293
8/21/05 at 1:56pm
Thread Starter 
PETO: I think BatteryMon (www.passmark.com) can be uninstalled and reinstalled every 30 days so you can continue to use the trial version. MobileMeter will give you battery info and charge\discharge rates, but not remaining time. I've found the standard windows battery monitor to be nearly the same as BatteryMon with respect to remaining time.

NOTY: I get the stock ATI Cat drivers with Control Panel from the ATI.Com site and modify them for the 8104 using the DH Mod Tool. Download the ATI drivers, start the install and stop after the file extraction, run the DH Mod Tool against the C:\ATI\Support directory, and start the install again. You may have to install the Control Panel separately, but it all works.

I used to use Omega drivers exclusively on my Sager, but I have yet to get them to modify or install properly on the 8104. The stock ATI.com drivers have been working just fine for me.
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post #258 of 293
8/21/05 at 9:57pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by notyboysn
and which acer site you do guys go to get new drivers?
You can get some here.
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post #259 of 293
9/22/05 at 12:16pm

Beeping in notebook ACER TM 8104

Hey guys,

I've had ACER TM 8104 for almost a month and am very satisfied with it. No problems.Well, maybe one...

I've just noticed a very slight beeping sound in my notebook, when BLUETOOTH is TURNED OFF...its very strange...its pretty quiet, but if you close enough to the notebook you can hear it...and I think the sound comes from left part of notebook...somewhere between F2 key and battery - hard to say ...

I would be very pleased if you knew anything about this.

THX,
Peto
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post #260 of 293
9/26/05 at 9:57pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peto_SVK
Hey guys,

I've had ACER TM 8104 for almost a month and am very satisfied with it. No problems.Well, maybe one...

I've just noticed a very slight beeping sound in my notebook, when BLUETOOTH is TURNED OFF...its very strange...its pretty quiet, but if you close enough to the notebook you can hear it...and I think the sound comes from left part of notebook...somewhere between F2 key and battery - hard to say ...

I would be very pleased if you knew anything about this.

THX,
Peto
Check this post and those either side of it. Only thing I've seen about it.
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