i've had my eye on the c100/c110 acer travemate line of laptop/tablets for a long time. at least, ever since i started looking for a replacement for my original travelmate 350TE-N earlier this year. i past over this model for the c300 series.
while i'm pleased with my purchase of the c300 series, it's a little larger than i like for travel, and for taking notes. i was resigned that my next purchase would be a tablet in the c110 series. just something 'better fer the road'. i was not in a rush, could hold out for better specs - give it a rest till my next purchase. but i noticed that acer was not releasing any updates to the c110 series line. in fact, it's clear they've decide to discontinue the c100/c110 line in favor of a new c200 series (i'm just not a fan of the new c200).
ok, so with the c113Tci being retired, and stores starting to report the model discontinued - i decided there was really no waiting. despite the timing and higher price tag than my preference, i picked one up.
first impressions. the c113 it's actually smaller than i thought. these tablets aren't in stores - so it's hard to get a real hands-on feel for it. i usually pour over the specs, photos, manuals, and reviews, in order to get a feel for the unit. somehow, i just held onto my impression this unit was actually a replacement for my original travelmate line. i thought it was essentially the same time size. it's actually smaller.
the keyboard features the trim 17.5mm spaced key layout (with their signature ergonomic 5 degree scimitar-style keyboard). this is a familliar layout to me, with an incredible feel for the touch typist. the standard acer layout puts all the keys in the right place (cntrl, esc, del, backspace, arrows). once you adjust to the more compact spacing here (in no time at all), it's a dream to type on (as usual!). the acer curved layout is mandetory for me (and the touch pad). desktops are another story -- split keyboards are ok, but i'm not really into them unless your learning how to touch type (then they are great). laptops are small and confining, and this slight arch brings it back to a more natual experience. so i won't consider laptops with traditional cartesian key layouts. 'nuff on that.
minor point, the wifi & bluetooth led lights are red and green. not the coolest colors, but they are soft (over the bright blinding blue in the c302).
the supplied power adapter is a nice trim and small. acer still thows in a black notebook carry case, sweet!. the kind of knicknack most people wouldn't pick up on their own -- but really adds a touch of class and helps protect the unit. it's great when companies throw in a few extra's like that.
touch pad is smaller, but feels just as natural. like most others in the acer line up, includes my favorite synaptics drivers (edge motion, lots of extra settings to fine tune your experience).
pros & cons of the c113
size/weight is great, this model looks nice, i like the black casing. the black outer shell includes some sparkle, very nice! most acer laptop's feature nice lines and subtle curves (my old travelmate 350 was just beautiful). the swivel works fine. i don't mind the side-tabs you have to lock/unlock to rotate the screen - would be better without, remember this was the earlier design. makes a little noise doing this, snapping them in place -- not the best in quiet meetings (but really you don't sit there just flipping the thing back and forth). however this does slow down the conversion from laptop to slate mode. plus the tab is at the edge and kinda sticks out, ack. the screen has a nice resolution (xga is just fine for me) -- but the given it's smaller size the c113 actually features a higher dpi than the c302. you can actually use this comfortably, travelling on a plane.
the screen is smaller (goes with size right?). could be brighter? small single speaker too, as with my original tm350 -- but actually much more audible than my travelmate 350. really - don't look for a rich media experience without headphones.
acer dropped the smartcard in the c110 series (not really a deal breaker, but i kinda like them). shorter battery life, external cd, slower cpu. again most of this is related to it's trim size - which is the winning feature. i don't use the cd everyday, but nice to have when ya need it (you'd want to download movies to disk to watch on the plane). i think a black bezel around the screen looks nicer on the c302. hopefully the silver doesn't rub or fade there, cause that's an area you'll see a lot. i'm really not a fan how they are painting plastic cases, it just rubs of. my c302 started showing sign of wear in just weeks. i wich they would make the whole laptop out of rugged black plastic.
clearly, there are the trade-offs for true portability. smaller, lighter -- it's much easier to tote around than my c302. i'm thinking this will be my daily and travel tablet, on the road and for the office etc.