Laptops get smaller every year. This makes it easier for people to bring along instead of carrying a suitcase with the unit inside as well as the other gadgets. One company that has kept with the times is Acer as it has launched the Centrino.

Acer introduced the first one with this technology back in 2003 with the TravelMate C110. It uses DDR SDRAM of 255MHz, the Intel 82852/92855 FM/FME Graphics Controller that allows you to share up to 64 MB and an IBM Travelstar 40GB hard drive at 4,200 rpm. Later models may have up to 120GB like the TravelMate 8200.

The C110 is considered to be a second generation laptop because of the many improvements compared to its predecessor the C102. Unfortunately, this came at a price such as an increase in weight and size.

Here are some other things that make this special. First, it has the optional Acer Easyport docking station, which takes away the hassle of connecting and disconnecting cables.

These can be used for infrared, Ethernet and even a 56Kbps modem enabling you to go on the net. There is also space for your external combo CD-RW/DVD drive that can be connected via the FireWire port but this requires its own power supply. You can find these along its edges and are protected by flexible rubber covers so dust does not set in.

There are also a pair of 2.0 USB ports so you can connect your Ipod or flash drive. It also has a wider viewing angle for the LCD screen so a lot of people can see what is happening.

When you buy the Acer Centrino Laptop, this comes with Windows XP, manager utility, Norton Antivirus 5.0. You will also get three applications namely the Alias Sketchbook that turns the unit into a sketch board, the Zinio Reader converting this into a digital magazine and Franklin Covey which is designed to help you organize and schedule things for you. You can’t sketch without some writing instruments so you get this with 2 pens.

Since this model is a bit old, you could go for something else that also uses Centrino technology like the 8200.

This is a lot bigger than the C110 and one thing it does have is its own webcam. This allows you to interact with other people and even take pictures as it can rotate 225 degrees.

As mentioned earlier, this laptop has 120 GB 5400 rpm disk drive, 2GB of memory space, a 256MB ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics chip and a double-layer DVD burner.

In order to protect the contents of this Centrino laptop, the upper lid is made of tough carbon fiber while the rest is made from magnesium alloy. It only comes in one color, which is black, and you don’t see any logos on it like the ones on the Ferrari Series.

The market price for this toy is $2,499 given it has new features compared to the C110. You will get to have a one year warranty, which can be extended for a longer period of time.

Those looking for an Acer Centrino laptop don’t have to look any further given that the 8200 is readily available. There are other models you can also explore so you just have to check out what else is on sale.