Acer is getting better on spec and price.Acer has been on a roll of late with its Gemstone series of laptops, which have enjoyed huge popularity in the budget and value segment.

Acer is offering a few innovations in this range, such as 16:9 aspect LCD panels, Blu-ray drives, and a new touch panel for multimedia management.

At the launch event of the new series, it was clear from the onset that Acer had consciously decided to step away from its rather drab designs of the past. The 6920G is certainly a step up. It sports a glossy top panel and a well-designed (though highly reflective) LCD panel. The area around the LCD panel is of a similar glossy nature as the lid.

The area next to the keyboard is unique to the new series. Just above the keyboard is a huge speaker grill that forms the basis of the new Dolby 2.0 speaker system.The left side of the keyboard is occupied by the new CineDash Media Console, which Acer has introduced with this series.

This touch panel allows you to manipulate Windows Media Player or other compatible players. It also interfaces with Acer’s own version of a media center called Acer Arcade Deluxe.

• AMD Turion 64x2 Processor
• 512MB DDR2 RAM
• 120GB SATA HDD
• Nvidia Geforce 7000M
• 14.1" LCD panel
• 1 Year Local Warranty

Powerful laptops are now available at prices unimaginable even months ago. And one of the main players who's been leading the charge is Acer.

One of the biggest worries people have when they consider an Acer product is its design and usability. This is an issue that had become so worrisome that a lot of people have often overlooked Acer’s products due to the needlessly bad reputation they acquired from such hearsay.

The Acer 4520 is an amazingly well-designed laptop in all respects. To start with, its body is nicely constructed with nice thick plastic.

Another great aspect of this laptop is its size and shape. A normal 14 inch laptop is quite thick and there is often a lot of wasted space.

In a similar vein, the keyboard offers great tactile feedback, well-spaced keys, and an ergonomic layout.

In terms of peripheral connectivity, the laptop is certainly not lacking. It offers a full range of options, ranging from four USB slots to a card reader and more.