Acer takes AVGold underground

AVGold Target Mines has chosen to replace its existing notebook computers with Acer Travelmate 630s.

Clinton Benghiat, system supervisor at Target, says the Acer notebooks have proven to be better suited to the mine`s needs.

"We capture incredibly critical data underground every day," says Benghiat. "Unfortunately, the notebooks we were using before were just not cutting it when being used in harsh underground mining conditions."

Benghiat explains that the Target staff capture some of their data underground where conditions are not ideal. "It`s hot and dusty, not exactly the environment one would like to use expensive and vital equipment like notebooks," he adds. "With the TravelMate 630`s, which are required to hold vital company and programme information, we are assured that we won`t lose it."

One of the most attractive aspects of the TravelMate 630s is their portability, says Benghiat. "The notebooks provide up to 3.5 hours of battery life and weigh in at only 2.5kg. In addition, they incorporate a 20/30GB ATA/100 hard drive and an Acer Media Bay with either a DVD or DVD/CDRW Combo drive that allows users to hot swap a variety of devices including a floppy drive or a second hard drive on the fly."

In addition, the notebooks are equipped with aluminium plates for added structural strength and maximum data protection, while Acer`s Disk Anti Shock Protection (DASP) insulates the hard disks from the shocks of underground usage.

"We are also assured that, if it becomes necessary in future, we can access the information we need anytime and anywhere," says Benghiat. "The TravelMate includes a built-in 10/100Mbps Fast Ethernet, a 56K v.90 international data/fax modem and has an integrated wireless LAN."