Acer Aspire One 8.9" Netbook (Full Version)

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Katie-Scarlet -> Acer Aspire One 8.9" Netbook (9/28/2008 2:58:33 PM)

Hi I just saw this mini laptop advertised on HSN and have been wanting a mini laptop for the longest time. I just wanted to get some feedback on the Acer Aspire overall and what you think about the price at HSN in relation to other stores. I like that they offer the wireless mouse as I hate the little box thing and I could use the 4GB USB flash drive. The software doesn't matter to me but would like to get a six hour battery instead. I do like the flexpay option $124.98 x 4 months. total $499.90

I won't be buying it right now since they sold out of the blue already [:@] but I can put it on wait list or just purchase it elsewhere.(suggestions) Here are the specs from HSN.

Thanks!

Key Specifications:

Processor: Intel Atom Processor N270

Memory: 1024MB DDR2 533MHz SDRAM Single Channel Memory (512MB onboard, 512MB soDIMM slot) 1 slot total, memory is not upgradeable

Hard Drive: 120GB 5400RPM SATA

Operating System: Windows XP Home

LCD Monitor: 8.9" WSVGA high-brightness Acer CrystalBrite TFT LCD (1024 x 600)

Media Card Reader: 5-in-1 digital media manager - Secure Digital (SD), Memory Stick (MS), Memory Stick Pro, Multimedia Card (MMC) and XD-Picture Card

Other Differentiator: 0.3 integrated crystal eye webcam, 4GB USB flash drive, wireless mouse and carry case

Additional Product Specifications:


System Bus: 1.60GHz
Cache Memory: 512KBx2 L2
Graphics: Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
Mouse: Mini Rambler wireless mouse
Speakers: High Definition Audio 2 built-in stereo speakers
Ports: (3) USB 2.0, (1) VGA connector, (1) RJ45-Ethernet, (1) AC adapter connector, (1) Kensington Lock Slot, (1) Microphone-In jack, (1) Headphone/Speaker/Line-out jack
Wireless Network Adapter: Acer InviLink 802.11b/g Wi-Fi Certified
Measures approx. 9.7"L x 6.7"W x 1.1"H
Weighs 2.19 lbs.
Model #: Aspire One Blue
ETL listed
Made in China
Comes with a manufacturer's 1-year limited warranty
Accessories Include:


4GB USB flash drive
Wireless mouse
USB receiver
Laptop case
Power cord
Power adapter
3-cell Li-ion battery
2 AA batteries
User guide
Pre-Installed Software:

Acer Recovery Management Acer Launch Manager Adobe Reader McAfee Internet Security Suite Microsoft Office Trial 2007
PC Essentials on 4GB Flash Drive:

Budget Express 3.0, Cook N with Betty Crocker, Family Tree Heritage, Home and Business Lawyer 2008, Hoyle Casino Games 2008, Hoyle Enchanted Puzzles, Hoyle Miami Beach Solitaire, Jeopardy Deluxe, Morpheus Photo Animation Suite, Quicken Willmaker Plus 2009, Serif Draw Plus X2, Serif Page Plus X2, Serif Panorama Plus 3, Serif Photo Plus X2, Serif Web Plus X2, Stuffit Deluxe 12, Suduko Unlimited 1000 and Sunbird Calendar



Miss Giggles -> RE: Acer Aspire One 8.9" Netbook (9/28/2008 3:57:04 PM)

My personal preference is to get a laptop with an almost full size keyboard and a bigger monitor. In fact next laptop I get I am getting a port replicator and setting up a full size monitor (or dual monitor) like I have been using at work.

I don't like the smaller screens on laptops. Laptops with bigger screens aren't heavy if you are concerned about the weight. Mine's a 14" widescreen.. I don't like the tiny screens on the ones that my work has purchased.

the usb key... you can get those anywhere. They are freebies now.

Pricewise it isn't too bad.

The memory is not upgradeable on this one. Are you someone that keeps your computers a long time or are you going to get another one in 3 years? You'll need more memory in the future. This is a disposable computer.. if it breaks you buy another one .. so I don't know what you need to use it for and for how long.



shawke -> RE: Acer Aspire One 8.9" Netbook (9/28/2008 4:00:56 PM)

As much as I like XP better than Vista, I probably wouldn't be buying a new computer with XP loaded, especially XP Home.



solo_soprano22 -> RE: Acer Aspire One 8.9" Netbook (9/28/2008 4:08:26 PM)

I like my Acer Aspire. :) It wasn't the kind I'd wanted, but I took what was given to me.



Lady_of_Faith -> RE: Acer Aspire One 8.9" Netbook (9/28/2008 8:38:49 PM)

The thing that would be of a concern is the memory not being upgradable.

1GB of RAM is really not sufficient, especially if it's running Windows Vista which requires at least 512mb alone to run. Later on if you plan on installing new sofware, most of which is needing more than 256mb of RAM, the system will began to run really slow, thus making you consider even starting it up at all. Then you have to also consider the current programs installed and their memory requirement. For example Microsoft Office 2007 requires a minimum of 256mb.

As far as laptops, a mini one IMO is really a waste. A year ago I bought an Acer Aspire 5050 on sale at Best Buy for $399. It came with only 1GB of memory but I was able to upgrade it to have 2GB. The upgrade max capacity is 4GB. Though it's not as powerful as my desktop, it serves it's purpose for when I have to take it to school and browsing the internet while sitting on my couch.



Katie-Scarlet -> RE: Acer Aspire One 8.9" Netbook (9/29/2008 12:18:30 AM)

I have a desk top at home and a laptop already but carrying that laptop back and forth to school and work with textbooks is too much for my back. I would basically use it for school not much else.

How much space does a typical powerpoint presentation use because a good number of professors have those that I download plus articles and other things they have us download.

You all have given me some things to think about. Especiallly the upgradeablitly of the laptop. I ordered the one from HSN because its on waistlist till November that will give me some time to think about it some more but not lose out on that price if I do decide to go with it.



Lady_of_Faith -> RE: Acer Aspire One 8.9" Netbook (9/29/2008 1:54:02 PM)

Cheers

You know, I re-read the specs of this system and saw that the OS is XP. I like XP, my desktop has XP but my laptop came equipped with Vista Home Premium. IMO (and this is really how I feel) XP is 7 years old, and to me purchasing a system with outdated software really isn't cost-efficient. For example let's say it comes Microsoft Office 2007 running on a 7 year old operating system. Not that there will be compatiblity issues, that's just how I feel. If a person is making a purchase such as a computer, why not get the latest, most recent software already equipped? Now I'm not knocking XP, like I mentioned, I like it, however as soon as the resources become available for me, I will be upgrading my desktop to Vista. Vista does have some awesome capabilites that beat XP such as security, which is really important to me.

After reviewing the specs, you should be OK. The price isn't bad at all. Just the fact that you can't upgrade it would bother me. Though the only thing you can upgrade in any laptop is the memory.

As for how much space powerpoint uses, it depends on how many files you plan to store. The program itself uses very little space. However you can download additional PP affects to enhance the look and feel of your presentations from Microsoft too (just wanted to add).

I know exactly how it is lugging textbooks and a notebook around campus, so I see your point. A good time to purchase computers is around July and August when all of the sales are going on for back to school. I know it's too late now. [:D] Well, it's good to keep in mind though.

Good luck with the new system



figmentPez -> RE: Acer Aspire One 8.9" Netbook (9/29/2008 2:50:29 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Katie-Scarlet

I just wanted to get some feedback on the Acer Aspire overall and what you think about the price at HSN in relation to other stores.


quote:

I ordered the one from HSN because its on waistlist till November that will give me some time to think about it some more but not lose out on that price if I do decide to go with it.


It's almost certain you can go ahead and cancel that order now. The "netbook" market is especially volatile right now, since lots of competitors are rushing to get their products on the market (Asus was the first, with the Eee, but Dell, HP, MSI, Fujitsu and lots of others are also entering the field). By November Intel will have released new Atom chips (the line of processors found in the Aspire One and most other netbooks), likely including new motherboard chips that will increase battery life (though it's not clear if those chips will reach the sub-$500 market.) The only thing that might keep prices from dropping is the Christmas season (computer prices tend to plateau in December-ish).

There are definitely places selling Aspire Ones with similar specs for cheaper. For example ZipZoomfly is out of stock, but has it with a larger HDD and the 6-cell battery for only $399.99. Provantage is also currently out of stock, but has a similar one for $415.96.

It doesn't seem that any online stores I've heard of before have the model, or similar, you're looking at in stock (the cheaper Linux models with 512MB of ram and 8GB SSD instead of 120GB+ HDDs are available). However, the prices they're advertising are significantly cheaper than HSN. Even with the bundled wireless mouse (~$15) and 4GB flash drive (~$10), the HSN price is not much of a deal. (None of the software they're bundling strikes me as especially useful). The laptop case, and various other accessories come with the Aspire One anyway. Also, consider that the 6-cell battery will cost you a fair amount after the fact (the only listing online right now is $100, I'd expect at least $70 after they become more common)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Miss Giggles

My personal preference is to get a laptop with an almost full size keyboard and a bigger monitor.
...
Laptops with bigger screens aren't heavy if you are concerned about the weight. Mine's a 14" widescreen.


Let's see. A netbook weighs 2-3lbs (Apire One 2.14lbs), a 14" budget laptop weighs 5 - 6lbs. That's a big difference. The whole point of netbooks is their small weight and low cost. Paying 50% - 100% more for a laptop that weighs twice as much completely defeats the point of considering a netbook.

quote:

ORIGINAL: shawke

As much as I like XP better than Vista, I probably wouldn't be buying a new computer with XP loaded, especially XP Home.


Why not? I certainly wouldn't buy anything running an Atom processor with Vista. A 1.6Ghz Atom processor simply doesn't have the power necessary to run Vista very well, especially with the 512MB - 1GB of RAM that is most common in netbooks. While I certainly love my new-ish desktop running Vista, I can't think of any reason why you'd want to avoid a netbook running XP.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Lady_of_Faith

1GB of RAM is really not sufficient, especially if it's running Windows Vista


1GB of RAM is more than sufficient for the purposes of a netbook running Win XP. I ran a desktop with Win XP with less than 1GB of RAM for nearly 7 years, and it worked just fine. There is nothing a netbook will run that needs more than 1GB of RAM (such small+cheap laptops aren't going to be used for 3D games, video editing or anything of the sort). With WinXP, 1GB of RAM is perfectly adequate for web surfing and word processing. 512MB of RAM might even be enough for some people, especially with the Linux version.

--

Personally I've considered getting a netbook. I have a powerful desktop I built for gaming. If and when I need a laptop for on-the-go computing, it doesn't have to do everything I might want a computer to do. I'd only want it to check email and do some typing away from my desk, like taking notes if I ever go back to school...

However, that does bring me to the biggest concern about netbooks. While the 2lbs size would be great for tossing in a backpack, the keyboards on netbooks are really tiny. I haven't had a chance to use one in person, the size comparisons I've seen online make me absolutely certain I want to check one out in person before buying. I've used some small portable keyboards with my PDAs, but these are even smaller yet. Some of the netbooks have keys that are smaller than a dime.

quote:

How much space does a typical powerpoint presentation use because a good number of professors have those that I download plus articles and other things they have us download.


That depends on how many pictures are in the presentation. A small presentation could be as small as ~30KB, a large collection of photos could top 100MB. Few ppt presentation should hit that high-end though.



figmentPez -> RE: Acer Aspire One 8.9" Netbook (9/29/2008 2:56:30 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Lady_of_Faith

After reviewing the specs, you should be OK. The price isn't bad at all. Just the fact that you can't upgrade it would bother me. Though the only thing you can upgrade in any laptop is the memory.


Actually, HSN is wrong. The Acer Aspire One can be upgraded, though to go from 1GB to the maximum supported 1.5GB of RAM requires removing a 512MB stick and replacing it with a 1GB stick. There really isn't much of a reason to make such a relatively small upgrade though.

quote:

If a person is making a purchase such as a computer, why not get the latest, most recent software already equipped?


Because they want a small and light computer that is also cheap, and thus doesn't have the power to run the latest and most recent software. That's one of the reasons why Microsoft made an exception to allow Windows XP to still be sold on new PCs with screens smaller than 10 inches (I might be wrong on the exact size requirement).



Miss Giggles -> RE: Acer Aspire One 8.9" Netbook (9/29/2008 3:14:07 PM)

any able bodied adult should be able to carry around a full size laptop. They used to be a lot heavier. 5 lbs is not a lot.

It depends on what you need.



figmentPez -> RE: Acer Aspire One 8.9" Netbook (9/29/2008 4:10:48 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Miss Giggles

any able bodied adult should be able to carry around a full size laptop. They used to be a lot heavier. 5 lbs is not a lot.

It depends on what you need.


No, 5lbs isn't a lot by itself. However, being able and being willing are two different things. Combine a laptop with schoolbooks, water bottle, and other backpack items and it adds up quickly. My backpack got heavy enough last time I was healthy enough for school, and I didn't have a laptop at all then. I could have added another 5lbs and still been able to carry it, though not comfortably. My Biology and English books were huge (10lbs between them). Books for two classes, a notebook, a liter of water (I go through more than that in a day) and a 5lbs laptop and you're getting close to 10% of my bodyweight, let alone a young woman. While expert opinions vary, many say that people shouldn't carry more than 10% of their body weight in a backpack to avoid back problems.



Lady_of_Faith -> RE: Acer Aspire One 8.9" Netbook (9/29/2008 6:15:33 PM)

figmentPez, I meant to correct myself in my second reply regarding my 2nd review of the systems specs. 1GB is sufficient to run XP. I personally wouldn't buy a system that I couldn't upgrade, but that's just me.



Katie-Scarlet -> RE: Acer Aspire One 8.9" Netbook (9/30/2008 9:30:13 AM)

Lady of faith

Yup I should have been looking over the summer. [:(] I prefer XP to Vista. I bought a Dell laptop ( a company I don't really care for anyway) just because they were the only ones still selling them with XP. So I'm glad the mini tops have XP.


FigmentPez

Thanks for all the info and the link, I put myself on their notice list. I hope they get some more in soon. The small keyboard might be a pain but considering lugging that labtop and books I'll deal. LOL [:D]



Miss Giggles

I have scoliosis so carrying anything with some weight to it day after day can cause me back pain. Heck bending too much while brushing my teeth can cause me to have back pain. I'm a bio major and like FigmentPez said those bio textbooks are hefty add in a chem book also hefty any lab books, a psych and or language book, notebooks and a full size laptop and you have a full backpack. Now figure in I am carrying these around from about 2:30 in the afternoon till 7 am the next day ( I work the night shift so leave school and go straight to work then home for some sleep) and I've got an all day weightlifting workout.

I have actually taken to scanning my textbooks and then printing out the chapters I need for class and to study. Laptops are essential now in school professors put lots of work on the schools blackboards. You have to summit papers via internet etc. Lugging all that five days a week is terrible for my back. I take between four to five classes a semester.



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