Cons: mouse isn't the greatest; size takes a little getting used to
The Bottom Line: big-time "buy" recommendation if you need extralight, quick computing power that's easy to take on the move. It wouldn't be my ONLY computer, but it's definitely a great travel machine.
ncsuprof's Full Review: Acer (AOD150-1165) (LU.S620B.011) Netbook
First note right off the bat-- why does Epinions have a gazillion different reviews for "Acer Aspire One, model (insert one of 500 different specific model numbers here)?" Basically, Acer makes the 110 and the 150 models, and then the last four digits of each model number denote a specific marketing/features code for each of a gazillion models. I think it'd be easier if they just COMBINED all of these reviews so that it wouldn't confuse the dickens out of people as it just confused me!
That having been said, my Aspire One netbook is the D150 model, with 10.1 backlit screen, which I recently bought from a local large regional electronics store while the wife and I were browsing big-screen TVs. I had not come across netbooks before, being mostly a desktop guy; just shy of 2 years ago we needed another semi-portable computer and we bought a big 17" screen HP "media laptop" from a warehouse club. That thing's been perfectly fine, but occasionally I need to take it on the road. Admittedly, as laptop/notebooks go, it's pretty heavy and bulky-- especially to pull out and then put back in carry on luggage at the airport. But BOY what a nice, big screen! Welllll... enter the Acer Aspire One.
What caught my eye about it was that the 10.1" LCD screen actually looks pretty ample for the size of computer that it is, and then I picked it up and discovered that it was about the size of a regular hardback book and about half that weight. The more I learned about it, the more I gave myself a "crash course" in the Intel Atom processor (which is amazingly zippy for as small as it must be), the memory and hard drive access on this computer (160 GB of storage), and the "test drive" of Windows XP that I gave the display model in the store, which used the built-in wireless network card flawlessly and provided fast results bouncing between the roughly 10 data-intensive sites over which I test drove the model.
I was impressed enough by the Aspire One to tell the sales guy I'd take one, primarily because I thought it'd be a good, lightweight portable for downstairs use (our home office setup including wireless router is all upstairs; no range or connection problems on the aspire one from the other side of the house downstairs!!) AND I relished the thought of having something admittedly kind of basic yet incredibly light and reasonably speedy to take with me on the road next time I traveled for work. I jokingly refer to my new netbook as an "overgrown Blackberry," because that's basically about as small and as light as it is!
Network capabilities have been very good, as has OS and response time of the mass storage drive. The backlit screen is very good, and the keyboard is tactile and reasonably reliable. I wouldn't want the keyboard any SMALLER than it is on the Aspire One, but it's good as is. One problem I have noticed-- at times, it almost seems like some sort of poltergeist effect-- but the cursor where I'm typing messages will suddenly SHIFT and I'll delete part of a word I didn't intend to delete or type gibberish in the middle of a previously typed word on an earlier line. I THINK this may have to do with the sensitivity of the built-in touchpad mouse, and the size of the unit makes it a little tough to keep from setting it off sometimes, but normally I have a USB wireless laser mouse I pop into the little fellah ANYWAY for desktop use, so this has only occasionally been a bother.
The Aspire One is nimble with its Atom processor, and construction is reasonably solid for a virtually-all-molded-plastic chassis. Some people have complained about the heat, and yes it DOES get a little warm over time if you have the darned thing FLAT on your legs or you keep your typing hands over the exhaust hole on the side of the chassis... but a little accommodation or foreward thinking on the user's part can usually overcome this. I like the THREE USB ports this machine has for plugging in lots of peripherals, plus a video out jack and stereo audio in/out. Also has a handy-dandy multi-format card reader that demonstrates its usefulness from time to time. Saw one other review (among the 1000 on epinions in 999 different "model number" categories) that complained the aspire one didn't have a built-in CD or DVD drive, but DUDE... PLEASE... that's the BEAUTY of it. If you get an external CD or DVD drive and connect it via USB only when you NEED to, that means several fewer pounds of hardware you're carrying around with you. And I dunno about YOU, but *I* have decidedly gotten to the point where if I have an internet connection, I'm golden about 98% of the time in all the things I want to do with my machine. The remaining 2% of the time, it's really not THAT troublesome to plug in my LG external DVD drive and use it with the Aspire One, which immediately recognizes it and lets me do as I please with a DVD or CD (install programs, burn data, etc.). :)
Battery life is simply astounding. I use mine (like I'm doing now to write this review) intermittently throughout the day on battery power only and put it in standby mode the rest of the time. I literally can go about a week at a time without recharging; everything people have said about the amazing capacity of the six-cell batteries acer is using now are absolutely correct. Imagine flying to the UK (AND BACK) without having to charge the netbook on the ground! Yipppeeee! :)
OK, so the downsides are the occasional "jumpy cursor" issue noted above and the overall quality of the touchpad mouse is nothing to celebrate with balloons and cake. Still, I consider these relatively minor issues, and for the 300 dollar price tag-- well, the Aspire One is a major bargain that offers amazing flexibility and portability for the price. I darned sure wish these things had been around when I was in law school, 'cause I couldn't be bothered with the bulkier and heavier laptops everyone else was carrying around, even the so called "lightweight" ones, which the Aspire One beats by a mile.
The UP sides are clearly numerous and useful, the biggest one being value-for-money. I literally now use the Aspire One EVERY day, and I grow more appreciative of its portability and utility with each one that passes. Quick.... good OS.... nice graphics.... good keyboard... fast response times... very good at recognizing WiFi networks and USB peripherals.... well, that's all I can ask and more out of a computer this handy and this cheap. I see big time growth in the netbook market of the future, and I suspect Acer is well-poised to stay on top of it for a while with the very handy, very cute and well-priced Aspire One.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 349 Operating System: Windows Processor: Other Processor speed: Don''t Know Screen Size: 10 inches Hard Drive (GB): Over 50
Building on its line of popular Aspire One netbooks; Acer makes it even easier to stay productive while on the go with the larger 10.1-inch screen of ...More at Compuplus.com
The easy-to-use Aspire One netbook with 10.1 display provides continuous access to the Internet and weighs just under three pounds. This stylish netbo...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.