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(More customer reviews)I've had mine for 3 days now, and it's been really hard to put down and walk away from. Obviously the poratability of it is a big reason, but also because the 6 cell battery lasts so long that I feel like I can just leave it on for a while without feeling the need to keep powering it down or charging it all the time. Also, boot up and shutdown times are a lot faster than my regular laptop.
The build is very solid. There is no flex in the screen or keyboard. I'm not sure how it would hold up if dropped on a hard surface, though. I hope I never have to find out. Keyboard response is nice. The keys don't feel cheap or like they would snap off if more than a little pressure is placed on them. Keys are close to regular size so typing on it doesn't take much getting used to, if at all. The screen is highly reflective and the outer coating has a glossy finish, which I don't prefer because it leaves fingerprints too easily and makes it difficult to see the screen in the daylight. But I'm willing to live with this simply because the computer has so much else going for it.
This computer uses the 1.6 GHZ atom, which is the standard processor included with most ultraportables right now. I've noticed that I can run some moderately intensive software on it, but not smoothly for long periods of time. I tried loading some music software for which a 1.4 GHZ processor is recommended (Native Instruments Absynth 4), just to see how well it would run. I found that it was capable of operating, but it was easy to make the CPU spike if I played more than a few notes at once. Not that I was planning on using this a a music production tool, but I was interested in seeing what I could get away with in case I find myself stuck on an airplane or car trip with my Aspire One and a pair of headphones and want to play around with sounds a little bit. Native Instruments FM8 wasn't so processor intensive and operated much more smoothly. In short, I got about the best response I could have hoped for with the processor and soundcard included. Fairly functional for light doodling.
Windows Media Player 9 was included in the software bundle, so I decided to upgrade it to Windows Media Player 11. I don't know if this was such a smart move, as version 11 may be more resource hungry. I was playing some mp3's while simultaneously updating my music library and the program started hanging on me after about 20-30 minutes. I closed and reopened the program and resumed what I was doing and after 5 minutes, the program again started to hang. By this point, I decided I had been testing the limits of this system for quite a while and the processor was running pretty hot by this point, so I decided to turn it off and put it down for a while.
RAM-wise, it comes with 1 GB and is only expandable to 1.5. I've heard that it is difficult to reach the RAM slot and that it involves taking the computer apart, so I've decided that the marginal increase in memory is not worth the hassle, particularly since the limited processor would not allow you to run much, if any, software that would require more memory than you already have pre-installed in this little thing, so it seems like a moot point to add memory.
The 160 GB hard drive is probably the largest capacity hard drive currently shipping pre-installed in the world of ultraportable PCs, and so far i've only seen it in the latest Aspire Ones. It's the traditional 5400 rpm HDD notebook drive. I like the higher capacity because it means that this computer can double as an additional storage drive to back up files, music, photos, etc. I would not have this luxury if I bought one of the other models on the market with low capacity solid state drives.
I've read reviews of the older Aspire One model and it seems a lot of people had difficulty with the Wi Fi not finding an internet connection and also bios problems. I don't know if Acer addressed these issues in this newer model, but I have not experienced any problems with either so far. If I do, I'll update my review later. So far, this has been a great little toy. You just have to remember that it was not built for intensive computing or high performance, and manage your expectations accordingly.
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Acer Aspire One AOA150-1447 8.9-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, XP Home, 6 Cell Battery) Sapphire BlueA great choice for business travelers who like to travel light as well as those who need extra-long battery life, this affordable ultra-lightweight Acer Aspire One (LU.S050B.133) weighs just over 2 pounds and is packed with a 160 GB hard drive and Windows XP operating system. It has a vibrant 8.9-inch CrystalBrite WSVGA LED backlit display, integrated webcam for easy video chatting, an instant-on feature that powers up the notebook in less than 15 seconds from when you switch it on, and Intel's latest mobile processor--the Atom. Offering a cool deep blue hue, the netbook's smooth surface is comfortable to touch, and it's accented with distinctive details, such as the attractive orange hinge ring.
Designed especially for mobile devices, the 1.6 GHz Intel Atom processor uses a brand new design structure new hafnium-infused circuitry--which reduces electrical current leakage in transistors--to conserve energy, giving you more time away from the wall outlet--up to 5.5 hours with the included 6-cell battery. Other features include 1 GB of installed RAM (1.5 GB maximum), 54g Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g), multi-format memory card reader, multiple USB ports, and built-in email, web browsing, and digital media applications.
It comes preinstalled with the Microsoft Windows XP Home operating system, which offers more experienced users an enhanced and innovative experience that incorporates Windows Live features like Windows Live Messenger for instant messaging and Windows Live Mail for consolidated email accounts on your desktop.
Processor The Intel Atom processor uses a brand new design structure that packs in 47 million transistors into a single chip sized at just 22mm (0.87 inches), and it uses just 2.5 watts of power--less than 1/10 of the 35 watts used by an Intel Core 2 Duo processor--for excellent battery management. This 1.6 GHz Atom N270 processor also includes a power-optimized front side bus of 533 MHz for faster data transfer on demanding mobile applications and a 512 KB L2 cache (which temporarily stores data).
Storage This version of the Aspire One comes with a 160 GB hard disk drive (5400 RPM), which offers enough to room to hold a digital audio library of over 26,000 songs and still have room left over for movies, games, and a large collection of software. This Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive also quickens the pace with a higher speed transfer of data--akin to Firewire and USB 2.0.
Memory The 1 GB of installed RAM (512 MB onboard memory and one 512 MB DIMM, 533 MHz) can be expanded to a maximum of 1.5 GB of RAM,
DVD/CD Drive Because of its size, the Aspire One does not come with an integrated optical drive, but optional CD/DVD read/write drives can be connected to the laptop via one of the three USB ports, enabling you to create your music mixes, burn movies to DVD, and more.
Connectivity This Acer Aspire One notebook has an integrated 54g wireless LAN (Acer InviLink) that's compatible with 802.11b and 802.11g networks and offers Acer's SignalUp technology for enhanced antenna efficiency. This notebook provides the following connections:
3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
Secure Digital (SD) card reader, also compatible with MultiMedia cards (MMCs)
Multi-in-one card reader supports SD, MMC, Memory Stick/Memory Stick PRO, and XD Picture Cards
1 VGA monitor port
1 headphone jack and 1 microphone jack
RJ-45 port for 10/100 Fast Ethernet connection
Screen, Video and Audio The 8.9-inch screen has a WSVGA resolution (1024 x 600) and support for up a 262K color depth. Video is powered by the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950, which uses shared video memory with the main memory. Acer's CrystalBrite display technology guarantees the best possible visual experience by preventing the diffusion of surrounding light and internal ray. Compared to normal TFT LCDs, Acer CrystalBrite technology is able to read color coordinates more accurately, thus minimizing distortion and creating high-fidelity colors in all environments.
This notebook includes an integrated audio card with Microsoft DirectSound compatibility, and it includes two stereo speakers.
What's in the Box This package contains the Acer Aspire One notebook PC (AOA150-1447; LU.S050B.133), rechargeable 6-cell lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It is backed by a limited warranty for parts and labor for one year from date of purchase.
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