Allow me to introduce you to the recently released Acer Aspire One. The Aspire One is Acer’s first foray into the netbook space. It is nice to see lesser recognized laptop OEMs such as Acer have the ability to jump quickly into the netbook area with a quality product. I have been testing the Aspire One, provided by Dynamism, for the last few weeks and I have had a positive experience with the computer which is the first Atom based device I have used.
The Aspire One that I have been testing has a 1.6GHz Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, 120GB HDD, and Windows XP ($450 with that configuration). The whole unit can be bought starting at a very reasonable $399.
Hardware Tour
Check out the formal unboxing here.
Front: Nothing on the front but a spring loaded WLAN radio toggle.
Left Side (right to left): AC plug, VGA output, small vent, 10/100 ethernet, USB 2.0 port, SD slot (SD only).
Back: Nothing but battery. Under the battery is a faux SIM card slot, presumably for integrated 3G on later models.
Right Side: Mic input, audio output, USB 2.0 port x2, multi-card reader (MMC, SD, xD, Memory Sick), Kensington lock.
LED Indicators: Battery status, HDD use, Num-Lock, Caps-Lock.
Screen: 0.3 MP camera.
And a quick size comparison shot.
October 6th, 2008 at 5:28 am
Hey, my friend got one of these so I am checking it out.
One comment about the SD card slots, after reading what you wrote. Doesn’t the Aspire use one of the SD card slots as expanded hard drive storage? So, one of them could be flush, on purpose, to keep you from accidentally hitting it either directly or from the side as it’s meant to be stuck in the all the time?
Just a thought…
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October 6th, 2008 at 5:31 am
“It is nice to see lesser recognized laptop OEMs such as Acer have the ability to jump quickly into the netbook area with a quality product.”
isnt Acer the 3rd largest manufacture in the world behind HP & Dell?
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October 6th, 2008 at 6:02 am
Yes it does say “Storage Expansion” near the left SD slot, that could have been their idea behind making it so flush against the device, though they could have added a lever eject.
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October 6th, 2008 at 6:04 am
“It is nice to see lesser recognized laptop OEMs such as Acer have the ability to jump quickly into the netbook area with a quality product.”
Acer owns Gateway & Emachines and Acer is the third largest computer manufacturer in the world (by sales) after HP and Dell
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October 6th, 2008 at 6:06 am
Acer is in the top 5, and I thought about that when writing the statement, what I am really talking about is known to consumers, and I was thinking about those people who generally go to buy a computer at a physical store/aren’t too involved in technology. Also I’m talking more about the US where people recognize Sony, HP, Dell, and others before Acer. I might edit the statement in my review if I have a chance so it better reflects that.
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October 6th, 2008 at 6:24 am
Thank you for the review, some comments:
1) My local store sells AA1 for $330 (Linux) and $350 (XP). $399 is now too high.
2) EEE PC 900HA is a hell lot better: $344 (XP), 1.3MB camera, 160GB HDD, 1GB RAM, 5.3hr battery life, lighter (the lightest netbook), deadly quiet, very neat 900 case (but Atom CPU)…
3) The only point to go for AA1 is for its larger keys than those on 900HA keyboard. But I love the small keys (just about right size) and I have been using even smaller keys for 10 years. AA1’s keyboard sinks in the middle, pretty bad.
Datavis has the 900HA in stock for $344 + $13(S&H):
http://www.datavis.com/cgi-bin/product.cgi?prrfnbr=479719
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October 6th, 2008 at 6:42 am
Great comprehensive review here that I have linked to on my site. A few points are a little bit off (i.e. Acer isn’t exactly a lesser recognized laptop OEM in my language) but overall good coverage and superb photos.
However, I think consumers may be a little blinded by the cheap price of this PC, when for a nudge more they can get an Eee PC 1000h which I predict to be a superior machine. The Aspire One sure does look great though!
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October 6th, 2008 at 7:33 am
I have the Sapphire Blue 120gb AAO and I am loving it. I find it pretty quick and very portable being able to carry it with one hand walking around. I got it for $350+tax=$379. I was considering getting the Gigabyte M912M but the small keyboard and extra weight is just too much for me to give up. So instead I just purchased the Black 160gb with 6 cell battery for $430+tax+shipping=$485-$129(Microsoft cashback coupon)=$356. I can’t wait to test out the 6 cell battery. Based on the pics I’ve seen I might just stick with the 3 cell battery due to the fact that I hold the AOO with my left hand fingers through the slot under the screen and the pictures show the 6 cell covering the slot.
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October 7th, 2008 at 4:04 am
This is a great deal would you please let us know where you bought it? “160gb with 6 cell battery for $430+tax+shipping=$485-$129(Microsoft cashback coupon)=$356″
Thanks
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October 7th, 2008 at 8:06 am
Go to live.com and do a search for buy it now. It will give you results and click on the 30% off cashback link to ebay. If you do everything correctly you will be eligible for 30% cashback from Microsoft. I checked last night and there are no more $430 AOO, but there are still some $460 ones I believe.
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October 7th, 2008 at 8:17 am
I just checked and the Microsoft cashback offer now says 20% not 30%. But when I clicked on the ebay link the cashback offer doesn’t appear at the top of the page anymore. Sorry, maybe the offer has already ended…
October 6th, 2008 at 9:13 am
will the synaptics touchpad gestures work in the linux version of the Spire One?
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October 6th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
I’ve got one of these baby last week and its GREAT!! just hate the easily scratched bezel though.. (wipe it off with a piece of cloth 2 times and the scratch was there, but its not too noticeable unless I put it under direct light source:D). FYI, it still runs Call of Duty and CS in 800×600 with playable fps, so it worth every penny (in my case its Rupiah:P).
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October 6th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
I’m assuming you mean CoD4 and CS: Source, right?
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October 19th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
I think he is talking about Counterstrike 1.6 and Call of duty 1… I think
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October 7th, 2008 at 10:44 am
The left hand SD card slot is designed to take a card and used as an addition to th emain memory. That’s why it’s recessed, it’s meant to be left in the machine 24/7.
Prefer the Blue version myself because it’s different, but a nice machine. Webcam isn’t the best howerver!
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October 7th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
My A0A 150-1423 - Onyx Black, 160GB Model with XP out performs the test unit straight out of the box far better. 29000 on the Crystal Mark score due to a very superior performing HD. HD scored over 8300. Makes me think they put a quicker drive in these models.
Performance is excellent, keyboard is great - HIGHLY recommended!
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October 9th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
AMAZON IS SELLING THE SAPPHIRE BLUE MODEL WITH A BIGGER HDD,1.3MEGAPIXEL WEBCAM, AND A 6CELL BATTERY. FOR 429.99
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October 10th, 2008 at 2:04 am
Its fabulous and I love it. But I was wondering if anyone can tell me how to turn OFF the zoom/upscaling feature? Its driving me mad as I will be typing away happily and for no reason that I can discern it will suddenly change the resolution - sometimes it goes as small as 10% and once it went to 930% Help!!! Cheers
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October 11th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
Sonia I am having the same problem and it’s driving me crazy. I wrote to the acer tech site and they told me to consult the manual which doesn’t address the issue at all. So I wrote back again. If I find anything I’ll keep you posted
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October 11th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
Thanks Michelle! I was going to register with their technical site this weekend, so I too will def keep you posted if I find out anything. I have a feeling it must be something SO simple that it doesn’t actually appear in any of the “technical” info? But yes it drives you MAD!
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October 12th, 2008 at 1:52 am
I figured it out!!And with the help from Acer tech.
Go into your Control Panel
Choose “Ease of Access Center”, Then “Make the mouse easier to use”, at the bottom of the “See Also” header click on the “Mouse Settings” link, once that box opens go to the “Momentum” plus sigh and unchoose your “Enable pinch” mode. Ta-da now you shouldn’t have any more unnecessary zooming.
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October 12th, 2008 at 1:53 am
*Without Acer Tech help.
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October 13th, 2008 at 10:18 pm
YOU’RE AN ABSOLUTE WHIZZ!!! THANKS MICHELLE :-)))))
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November 16th, 2008 at 6:04 am
I am having the same problem with the zooming. However, I do not have in my control panel Ease of Access Center. Can you please offer an alternative to solving the problem.
Thanks,
Betty
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November 22nd, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Betty-
Start > control panel > mouse > device settings > settings > pointer motion > pinch > uncheck “enable pinch”.
This will take care of it.
Chris
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October 12th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
I have my aa1 for couple weeks now.. $329.00 amazon 350 out the box. the low end machine, white, Linux 512mem 3cell battery. I get about 3 hours on battery.. great reception on wi-fi, very powerful.. I touch type and love the keyboard.. what makes this netbook great is the low end.. Linux does not need a lot of memory and is easier on battery life.. no one mentions that it DOES NOT HAVE A CD DRIVE although it does come with a restore disk. I purchased a external drive ($19.00 ebay) the only way you can put some programs in.. I did crash the AA1 (total lock up) so I turned off and it would not re-boot. I had to do a compleat restore ,, not easy.. not having the external drive. and new to Linux.. I had to use windows machine and create a flash drive with the restore from the supplied CD.. I have a buddy that knows a bit more than me and helped.. so we got it a total restore. i think it was my fault that it crashed..I tried to down load a printer dirver. (unsucessfully) has any else crashed the AA1.. its big trouble.. been working great now. I have a big laptop as most of you have .. so this is like a blackberry or PDA you don’t need Quicken or Photo sofeware on this .. Do get the Lenux.. great OS my first time Lenux. like a car with a stick shift. so much quicker.. I give the AA1 a ten, for the money and portabilty . (really need a spell check) j
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October 18th, 2008 at 6:41 am
I am not very tech savy - but I purchsed this nice little computer for it’s portability. I’m really enjoying it. BUT - when it goes into standby/hibernate if left alone too long, or if purposely closed - I cannot get it back up. Altho it is running I have to use the button and switch it off.
I have tried to research this, but cannot find any references to this problem.
Any tips woild be sooo welcome!
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November 23rd, 2008 at 6:46 am
I have the same issue, it dont come out of the standby mode. Any idea what has gone wrong?
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December 6th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
On my machine - once it goes to sleep, I press the power key for a second - and it comes back. I have the XP OS - and then I click on my user name - and it returns to the screen I was on before it went to sleep - but again you have to hit the power button. -Andy
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October 21st, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Nice Review Ben!
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October 22nd, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Does Aspier have caps lock indicator?
I just got my 900ha and posting this from it and it does not have caps lock led.
I still love this little thing.
Original price was $349.99 but I got mine for only $209 shipped using ebay 10% coupon and MS Live.com 30% cashback.
Anyone interested, google for live.com ebay buyitnow cashback.
Many sites list 900ha spec with 1.3mp camera, but eee 900ha actually comes with 0.3mp camera.
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December 6th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Yes, it’s one of the four LED’s next to the left hinge
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October 23rd, 2008 at 2:56 am
Has anyone had problems with the wireless function? I had to return mine to Acer for replacement of the wireless hardware. It initially worked on my network, then gradually lost connectivity. My two other laptops have had no problem.
The instructions were not complete, I did not know I had a on off wireless key. Anyway it wasn’t working properly. The second tech call got permission to send it back for repair. The first tech thought it was the fn key being turned off, but that isn’t the way the Aspire one works.
Also, my wired internet cable wouldn’t click into place. Are their different types and sizes of ethernet cables? The wired internet worked ok aside from having to keep tightening it.
Nice computer aside from these problems, and having to send it back for repair!
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January 2nd, 2009 at 6:38 pm
regarding the wired Internet cable - no they are all RJ45’s. Common issues are that the “tab” on the RJ45 is either bent or “worn out”.
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November 3rd, 2008 at 12:38 am
Fantastic review, thanks!
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November 3rd, 2008 at 1:02 am
hey its been about 1.5 mths since i bought the acer, and i’ve not dropped even like once, but yesterday when i switched it on there was this funny, recurrent sound (i think from the hard disk).. and i was wondering whether this could b fixed?
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November 24th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
hey i too got the same problem……….u fixed it or not? can u tell me too
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November 3rd, 2008 at 8:52 am
54 mbs connection???
Been looking at netbooks & saw the Sapphire Blue XP version (120GB HD, etc.) at my beloved Costco this afternoon for $349 & purchased. Very decent keyboard - typing not a problem though the small text on the small screen is a problem for my rapidly aging eyes. Connected effortlessly to my home “N” network - but at 54 mbps ??? A little low isn’t it? Suggestions?
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November 15th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
The Acer Aspire One is “made” for Acer by “Quanta” -, the same company that makes the VAIO line of computers for Sony.
Great keyboard, generous Hard Drive (120GB) works almost flawlessly under Ubuntu Linux 8.0.4.1 and 8.10. Horrible battery life. Contender? The Samsung NC 10.
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November 24th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Great review, thank-you. So much detail and well balanced points. THis looks like a top notch netbook.
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November 30th, 2008 at 12:45 am
Great detailed review Ben. We are running the Acer Aspire One Note Book contest.
http://www.wantonecontest.com/
If any of your readers want a chance to win the Aspire Note Book, they can sumbit
their You Tube entry here
http://www.wantonecontest.com/Contest/submit-your-aspire-one-video.aspx
Keep up the great work,
Jim
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December 3rd, 2008 at 3:21 am
I just got an Acer Aspire One as a birthday gift. It’s my first laptop of any size. My question is: does it matter what kind of ethernet cable I buy to use this in hotel rooms, etc.?
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December 3rd, 2008 at 3:48 am
no
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December 3rd, 2008 at 3:53 am
thanks, Chris
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January 8th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
My Acer Aspire One is great…except that I cannot connect to the internet via the etherent cord. it just says that a network cable is unplugged when is it still plugged in. my wireless does work fine but would like to connect to my high speed connection. i have tried uninstalling and reinstalling the driver from the acer website but that did not work. i am not able to right click on the connection and ‘repair’ it. please help me!! thanks.
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