Acer Aspire One

[iMav]

The Acer Aspire One has started showing up in stores around my area with linux pre-installed.  $379 was the price at Circuit City last night (no, I didn't buy one).

This seems a lot more reasonably priced, better spec'ed, and looks better than the EeePC, IMHO.  7 hours battery life with the 8-cell battery.  Now, that's almost respectable.

[D-EJ915]

The blue casing looks really nice, but I can put that money toward something better...hmm dual Power4+ workstation mmm...tasty...lol

[ashort]

I like it, looks like a neat toy.

[bigpook]

Does anyone here actually have one of these? I was looking at the EEE and the Acer....just curious if anyone has one and how they are liking it.

[iMav]

Does anyone here actually have one of these? I was looking at the EEE and the Acer....just curious if anyone has one and how they are liking it.

I've had mine for about a month and a half now.  I like it quite a bit.  

I wiped it and installed Ubuntu as well as upgraded it to 1.5GB ram.  I've got no complaints...it has been a nice ultra-portable for me.

[bigpook]

Do you still get the fast boot times with Ubuntu installed?

[Busty]

Does anyone here actually have one of these? I was looking at the EEE and the Acer....just curious if anyone has one and how they are liking it.

I've got the version with 120GB HDD and Windows. It is ok to surf the net and do smaller things in office. It is ok store photos in picassa or similar tools, but the screen is too small to do much more.
The keyboard is small and mushy but ok for short periods of touch typing.
The biggest problem the Acer has in my opinion is the abysmal battery life of the stock 3-cell battery; with Wifi off and screen brightness all the way down I am still short of three hours.
Verdict for me: Nice toy. Ideal for a surfing the net for a bit or doing some corrections on documents while on the road, but not a replacement for a real notebook.

[bigpook]

The short battery life is a minus to me. But it comes with linux and I suppose I could put Ubuntu on it. All I would want to really do is have a web browser, email and SSH.
Right now I am basically stuck at the desktop. It would be nice to have the mobile unit so I could sit ANYWHERE else in the house. Like on the couch with the wife watching a movie : )
I don't expect the unit to be a powerhouse, I like the small size, wireless that works....long battery life : (

[bhtooefr]

You know, the other day, I was playing around with a few netbooks at Micro Center... they had the Aspire One (in both Linux and XP configs,) a few different Eees, and a rebadged Cloudbook.

I found the Aspire One's keyboard to be quite nice, actually.

I could not touch-type at all on the Eee, and the Cloudbook was mush city.

[iMav]

I found the Aspire One's keyboard to be quite nice, actually.

Yep.  As far as laptop keyboards go, the Aspire One's is pretty decent.  It's actually pretty crisp and there is no 'board flex like you find in almost every Dell laptop.  Believe it or not, I'd almost call it tactile.  Key actuates immediately (at the top of the keystroke).  If you go slow, you can definitely feel when the key is actuated>  You can actuate a key without bottoming out...but with the keystroke so short, it'd be near impossible to type like that.

[bhtooefr]

Dare I say it, the Aspire One's keyboard is... ThinkPad-like?

And I'm used to the 2.5 mm ThinkPad stroke, not the 1.6 mm Aspire One stroke, even. (Not sure what key pitch is on the Aspire One - key pitch on my ThinkPad is 18.2 mm, so it's not full-size, though.)

Of course, I'm considering replacing my ThinkPad with a Fujitsu P1630... I know it's got 16 mm pitch and 2 mm stroke, but I'll want to get my hands on one (or the externally identical P1610 or current P1620 - the P1630 is a P1620 with a G45 chipset and a 1.4GHz 45 nm Core 2 Duo instead of the i945 and 1.2GHz 65 nm C2D in the P1620 (or the 1.2GHz 65nm Core (1) Solo in the P1610)) to see what it's like.

[vyshane]

I recently bought an MSI Wind. I installed OS X Leopard on it, and performance is pretty decent. Everything is much faster than my old 12" G4 PowerBook.

I had to swap the wifi card, which was not compatible with OS X. Battery life is around 4 to 4.5 hours with the 6 cell battery.

Pros:
1) Performance is actually better than I expected, considering that I'm running Leopard.
2) Small, light, portable
4) Battery life is decent with the 6 cell battery
5) Cheap
6) I like the looks of it

Cons
1) Trackpad is meh.
2) The comma and period keys are smaller than the other keys. Takes a while to get used to.

[CaptCarrot]

my bro-in-law has a linux installed Eeee. Not sure which version/spec but he thinks its great

[kyamei]

I have an Eee 701 4G, been using it with Linux, but just switched to XP recently.  I like it, but its battery life isn't too great with the 3-cell and its the hardest damn thing to type on.  Another thing that gets pretty annoying is the 800x480 resolution, makes it difficult/impossible to reach buttons located at the bottom of some windows.

Despite all that, I still have fun with me Eee, though I do wish I waited a little longer and bought a newer version of the Eee with the 8.9"-10" screen and an Atom processor.

[iMav]

I've got the version with 120GB HDD.

I kinda wish I held out for the hdd version (I have the flash storage (and THIS flash is NOT speedy))

I could actually mod it to put a PATA drive in (like the iPod drives)...but I likely will not bother.

[Fox]

I've seen the Lenovo Ideapad S10 on sale for 350 a few times - it's comparable or better in specs to the aspire one, eee, and dell mini. Upside is that it has a massive HD instead of a dinky little SSD.

[pex]

Anyone want to give HL2 or a Source Engine Mod a test through Windows or Wine and report FPS and battery life?

[xsphat]

So iMav, are you still using this netbook? I'm wondering what you think of it after owning it for a while.

[iMav]

So iMav, are you still using this netbook? I'm wondering what you think of it after owning it for a while.

Still have it.  It's my primary around-the-house system.  That is, if I'm on the couch, in bed, or otherwise away from my desk and want something more than the iphone with me, I grab the AA1.

I've considered several times picking up the hdd version and selling this one...but really, the ssd version I have has served me fine.  

I'd love to get the bigger battery, as the stock battery life is pitiful. (I don't even bother grabbing it without the power cord)

It primarily sits on my nightstand and is used for evening and middle-of-the-night email, web, etc.

Overall, I like it.  I'd only get rid of it for another netbook (likely another AA1 with hdd), so a netbook has solidified it's place in my life.

[wellington1869]

interesting cuz both amd and intel reps have said they dont think netbooks have a future or are a viable market. Intel's chief said this recently (apropos the atom processor). They're focusing their R&D instead on "regular" but smaller form factor laptops (ie, full size keyboards, core duo processors, etc).

[bhtooefr]

Intel also wants to sell high profit margin Core 2 Duos and GS45 chipsets, not low profit margin Atoms and i945GSEs or US15Ws.

[xsphat]

They're scared of the market shifting to smaller and less expensive things. Their are a few types of people who max out current day computers. They are video pros and gamers. Do you think I need the system I have to write prose? Do you think you guys need the systems you have to write code? Hell no is the answer to both questions. But we all have pretty powerful machines, don't we?

I asked this of iMav because I am thinking about buying a netbook to have as my daily driver. I'll keep my MacBook around, but I would like to get away from being tied to a damn desk all day everyday. I think a netbook is the answer.

My view is the computer should help the owner, not own him.

[bhtooefr]

The thing is, they may actually have somewhat of a point.

I regularly do things that would make a 1GHz P3 run in terror, and a 1.6GHz Atom is in that performance ballpark. My 1.6GHz C2D can do them... just.

Playing flash videos (think YouTube... and YouTube is one of the easier sites for an underpowered machine to handle) is murder on an inadequate CPU. Even at 1.6GHz, the browser process often maxes out whatever core it's on when I'm playing flash vids.

Flash videos are a slideshow on my 1.2GHz iBook G4. Completely unwatchable if there's any other flash objects on the page.

[wellington1869]

Do you think I need the system I have to write prose?

no, but you may well need a full sized keyboard.  I myself wouldnt ever use a netbook as my daily driver even though all I do is write prose and check email for the most part. The biggest reasons are:
a) I would really appreciate a full sized normal keyboard when writing for 10 hours a day
b) I would really appreciate a screen size larger than 8" or 10" when writing 10 hours a day
c) I have a TON of "helper programs" that launch on bootup, and I need them all to run fast and snappily, ie, so even if i'm writing prose all the programs in the background would not run as smoothly as I'd like if they werent on a core 2 duo at least running at 1.8ghz with 2 or 4 gb of memory.
d) I multitask like crazy: at any given moment while doing research I have about 20 browser windows, surfulater, onenote, evernote, a half dozen word documents, Endnote, all open and running. No way a netbook will handle that with ANY grace.
e) On top of the above, I often watch videos, movies, and even play the occasional round of battlefield.
f) So how much weight and space does a netbook save anyway? I have a 14" laptop which weighs only 4 pounds and is TINY ENOUGH already. And has a battery that lasts 5 hours.

So in short, even though I do think netbooks are "neat", there is no realistic way its going to replace my 14" fully functional laptop even for "spontaneous" uses, or even for prose writing.  As I understand it the 14" laptops coming out in the next year will be even lighter, have batteries that last even longer, and will be even thinner.

[bhtooefr]

That's my only qualm about moving to a netbook or a subnotebook form factor - I like my 12.1" 1400x1050 screen too much. But, I'd like a LOT less weight than I've got now - 4.3 pounds is way too much.

[wellington1869]

That's my only qualm about moving to a netbook or a subnotebook form factor - I like my 12.1" 1400x1050 screen too much. But, I'd like a LOT less weight than I've got now - 4.3 pounds is way too much.

Ya, there's only two things I'd wish for:
-less weight (sure, who doesnt want that? But not at cost of processing power, for me anyway).
-faster startups (which they're working on, Windows 7 specifically targetted startup time as something to greatly improve. that combined with the ssd-hdd hybrid drives that "cache" certain settings should boost startup times quite a bit in upcoming OS versions).

But again, these for me are luxuries compared to processing power/multitasking power/typing and viewing comfort -- all of which are necessities and not luxuries for me.

[bhtooefr]

I know I can deal with an 8.9" 1280x800 display just fine on the pixel density, it's just the amount of total pixels that I'll have a problem with. The keyboard size is an issue, but I'll really need to spend about a week with my desired machine to see.

[xsphat]

See, I don't even go to YouTube. All I do on the computer is homework, writing and shopping. A little bit of Flickr and this site. Other than that, I'm playing with my son or I have my face in a paper book

I need something to get me away from the desk, and the netbooks I've tried are about as comfortable to type on as an ML4100. I would still use my MacBook for editing and formating ... and pr0n, lol.

[bhtooefr]

And, see, I usually use a site for that that has 640x480 flash videos... I get like 0.1 FPS on my iBook on that site.

[wellington1869]

See, the thing is, as netbooks become more powerful, and as laptops become smaller and smaller, the two markets are going to meet in the middle and overlap to a large degree. Maybe thats what the execs at amd and intel are foreseeing.  Also meanwhile handhelds will get bigger and more powerful, eating into netbooks from the bottom.

So in a way netbooks have temporarily filled a niche that I think handhelds from below and laptops from above are going to eat into at some point.

[xsphat]

Good point. I think handhelds are going to have full blown computers in them soon anyway. People will just "dock" them to a desk with a keyboard, mouse and screen when they need to do work ... or to do themselves with pr0n.

[iMav]

So, I'm thinking about replacing my current AAO (Acer Aspire One).  I love everything about it except for the SLOW flash drive and horrid battery life.  So, I've been thinking about stepping up to the hard drive-equipped version and getting the extended battery.

If I could get a sub-10" netbook with a higher density display (more vertical pixels than the standard netbook 1024x600) I would consider it...but I don't think one exists.

[bhtooefr]

The HP Mini 2133 and 2140 do...

[iMav]

The HP Mini 2133 and 2140 do...

Oooo.  8.9" display, 1280x800.  NICE!

[bhtooefr]

Alternately, it's definitely not a netbook, but there's always the Fujitsu P16x0... 1280x800 8.9" tablet, with a 1.2GHz Core Solo, 1.2GHz Core 2 Duo, or 1.4GHz 45nm Core 2 Duo, depending on generation... oh, and it has a pointing stick.

[Hak Foo]

I was really surprised that nobody is making a netbook with a pointing stick.  Especially on the 9" models, you'd think it would be a great way to avoid having to do a bizarre-shaped compromise trackpad (like the Aspire One's with the buttons on the side). Well, technically, Sony is making something with a pointing stick that's "similar to every other netbook, except we don't call it that, and it's 900 bucks for the same performance as our <= $450 competitors"

I finally gave up waiting for one (my Thinkpad 385XD was past the point of economical repair long ago) and bought an Asus 1000HD.  The keyboard is a bit lacking compared to the 900-series (although supposedly some 1000-series models have a better one)-- the keys have very wide angled sides and small tops, and don't feel incredibly tight, and the battery life is a little weak (maybe 3 hours; I tend to use it 10 minutes at a stretch), but the performance is surprisingly perky for a Celeron M 353 (the more common HA is the Atom everyone uses)

[FKSSR]

I'm going to be getting a Lenovo S10.  All of them look comparable, and my parents had a Lenovo desktop that held up very well.  Plus, I can get the S10 in Red.

[iMav]

Might just go back to a x-series thinkpad.  Relatively small and light, great battery life, trackpoint and NO touchpad.

[bhtooefr]

You know, my biggest complaint about my X61t?

The fact that it weighs a pound more than a comparable X61s, and the only thing it offers additional over the X61s is the 1400x1050 screen and the tablet features.

Which sucks, because I almost never use the tablet features.

If this were an X61s, it'd weigh 3.3 pounds, not 4.3 pounds. That's quite a significant portion of the weight...

[Biggs]

Better get the "regular" X61 with the T9300 CPU instead.  Weights just a tiny bit more than the X61s (with the enhanced 4-cell battery) yet way more powerful.

[bhtooefr]

Keep in mind, that 3.3 pounds is with the 8-cell battery.

(And, 4.3 is with the 8-cell, as well.)

Also, the CPU runs really hot in this X61t under load, and that's a low voltage unit - I've seen in throttle at cold room temperatures, when both cores were being thrashed hard.

I couldn't imagine the full-speed, full-voltage one in the X6x chassis.

[Biggs]

From Lenovo's tabook, the regular X61 with 8-cell is 3.59 lbs.  So that's just a 0.29 lbs savings which is insignificant IMO.  It's the X61T with 8-cell that is significantly heavier at 4.25 lbs.

Well, FWIW, the T9300 is already using the 45nm Penryn core and has a 6MB L2 cache compared to the LV 65nm Merom core with 4MB L2 cache.

[bhtooefr]

L7500 Tdp: 17 W
T9300 Tdp: 35 W

[iMav]

I owned a x60s in the past.  Absolutely loved it...except for the resolution (1024x768).  However, in the context of a netbook replacement, that's MAD desktop real estate.  

[bhtooefr]

Also, there is always the X200s... 1440x900.

(What's confusing is, the "heavy" and fast X200 is 1280x800 only, yet the ultra-thin, ultra-light, low power X200s is 1440x900 only.)

[cchan]

Hmm, should have joined this discussion earlier. I recently got a refurb X60 for $480. It has a 1.8GHz Core Duo, 2.5GB of RAM, and a 60GB hard drive. It's a lot smaller than I thought it would be - really wastes absolutely no space in the laptop. Only thing I'm having a little trouble getting used to is the truncated backspace. I'd take this over a netbook any day though. The extra screen real estate and processing power is totally worth the extra pound.

[iMav]

Also, there is always the X200s... 1440x900.

That's quite nice.  (haven't looked at thinkpad offerings for a while)

[iMav]

Resurrecting this thread as I'm going to buy a replacement for my Acer Aspire One (SSD) netbook.  If nothing else catches my eye, I will simply buy the HDD version of the Aspire One...because my only big complaint is the crappy SSD they use (from a performance and storage standpoint).  

However, if something else in the <$500 range has a keyboard just as usable, is just as supported under linux, could give me more battery life,  and/or additional vertical resolution, I would strongly consider it.

[rdjack21]

Resurrecting this thread as I'm going to buy a replacement for my Acer Aspire One (SSD) netbook.  If nothing else catches my eye, I will simply buy the HDD version of the Aspire One...because my only big complaint is the crappy SSD they use (from a performance and storage standpoint).  

However, if something else in the <$500 range has a keyboard just as usable, is just as supported under linux, could give me more battery life,  and/or additional vertical resolution, I would strongly consider it.

Personally I'm getting the new ASUS Eee EPC1000HE for my son this week (ordering it tonight). Why:

1) Asus fixed the keyboard The layout is better now. Not quite perfect but better.
2) 9.5 hours (8-8.5 real) battery life.
3) Price 390 on newegg.
4) The updated Atom N280
5) 802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN
con: 3.20 lbs due to the bigger battery. But still light enough.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220504

Oh I will be whipping the hard drive and will be putting Ubuntu on it.

[iMav]

Looks like you can get the HP 2140 mini with a 1366x768 display.  That's tempting.