Acer Aspire One Laptop Technical Details

• Box Contents - Acer AOA150-1006 Mobile Internet Device, 3-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery, AC Power Adapter, AC Power Cord; Software Bundle - Windows XP Home, McAfee Internet Security Suite, 1-Year International Travelers Warranty
• Intel Atom N270 1.6 GHz Processor
• 512 KB L2 Cache, 533 MHz Front Bus speed
• 1024 MB DDR2 (PC2-4200) RAM
• 120GB (5400 RPM) SATA Hard Drive

Acer Aspire One Description

Amazon.com Product Description
A great choice for business travelers who like to travel light, this affordable ultra-lightweight Acer Aspire One (LU.S040B.110) weighs just over 2 pounds and is packed with a 120 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, and Intel's latest mobile processor--the Atom. Offering a cool seashell white hue, the netbook's smooth surface is comfortable to touch, and it's accented with distinctive details, such as the attractive orange hinge ring.

A great choice for light-packing business travlers, it comes with Windows XP Home, a 120 GB hard drive, and a 3-cell batter for up to 2.5 hours of battery life.

The integrated webcam at the top of the screen's bezel provides easy access to video chatting.

Weighing just 2.17 pounds, the stylish Acer Aspire One goes anywhere with you.

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 3 hours with the included 3-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 notbook 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
• 56K modem port (V.90)

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 (AOA150-1006; LU.S040B.110), rechargeable 3-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.

Weighing in at just over 2 pounds, the Aspire one mobile Internet device is the ideal traveling companion that lets you take the Internet on the road without the heavy load. Good things come in small packages, just like the Acer Aspire one mobile Internet device providing ultra-portable performance to enjoy full Internet browsing, communicate with friends and family and enjoy a variety of entertainment in a small portable design that keeps you connected on-the-go. The Intel Atom Processor combines performance, power and efficiency to explore the Internet and stay connected while on the go. Enjoy reliable on-line access with 802.11b/g Wireless to explore the Internet and view photos or video clips and listen to music in a comfortable browsing environment on the Acer CrystalBrite display. Windows XP Home Edition lets you surf the Internet, edit documents and photos, read email, and enjoy the webcam to chat online with or take still photos smoothly and reliably right out-of-the-box at a great price. Store all of your digital albums, music libraries and documents on the high-speed 120GB hard drive. Sufficient storage that's easy to upgrade, just pop in an external SD card. Whether you are a first time user or just want a second computing device to easily check e-mail and surf the Internet, the Aspire one was designed for simplicity with a intuitive desktop design, widescreen display and easy-typing keyboard. 8.9 diagonal WSVGA (1024 x 600) CrystalBrite TFT LCD Display Integrated Crystal Eye Webcam Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 Built-in Stereo Speakers Acer InviLink 802.11b/g Wireless 10/100 Ethernet LAN Multi-in-1 Card Reader SD, MMC, RS-MMC, MS, MS Pro, xD 3 x USB 2.0, Headphone/Speaker/Line-Out, Microphone-in, VGA, RJ-45 (LAN) Approximate Unit Dimensions - 9.8 (W) x 6.7 (D) x 1.14 (H) Approximate Unit Weight - 2.19 Pounds

Acer Aspire One Reviews

Smooth 720p HD playback, August 22, 2008

By B. Roy "RoyTech" (Sunnyvale, CA, USA) -
Many of the reviews here are not for the AA1 XP version - they are for the Linux version with SSD which runs quiet.

My XP AA1 in blue color just came in yesterday - and I am able to hear the high pitched fan whine across the room [(google - aspire one fan noise) and check out the appropriate forums]. It seems that all the XP AA1's are faced with Acer Aspire One Laptop problem. After a while, Acer Aspire One UMPC gives me a headache from the noise. This problem is so big - I have to take away two stars from what is otherwise an exceptional product. This noise is not from the HDD - it is fan noise. I verified that much.

Some observations -
1) Very prone to fingerprints (blue model).
2)CPU usage is around 50 percent playing back Xvid encodes. 720p WMVHD encodes are gorgeous and playback smooth as butter. 1080p encodes - don't even try.
3) I have tweaked XP a bit - boots in under a minute. Removed fancy but useless XP features. Font is now more readable and the interface is windows classic. Pretty fast after the minor tweaks.
4) Screen is good but reflective. I prefer non-reflective screens.
5) Very light.
6) Fits in my wife's handbag - imagine her shock to find a computer in there. Well - she thought Acer Aspire One Laptop was DVD player since my lousy Toshiba portable died after just a year.
7) Webcam's pretty good. I was having problem with Skype - need to investigate that further. CPU usage with Skype was also around 50 percent.
8) Plenty of RAM and CPU - for all common tasks.
9) Touchpad buttons are very stiff. The right touch pad button is located below the touchpad level (Manufacturing defect).
10) Keyboard is quite good. No problem touch typing away.
12) Battery life appeared to be good from the factory charged battery (2+ hrs). My unit was made 0808 - maybe 2 weeks back!
13) Sound is a bit low volume but better fidelity than expected.
14) 100 GB available HDD space(I guess 15 GB is in a hidden partition for acer system restore functionality). The HDD is made by Hitachi. I have not had good experience with Hitachi HDD's in the past. Keep my fingers crossed on this one.
15) Almost the same size as my Toshiba portable DVD player - just thinner and much lighter.
16) Has two SD card slots. One takes in the card fully - use it as another drive. Boot from it too - like Linux. Exceptional feature. Neat!
17) WiFi worked in a snap. WiFi crashes if the machine is woken up from sleep about 2 - 3 times.
18) Intel has or is going to have a more advanced chipset specific to the UMPC (4500 instead of 950) to go with the Atom CPU. Keep this in mind. However, I was fine with the 950 capabilites (I don't intend to use mine for entertainment - even though it seems to work fine in this area).
Update - Skype full screen video (using built in webcam) works fine. Ohter side reported clear picture and sound. Approx 50 - 60% CPU usage.

I may have to return mine because of the noise issue :(. I so like this thing - but imagine listening to a high pitched wheee for hrs at a time. No thanks - I'd rather save my sanity.

2nd Update - The killer whine has now gone down in intensity. It is still bothersome, but not something that will give me a headache. I am mighty puzzled.

Any questions - let me know.

Amazing little guy, August 7, 2008

By V. Phan (Oakland, CA) -
I bought the blue version of this Acer One with 512mb ram and 8GB SSD at a local store instead of this white one because for a clumsy and lazy guy like me, it's gonna turn black in a few weeks. This thing is super small compared to the pictures. Lets say a regular piece of paper will swallow it whole. I am a windows guy because I'm used to it, but I am starting to love Linux on this netbook.

There is an "advanced" mode on this netbook to enable all the features of Linpus such as add and removing programs. To do this, open a terminal(Files > My Documents to open the File Manager. Then go to File > Terminal.) and type in "xfce-setting-show" without the quotation. Click on Desktop to get to the Desktop Preferences and click on the Behavior tab. Now check the "Show desktop menu on right click" option and close the window. Now you will see a menu every time you right click on the desktop. You can also add icons of the newly installed programs to the desktop; YouTube can help you with that.

With the netbook in advanced mode, it is so much fun to use; it's the same as a fully loaded laptop. The screen is very bright and nice, the lid is nice and glossy but can attract finger prints initially. The keyboard is definitely better than the Asus EEE PC that I've used before. However, the touchpad buttons on the sides take some time to get used to. The Speaker is on the bottom of the laptop so don't expect much out if it because it's not that loud, but i use headphones so that doesn't bother me. WiFi seems to be stable and has not disconnect since the day i bought the netbook(a week ago). The Intel Atom CPU is better than i thought, i can multitask on this netbook with no problems. Surfing, listening to music on Amarok and installing a program at the same time with ease. Linux will boot up in under 15 seconds every time, and programs open responsively - very speedy little guy.

The included OpenOffice is very nice, I prefer that over MS Office any day. If space is a problem, the Acer One has a dedicated SDHC storage expansion slot to add SD/HC cards in and also a 5-1 card reader for additional SD or other cards. RAM can be upgraded to a MAX of 1.5GB using the included 512MB stick and another 1GB stick, but you don't need more than 512MB if you plan on using the included Linux OS. The only disappointing thing about this netbook is the battery life. Though not really bad, it is still short for a netbook. You get about 3 hours max on minimal usage, over 2 hours for watching a video and almost 2 hours on high performance with WiFi on. I am planning to buy a 6 cell or additional 3 cell battery later on; that will solve the battery life problem. The quality on this netbook is top notch!

Initially I planned to install windows XP, but now I don't think I will because I am having so much fun with Linux and Windows XP is just dull looking and boring. But that's just a personal preference of course. With a 3 cell battery, the Acer One Windows XP 120GB HDD will give you 2.5 hours as opposed to 3 hours on this version. If you wish to install XP, you can plug in an external USB CD drive or make a bootable flash drive(google for instructions).


Edit: To close your lid without it going into STANDBY:
Right click on "kpowersave" on the tray, click on "configure powersave" go to "general settings", click on "button events" and you can change the settings from there.

Enjoy your netbook =)

Nice laptop, wireless didn't work on Linux, works sporadically on Win XP, August 20, 2008

By AS (New Jersey) - UPDATE 9/16/2008: Sorry to report that my AA1 is going back today. I was unable to connect to wireless at my house and I think it has to do with compatibility with my wireless router at home. I have DLink at home and haven't been able to connect to it. My laptop did connect to wireless connections from Netgear and Linksys routers. All of my other laptops never had that problem and connected to my DLink without a glitch. I don't feel like buying a new router so I think Acer dropped a ball on router compatibility here. Another two problems that haunted me were: 1) the high pitched fan noise and 2) the overheating of the unit. Although earlier I said the noise, although audible, did not bother me, I take that statement back. It became quite annoying and even though I tried the modification from the AA1 user forums, it didn't fix it completely, the fan would still kick in quite frequently and with a vengeance. Another issue I found even before the fan utility was installed, is that the keyboard would get quite hot to the touch. All in all, I am disappointed to return my now 2nd AA1, but these 3 issues: wireless problems, fan noise, and overheating are a dealbreaker for me.

UPDATE 08/29/2008: Received my new Acer Aspire One today. Wow, one day shipping from J&R rocks! The blue AAO with Win XP looks just like the Linux version: there is the SD "Storage Expansion" slot on the left side and a multi-format card reader on the right, 3 USB ports, etc. It boots up pretty fast and runs the so familiar WIN XP OS. I liked the Linux graphics, but to be honest, as a Windows user, I felt lost. So far, I haven't had any problems with the wireless (knock on wood) that I have experienced when I used the Linux version. Yes, you can hear the fan, as some of the reviewers have mentioned, BUT, it is not nearly as annoying as they claim. I can live with that. The Hard Drive is listed as 120GB, however, it shows up as 105 GB. The windows XP version comes with a 60-day trial of MS Office 2007 and McAfee Security Suite. Curiously, it also comes with InterVideo WinDVD, although, as you are aware, there is no DVD drive. Other programs included are: MS Works, Adober Reader 8, IE, MSN, Windows Media Player, Windows Messenger, Windows Movie Maker, Acer eRecovery Manager. I installed Firefox without a glitch. So far, I am very pleased with the laptop. It's not a $2,000 Sony or Mac, but it's a great value. It does what it is supposed to do. I am glad I returned the Linux and ordered the Windows. It works better for my needs.

UPDATE 8/28/2008: So, Amazon dropped the price on Acer Aspire One with Linux OS. However, the Win XP version continues to be overpriced compared to other online retailers. I've decided to order the blue Win XP machine directly from J&R for $369.99 and will get an additional 15% off via Live Search Cashback (total price after cashback excluding shipping: $314.41). I decided to go back to the familiar XP configuration simply because I believe that learning Linux will involve too much effort to justify the cost. In addition, the Linux version of Acer Aspire One appears to have more wireless bugs than Windows. We'll see how the Win XP netbook performs.

UPDATE 8/25/2008. So far I haven't seen any price reductions by online retailers. I think they are waiting to purge their inventory. Best Buy, however, does have the blue Acer Aspire One with 1gb Ram, 120 gb HD and Win XP Home for $349.99. So far they are the first ones to jump on the Acer price drop bandwagon.

UPDATE 8/20/08. Acer just (4 hrs ago) made the announcement on Market Watch that Acer Aspire One Laptop will slash the prices for Acer Aspire One to $349 for Win XP and $329 for Linux. I miss my Acer One and will order one again as soon as retailers update their prices. I thought Acer Aspire One was a great deal for $379 but for $50 less it's an absolute bargain. I do hope that I won't have anymore wireless problems with this one.

ORIGINAL REVIEW: I had purchased this laptop from another online retailed in blue with Linux. I really liked Acer Aspire One from the moment I pulled it out of the box. It's very compact, light, elegant, boots in no time (20 sec). I am a first-time Linux user and was actually pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to use. I followed the instructions from one of the Amazon reviews here to unlock the full OS and was able to add Skype (Fedora version) without a problem. OpenOffice is very straightforward and easy to use, email setup was a breeze. I plugged it into my cable modem and loved the very fast web page loading times. All in all, it's a great little laptop alternative, the screen is easy to read, the keyboard size is adequate for error-free typing, the trackpad took some getting used to but it was fine within a couple of hours.

Now to the negatives:
-the surface is very prone to fingerprint smudges
-the screen is very glossy and reflective, but the brightness compensated for the fact that I could always see my reflection on the screen
-the left and right mouse buttons are oddly positioned on either side of the keyboard, so that takes some getting used to
-now last but not least - wireless connectivity problems. I've had the Acer Aspire One for over a week and have tried every single approach out there to get the wireless connection on it. the wireless networks would show up on the connection manager, but when I would attempt to connect to a particular network I would get an error message saying connection was terminated. One of the networks I tried to connect to was my own home wireless network which successfully worked for all of my other laptops. I tried the WEP protocol - no success, I changed the router settings to WPA - tried to connect - no success, I changed it to the open network - no success although I am sure my neighbors appreciated the open net access they could steal from me in the interim. I've searched the web for a solution and found out that this wireless problem seems to be an issue for a number of Acer Aspire One users out there. Some were able to fix it by running Live Update on a wired connection (I did it, but it didn't fix the problem), some played with sleep modes, reboots, etc. None of that worked for me. I tried to look up this issue on the Acer website, but their customer support is not very user friendly. So, I gave up, called the merchant for an RMA# and am returning the Acer Aspire One today. I wish it had worked as I liked it so much, but it's no use to me without wireless connections and I believe that if I purchase a brand new item, it has to be fully operational straight out of the box. So, goodbye my dear sapphire blue Acer Aspire One, you will be missed, I hope your maker solves the wireless problem and I will buy you again when that happens. I would recommend this product without reservation if only the wireless problem is resolved.

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Acer Aspire One Laptop - 8.9-Inch (1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1.0 GB RAM, 120 GB Hard Drive, XP Home) White

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