I purchased a HP 12.1" fancy laptop a year and half ago only to have it break down conveniently right after the warranty expired, so instead of shelling out $400 to get a laptop of $1k repaired, I decided to look into these trendy netbooks popping up everywhere. I researched and tested out the Acer aspire one series, and I have to say I was immediately impressed and hooked on it.
I cannot believe that such a product was not available only 2-3 years ago, because it makes every bit of sense to me. Yes the screen size is 8.9", which might seem more like a bigger iphone screen than a laptop, but that is what I think of when I think of mobility.
The weight is a mere 3-4 pounds with the battery installed. The processor , Intel’s Atom, is good enough for what the netbook is primarily made for: surfing the net; it does perform all other functions such as playing movies or songs on itunes, which requires a bit more memory than other softwares, with a little bit of delay but does run smoothly overall. The hard drive, 160gb, gives ample room to download all you can onto this portable device. the keyboard might seem small for some people, but you get used to it quickly.
The 1gb memory is also sufficient for the device, which is also supplied with plethora of connective inputs such as 4 usb outlets, ethernet, card readers, and even a vga link to connect it to your tv. Only drawback is that it doesnt have a cd/dvd drive, but in the age of pen drives I dont recall using a cd/dvd in a long while. As for durability and sturdyness, the netbook exceeds all expectations, sort of like the Nano; you would think because its cheap, the material and quality is probably compromised, but in fact it feels like the most stable laptop ive ever had.
Conclusively, I cannot believe all other companies like sony, toshiba, hp didnt come up with such an affordable, dependable and downright useful device before; this is perfect for someone who wants the crazy computing power of a desktop or owns a desktop but want to compliment it with some mobility. I would highly recommend it to anyone - from a college student’s first laptop to a regular pc user as the price ($350 out the door) and I think around 20k rupees in India, is amazing for the features and quality offered. This is going to pave the way to increase computer ownership amongst all sections of society, as you no longer require $1-2k to purchase a laptop just to surf or watch movies. Hats off to acer for this one.