Acer Aspire AS1551-5448 11.6-Inch Laptop (Mesh Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This review applies to both the 721 and the 1551 (I own the 1551, but the cons mentioned are common to both)
Vertical Viewing Angle
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One MAJOR shortcoming of these Acers (AO721/AO1551) is the vertical viewing angle. In fact if you look at a black, but still backlit screen, at the optimal viewing height/angle, you will see that the only part that is actually black is a horizontal stripe which is about 1/3rd of the vertical height of the screen. Above and below this stripe (i.e., the upper and lower thirds of the screen) are basically a dark gray. As you move your head up and down and/or tilt the screen, the image changes brightness dramatically in the vertical direction. Fortunatelly, the horizontal viewing angle is pretty good, but you almost have to tilt the thing perfectly to maximize vertical viewing and brightness falloff. I can see this happening with a 24-27" LCD screen at small viewing distances, but with a tiny laptop screen that measures approx. 5 5/8" vertically, this is plain embarassing for a 2010 run of LCD panels. In my opinion, one star should be taken off for Acer taking the cheap route with something as important as the screen. Fortunatelly, at 200 nits the screen is relatively bright at its maximum brightness, giving one some consolation to the non-uniforum vertical brightness issue.
Cheap Plastic Hinge Arms that Hold the LCD Panel
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Not much to say here. The arms are hollow molded plastic and do not seem sturdy at all. As you open and close the panel, there is some give, and one constantly fears that these things will break in a year. A friend of mine has an older model Acer netbook whose swivel arms and mechanism feels much more sturdy. I'm going to take off a half-star here, for Acer saving a whopping $2 on something this important, and not using aluminum hinge arms, opting for hollow molded plastic instead.
Bloatware
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Seriously Acer, how much bloatware needs to be installed on an Ultra-Portable? Couldn't you just supply all the crap on a cheap 4GB MiniSD memory card or something (since these things do not contain optical disc readers) and let the user choose whether or not they were interested in all the apps most users won't even use. I won't go into too many details here about each installed app, but let me just say that it took at least a good 45 mins to an hour to uninstall all the junk (involving at least a good handful of required restarts for good measure). Some of the device drivers were as much as nine months old, as well. I realize that nearly all laptops and netbooks come with some bloatware, but I think that the amount included on these is way over the top. Half a star off for the trouble of uninstalling the junk and replacing very outdated drivers.
Inability to Adjust Brightness after Putting Laptop to Sleep
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The title says it all. Put the laptop to sleep, wake it up and you will no longer be able to adjust screen brightness until the next reboot. I won't subtract any more stars here, because this may be fixed with a future BIOS, but it is a royal pain in the neck for now.
Update: Thanks to some workaround tips from on the MS forums along with some of my own experimentation with this particular model, I now have a workaround. The workaround is to set your "Choose what closing the lid does" action in the Control Panel / Power Options to "Do nothing." Unfortunately, that means that you will now have to manually put the display to sleep prior to closing the lid. This is a pain, but in my opinion it's a good idea in any case, because you will cause less vibration while the hard drive is still active (i.e., still spinning), putting the laptop to sleep prior to closing the lid. What this whole two step (Step 1. Press Fn-F4 to enter Sleep Mode and wait for completion / Step 2. Close the lid) process buys you is this:
- Putting the laptop to sleep will still cause the "inability to adjust brightness" issue
- However, you can get your brightness controls back, without a reboot, by following this procedure:
"WITHOUT putting the laptop to sleep, close the lid and reopen it several seconds later."
Since closing the lid is set to "Do Nothing" this seems to be a no-op (i.e., a pointless non-operation). However, this seems to re-enable the keyboard brightness control, although the cool pop-up that tells you the current brightness level will no longer pop-up until the next reboot. The keyboard brightness adjustment controls will once again be functional, though.
I realize that this whole process is a royal pain in the rectum, so you may not want to go through the trouble unless you actually have a need to adjust screen brightness frequently after putting the laptop to sleep.
Laptop Cannot be Used Comfortably on Lap Without a Lap Mat
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If you try to use it on your lap (e.g., on a plane, train, bus, toilet seat, whereveer you would normally use a laptop on your lap) it will rock back and forth when you use the lower portion of the laptop (i.e., the Acer Pad and the mouse buttons). I am talking about a significant amount of rock (picture a rocking chair) which basically makes it unusable, or perhaps usable if you want to be uncomfortable and destroy the hard drive in short order. I won't subtract stars, because I am uncertain if other similarly sized laptops share this problem. I would recommend a lap mat if you need to use your laptop on your lap. Targus make a good one (Lap Chill Mat).
Laptop Takes a Long Time to Charge
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I am talking hours while in a sleep state here. No stars off, but it is a pain.
UPDATE: Many more technical details are available in the comments section below this review.
UPDATE 2: In retrospect, after upgrading the HD on the unit and looking at the crap other manufactures have put out in recent weeks, I have decided that I may have been a little harsh in giving this product three stars, so I've bumped my rating up to four stars.


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Acer Aspire 1551: Ultraportable Performance
Weighing just over 3 pounds, the ultra-mobile 11.6-inch Acer Aspire AS1551 notebook PC (model AS1551-5448) offers great performance features in a netbook-sized chassis and weight that lets you travel light. Premium usability features include a full-sized keyboard for more accurate typing and a multi-gesture touchpad that is perfect for scrolling, rotating images, zooming and browsing--all with fingertip convenience. And with up to 5-hours of battery life, you can mobile longer when not connected to an AC outlet.

With the AMD Athlon II Neo dual-core mobile processor and 4 GB of memory, you'll enjoy the benefits of multi-core processing that does more in less time. And the impressive ATI Radeon HD 4225 Graphics delivers the performance you need to take your high-definition experience to the next level by combining the power of desktop graphics with mobility so you can experience smooth viewing of rich content built from popular sites like Hulu.com or YouTube.

Enjoy the next generation of video playback with the HDMI output, which allows a single cable to transmit uncompressed high-definition video and audio to your digital TV or capable external monitor. Immerse yourself into your entertainment with Dolby Sound Room, delivering spectacular surround sound from any pair of speakers or headphones. Other features include ultra-fast Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking, and an integrated webcam for video chats.

This Aspire laptop comes pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version).

Note that, because of its size, the Aspire AS1551 doesn't include a DVD drive, but you can connect an optional optical drive to the laptop via a USB port.

Key Features
11.6-inch CineCrystal LED-backlit widescreen display with 1366 x 768-pixel resolution (native 720p for high-definition viewing), support for a 16.7 million color depth, and high brightness rating (200-nit).
1.5 GHz AMD Athlon II Neo dual-core processor K625 (2 MB L2 cache) provides a full-featured PC experience, exceptional HD entertainment and long battery life rating so you can do more on the go.
320 GB SATA hard drive (5400 RPM)
4 GB of installed DDR3 RAM (1066 MHz; maximum capacity)
ATI Radeon HD 4225 graphics card provides exceptional features, performance and power-efficiencies that enrich what you see and do (256 MB - 1405 MB dynamically allocated shared graphics memory).
Multi-Gesture Touchpad allows you to pinch, flick and swirl your fingers across the touchpad for more natural photo and video viewing as well as intuitive navigation of websites such as Google Earth. It also enables you to scroll, zoom in and out and flip through web pages, photos, spreadsheets and more. (Learn more)
Built-in webcam and microphone delivers solid communication to all your family and friends.
Built-in stereo speakers with Dolby Sound Room, which combines a suite of technologies to deliver truly stunning virtual surround listening from your two laptop speakers, or on headphones for a more immersive private performance.
Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking capability provides up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range using 802.11n-compatible routers as you would with 802.11g networks. It's also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found at Wi-Fi hotspots and in older home routers). This laptop uses Acer InviLink Nplify technology that enables multi-stream input or output for faster and more reliable bandwidth, and it also offers Acer SignalUp technology for enhanced antenna efficiency.
Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000)
Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader compatible with Secure Digital (SD), MultiMediaCard (MMC), Memory Stick (MS), Memory Stick PRO (MS PRO), xD-Picture Card (xD)
Three USB 2.0 ports
HDMI high-definition audio/video output allows a single cable to transmit uncompressed high-definition video to your digital TV or LCD. It also includes a standard VGA video output.
Windows 7 Home Premium makes it easy to create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. And you can watch shows for free when and where you want with Internet TV on Windows Media Center. Get the best entertainment experience with Windows 7 Home Premium.
Get more features with Windows Anytime Upgrade. It's the best way to add features to Windows 7, takes as few as ten minutes, requires no software or downloads, and you'll keep your existing programs, files, and settings. Windows will walk you through the simple upgrade process.(Learn more)
Pre-loaded software includes Microsoft Works SE 9.0 for word processing and spreadsheet work. Enjoy a 60-day trial version of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007.
Up to 5 hours of battery life (6-cell battery)
Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.0 x 1.1 inches (WxDxH)
Weight: 3.1 pounds
Warranty: One-year parts and labor limited warranty with concurrent International Traveler's Warranty
Energy Star certified

What's in the Box This package contains the Acer Aspire AS1551-5448 notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions
It also comes with the following software: McAfee Internet Security Suite (trial version); Google Toolbar; Acer Recovery Management; Acer GridVista; Microsoft Works; Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 Trial (60 days); Norton Online Backup

Learn More
The Acer Multi-Gesture Touchpad
A Multi-Gesture Touchpad allows you to pinch, flick and swirl your fingers across the touchpad for more natural photo and video viewing as well as intuitive navigation of websites. The Multi-Gesture Touchpad enables you to scroll, zoom in and out and flip through Web pages, photos, spreadsheets and more.

The TouchPad can also be disabled with a one-touch button, eliminating accidental cursor movement with palms and wrists when using an external mouse.

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
Pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version), you'll be able to easily create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. Windows 7 is the easiest, fastest, and most engaging version of Windows yet. Better ways to find and manage files, like Jump Lists and improved taskbar previews, help you speed through everyday tasks. Windows 7 is designed for faster and more reliable performance, so your PC just works the way you want it to.

And with Windows Anytime Upgrade, you'll be able to add new features to your PC in as little as 10 minutes. Windows will walk you through the simple upgrade process, it requires no software or downloads, and you'll keep your existing programs, files, and settings

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Acer Computer AOA110-1722 Aspire One 8.9-Inch Notebook PC Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)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 it 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 it 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 J&R in blue with Linux and it was in my hands the very next day. 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 customer service 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.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Acer Computer AOA110-1722 Aspire One 8.9-Inch Notebook PC

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. Linpus Linux Lite 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. 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.8.9diagonal WSVGA (1024 x 600) CrystalBrite TFT LCD DisplayIntegrated 0.3 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

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Acer Aspire One AOD150-1920 10.1-Inch Ruby Red Netbook - 6.5 Hour Battery Life Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I ordered my Acer Aspire One 10.1 Netbook (AOD150-1165) on Feb 28, 2009 from Amazon. Item shipped on March 2nd and arrived on March 14.
When I ordered only Sapphire Blue color was available but I am happy with Sapphire Blue. It looks very attractive. I would normally order either white or black model but I am glad they were not available :) The only thing I can complain is that it easily gets finger marks so I try not to touch the shiny surfaces.
When you unpack the box and hold it on your hand, you will realise how light this is (especially if you have been lugging a 17" laptop) This is very transportable and ideal for those small airplane tray tables (or your lap)
The 1.6Ghz N270 Intel Atom processor is a single core processor but it is pretty snappy and certainly more than enough for most office type usage. The Netbook ships with Windows XP Home w/SP3 installed instead of Vista so to me it feels as responsive as (or better than) a Core 2 Duo based laptop running Vista.
The unit is rather quiet. The fan or hard disk noise is minimal. The fan does not kick in often during normal use. It might be more active with some heavy CPU/HD activity tasks.
The screen is 1024x600 CrystalBright (shiny) type LCD but very comfortable to read under various light conditions. There is an integrated 0.3M megapixel (640x480) webcam and microphone embedded in the screen frame. Ideal to use a video phone/conferencing software like Skype, etc. BTW, to gain some vertical space on desktop, you might want to set Windows XP taskbar to auto-hide and pop-up when you move the cursor to the edge of the screen.
The keyboard is actually pretty well designed. Unlike some models from competitors, the shift, control, alt, tab, enter, backspace keys are all in the right places. Initially, I found the keys a bit small but after a few days of use, you get used to and avoid hitting two keys. The arrow keys could have been a bit bigger as there is room along the lower right side of the keyboard.
The touchpad on this model is made by Synaptics and is pretty configurable. Like everything else it is a bit small but works acceptably well. It would have been better if it was made wider. Touchpad buttons is another story. They are correctly placed below the touchpad but instead of using two independent buttons the designers chose to use one bar over the two buttons. This made the buttons much harder to press. I would have preferred two independent buttons. I think this is the biggest complaint about the design of this netbook. Nevertheless, the buttons do get softer over time. I have softened the buttons out by pressing both ends of the button bar at the same time repeatedly. I do this a number of times before using the laptop each day. So, it is not that hopeless.
Well, I do try to get myself used to build-in keyboard and mouse but those that are doing extensive work can still attach a regular USB keyboard and a USB mouse. For example, Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 3000 is a perfect match.
Alternatively, you can tap on the touchpad instead of pressing the buttons. The synaptics touchpad is pretty configurable. You can configure a corner of the touchpad for right button and anywhere else would be left button.
The speakers for this netbook is under it. They are pretty loud and sound quality is pretty decent. However, since the speaker openings are underside of the netbook, if you are holding it on a soft surface such as carpet or bed the sound can get muffled as the openings will be blocked. It's not a very good idea to keep it on the soft surfaces for a long time anyway as this will block the fan vents as well and cause the netbook to overheat.
There is 1GB RAM memory on DDR2 SODIMM module installed (mine was made by Samsung). There is no on-board soldered memory (the description on Amazon is incorrect and is referring to older 8.9" model). The memory is easily upgradable to 2GB by replacing the SODIMM module. I upgraded the memory on 10.1" Aspire One to 2GB by installing a "Mushkin 2GB 200-Pin DDR2 SO-DIMM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Laptop Memory - Retail" module (Mushkin part #991618). It works great! Please note that this module has CAS4 (4-4-4-12) timing instead of more common CAS5 (5-5-5-16). In other words, it is slightly faster memory as it has less wait states :)
The hard disk is a Hitachi HTS543216L9A300, 160GB 2.5" 5400rpm, Serial ATA, 8MB Cache disk. It's pretty quiet. I think there is plenty of space for most applications. If you need more you can attach an external USB hard drive or the hard disk itself can be upgraded almost as easily as the RAM memory.
The wireless chip (AR5007EG) is made by Atheros and supports 802.11b/g. The range is decent enough. I had no issues connecting to my home WiFi Access Point, at work or other free public hotspots. I used wifi at Starbucks, Barnes and Noble Bookstore and McDonald's among others (I get free WiFi at these locations since I have AT&T DSL). However, some users are reporting that they have some issues. The Atheros driver installed by default is old (version 7.6.0.260). The latest I have found for the AR5007EG wifi chipset is version 7.6.1.244 (dated 2/25/2009) and I believe might solve issues that some people are experiencing. (As a convenience, I've provided instructions at the bottom of this review for access to updated drivers) The device properties indicate that the WiFi chip is setup for maximum power saving. By the way, just like RAM and HDD, the wireless module is also accessible. Who knows, someone (or Acer) would come up with an replacement module for 802.11n or a Bluetooth+WiFi combo.
There is no build-in bluetooth capability. If you need to interface with Bluetooth devices you will need to buy a USB adapter such as Cirago Bluetooth BTA3210 v2.1 EDR Class 2 Micro Bluetooth Adapter or you can get a combo with a bluetooth mouse such as Logitech VX Nano Cordless Laser Mouse for Notebooks (Black) Update: Apparently, Acer Aspire One AOD150 models build for some Asian markets do come with build-in Bluetooth. It's a pity Bluetooth is not included for American version. :(
Like many other early adopters, the laptop arrived with Panasonic Built 5800mAh, 59W battery. It lasts 7-8hrs under normal office type work with Wi-Fi enabled. This is a bigger capacity battery than it would ship normally (4400mAh, also 6-cell) but most everyone got the larger one so far.
There are 3x USB 2.0 ports, 1x 10/100 Ethernet port, 1x VGA external monitor port and a single Multi-format flash memory card reader/writer (again, Amazon's description is incorrect about 2nd SD card slot). There are also a headphone and external microphone jacks and a Kensington style lock slot.
There is also a slot for 3G SIM chip beside the battery. My netbook did have the slot but no 3G hardware in there to accept the SIM card. Presumably some models will be equipped to have 3G wireless capability.
Unlike 8.9" predecessor, this 10.1 model did not come with a case. I picked a Neoprene sleeve from a local store that is designed for an 11" laptop (Sony VAIO 11.1-Inch Neoprene protection case). Please note that with 6-cell battery the width of the netbook is about 8.5". So, most 10" cases with width around 7-8" will either not fit or will require signficant stretching so choose your case accordingly. Actually, I personally use two cases. The neoprene sleeve goes inside a larger 12-13" laptop bag with enough storage pockets for the charger and other cables. When I go out to a cafe, I only take the netbook in sleeve and leave the rest in the car.
The netbook also does not come with system recovery disks. There is a Acer recovery utility pre-installed that will generate your recovery disks for you. You should do this as soon as possible. You never know when you will need them. You will need a USB attached CD/DVD writer and some recordable media (6 CD-Rs for System Recovery + 2 for Apps and Drivers, OR alternatively 2 DVD-R for Recovery + 1 DVD-R for Apps and Drivers). I've purchased a NU Slim USB External SuperMulti Drive DVD Burner ESW860 and worked for me well. It's slim enough to carry along with your netbook and you can watch DVDs if you like. You should be able to use it on any other laptop or desktop computer with USB 2.0 interface. Update: You can also order a set of recover CDs directly from Acer for $20. You need to go to Acer Support Website www.acerpanam.com and click on US on the map and select "eRecovery CD Purchase" link. It will verify the serial number of your netbook first.
Besides Windows XP Home, there is MS Works, a trial version of Microsoft Office 2007, a 30-day version of McAfee anti-virus suite and a couple other trialware installed. These can be uninstalled from Control Panel easily if desired (or needed).
Overall, I am very satisfied with it and highly recommend it. Obviously, I cannot talk about Customer Support/Service as I did not need to use the service. If your aim is to run your usual applications and surf the net with a decent screen size, this is the right one.
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Update: Updating Atheros AR5007EG WiFi driver:
You can download version 7.6.1.244 (2/25/2009) driver free from Softpedia. Go to drivers.softpedia.com and enter AR5007EG at the top search box. Download the zip file (ar5_ar9_7.6.1.244.zip) and unzip it. Then go to Install_CD sub-folder and run setup.exe. When prompted choose to upgrade the driver. It's simple and painless... If you are still having problems after driver update, change the channel of your AP/Router. There may be high interference from a nearby wifi router/access point. Good luck!


Click Here to see more reviews about: Acer Aspire One AOD150-1920 10.1-Inch Ruby Red Netbook - 6.5 Hour Battery Life

Acer redefines mobile connectivity with the Aspire One, the revolutionary Netbook featuring a 10.1" display and fun,powerful computing features delivering an optimal on-the-go Internet experience. Browse the Internet, check email,share photos, webcam, check sport scores, listen to music and enjoy a variety of entertainment in a small compactdesign that you can take anywhere.

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HP Mini 1000 Notebook (Intel Atom Processor N270 1.60GHz, 10.2" LED Brightview Infinity Display, 1GB DDR2 RAM, 60GB PATA Hard Drive, Windows XP Home) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I just picked up the HP Mini 1000 with 10-inch screen, 1GB of system RAM and 60GB hard drive today for a family member and it's a great notebook. Technically, it's a "netbook" because it uses the low voltage Intel Atom processor and uses a smaller screen. Basically, a "netbook" is just a compact, lightweight notebook that has a weak processor and generally a smaller hard drive and less RAM than a full notebook.
The benefit of the Mini 1000 is that it's extremely easy to take with you everywhere, and unlike most netbooks this computer actually has a reasonably large keyboard that makes it easy to type.
Although the Atom processor isn't as fast as other new dual-core processors found in full-size notebooks, the Atom has more than enough power for web browsing, working in Microsoft Office, listening to iTunes, or very basic photo editing (although I wouldn't suggest buying a netbook for Photoshop work).
I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the built-in speakers on this netbook. You can listen to iTunes songs and movies without needing to use earbuds (unless you don't want other people to hear what you're listening to).
There are only two minor issues that I have with the Mini 1000. First, the mouse buttons are located on the sides of the touchpad rather than underneath the touchpad ... which takes time getting used to. The other is the fact that the "Infinity Display" is highly reflective which makes it hard to read the screen outdoors in bright sunlight or while you're inside your car during the day. Under normal indoor lighting the screen is gorgeous, but take it outside and you can't see what's on the screen because of the reflections on the screen. If you don't use your notebook much outside this isn't a problem.
Overall, this is a great netbook.

Click Here to see more reviews about: HP Mini 1000 Notebook (Intel Atom Processor N270 1.60GHz, 10.2" LED Brightview Infinity Display, 1GB DDR2 RAM, 60GB PATA Hard Drive, Windows XP Home)

The HP Mini 1000 is the perfect on-the-go companion for the ultra-mobile consumer. Stay connected with more people, in more places. Our HP Mini is available with an 8.9" or 10.2" diagonal display, weighs only 2.25 lb., and has a nearly full sized keyboard. Personal computing just got a whole lot smaller.Get things done, stay connected, and enjoy entertainment in a protected environment with genuine Windows XP Home Edition with Service Pack 3Bring the Web and your favorite content to your fingertips, and connect with more people in more places while you're on the go. Surf the Internet1 without eye strain on the spacious 8.9" diagonal widescreen. This compact device is so small that you can carry it in your briefcase or bag, or even just in your hand. The HP Mini 1000 is backed by a one-year hardware warranty.

Click here for more information about HP Mini 1000 Notebook (Intel Atom Processor N270 1.60GHz, 10.2" LED Brightview Infinity Display, 1GB DDR2 RAM, 60GB PATA Hard Drive, Windows XP Home)

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