Acer Aspire One Review

There are hundreds of reviews on the internet for the Acer Aspire One, so there's little point in me writing one saying the same things. All the netbooks out there (specs-wise at least) seem to be the same even across different companies—the price is probably the biggest difference between them.

In any case, it's pretty much what I expected: a mini-laptop, with no DVD drive. My only real experience with a laptop is a 2-3 year old IBM Thinkpad, so what was unexpected in this Acer netbook was the following:

* The monitor is a lot sharper than I expected
* Unlike my laptop it has a 3-prong power plug (yes, just like a washing machine...weird)
* The keyboard is not that small (common complaint for some people I've read)
* The built-in webcam is less than stellar (not as good as the no name webcam I have from Walmart)

But other than that no surprises really. As long as it works for many years, I will have no complaints about it.

Side note: When shopping for it last week both Futureshop and Bestbuy were completely sold out in Montreal. Some specific Bureau en Gros outlets may have it in stock (but make sure you go to a good one). Either way it's selling out quick whereever you go.

Why I Bought It...

Acer's netbook is by far the best deal so far (at least in the US) starting at $349 with XP (or $329 with Linux).

Equipped with Intel® Atom™ processor, Windows XP Home, 1GB of RAM memory installed, 120 GB internal hard drive, and a three-cell battery, the Aspire one AOA150-1570 is now priced at $349.

Here in Montreal, selling "similar" spec'd netbooks at laptop prices like Asus ($550+) and MSI ($540+) have done so far is not a great strategy. So, right now it looks like Acer is all alone in first place for the moment in my books for a portable internet device...

1. Acer Aspire one
2. Apple iPod Touch (Sub-$199? If true, that would put it in first place.)
3. My old laptop

Also ran: Asus Eee, MSI Wind