Customer Reviews

Acer Aspire One AOA150-1006 8.9-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 120 GB Hard Drive, XP Home, 3 Cell Battery) White

5 star:		(91)
4 star:		(38)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

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 =)

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 this problem. After a while, this 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 it 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.

Ive been using this netbook for two weeks now. I have the XP 120GB version. I have also used the MSI Wind (borrowed from a friend) and Asus 900 (also from a friend, but only used for a day) Here is the lowdown:

Build Quality: The build quality is great. Does not feel cheap at all.Gap tolerances is miniscule. Does not creak when held. The quality of plastics used although not too thick is much better than that of Asus and comparable with MSI Wind.

Looks: Looks is subjective but the white one is quite a looker in my opinion. So many have commented how great it looks. I have chosen the white one simply because I detest dark keyboards. White or lighter colored keyboards makes it easier for use in dim places.

Keyboard: Of all the three netbooks I have used, the Aspire One has the better keyboard. It's almost fullsize, with very good key travel, not mushy, it can get a bit too clikety but for me it is just perfect. Much better than Asus 900 in my opinion.

Screen: This is one of the strenght of the Acer. It is very bright and vibrant in its color reproduction. I compared it to my Sony CR series it is very much comparable. The screen is also LED backlit so it should be better than conventional LCDs. The only gripe I have with the screen is the black borders surrounding it. They are at least an inch all on all sides. I would like to see this wasted space put to good use by increasing the screen and possibly the resolution. For the amount of money I paid for this Acer though, I am more than happy about the resolution and screen size.

OS: I have the XP orignally but I upgraded to XP Pro because I need to use it with exchange server. All drivers although not availble in the box, it is readily available in the internet. Installed the usual apps I installed in my main computer including Elements. I dared not install Photoshop because I know that my acer will crawl. So Photoshop is good enough for quick photo editing. Usual office apps are there and with my current configuration, my acer is quite snappy. Very minimal lag in opening apps and definitely very usable. In fact, I haven't touch my main computer since I have the ONe because most of the things I do in my main laptop, I can do it on my ACer.

Battery: Ok, this is where it gets nasty. The battery last me 2:20 minutes with backlight at full brightness. Getting the 6 cell battery ruins the whole look of the One so I will just get a spare 3 cell battery. Besides, I am most of the time near wall outlets so I can leave with the abysmal battery life.

Overall Impression: For the price, especially with the price drop, nothing beats the Aspire One in value. It has the one of the best keyboard in any notebook, bright screen, all the basic features and then some, small size and weight, and best of all it is one of the best looking netbooks out there. Compared to the Asus, it is a matter of taste. Compared to the wind, I will take the ACer anytime. I despise the row of status lights in the MSI wind. It ruined the whole look of the machine. It reminded me of Christmas lights. Last but not the least, the price is hard to beat at the moment. The upcoming dell and Lenovo maybe better, who knows but at the moment, the Acer One is holding up there as the most stylish, with the best keyboard, the brightest screen netbook you can find for your "mobile" computing pleasure.

I am a second year law student, who purchased this to use in class. The first thing to note about this netbook is the boot time. This computer shows me that in the last few years, ram and memory have blown beyond the needs of the common consumer often due to bloated operating systems. A 12 to 15 second boot (with a user friendly Linux interface) is a welcome respite from the Vista boot times of 45 seconds. Furthermore, even with a 3-cell battery, I have been able to get 3 hours of usage out of this netbook.
Next, I am impressed by the build quality of this machine. Competitors have not shown the desire to build something which feels sturdy and does not look like a toy. This netbook feels like a notebook--actually remarkably like a scaled down Ibook. I see no problem using it in the court room or for my other legal uses as a result. In fact, many have commented at how sleek and nice the computer looks. The screen, while small, is easy to read and clear. It competes with my standard notebook, and others who have checked this out cannot believe the quality. There has been a bounty of talk on the internet about the glossy finish and finger prints. I did not eat a PBJ sandwich before touching the computer, so I can't say for sure, but it didn't pick up any fingerprints when I unboxed it and used it the first time, and the computer hasn't picked any up since.
Furthermore, the wifi works remarkably quickly. Again, maybe I didn't expect such a responsive, quick machine, but this netbook connected to the internet far easier than I expected. It loads webpages smoothly and quickly, and viewing video on Youtube did not come with any slowing. I have no problem multi-tasking, with 5 programs running at once.
Lastly, the keyboard. Again, the competitors have not been able to make these keyboards appropriate for those with larger hands. The typing speeds between this and an ASUS 900 or 901 is a markedly wide gap, at least for me. I don't feel cramped, and actually feel as comfortable on the Acer keyboard as a standard keyboard. While smaller, the difference is that the enter key, the tab key, the backspace keys are smaller. But the general spacing and layout are consistent with a 12" notebooks' keyboard(like an Ibook for example).
In my opinion, with SDHC cards becoming cheaper, and the propensity for HDD to fail(especially when being lugged around, poor builds, etc.), I see this computer as the first legitimate step toward the future of computers. If you purchase a Transcend 16 gig SDHC card, place it in the expansion memory slot, suddenly you have 22.4 gigs of free space. A second SDHC slot on the computer allows for extra storage capacity. Therefore in just a few minutes and for currently $40, you can have this computer with 22 gigs of SDD space, and another 16 gigs of free space. For one year of law courses, with a myriad of typed notes, outlines etc., I don't come close to using 1/4 of 22 gigs, let alone almost 40 gigs.
Yes, this is a cloud netbook for me; used more for notes, email, and the like. But I could argue that working in a firm, on the road, etc., this computer could pull off being a primary machine remarkably easily.
For $379, I don't know of any notebooks capable of this kind of performance, feel, and portability.

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 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 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.

First let me tell you that like many of you out there, I research the heck out of an item before buying it. I look at the prices, past performance, and reviews from others that have purchased the item I'm thinking about buying. Because of some of the reviews I've read about the AA1, I was close to not buying one - good thing I went with my gut feeling and yes, I bought a extremely cool white AA1 with linux in it. I got it for a total steal of $309 including discounts and free shipping from Amazon!

This laptop is exactly what you need if you're in business or have a busy life.

The people out there complaining about this and that - ugh! This thing runs perfect all of the time! First let me tell you why you should buy this laptop, and why you shouldn't.

If you're a Microsoft Windows fan, then don't buy the linux version of the AA1 and then act bewildered about the OS or complain that XP is sluggish after you loaded it on the solid state linux model. JUST BUY THE XP VERSION WHICH IS DESIGNED FOR...drum-roll please...YOU GUESSED IT...XP! Why would you buy the linux model anyway if that was the case...maybe trying to save a buck? Don't want to pay extra for Windows? Thought so! Well, now you've learned the point of supporting linux - the OS is FREE - and includes all that you will need - or close to it.

Second, let me address the "mods." You guys tell us what a pc can do when you modify a system and take it to the limit. Doing crazy stuff like putting OSX on the AA! or spending days tweaking Ubuntu on the AA! and only getting 90% of the features to work. Of course, if you have left well enough alone, and kept Linpus Linux on the laptop it was designed for, you would have 100% of the features working...perfectly! Which is the point I think. Look, I love Ubuntu too, but the AA1 was designed for ease and the need to get things done when you don't want to lug around a 6 pound laptop, but you also don't have the dexterity for a PDA. The AA1 with linux is absolutely perfect for busy people. It does everything it promises and more.

Linpus sucks -NOT! It actually works perfect! I write, and ideas are my business. So when I get an idea somewhere - anywhere, I need ro be able to write it down or I'll lose it. Now, I take this baby everywhere. When I feel the need to write something down, I turn on the AA1 and in just 15 seconds I'm up and running - 10 seconds later the AA1 has found my wi-fi signal and I'm on the internet! Now for some that initially couldn't get the wi-fi going, it took me about ten minutes to figure it out of the box, but I did get it logged on my home network. Since that day it's been automatic! Which is more than I could say about the ASUS eeepc!

If you're in business - throw away your Day Planner! The AA1 has what I liken to a day planner - with reminders that pop up too! It also has a place to write notes to yourself! Plus, contact info software. All works perfect, and is easy to find thanks to the icons, and is available to you in 15 seconds! Not only will it NOT keep your client waiting when scheduling the next appointment, but it will impress them too! Oh, and remind you of that next appointment so you're not late. You got to get this!

Some things I wondered about but couldn't find answers to before buying: Sound, or the speakers I should say are not great. They lack low end. I like to listen to online streaming radio, and the AA1 can do it. The sound is not as good as the ASUS 7 inch eeepc with speakers on the side of the screen, but not bad. I give it a 6 out of 10.

Video: remember linux runs faster than Windows. Which is why there is only 512mb of ram in the linux version and 1 gig in the XP version. I've read that adding more memory is like defusing a bomb. Acer didn't make it easy. After getting my AA! with linux, and checking out a friends with XP. I think you can get by without adding more. You tube runs good. Hulu runs good minimized, but if you expand the screen full-size it's a bit jumpy. All in all, I bought this to stay connected and get work done between appointments, so if I can take a break and watch an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show to lighten my mood, but have to watch it minimized, it's fine by me - it's a plus that I hadn't planned on getting.

Keyboard: It is not a full-size keyboard, but is bigger than the ASUS eeepc, and I'm having no problem flying on the keys - they have a nice spring to them. I type with just one hand, and I have no problem at all.

Fingerprints: yes you will prints and smudges on parts of the AA1 - how could you not. But they don't show up unless you're looking for them.

Bottom-line: If you want to check your e-mail, surf the web, write letters, and schedule and check your appointments in the time it takes to open that Day Planner and find the right page. Then the AA! is for you.

Oh, forgot to mention the webcam works great. Yes, the battery is 3 hours. Buy an extra one or get the heavier 6 cell.

Quit complaining that it doesn't do this or that. It's meant to be efficient, light, and mobile. If you want more than that, buy a full-size laptop and deal with it.

Last, but not least...it's very quiet. Goodbye 15.4 inch Thinkpad. I'm sticking with AA1 and my desktop. That's living simple! Great job Acer!

hello!
I had bought the asus eee pc 4 gb. I got it and at first, I absolutely LOVED it. Then, the webcam started messing up, the voice command was very sketchy, and the internet wireless was also sketchy. So, I returned the Asus and tried out this little laptop. Right from the start, it looked much more solid than the Asus, and just like a higher quality laptop. I brought it home and it picked up my wireless right away. The startup is VERY fast--probably about the same amount of time as the Asus (20 seconds) or less.
The setup and programs are much clearer than the Asus ones even though they both use Linux. The webcam is also easier and seems to be better than that of the Asus. Other things included on the Acer are: a messenger program, lots of fun games, email, Openoffice 2.3 (a writng program--like microsoft word), powerpoint presentations, and address book,calender, spreadsheets, an RSS reader (for reading the news I presume--i havent tried it out yet). This little computer is much easier to type on than the asus eee pc is, and is about 2 lbs. too. It's still very small, but easy to use and a larger screen than the asus eee pc. The Acer is VERY fast. Anyways, I LOVE THIS COMPUTER! I really don't realize how small it is when I'm actually using it-- it really feels like a normal sized pc. :) bibi, and good luck with your search!

this is my second portable notebook.
i originally had eee pc 701. i liked it, but it also felt too cheap and small. i didn't really expect too much out of acer, but the quality is really great!

right away you can tell that it's better built than eee pc 701. also, i like the glossy finish & screen, because it gives more elegant feel to it.

also with 1.6ghz atom processor, it is faster and solved over-heat issues that i had with eee pc 701.

get this, upgrade a ram to 1.5g, install windows xp, and there you have a nice little portable work station where you can take it with you all the time.

i gave 4 stars because there's only one sodimm slot for ram upgrade, and sometimes i experience inconsistant wifi signals.

but hopefully that issue can be solved by future bios updates. overall, this is definitely worth it.

Wow, love this laptop.

Bought it yesterday (in store not on amazon, but i figure i'd help you guys decide on it).

KEYBOARD, I can actually touch type on this keyboard, i tried out the EEEPC and it's keyboard is so small, you'd have to hunt and peck, i would get very frustrated after a few minutes.

SCREEN, is beautiful, it's big, it's bright, it's sharp. No graininess at all. I like the glossy screen, glares a bit, but looks sharp as hell. The size is perfect for viewing web pages, movies, and my favorite game: Jagged Alliance 2.

CASE, The build quality is great. The laptop feels solid, has a good heft to it without being heavy, and is sized well. The glossy case leads to fingerprints, but still looks great. I mean come on, even the iphone gets fingerprints on it, not a big concern in my book.

CAMERA, works great, picture quality is great, i was expecting a pixilated mess but it was clear and good enough for webcam video.

NOISE & HEAT, Not loud at all, had it transferring files, running video, never really heated up or was loud. I was actually impressed on how quiet it was. Perhaps if i run some CPU heavy processes all the time i would worry but let's face it, hardly anyone is going to encode video or do any cpu heavy applications on this.

TOUCHPAD, The touchpad is accurate enough, though i believe this is the only weak point of the One. The mouse buttons on the side are a pain in the arse, and they are below the level of the track pad, making the button difficult to find sometimes. There is no type of boarder around the track pad so sometimes you'll run off the area. And it's a bit small, this in no way was a deal breaker for me, worse comes to worse if i do mouse heavy things i will just pick up a logitech mx mini mouse or something similar.

POWER BRICK, this is the only qualm i have with the laptop. With such an amazingly small and portable laptop, why would they have such a large bundle of wires for the power brick? It's big and cumbersome and there is really no way to bundle it up efficiently. I wish it were more like the macbook powerbrick, but then again, i wasn't expecting much from such a low priced laptop.


In the end, you have to evaluate how you will use this. If your intent is to fill the void between your home computer, and cell phone, it is an awesome laptop. The great keyboard and screen make it very useful to do everything from web surfing to word processing, You can even fit some ripped movies and games on there. For the price, in the subnotebook market, you get the best bang for your buck.

Good:
Relatively good build quality/materials.
CPU can handle most multimedia tasks. (sans HD playback)
Bright, clear LCD screen.
Learning curve on smaller keyboard not bad at all.

Bad:
No Bluetooth connectivity out of the box.
Stiff feeling touchpad buttons, poor layout.
3-cell battery life is abysmal.

I purchased the XP version, (1GB/120GB/XP Home) with the sole purpose of using it to browse the web, play multimedia files, and VoIP. On that front, it does everything it is intended to do. The screen is absolutely beautiful, even with the brightness bumped down a notch, and the generous 120GB hard drive allows you to carry all your multimedia files on the go. It is nowhere as zippy as my 17-inch Dell Inspiron Core 2 Duo, but for simple and practical use, it can handle almost anything thrown at it. I had installed all the codecs needed to play back HD video files, but the playback of h.264 files was abysmal. I didn't expect this netbook to do that, and the fact it can play XviD files without a hitch is more than enough for all practical purposes. Don't expect to play any elaborate games on this machine, the GPU is less than adequate.

The few minor negatives I have listed speak for themselves. The one thing I MUST mention is, if you are on the move on a constant basis, you WILL spring for the 6-cell extended battery once it comes out. I get a shade over two hours with moderate usage and brightness set to around 50%. The touchpad button feel and layout are subpar, but I was never a fan of the touchpad to begin with, so I will be carrying around a very small USB mouse for navigating through Windows.

I feel that the Acer is a significantly better value than the MSI Wind or Asus EEE 9xx, especially with the recent price drops that were announced. The lack of Bluetooth connectivity is easily remedied, and the quality of the LCD screen on the Acer is significantly brighter and more vibrant than the Asus EEE. Just do yourself a favor and spring for the extra battery when it becomes available.