348 of 351 people found the following review helpful:
Acer beats HP & Asus in build quality & ergonomics
The Acer Aspire D250 is a great netbook PC, and the 1197 flavor contains four differentiators:
(1) Windows 7 Starter OS
(2) 250GB hard disk drive
(3) 6 cell battery (~8 hours' lifespan)
(4) the standard English keyboard layout
..and it comes in blue :-)
Having visited 8 different retail stores and having tried/returned two...
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
great little netbook but be careful with screen!!
Bought this for my son as a Christmas gift 2009. Loved it out of the box- very sexy little netbook, seemed like really good quality, glossy screen was beautiful! keyboard not bad at all for size. wasn't slow at all but we only used it for basic websurfing, email, that kind of thing. then about 1 month later, he goes to turn on the computer and lo and behold there is a...
The Acer Aspire D250 is a great netbook PC, and the 1197 flavor contains four differentiators:
(1) Windows 7 Starter OS
(2) 250GB hard disk drive
(3) 6 cell battery (~8 hours' lifespan)
(4) the standard English keyboard layout
..and it comes in blue :-)
Having visited 8 different retail stores and having tried/returned two Asus 1005HA's, I spent a considerable amount of time comparing / contrasting models.
In comparing the Acer Aspire One D250 to the bestselling Asus 1005HA-PU17 and other netbooks:
(1) The D250 is lighter, even with the 6 cell battery. If one were to buy the 3 cell battery (~2 hour life) to save even more weight, it would be in the featherweight category. The Asus 1005HA's battery is so bulky and unbalanced it almost makes the netbook want to teeter-totter around its back legs.
(2) The D250 is quieter. Unlike the 1005HA, the fan does not turn on when browsing the web, running virus scans, etc.
(3) The D250's keyboard is 89% the size of a regular keyboard, and it is smaller than Dell, HP, and Asus 10" netbook keyboards. However, I was able to type my usual 70WPM without issue.
(4) The D250 has _NO_ hard disk vibrations. The Asus 1005HA had hard drive vibrations that were not only noticeable, they ran straight into my wrists and were irritating. Many other 10" netbooks have this problem too. This issue becomes very noticeable when you spend 15 minutes drafting a document or writing an e-mail.
(5) The 1005HA has a slightly bigger touchpad.
Canadian users would be wise to order the 1197 version of the D250 as the U.S. keyboard is much easier to use than the multilingual French/English keyboard. The Shift keys are wide, and the Enter key can be reached easily. Such is not the case with the multilingual keyboard.
My only complaint is that I prefer a matte screen to the glossy screen. It is vulnerable to reflections and glare.
***Notes on Windows 7***
Windows 7 Starter is very comparable to Windows XP. The main feature disabled on Win7 Starter edition is the "Aero" feature, which is standard on Win7 Home Edition or Premium versions. However, the Intel Atom/N270 and Intel 950 GMA chipset lacks the graphics horsepower to run "Aero," even if one were to upgrade Win7 editions. This hindrance applies to any netbook with the N270/950 chipset (Asus, HP 110, Dell Mini), not just the Acer D250. At the time this review was written, upgrading from Starter to Home Premium had a steep price tag -- in the $75 - $80 range. And the "Aero" feature would have to be disabled anyway...
Nevertheless, the Acer D250 is among the best built, the quietest, and lightest of the 10" Intel Atom based netbooks available today. Highly recommended.
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I recently purchased the Acer Aspire One netbook from Amazon after alot of heavy research. I know computers fairly well, but I've never owned a netbook, nor have I ever really messed with one, so needless to say, I didn't really know what to expect. When I received it, I wasted no time in setting it up. I must also mention that this is my first experience with Windows 7. The set-up was a breeze and the computer started up pretty quick. The first thing that surprised me was that this netbook wasn't really loaded with that much junk, so cleaning it off was quick. Both WiFi and Ethernet set up were quick and easy. The netbook had no problems with installing anything. I put Rhapsody on it as soon as I got it and it runs smooth, which surprised me because Rhapsody sometimes makes my desktop HP slow up quite frequently. I might add, for those who don't know already, get rid of Internet Explorer. Its FAR too slow to do anything. Instead, download Google Chrome or Firefox. I'm currently using Google Chrome and I love it.
As I sat with it longer, I only found one thing that I really didn't like, but was easily fixed. The problem? Windows 7 Starter Edition. I'm not joining the hate crowd on this one, since I think its fine for the most part. Starter has pretty much everything I need, except the ability to change the wallpaper.
Microsoft not giving the option to change the wallpaper seems like a cheap way to get people to upgrade IMO, but I fixed this by downloading a free program that lets you change it anyway, so my problem there was fixed. I also noticed that alot of the information about the starter edition is wrong on alot of websites, such as the starter edition not having windows media player, which to my surprise, it did.
Moving on, the netbook itself is VERY quiet, hardly any noise coming from it. Its pretty nice looking, and looks well made as far as I can tell. The keyboard took some getting used to, along with the weirdly placed backspace key. But other than that, its a very nicely built netbook. I would easily recommend this to anyone looking for a great netbook for a reasonable price.
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I bought this netbook to do the everyday minor details and to ultimately phase out my Sony Laptop. Overall, I am very pleased with this product. In reality, there is not much I would change, though the "techies" out there might disagree.
There are two drawbacks that I wish would have been addressed:
One. The Office trial edition, I guess I didn't read the fine print. I looked all over for the Microsoft Product Key to activate the program, but apparently I need to buy this separately on MSNs website - Cost $80. MSN does allow you to use the Office programs, but only for about 20 times until it becomes inactive.
Second. As stated before, the Windows Starter Pack. As those before have stated, it has its limitations. I haven't tried to tackle this issue yet, but I do ultimately see me buying the upgrade.
So to the meat and potatoes. Would I recommend this product? Definitely, Yes. Just know that you may need to buy a couple of upgrades. The internet connection is great and fast. The keyboard really is not that small, once you get used to it. Great product for the price. Hope this helps.
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Bought this for my son as a Christmas gift 2009. Loved it out of the box- very sexy little netbook, seemed like really good quality, glossy screen was beautiful! keyboard not bad at all for size. wasn't slow at all but we only used it for basic websurfing, email, that kind of thing. then about 1 month later, he goes to turn on the computer and lo and behold there is a menacing black blob on bottom left side of screen with black tentacles extending upwards in a spider's web to the top right of the screen! Looked like a crack but it seemed to be cracked on the INSIDE! The computer had not been dropped or hit or abused or misused in any way! Just had shut it down and put away the night before and everything was fine! well, in a panic I called Acer tech support only to be told that this (screen damage)is not covered under the warranty and was basically blamed for mistreating the computer. Tech told me it might cost $199 to replace screen and I'd have to cover shipping charges to get it to them! SO because Google is my friend, I looked it up and apparently this problem is not uncommon with these Acer netbooks! I also read that Acer KNOWS about this but still tries to blame customers for the problem! Well, long story short, did NOT send back to Acer- instead bought new screen (exact same model) on eBay for about $65 shipped and fixed it myself with help from online video. Netbook works great now, but we now as a rule DO NOT CLOSE LID WHILE COMPUTER IS ON EVEN IF PUTTING IN STANDBY!! It's thought by some that the heat from? battery or something is what caused the screen to crack. So please save yourself some money and some heartache and be careful with yours if you get one!
P.S. When I uninstalled screen, found it was made by Samsung, so this may not be just an Acer problem.
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The computer itself is great. I love that its compact and has plenty of battery life. The touchpad is the least annoying of any laptop I've ever used. The windows 7 starter operating system, however is not. its a highly abbreviated version created for emerging markets in third world countries. There's so much lacking. you cant even put up a picture on the desktop background. Save your money and buy the XP version. I wish I did.
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This review is from: Acer AOD250-1383 10.1-Inch Ruby Red Netbook - Up to 8 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Starter) (Personal Computers)
I already have 2 HP laptop PCs, but with one failing,and a desire to have something a little smaller, I started on a 3 week exploration for one of the new netbooks.I did extensive and exhaustive research,reading especially the Amazon,PC Magazine,etc reviews. I did not have CD or DVD requirements,nor did I want excessive bells and whistles. It should be noted that in evaluating and reading the reviews(especially those in Amazon) the model number does not always check out with the item reviwed. In other words, I often found a review supposedly evaluating the d250-1042, when it fact it was a d250-1383.Also, some of models with different model #s were all the same except for the price and the color! I finally selected the 1383 and it is perfect!! It came before it was promised,was very well packaged and set up easily. It is a little sparce on instructions, and I am not at all computer-adept; but You-Tube & the aforementioned reviews made set up easy. I uninstalled a number of the unwanted and unneeded programs and it has worked like a charm. It boots up within 35 seconds,works very smoothly and has caused no problems. It has Windows 7 Starter,which I initially did not want but it seems to be working well and moves from one program to the next easily. I've only used it unplugged 3 or 4 times but each time the battery has lasted well into the 5-7 hour range. Its key board,tho small, is not too small and I am a peck and poke typist anyway.The Asus and the Toshiba are better and more expensive netbooks; but for the price, this Acer Aspire One 1383 "red beauty" can't be beat!
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This product is simply awesome. Impressed by how fast it is, how much storage it has, and light it is. This is one of the best computers I've ever owned.
Pros
-Battery Life
-Windows 7
-Screen Quality
-Speed
-Quick set up
-Hard Drive Space
Cons
Keyboard is a little funky, but after a few hours of typing you'll adapt even with big fingers like mine.
Track pad is also a little cramped, but again after a few hours of use you'll adapt.
Other Suggestions
I uninstalled the Acer Game console, McAffe, Norton, and Office free trial. Once doing this it sped the computer up tremendously. If you're worried about putting RAM intensive software on here, I wouldn't fret, I have things like iTunes, Open Office, Chrome, and Skype on here and it runs so slick. By far the nicest computer I've ever owned.
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I purchased this netbook a week ago & so far everything is working great. I had been looking for one for a few months when I found this Acer for $280. Much better than anything offered at Bestbuy or any other retailer. I did upgrade to 2GB of ram but I have not noticed a big difference.
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If you are a poor college student like me, this laptop's price is the BEST out there right now! Here are couple other things you may be wondering about:
>Memory is sufficient for what you need.
>Streaming is okay, and the video card is decent (for the picky techie student, it could be a whole lot better).
>The aspect ratio of the screen is okay for any movie. Widescreen fills up the entire laptop.
>Extremely portable. I bring this thing everywhere.
>8 hour battery? Maybe in sleep mode. It does give you about 6.5 strong though.
>Sound quality is not so hot on its own, so you'll probably want to have speakers if you don't have them already.
>Be warned! There isn't a CD drive. I had to buy an external one.
>Windows 7 Starter. That means you can't change your background. You'll have to buy Premium.
>Microsoft Windows 2007 trial. I downloaded Open Office to get me through the day.
>McAfee trial that lasts two months.
Hope this helps in your decision to buy!
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Not one to usually do reviews, although I read them alot. In anycase, got this netbook for some travelling coming up and email/web browsing around the house and so far I am really happy with my purchase! It is light, compact, looks great, super quiet, not hot on my lap, crisp screen image, speedy performance (even when I open memory hogs like MS OFFICE)and gets me 6+ hours on the full power setting - - - and all in all pretty much does everything my desktop does - but very portable!
The keyboard does take a little getting use to but only causes a couple of missed keys . . .very minor and just the tradeoff you make to get the form factor. The OS is basic but does the trick, and seems to be pretty stable. Not really sure what everyone is bitching about . . .think that some people just like to pick everything apart and find fault with something.
I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a machine that does all the basics at a great price (i mean come on under $300 you can not beat that). Can not think about what else I would ask for out of a netbook.
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