Acer aspire one year of manufacture. Acer Aspire One: the most stylish of netbooks. Conclusions. Prospects. Competitors

Today we will talk about the Acer Aspire One D257 netbook. The characteristics of this device are definitely worthy of attention. The current generation of ultra-thin Aspire One models is distinguished by convenience and great mobility. They are simply irreplaceable on the road: you can use them to complete unfinished work or have fun. The presence of different colors added to their popularity.

Model description

The Acer Aspire One D257 design has the following characteristics:

• it is very compact, its overall dimensions are 256 x 184 x 24 mm;
• it has comfortable weight data - 1.3 kg (with battery);
• stylish colors - blue, black, red and white.

Characteristics of model D257:

• black body;
• the material of manufacture is high-quality plastic, due to which there are no deflections or squeaks;
• standard appearance, smooth panels and rounded corners;
• a lid with a corporate logo in the form of a drop with voluminous “waves” from it;
• the inside is also black.

About the netbook screen

This model is equipped with an Acer CrystalBrite display. It is widescreen with a diagonal measurement of 10.1 inches. The display resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels allows you to do any work, and also allows you to watch movies, create videos and edit photos. The presence of a 0.3-megapixel webcam opens up the joy of communication on Skype and allows you to participate in various video chats. The Acer Aspire One D257 netbook has a proportional screen (16:9).

Input devices

This model is equipped with a user-friendly keyboard. The keys are large enough to allow you to type without fear that nearby buttons will be pressed at the same time. The only block that is “offended” by its size is the turnout block. It has been significantly reduced, but this nuance does not reduce the overall attractiveness of the netbook. The Acer Aspire One D257 model does not have the usual function buttons at the top of the keyboard. Here is an element for turning the device on and off. Users will be pleased with its size. They are relatively large. The shape of the touch button has the appearance of a rectangle, elongated in length. She has quite high sensitivity. The touchpad response is instant. The keys located below are covered with one solid “rocker”. By pressing it along the edges, you can activate all the necessary functions. For Acer Aspire One D257, Windows 7 is the main operating system. However, in some cases, the device may be equipped with a Linux platform.

Model D257-N57Ckk consists of:

1. A dual-core processor with a clock frequency of 1.66 GHz and a cache memory of 1 MB. 45nm technology is used. The TDP is low at only 8.5W. There is a possibility of four-thread information processing.
2. RAM is 1 GB. The hard drive contains 250 GB, which is quite enough for work.
3. The presence of a built-in video card (Intel GMA 3150) makes it possible to carry out high-quality graphics processing. There is 256 MB DirectX 9 provides the ability to display high-quality images and easily decorate videos.
4. Those who want to use a netbook as a gaming platform will be disappointed. The video card has insufficient performance. Only games that require minimum specifications can be used.

Description of connectors

The Acer Aspire One D257 netbook has a very convenient connector system located on its sides. The left side contains:

• USB output (2.0 standard);
• power connector;
• ventilation device;
• 15-pin VGA;
• network output (RJ-45), speed 100 Mbit/s.

The right side is equipped with the following connectors:

• 2 USB ports;
• outputs for using a headset (headphones or microphone);

The presence of a digital HDMI interface is not provided in this netbook model. It has an incomplete set of communications: only a Wi-Fi adapter. There is also no Bluetooth. The netbook comes with a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 4400 mAh. The Acer device is capable of operating autonomously for eight hours. Charging a netbook to 100% takes only 2 hours. It is not denied that it is equipped with three-section batteries, the capacity of which is 2200 mAh. This will ensure the device operates without charging for no more than 4 hours.

Conclusions

Acer Aspire One D257 is popular because it has:

1. High performance, allowing you to work for a long time without charging.
2. Compactness, convenience and originality of design.
3. Variation in the choice of body color.

The netbook is easy to use, convenient for both work and leisure. Acer D257 will become an indispensable assistant for students, students and ordinary users.

Opinion

So we figured out the main features of the Acer Aspire One D257. Reviews about this device are very varied, and now we will find out what its owners say about the netbook. Among the undeniable advantages of the model, the most often cited are its affordable price and long battery life. Speed ​​is more often cited as a weak point. The device is called convenient and lightweight. According to the owners, it is great for browsing the Internet and working with office programs. Playing movies and playing music is also easy. Many people were pleased with the body's resistance to fingerprints. The absence of squeaks and noise during operation is also considered by the owners as a plus. The quality of materials, pleasant to the touch, and functionality are also appreciated by users. Some owners of this device note that installing a USB port on the rear panel would be advisable. A number of comments say that the screen also copes well with its tasks. The owners also note that the netbook does not overheat even under heavy loads.

Acer continues to rapidly conquer the world with its devices. New gadgets are becoming more and more productive and are finding their admirers. The Aspire One series has proven itself to be a thin, light and reliable assistant for work and play. The compactness of the devices in this series allows them to be used in any accessible place - on vacation, on a business trip or travel. One of the brightest representatives of the series - the Acer Aspire One D257 netbook - embodies all the characteristic performance of the line, coupled with compactness and mobility.

Appearance

Acer offers four color solutions for the netbook. The device can be made in red, white, black or blue. The netbook body is made of plastic, but is assembled with high quality. At first acquaintance, users did not notice any defects or extraneous creaks.

On the lid of the netbook there is a signature relief of the Aspire One series in the form of waves radiating in circles from a fallen drop. Its thickness when folded is about 2 cm, which is a good indicator of compactness for this type of device. True, this design feature resulted in the abandonment of a standard CD reader.

Input and output devices

The widescreen CrystalBrite screen is responsible for displaying information in the Acer Aspire One D257 netbook. Screen backlight technology is LED. The 10.1-inch diagonal with a resolution of 1024 by 600 allows you to comfortably browse the Internet, work with office programs, or even watch videos.

The keyboard of the model is designed in such a way as to accommodate all the necessary keys as much as possible and create a comfortable working environment for the user. The netbook's buttons are quite large, but after switching from a regular home PC keyboard, you still have to get used to its keys.

The touchpad of the device is standard and has good sensitivity. There are two hidden keys. To use them, a soft and smooth pressure is enough.

In general, the ergonomics of the device are excellent. You can work comfortably even for long periods of time. At the same time, neither hands nor eyes get tired from work.

Performance

For its size, the Acer Aspire One D257 netbook has good performance. The entire computing load is taken over by the Intel Atom N570 processor with a clock frequency of 1660 MHz. It is enough for loads such as office applications, surfing the Internet and simple games.

Acer Aspire One D257, which has 1 GB of RAM, can run several light office applications at the same time. To store information and install the system, the device has a 250 GB hard drive. This should be enough to install Windows 7, Windows 10 or one of the popular Linux distributions on the Acer Aspire One D257.

The screen of the device is equipped with a 10-inch matrix. You can watch movies, videos on it without any inconvenience, and also read comfortably.

The Intel GMA 3150 video card is responsible for drawing and displaying graphics. The declared amount of RAM is 256 MB. However, the architecture of the video processor is such that it will not allow running resource-intensive tasks such as modern games or high-resolution videos. But for solving everyday problems, this card will have enough power.

Acer Aspire One D257: peripheral specifications

It is worth considering that the standard configuration does not include a CD drive. Operating systems can be installed from external devices, such as a flash drive. You also need to know that many netbook configurations are equipped with a free version of Linux.

Wireless communication is achieved through the use of a Wi-Fi module. By finding the nearest point, the netbook can easily access the Internet in a few clicks. If the user wishes, he can use the classic method of connecting to the Internet via an RJ-45 connector, which provides a maximum throughput of 100 Mbit/s.

Expanding the main screen and outputting data to a larger additional screen occurs by connecting an external monitor to the VGA port, which the developers carefully placed on the netbook body.

Video communication is available thanks to the built-in camera and speakers. The camera is built into the lid in such a way that it is convenient to communicate with friends and family online.

We should also talk about the autonomy of the Acer Aspire One D257 netbook, the characteristics of which were excellent here too. It is equipped with a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 4400 mAh. This reserve is more than enough for continuous operation for 3-4 hours.

Scope of use of the Acer Aspire One D257 netbook

The device will be appreciated by people who work on the go and constantly move from place to place. Compact sizes will allow you to stay focused on work anywhere, be it a cafe, train, plane or car. Bloggers, writers, freelancers, journalists - all these professions will find positive aspects in working with a netbook.

However, do not forget about home use. Those for whom the screen diagonal is not particularly important can easily replace their home computer with a netbook. But if the diagonal is no longer enough, then you can always connect an external monitor to the device. This is especially true for watching movies, showing presentations or photos.

Children can use the computer to study and search for answers to their questions on the World Wide Web. The power of a netbook, of course, is not enough to run high-performance games, which can protect the child from them and force him to do only study and useful work.

Conclusions

Acer, as always, was able to please with a solid, high-quality development. The excellent ratio of performance and compactness was well received by the IT audience and ordinary users. The level of autonomy is simply incredible, and it’s unlikely that anyone will be able to repeat such success for that kind of money.

Some Acer Aspire One D257 models are equipped with different types and sizes of batteries, so you need to pay special attention to this when purchasing. The longest operating time obtained during the reviews reached 8 hours, which is impressive.

A variety of colors will allow you to choose a netbook to suit your taste, which will please the eye every time you work and inspire you to achieve accomplishments. Compactness will allow the device to always be within reach. It will not take up much space either on your desktop or in your travel bag.

12 function keys; 4 cursor control keys; Windows® key; "hot" keys; digital block
Power button with indicator
Quick Launch Key: WLAN
Quick Launch Key: Bluetooth
I/O Ports 3 x USB 2.0
1 x external monitor port (VGA)
1 x External Speaker/Headphone/Line Out
1 x microphone jack
1 x Ethernet (RJ-45) port
1 x AC adapter connector

Software
Programs:
Acer Recovery Management
Microsoft® Works Work SE 9 with Office Home and Student 2007 (trial)
Google Toolbar™
Google Desktop™
Google™ Setup
Adobe® Reader® 9
Adobe® Flash® Player 10
Microsoft®.NET Framework 2.0
Internet Explorer® 7.0
eSobi
Carbonite online backup
McAfee Internet Security Suite 60-day trial
Acer Game Zone
Programs for communicating over the Internet:
Acer Video Conference Manager 4.0
Windows Live™ Essentials - Wave 3 (Mail, Photo Gallery, Live™ Messenger, Writer)

Note: This model does not support a built-in 3G/WiMAX modem. Actually, nothing prevents you from using an external USB modem, as I do, or installing an appropriate modem or, for example, a board for HD-Video decoding in the existing mini PCI-Express slot. The description and equipment are given specifically for my version. Detailed information about models and equipment can be obtained on the website Acer Aspire One D250

Appearance, design and ergonomics
I received a white and black netbook, the so-called Seashell White color. The top panel is glossy white with the ACER logo. Despite the gloss, fingerprints are not very noticeable:

The bottom part of the netbook is made of white matte plastic; fingerprints are not noticeable on it at all, but if you grab the beech with dirty hands, it will quickly become scratched:

With the netbook open, the picture is different. The working surface with the keyboard, touchpad and indicators is made of black plastic with a “metal” look, the frame around the screen is glossy, black - it collects fingerprints well when opening the netbook or adjusting the screen position:

In general, the appearance of the netbook is closed:

and in the open state:

Leaves a good impression. At least the Aspire One doesn't feel cheap. The maximum opening angle of the screen is about 135-140 degrees, which in my opinion is quite enough.

My copy was equipped with a matrix manufactured by Samsung, model SEC554E. The coating is glossy and easy to peel. But the colors are quite rich and vibrant. In principle, it’s fine for watching movies, office and gaming. Enough is enough. Only the average viewing angles are disappointing. Although it’s normal for personal work, no one will watch a movie or play on such a baby with the whole family anyway. Because it smacks of perversion.

On the left side of the netbook there are:

RG-45 port built-in network 100 Mbit
Ventilation grill
D-Sub 15 connector for connecting a monitor
USB 2.0 connector
Microphone input
Headphone or speaker output

The front edge is nothing special and not remarkable:

It contains only a battery charge status indicator, visible even when the lid is closed, and a wireless network card control slider (the WiFi status indicator is not visible when the lid is closed). The speakers and ventilation grille are located on an oblique cut of the front edge and the speakers practically sound into the table, i.e. the sound reaches the ears as a reflected sound.

On the right side of the device are:

The card reader is carefully covered with a plastic removable plug
Two USB 2.0 connectors (located quite closely, for example, my Kingston flash drives are quite thick and interfere with each other)
Power supply connector
Kensington lock slot

There is nothing at all at the back except the battery. Therefore, there is no point in stopping at the rear panel.

The device's keyboard left a fairly pleasant impression (especially after testing the keyboards on ASUS and Samsung netbooks).
The top row of F-buttons is slightly compressed in width and height, but does not cause any particular discomfort. I don't need them that often.

The main keyboard keys, in my opinion, are the optimal size for such a baby. Getting used to the layout takes 1-2 days, and then you can work blindly with a minimum number of errors. The play of the keyboard panel is noticeable only when pressed hard enough; the short stroke of the buttons clearly responds to the press, responding with a slight tactile click (or more precisely, resistance).

In the upper left corner of the keyboard there are LED indicators: hard drive activity, NumLock, CapsLock (with green backlight), as well as a Bluetooth power button with a built-in power indicator (lit blue). In some models, despite the presence of a button, the built-in bluetooth may be missing.

In the upper right corner there is only a mirrored power button with green backlight in a small recess.

As you can see, it is especially sparse and the netbook does not have any additional buttons. In addition to special keys that work in conjunction with a pressed button "FN"

So for example*:
FN+F2 - opens the "System Properties" window
FN+F3 - call the power control panel
FN+F4 - putting the device into sleep mode
FN+F5 - switching display modes on the built-in or external screen, or on two at once.
FN+F6 - turn off the screen backlight
FN+F7 - disable/enable touchpad
FN+F8 - mute/unmute sound

OS, Drivers and other software
Initially, the netbook comes with pre-installed Windows XP Home Edition SP3 and a set of various software (including trial ones). But Windows 7 was somehow dearer to my heart. Actually, it was installed from a specially prepared flash drive. Drivers for the "Seven" are present in the corresponding section of the manufacturer's website, so there is no need to crawl through all the sites to search for suitable versions. Installation of the OS and drivers was quick and painless. All the software I needed also installed quickly and calmly. The installation was carried out from an external Western Digital Essential 250GB drive via USB ports.

After installing all the software, according to the Task Manager, there was still about 500MB of free RAM left. Which is nice, considering the installed Windows 7 Ultimate, Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 and a lot of other software that took up most of the space in the tray.

The system pleased us with its responsiveness and operating speed, even with 1GB of memory installed. There are plans to test speed and power consumption with 2GB of RAM installed. The processor load during normal, not too loaded work does not exceed 20-25%. At higher loads (with 10-15 simultaneously open applications) it can rise to 60-70%. For a single-core processor with a frequency of only 1.6 GHz and HyperThreading support, this is simply an excellent result. I’m not interested in watching movies or playing games on it; for this house I have a very powerful unit with a 22" NEC monitor. Because what I need from it is portability and autonomy for work, which is exactly what they are intended for. That is . documents, work on the Internet anytime, anywhere.

Network, 3G and WiMAX
Since this model already contains a 100Mbit network card made by Atheros, a wireless WiFi network from Broadcom and a Bluetooth module from the same Broadcom (works great with standard Windows drivers). Let's look at some features:

1. Lack of 3G/WiMAX module. In principle, nothing prevents you from installing any 3G/WiMAX modem there, especially since for operation in GSM/EDGE/3G networks there is a window under the battery compartment for installing a SIM card. True, the holder itself is also missing. If you have direct hands, this problem is easily solved. For now, I limited myself to purchasing an external USB modem from a three-letter operator. Because WiMAX will come to us unknown when, and apparently we won’t be able to wait at all for 3G network operators.

2. Follows from paragraph 1. Since the wireless network is apparently hard-wired, no antenna wires were found near the mini PCI-ex connector. In principle, on the same EBay.com there are also WiFi/WiMAX boards based on Intel 5150/5350 chips, including those with antennas included.

For home use, the cable connection option was immediately rejected because: there are simply no free ports on the “home gigabit toad”, and secondly, I didn’t want to be tied to wires. So our choice is WiFi, fortunately it is dual-band 802.11b/g. At home I connect via a D-Link DWL-2100AP+ point (with WPA2-PSK encryption and a MAC address filter, of course). The modem gives me the address, linked to the MAC. Those. the address is the same. For other networks, I have several WiFi connections configured that are connected automatically if a suitable network is detected and the required address is assigned. In short, there are no problems with WiFi support in the Seven. The signal remains stable even in the conditions of reinforced concrete panels of a house from the 80s of the last century.

The cable connection option also does not cause any problems in use. This uses the NetSetMan utility with installed profiles for the networks I need. Incl. for a domain network at work and connecting the necessary printers. In a word, a solid "five". At the same time, having “only” a 100Mbit card is more of an advantage than a disadvantage. 1GB is a real overkill for a not-so-powerful machine. Because Netik simply cannot copy/write files to a disk with a rotation speed of 5400 rpm.

Power consumption, battery, temperature
It’s probably not worth even saying that the energy consumption of this “baby” is at a very low level. Netik is content with only a compact 30W power supply made by HiPro, which is even smaller in size than my Nokia N70, although a little thicker, and is equipped with a capacious 52W battery.

By the way, in economy mode, the beech automatically reduces the screen brightness by about half, and the seven also disables some of the Aero effects. In this case, the comfort of work does not suffer much, especially since no one forbids raising the screen brightness using hot keys. This is partly due to the LED backlighting of the screen.

The only thing that causes some concern is the temperature of the “baby”. Still, you should not work with it while lying on the sofa or bed, because... most of the ventilation holes will inevitably be blocked. The most comfortable positions are: sitting at a table, on your lap, or a netbook on your hand (quite comfortable, given the protruding battery, which is very convenient to hold the beech in the “on your hand” position).

Conclusions
Overall, the netbook left only positive impressions. At least I got what I wanted from him. High mobility and autonomy from power supply, plus compactness. And in this case there is no point in nitpicking about minor shortcomings; this is due to the desire of vendors to bring the above mentioned properties to the forefront.

Don't have a DVD drive? Personally, I have never needed it yet.
Can't handle modern games and movies in HD quality??? For this purpose there is a powerful home computer with a cinema.

Well, I personally don’t need any of this on it.

But on the plus side: low price of the netbook, high battery life, small dimensions. And in my work bag I have to manage to fit a bunch of CDs, a tool kit and a laptop. There are no problems with a netbook in this case.

Leave your comments

Also, the arrow block is combined with the and keys, which can sometimes cause them to be pressed accidentally. Well, and most importantly, the key sizes are still smaller than those of laptops. So typing on the Aspire One is not very convenient, at least not at first. However, this is a “disease” of most netbooks. The touchpad is quite compact. Due to limited space, its buttons were located on the sides, and not on the bottom, as is done on all other laptops and netbooks. It may immediately seem that this is inconvenient, but you get used to this arrangement very quickly. The Acer Aspire One has no additional buttons - there is only a button to turn the netbook on and off, combined with an orange LED. Netbooks don't have a lot of communication connectors. And the Aspire One is no exception. On the left there is a power connector, D-SUB, RJ-45, USB and a Storage Expansion slot. The latter is a regular SD card reader, but according to Acer's idea, it is worth inserting an SD card into it “on a permanent basis,” making it an addition to the main HDD or SSD. On the right are audio connectors, two USB, and a card reader. There are ventilation holes on the beveled edge at the front, and a little higher on the right there is a switch for the Wi-Fi controller. The rear panel is completely dedicated to the battery. It is extremely difficult to install large speakers and a subwoofer in a netbook - the dimensions do not allow it. That's why we found only one small speaker in the Aspire One. So if you want to listen to music (listen, not hear), it would be better to connect headphones or even external speakers. I was very pleased with the screen of the Acer Aspire One. Despite the low cost of the netbook, the manufacturer equipped it with an LED-backlit matrix. As a result, the picture turned out rich. I was pleased with the good reserve of brightness, as well as good viewing angles.

Acer Aspire One Specifications:

• Screen - 8.9″ / 1024x600
• Processor - Intel Atom N270 (1.6 GHz, 512 KB L2)
• Memory - 1024 MB DDR2-667
• Chipset - Intel 945GME + ICH7-M
• Video card - Intel GMA950
• Hard drive - 120 GB (5400 rpm, SerialATA)
• Communication capabilities - 10/100 Mbit/s Ethernet, Atheros AR5007EG (IEEE 802.11a/b/g)
• Ports - 3x USB2.0, D-SUB, audio out, microphone in, RJ-45
• Other features - Storage Expansion slot, 4 in 1 card reader (SD/MS/MS Pro/MMC), 0.3 Mpx webcam
• Battery - 2200 mAh, 3 cells
• Power supply - 30 W
• Dimensions - 248x170x28 mm
• Weight 1.26 kg

Acer Aspire One laptop price fluctuates in the range of 9,000 ~ 16,000 rubles (depending on the configuration and OS).
P.S. Acer Aspire One is a good netbook that can compete with the entire ASUS Eee PC family, as well as with analogues from other manufacturers. Among its positive qualities we can name a good configuration by netbook standards, a variety of available modifications, an excellent screen, and a relatively affordable price. I was also pleased with the leather case included in the package. The Aspire One's touchpad is not very large and has a slippery surface, which makes pointer positioning a bit difficult. It's a shame that you can't update your Acer netbook yourself. Well, there remains a short battery life, for which all the blame lies with the low-capacity battery.

After the Centrino platform captured the mass market, it might seem that, from a configuration point of view, all modern laptops are twin brothers. Although there are, of course, always some differences (the most important is the size of the LCD screen), in general, even laptops of different classes offered the user approximately the same set of capabilities. Plus or minus an additional graphics controller, plus or minus a TV tuner and a web camera. But with the advent of netbooks, it became clear what a truly close configuration is - almost all netbooks on the market have such a similar filling that you often don’t even have to look at the technical characteristics table of the new model. And although the performance of different models is not the same, as our previous tests have shown, by and large, only the performance of the ROM matters - the remaining subsystems are completely identical. And which user will pay attention to a 10-15% difference in certain tests and understand its reasons? After all, netbooks are aimed at the mass user and are positioned on the edge of consumer electronics, in close proximity to communicators, e-books and other similar devices. In other words, most netbook buyers are not the kind of people who will make purchasing decisions based on percentage advantage in benchmark tests. Here completely different factors matter (and reviews of our tests of netbooks confirm this) - the weight of the device, battery life, reliability. Let's risk adding design to this series. Firstly, when choosing among devices that are almost identical in technical characteristics, the user will inevitably give preference to the model with the best design. In the end, any high-tech “toy” also has an image function. Secondly, the proportion of the fair sex among netbook users is obviously greater than among users of full-size laptops. It’s not without reason that some manufacturers focus on white models; moreover, there are even pink netbooks on the market! However, until recently, all netbook manufacturers tried to make their devices as accessible and inexpensive as possible. The first netbooks were created within the framework of the OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) concept, which limited the cost of a netbook to $100-$200. Accordingly, there was no need to demand special design refinements from them. After all, the development of a bright style, and, most importantly, the high-quality materials necessary for its implementation - all this increases the final cost of the netbook.

The developers of Aspire One clearly focused on the design of the model

However, there are models whose developers have focused specifically on design. One of them, Acer's Aspire One, visited our laboratory. What advantages, besides the interesting design, can this model offer the user?

Scope of delivery

The keys lying nearby will help you evaluate the compactness of the Aspire One box.

The appearance of the Acer Aspire One is impressive even before the netbook is taken out of the box. This model comes in a colorful miniature cardboard box that's smaller than any of its competitors - ideal for retail sales.

The delivery set includes a branded case

However, compact packaging in this case does not mean poor packaging; in the box, in addition to the netbook itself, the user will find:

• battery,
• carrying case,
• OS recovery CD,
• detailed user manual,
• power supply and power cord

Specifications

Just like most modern netbooks, Acer Aspire One is equipped with a 1.6 GHz Atom N270

The configuration of the Acer Aspire One confirms the words with which this article began - the design and hardware of all netbooks are very similar, and the list of differences is much shorter than the list of identical elements. Just like most modern netbooks, Acer Aspire One is built on a motherboard with a mobile version of the Intel 945 series chipset - 945GSE. The Intel Atom N270 processor with a clock frequency of 1.6 GHz is paired with 533 MHz DDR2 memory (one module is installed in the laptop). It is noteworthy that the Aspire One does not have hatches for access to replaceable components - to upgrade the netbook, the bottom panel will have to be completely removed.

GMA 950 graphics core is integrated into the chipset

The graphics core - Intel GMA 950 - is built into the north bridge and reserves part of the system memory for video RAM. The netbook's LCD display has a diagonal of 8.9 inches and a resolution of 1024x600 - these are also familiar characteristics, although more and more manufacturers are announcing the release of models with a larger screen diagonal. But, unlike most of its competitors, the Aspire One boasts a glossy screen finish that visually improves image clarity. However, not all users will like this, because the glossy coating glares and gets dirty easily. A 0.3-megapixel web camera is built into the screen frame. A single 8GB SSD drive with an ATA66 interface is used as ROM - the capacity is modest by modern standards. Apparently, the developers understood this very well, since the Aspire One is equipped with two memory card slots. One of them is compatible only with SD/MMC and, according to the creators, should be used as an additional drive. The second allows you to work with SD/MMC cards, Memory Stick (including Pro) and xD. Communication controllers are represented by a 10/100-Mbit/s Realtek RTL8102E adapter and an Atheros AR5007EG wireless module, which is presented in the manufacturer's specifications under the name Acer InviLink. But, despite the brand name, its characteristics cannot be called outstanding - it is only compatible with 802.11b/g, and does not support the faster 802.11n standard. And the saddest drawback is the absence of a Bluetooth module in the Aspire One configuration, because most of the competitors are already “blue-toothed”.

However, it should be noted here that most users connect GPRS or 3G modems via Bluetooth, and in the future the Aspire One will have a built-in modem for 3G networks - this has been officially announced. There is already a slot for SIM cards - it is located under the battery, which will have to be removed to install the SIM card. However, there is no doubt that along with the 3G modem, the new Aspire One models will also have a Bluetooth module - after all, most competitors have it and the gap needs to be caught up.

Miniature three-cell battery included

The capacity of the included battery is 26.6 Wh

The package includes a compact three-cell battery with a capacity of 26.6 Wh. For an additional fee, the manufacturer also offers a six-cell version of the battery; according to the manufacturer, such batteries will soon appear in Russian retail. It should be noted that the dimensions of the six-cell battery model are, of course, larger - it noticeably protrudes beyond the dimensions of the netbook and with such a battery it will not fit into a branded case. Perhaps the most interesting feature of the Aspire One configuration is the presence of active cooling. The netbook has a built-in miniature fan, hidden under a round protrusion located closer to the center of the bottom panel. The noise level of this fan is very low, even in a quiet room you have to strain your ears to hear the sound of its operation. At the same time, it provides a relatively low level of heating - the Aspire One is noticeably “cooler” than many competitors. To summarize the description of the configuration, it should be noted that the AOA110-A modification was provided for testing. On the Russian market, Acer also offers the 150th modification (AOA150-B), the main difference of which is that instead of an SSD drive, a 120 GB hard drive (Serial ATA interface, 5400 rpm) is used.

Design and ergonomics

The glossy surface of the lid is decorated with the Acer logo

Of course, there are no comrades according to taste, but, in the author’s opinion, the Aspire One is the most beautiful netbook currently available in Russian retail. The glossy case with a mother-of-pearl tint can be white or dark blue - it is obvious that the white models are intended for the fair sex, and the blue version will appeal more to men. As you can easily guess from the photographs, a blue netbook visited our laboratory; we will describe the design in more detail using its example. The lower part of the case is made of ordinary black plastic, and the upper part and lid are made of blue varnished plastic. Unfortunately, the glossy surface of the lid and screen quickly becomes covered with fingerprints, but this is perhaps its only drawback.

The lid hinges are decorated with red metal rings

LED indicators are visible both when the lid is open and closed

The lid hinges are decorated with red metal rings, and a few more striking elements are the silver Acer and Aspire One logos on the lid and hinges. On the left side of the hinges there are four LED indicators that are visible both when the lid is open and closed.

The LED light built into the power button is not annoying in the dark

A green LED window is built into the silver power button - its light is soft and dim, and is not at all annoying in the dark. At the front edge of the working panel there is a silver insert, on either side of which there are LED indicators that display the operating mode of communication devices.

The netbook is compact and, most importantly, very light (compared to its competitors) - exactly 1 kg. This is partly due to the active cooling system - it does not need a bulky and heavy radiator. The placement of the I/O ports is well thought out and very convenient to use. The right side panel houses two USB ports, 3.5mm audio jacks for microphone and headphones, a main memory card slot and a Kensington lock slot.

On the left side panel there is a connector for the power supply, as well as an analog VGA connector, an RJ-45 network connector, a third USB port and an additional slot for SD/MMC memory cards. There are no ports or connectors on the front or back (the only exception is the sliding switch for the wireless module on the right side of the front panel) - this is reasonable for a model that the user will often work with while holding the case on his lap.

Keyboard

The key pitch is 17.5 mm and the “arrows” are placed in a separate block

In addition, the Aspire One keyboard is distinguished by full-size “arrows” placed in a separate block and a good location of other function keys. Only the key is not too wide - the same as the alphabetic keys.

The manipulator buttons are located on the sides of the touch panel

We also found the netbook's wide touch panel convenient. The manipulator buttons are located on the sides of it, and not under it, as usual. This option is more convenient, since there is no risk of touching the touchpad with your middle or ring finger when pressing the button with your index finger.

Linpus

Are the makers of the Aspire One trying to emphasize the high quality of the LCD display?

The owner of Aspire One has the opportunity to feel like the head of the Energy Center

The system interface of netbooks supplied to the Russian market is completely Russified. It really is extremely simple - even the most inexperienced users can easily operate the netbook. Unless they get confused in the translation, the main menu items and sections are translated quite correctly, but in the depths of the dialog boxes you can find sayings such as “Enable power management for a specific monitor.” However, the main menus can also please, for example, with “Energy Center”.

But on almost all pages of the interface there is a search window that allows you to search for both local documents and send a request to search engines on the Internet - both are very convenient. But, nevertheless, for any experienced user the capabilities of Linpus will not be enough, and the interface will seem too limited. Although, at first glance, everything you need is available, with prolonged use you will definitely discover that the necessary codecs and some programs are missing. Updating Linpus yourself is a hassle even for someone familiar with Linux. So if you are willing to spend time setting up drivers, it is better to install full-fledged Linux, and if not, Windows XP.

Tests

* when testing, a 16 GB drive was used. Although other netbook models are “terrible on the face” in comparison with the Aspire One, they are noticeably “kinder inside” - they have a more successful configuration. However, the expected dip in the performance of the memory subsystem did not manifest itself - the gap between DDR2-533 and DDR2-667 in test tasks is minimal.

The performance of the built-in SSD drive is inferior to competitors

But in terms of performance of the Aspire One SSD drive it is noticeably inferior to competing models and this affects the results of other tests. Unfortunately, the PCMark05 test package had constant failures and it was not possible to find the cause during testing.

But based on the MobileMark05 Productivity result, you can see that the Aspire One's performance is almost equal to the performance of the eee PC 901, demonstrated by the latter when tested on the slower of its two drives (marked with an asterisk). It can be assumed that the results of the Aspire One in those tests that it did not pass will be close to the values ​​marked with an asterisk. And these values ​​are generally less than the maximum performance of the eee PC 901. The Aspire One netbook loses even more noticeably to the eee PC 1000 model.

The Acer Aspire One battery lasts for two hours in the Battery Eater Pro 2.60 test

It also takes two hours to fully recharge the Acer Aspire One battery

However, as noted above, it is unlikely that many netbook buyers are seriously concerned about their performance and compare the performance of individual subsystems. There is enough power to view web pages, read mail and use Skype and ICQ - and that’s enough. But battery life is important for any user, and here the Aspire One, alas, again lags behind its competitors. At maximum load (Battery Eater Pro 2.60 Classic), the battery life was just over two hours. When working in the mode simulating normal office work (MobileMark05 Productivity), the battery charge lasted for three and a quarter hours, and in the most gentle mode (MobileMark05 Reader) – for three and a half hours. Not bad results for a regular laptop, but for a netbook with a 9-inch screen, LED-backlit screen and an economical SSD drive, it’s not enough.

Performance of the built-in SD/MMC adapter used as an additional storage device

In addition, using the HD Tune program, we measured the reading speed of the memory card adapter, which the developers recommend using as an additional drive. To do this, we installed a 1 GB Apacer MMC Plus 290X card (maximum data transfer speed - 43.5 MB/s) into the memory card slot. The performance of the adapter turned out to be only slightly less than that of the built-in SSD drive, so given the availability of high-capacity SD cards on sale, it is really worth using it to expand permanent memory.

Conclusions

• Cons: relatively low performance and average battery life
• Pros: excellent design, light weight and compactness, excellent keyboard, well-thought-out ergonomics