January 30, 2009 Slutsker Vyacheslav 0

Do you want to always be in touch and have a computer at hand, but at the same time you absolutely do not want to carry a laptop with you due to its bulkiness, and a telephone, smartphone or communicator is not suitable due to the inconvenience of use and, often, limited functionality? If “Yes,” then we bring to your attention a compromise - a laptop smaller than a notebook and weighing about a kilogram - a netbook from Acer - Aspire One.

Nowadays, surprising someone with a laptop is almost impossible. In terms of performance, some laptops are already capable of replacing desktop computers, and the difference in price between personal computers and laptops tends to zero over time. Moreover, under the price personal computer I mean not only the price system unit, but also a monitor, keyboard and mouse, which, in fact, laptops do not need.

However, despite the availability and high performance, the mobility of laptops, although it exceeds the mobility of desktop computers, still does not allow you to always take it with you. Moreover, the point here is not only the weight of laptops, which sometimes reaches 3 kilograms or even more, the point is rather that most laptops, even despite their portability, have quite impressive dimensions, primarily due to the diagonal monitor.

Thus, constantly carrying a laptop with you is beyond the capabilities of not only the fair sex, but also burdens most men. Until recently, only those who most needed to have a computer always at hand carried laptops with them, but not so long ago everything changed. Time passes and laptop manufacturers, well aware of the shortcomings of their creations, offer users so-called - essentially the same laptops, but where smaller size and weight, which allows you to carry them with you anywhere!

Acer Aspire One

One of these netbooks came to us for testing - meet us, Acer Aspire One. As far as I understand, I won’t have to represent the company - it is already very, very well known, especially in the laptop market. Russian users mostly value products for their good price/quality ratio. Let's hope that there will be no exception to this rule.

Acer Aspire One | Specifications

	Aspire One AOA110-Ab	Aspire One AOA110-Aw	Aspire One AOA110-Bb	Aspire One AOA110-Bw	Aspire One AOA150-Bb	Aspire One AOA150-Bw	Aspire One AOA150-Bk
CPU	Intel Atom Single Core N270 (1.6 GHz / 512 KB cache / FSB 533 MHz)
Chipset	Intel 945GSE+ICH7-M
Graphics controller	Built-in Intel GMA 950, up to 64 MB of video memory from RAM
Display	8.9", resolution 1024x600 px
RAM, DDR2-533	512 MB		1024 MB		1024 MB (512 MB non-replaceable)
HDD	SSD, 8 GB		SSD, 16 GB		SATA (5400 rpm), 120 GB		SATA, 160 GB
Web camera	0.3 Mpx
Card reader	SD / SDHC / MMC / MS/xD
Ports and interfaces	3x USB 2.0, RJ45, VGA (D-Sub), 802.11b/g
Installed OS	Linpus Linux Lite		Windows XP Home Edition
Color	Blue	White	Blue	White	Blue	White	Black
Size	249x170x29 mm
Weight	0.9 kg			1 kg

To be honest, then specifications for the vast majority there is practically no difference. All of them are currently based on processors that are specifically designed for low-cost and compact devices aimed at working on the Internet. Thus, the only differences in the technical equipment of netbooks are the screen size, hard drive, capacity random access memory and various built-in utilities, such as web cameras, card readers, Bluetooth models, and so on.

Moreover, if the range of RAM volumes is small: from 512 MB to 2 GB, then the range of volumes installed in netbooks hard drives really surprising - from 4 GB to 120 GB. However, small hard drives have an undeniable advantage; the fact is that hard drives installed in netbooks and not having large volume, are SSD drives. This begs the question - why are they better than regular hard drives, since they are installed, despite the fact that their volume differs from the volume of hard drives by an order of magnitude?

Acer Aspire One – all the advantages of an SSD

The main advantages of SSDs compared to conventional HDDs are: low energy consumption, light weight, small size, absence of mechanical components and, as a result, complete absence of noise from moving parts and cooling fans. All of the above are very useful in small and portable devices such as netbooks, and even more so, SSD drives with a capacity of more than 250 GB should appear in the near future, although little is known about their price yet.

By the way, since we have noted the advantages of such drives, let’s go over their disadvantages. The main disadvantages are: the high price of each Gigabyte and the relatively low recording speed. The user will have to decide for himself what is more important to him - large recording capacity and speed, or light weight and longer battery life of the netbook. I agree that this choice is far from simple, but I note that if you use a netbook only for correspondence and communication, and not store everything on it, then 8 GB should be enough. In addition, no one has canceled flash drives or portable hard drives.

Acer Aspire One 110-Ab

Came to us Acer Aspire One 110-Ab, he is not alone in the lineup, there are other modifications of the version 110 , there is also 150th series. It is important to note that the only netbook in this line is Aspire One AOA150-Bk equipped with an additional high-capacity battery. Plus, just recently updated Aspire One, which already has a 10-inch display. So there is clearly plenty to choose from.

Since we are talking about technical characteristics, I would like to tell you a couple of advantages that it has in this regard. Aspire One 110 compared to other netbooks. The first difference is the presence of active cooling - a tiny fan is hidden behind a small protrusion at the bottom of the netbook. Thus, the manufacturer reduced the weight of the device, however, despite the low noise level of the fan, it can still be heard in complete silence, especially when the laptop is heavily loaded and therefore overheats.

The built-in camera and microphone won’t surprise anyone now, but it’s still nice. But the presence of two card readers may surprise you. Moreover, if one of them simply allows you to read and write data to memory cards of the most common formats, then the second, when using the operating system Linpus Linux Lite, allows you to automatically expand the capacity of your hard drive, although I’ll talk about this a little later. And now we move from theory to practice - we pick up a box with a netbook.

Acer Aspire One | Packaging and kit

Acer Aspire One comes in a very neat small box. The box has a carrying handle, which, in addition to its light weight, makes it extremely convenient to transport the netbook without a special bag.

The design of the box deserves special attention. Despite the absence of any bright colors, it attracts attention quite strongly. The front and back sides are depicted in different colors, and if the model white flaunts against the backdrop of snow-covered fields, then the model with a blue body is located against the backdrop of a seascape. On one side of the box all five color colors of the cases are drawn Aspire One(I will list the colors a little later), and on the opposite side you can see information about the technical characteristics of the netbook.

After opening the box, what appeared to me was a set that was not very rich by “laptop” standards.

• Netbook.
• Accumulator battery.
• Charger.
• Instructions.
• DVD - recovery disc.

I suggest looking at the elements of the kit in more detail. Actually, we are most likely more interested in the netbook itself, so let me first say a few words about all the other elements of the kit Aspire One, and then I’ll go directly to the culprit of the review. Regarding the charger, I would like to note that the Aspire One it is very light compared to chargers for laptops - its weight is slightly less than the weight of the Aspire One, and it weighs only one kilogram. Battery Acer Aspire One 110-Ab lithium-ion 2200 mAh.

The instructions are also worthy of praise - it is completely Russified and contains enough information so that a user of any level can quickly understand the netbook, or rather its unusual operating system. By the way, the disk included in the kit contains exactly the same operating system, which, by the way, is called Linpus Linux Lite.

So, most of the kit has been described, all that remains is the netbook itself. In nature Acer Aspire One found in five different colors - white, blue, pink, brown and black. Thus, the manufacturer expanded the circle of its consumers from female representatives, who would most likely prefer white and pink models, to male representatives, who would like the remaining colors. Moreover, the number of colors Aspire One reduces the likelihood of meeting a netbook exactly like yours, which is important, because a netbook is also largely an image thing. As you can see from the photographs, I received a neutral blue model - I will describe it to you.

Acer Aspire One | Appearance

Housing Aspire One does not contain sharp corners - all the lines are only smooth, and is made of very pleasant plastic, and its assembly is also excellent - no squeaks were detected during use. The laptop lid is decorated with a gray logo Acer and quite heavily varnished.

On the one hand, this is great, since the device looks glossy and pleases the eye with its shine, on the other hand, every touch of this glossy surface inevitably leaves a mark on it... Agree, it is quite difficult to open a netbook without touching its lid, so to remove fingerprints from the device, you will have to constantly wipe it. Here is another example of the fact that beauty requires sacrifice. Regarding internal surfaces Acer Aspire One, then they also leave fingerprints with enviable ease, however, here the plastic is not so heavily varnished, so it looks decent even without regular wiping.

The underside of the case is black, without any frills, however, there is a small bulge on it, behind which there is a fan for active cooling.

In addition to describing the appearance of the case, I would like to note the rather stylish silver logos located around the perimeter of the device, as well as the red rings that are on the hinges connecting the two parts of the netbook.

The placement of ports and connectors deserves special praise. On the back side, where, by the way, the battery is located, there is not a single connector, but on the sides there are Aspire One there is everything you need, namely, on the left side: a connector for connecting to the power supply, VGA- output, connector RJ45 to connect to local network, one USB port and card reader for SD/MMC kart.

And on right side: Kensington lock slot, another card reader for cards SD/SDHC/MMC/MS/xD, two USB- port , headphone jack and microphone jack.

The presence of USB ports on both sides will clearly appeal to most, but the presence of two card readers will definitely surprise. Why are there two of them? I’ll allow myself to answer this question a little later, but now let’s finally open the lid of the netbook.

Acer Aspire One when opened it becomes even prettier. Moreover, if in the closed state the device differs little from most netbooks, and outwardly stands out, in fact, due to the shiny coating and smoothed lines, then immediately after opening the lid its individuality appears. As you can see in the photographs, the screen hinges are made in a very unusual way. This arrangement allows you to see the LED indication even when the lid is closed. And the red rings on the sides of those same loops simply attract the eyes of others to them.

What do we see? Screen! Before us appears, again, a glossy lover of storing prints on itself - an 8.9-inch display, above which, by the way, there is a built-in web camera and a hole behind which the built-in microphone is hidden.

Acer Aspire One | Controls

We look just below - a touchpad with a keyboard that is quite wide for such devices.

The keyboard itself is black, the inscriptions are white. At first, it seems that she is the most ordinary, but upon closer inspection, it turns out that not everything is so simple. Do you think that if the device is very small, then the buttons should be very small? The engineers will clearly disagree with you. Due to the fact that the group of arrow buttons is lowered slightly lower than the rest, it was possible to at least slightly expand the space for the keys, and, therefore, more space is allocated to each of them.

The result is a very comfortable keyboard, although, I must admit, I didn’t expect this from a netbook - it’s really nice and convenient to use - the keys don’t play, don’t wobble and have a very pleasant and smooth stroke, and this is very important for those who are going to do a lot of typing on the netbook.

Naturally, like the vast majority of laptops, the keyboard Acer Aspire One there is a button Fn, clicking on which in combination with others allows you to quickly change the screen brightness, adjust the sound volume, disable the touchpad and much more.

Speaking of the touchpad Acer Aspire One. It's as good as the keyboard. Relative to the surface of the netbook, it is slightly recessed downwards, and the buttons are located not as usual - under the touchpad, but on the sides. It would seem like such a small thing, but the result of this transfer is a very convenient control element. I would like to add that the touchpad buttons, just like the keyboard buttons, do not play, and this is very nice.

Finishing the conversation about controls Acer Aspire One, I will mention two more. The first of these is the on/off button, it's located in the top right corner, right above the keyboard. The button itself has a small oval cutout, behind which there is a green diode that lights up when the device is working. The last control is a small sliding button, which is located on the side of the netbook closest to the user, right under the keyboard. The button is responsible for turning Wi-Fi on and off. By the way, to understand whether it is turned on or not is simple: if Wi-Fi is active, the yellow diode next to the button lights up.

Acer Aspire One | Linpus Linux Lite

As I already said, on the netbook we get to me, it was installed operating system Linpus Linux Lite, specially tuned for this netbook. Let's figure out together how successful the choice of the manufacturer turned out to be. So, we turn on the laptop - the first pleasant emotions are brought by the loading time Linpus Linux Lite-about 10 seconds from the moment of switching on to full readiness for work - to be honest, you won’t see this everywhere, but in the case of operating systems Windows, it's practically impossible.

The laptop has booted up - there is a desktop in front of us, but it looks very unusual. It is worth immediately noting two more advantages - the first is the excellent Russification of everything software, the second is very cute appearance the operating system as a whole.

In the lower right corner of the screen, in tribute to tradition, there is a system tray with a clock and many useful icons. The upper right corner is dedicated to the search bar, both local and global. In a place familiar to users Windows, the "Start" button has a button with an icon with a blue house, clicking on which does not display any menu, but minimizes all windows.

Most of the screen area Linpus Linux Lite is divided into four sections, which, according to developers from Acer, reflect the main functionality laptop, and at the same time the user's needs. These are the sections “Connect”, “Work”, “Entertainment”, “Files”.

In each such section there are three large icons responsible for launching the corresponding applications, as well as an arrow, clicking on which opens the entire section with all the icons related to it. In chapter "Connect" located: Browser - aka browser, IM - client - which for unknown reasons does not support ICQ, viewing programs Email and reading RSS feeds, as well as quick access icons to such popular, according to the manufacturer, resources as Wikipedia, google maps and Hotmail.

Chapter "Job" in fact, it contains most of the necessary office applications for working with texts, tables and presentations - in short, it is installed here Open Office. Also available in this section is a convenient calculator, calendar, and programs for storing contacts and notes.

The entertainment section allows you to access a program for viewing multimedia data, a program for viewing photos, games, a Web camera, as well as a simple graphics editor.

In its turn "Games" are also an independent section, in which there are about ten simple, but quite beautiful and colorful toys, some of which, unfortunately, are paid. For example, in checkers in free mode you can only make a certain number of moves, which simply cannot be enough to win, and a large number of people are unlikely to want to pay 442 rubles 80 kopecks for them (that’s how much the license costs). In general, the presented mini-games can help kill extra time - just like the “immortal” Tetris.

In chapter "Files" icons are collected that allow you to quickly open folders with the desired content, for example, clicking on “My Images” will open the corresponding folder on the disk. All buttons presented in this section launch file manager, which will not be difficult for a user of any level of training to understand.

Having discussed the sections, let's return to the desktop for a moment. In the lower right corner, just above the system tray with the clock, there are two buttons "Settings" And "Reference". Clicking on the second one entails opening a file with documentation and therefore is not very interesting to us.

But as for the settings, there is something to look at. By clicking on "Settings", the user is taken to a separate section in which he has access to options for screen, power supply, network connections, calendar, sound, touchpad, connected printers, language, updates. Here you can also call up information about the system, as well as change the user password.

At first it seems that Acer Aspire One everything you need is already installed. Judge for yourself, here you have a completely Russified, neat and “nimble” operating system, office applications and a media player and browser are installed, and even a few games, but at some point the user may want to add some other programs - the same graphics editor or a program for communicating via ICQ, what should I do in this case?

Frankly, I have been looking for a long time to get to the “real” settings of the operating system, in which, for example, there is access to installing and uninstalling programs. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t find it in the settings section. I had to look command line- something without which it is difficult to imagine an operating system Linux. This task also turned out to be not so trivial, but I still managed to find access to the command line from the file manager.

To get into the system settings I used the command xfce-setting-show . After a little manipulation, I finally managed to get into the “real” operating system settings. Where I could easily install necessary programs, so in the end I got a full-fledged operating system with everything I needed, as well as the ability to increase functionality by installing additional programs, of which, by the way, there are simply a huge number under Linux.

enjoy Linpus Linux Lite It’s really convenient, it works quickly, and all the necessary controls are always at hand. I would especially like to note the speed with which the netbook running this operating system connected to the Internet, both via cable and wireless connection.

After installing the network cable, the Internet became available in one second, and in case wireless connection- in less than 10 seconds. The best part is that it is not installed on the netbook Windows, then it is practically not susceptible to viruses, Trojans and similar infections, which, combined with competent Russification, allows it to be used by users of any level of training, including children.

Acer Aspire One and Windows XP

operating system Windows XP was placed on Aspire One with only one goal - to run all the necessary tests and benchmarks on the netbook; you can see the results just below. However, I understand perfectly well that many users will decide to install Windows XP instead of Linpus Linux Lite, guided by their own interests or for the sake of compatibility with any applications they need that have no analogues for Linux. Therefore, especially for such users, I will describe the installation process a little Windows XP on Aspire One.

The netbook lacks Acer, like the vast majority of its competitors, the built-in DVD/CD-ROM undoubtedly made it a little difficult (there was no external DVD-ROM at hand) and slowed down the installation process, but, strangely enough, the media player came to my aid, which was just was tested by us, and was easily identified as an external optical drive.

The installation took a relatively long time, after all, being a DVD drive is not the main job for a media player, but an hour and a half after the installation began, I still saw a desktop familiar to absolutely everyone Windows XP.

Immediately after installing the operating system, which clearly did not have all the necessary drivers, I had to get these drivers. I was thinking of finding drivers for Windows on the DVD included in the kit, but they were not there, but on the official website www.acer.com everything was found. After installing the drivers, all the “insides” of the netbook were identified Windows XP no problem.

Apparently because I first used Aspire One With Linpus Linux Lite, use on it Windows XP I wasn't very happy. Moreover, it’s not even a matter of loading speed, which Linux Lite at an unprecedented height, the point, most likely, is that using a netbook as a regular computer, for which it is intended Windows XP, in my opinion, not the best idea.

8.9-inch screen, as well as fillings Aspire One hardly enough for a professional and convenient editing taking photos, working with videos or running any demanding games and applications, a netbook is more suitable for checking mail, communicating in the same ICQ or Skype, Internet surfing, video conferences, watching movies or editing documents. In this connection, if the listed capabilities are enough for you, I definitely recommend using an OS specially adapted for a netbook Linpus Linux Lite.

However, set to Aspire One family operating system Windows it is possible, and it will naturally work, although not as quickly as we would like. In defense Windows XP we can also say that the netbook under her leadership ran on battery power for only a few minutes less than under the control of Linux Lite.

Acer testing Aspire One

Then on Aspire One tests were installed to evaluate the performance of both the entire system as a whole and individual components, time was also estimated battery life laptop, both under full load and without it.

So, in the test 3DMark 2003 netbook earned modest 710 points, the test was run at 1024x768 resolution with anti-alising disabled, optimal texture filtering and vertex shaders, and maximum anisotropic filtering 4.

Affairs in 3DMark 2005 things were, naturally, worse, here the netbook only typed 243 points.

As for the operating speed of an SSD drive, the average read time is about 35 MB/s, but the write speed, alas, does not exceed 15 MB/s. The last digit greatly distinguishes this SSD drive model from classic SATA hard drives.

We did not forget to measure such an important indicator as full charging time battery, which for the tested model is approximately 87 minutes.

Acer Aspire One | conclusions

During use Acer Aspire One I came to the following conclusions. We won't talk about performance Aspire One compared to other netbooks due to the fact that they all currently have almost the same hardware. So the user has a unique opportunity to focus on the user experience when choosing this type of device.

A definite plus Aspire One is its appearance and ergonomics of controls. The keyboard is very comfortable and good-looking, and the touchpad also deserves all sorts of praise. The operating system also deserves special envy from users of other netbooks Linpus Linux Lite, which not only looks very unusual and beautiful, but also works quickly and reliably. All this, of course, is true only for the average user, if professionals do not have enough functionality Linpus, no one forbids installing any other “penguin” distribution on a netbook.

The idea is to use two card readers, one of which allows you to expand the space system disk(I promised to mention this in more detail), for a device with a memory capacity of 8 GB, it is very successful, especially since memory cards are now cheaper than ever. True, restrictions on the total capacity of memory cards located in both slots, amounting to 8 GB, somewhat reduces the possibility of “unlimited” expansion of the volume hard drive via SD cards.

Lack of built-in Bluetooth module for many users can be a significant disadvantage, especially for those who want to connect to the Internet via GPRS/EDGE, using their phone as a modem. However, a netbook version with a 3G modem (there is space for installation in any Acer Aspire One) makes the presence of Bluetooth not so critical.

An important characteristic for this type of device is weight, it is also at a decently low level, only 1 kilogram - and the dimensions are small, therefore, it can be worn Aspire One You can take almost anything with you.

Now, as for battery life. According to this characteristic Aspire One at least a little, it is inferior to its competitors, however, three hours of operation at minimum load and a full battery charge in one hour and twenty-three minutes is a quite decent result and, in theory, will be enough for many. Theoretically, battery life can be increased by using an additional battery, but this will inevitably entail an increase in the final cost and weight of the device.

Acer
for the netbook provided for testing Acer Aspire One

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. Back panel 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

Price for Acer laptop Aspire One 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 already almost immense family ASUS Eee PC, and 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 also a relatively affordable price. I was also pleased 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.

Acer netbooks: review best models

At the same time, few people will be surprised by a reader today, and besides, the cost of a good e-reader is approaching the cost tablet computer or even a laptop computer.

Acer netbooks bring joy

It is the latter that will be discussed in our review today. There are a number of reasons why a device in the netbook form factor can be considered one of best options New Year's gift, we will not list them all, because such a task is not worth it, it’s better to take a look at the Acer line of netbooks, and everything will become self-evident. Let us make a reservation right away that we will not consider any single the lineup, but several devices, quite different in functionality, configuration and internal architecture, in order to cover the widest possible range of devices (as possible within one review).

Acer Aspire One 725

We will start our review with a netbook, for the simple reason that this device enjoys the greatest popularity among users, and I must say that this popularity is well deserved. This netbook can be called a compact, cute mule among its fellow netbooks, which are often leisurely donkeys.

Acer Aspire One 725

Built Acer Aspire One 725 based on AMD platforms APU Fusion. Fusion APU series processors are specifically designed to work in netbooks, laptops and all-in-one desktops. Thus, it is easy to guess that installing a processor of this series on a netbook makes the latter a fairly powerful and functional device.

To be precise, the CPU on the Aspire One 725 is a dual-core C-60 processor with clock frequency 1 GHz operation and the ability to overclock in Turbo CORE mode up to 1.33 GHz. The Aspire One 725 also carries on board 4 GB of DDRIII RAM and a 320-500 GB HDD drive.

The implementation of graphic solutions for the netbook deserves special attention. As a graphics card, the Aspire One 725 has integrated AMD Radeon HD 6290 Graphics with 256 MB of dedicated memory. Thus, this netbook is not just portable device, and also a good solution for lovers computer games, because with such graphic equipment, even simple 3D games will run on it without any brakes.

The Aspire One 725 case makes a good impression

In addition, we cannot ignore the visualization solutions used in this netbook. The Aspire One 725 is equipped with an 11.6-inch Acer CineCrystal LED TFT LCD display with a resolution of 1366x768, which is characterized by wide viewing angles, image clarity and color depth. In addition, in certain configurations, the netbook is equipped with a NON GLARE matrix, which increases image clarity and makes the netbook more suitable for use in open spaces.

An ergonomic, full-size island-type keyboard allows you to work with text or graphics for a long time without feeling tired.

Of course, if you consider the Aspire One 725 netbook as a New Year's gift, you cannot ignore its appearance. Perhaps, only one thing can be said here: the design of the device is made with five plus marks. The netbook body is made in two colors: strict black and quite playful blue. The lid of the laptop has a glossy finish, while the wrist area is made of matte material, which creates a certain contrast, and besides, the matte surface of the internal areas of the device is not so easily soiled, fingerprints practically do not remain on it, so the netbook will always look neat.

As for functionality, the Aspire One 725 holds a good mid-high level. This is exactly the case when the manufacturer’s stated characteristics - “devices for daily performance of everyday tasks” - are fully justified. Working with text, images, surfing the Internet and using multimedia functions - there are no problems with anything. The netbook works quite quickly, and there is no strong heating or noise from it. Aspire One 725 has wireless support Wi-Fi networks 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0+HS.

Interfaces and connectors Acer Aspire One 725

Of course, we should not forget that one of the the most important characteristics such a device as a netbook - mobility. Aspire One 725 is equipped with a four-cell lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 2500 m/Ah. The battery life is just shy of 6 hours.

Thus, we can summarize: the Aspire One 725 can be a fairly serious New Year's gift for a person looking for a fairly powerful, mobile device, which you could always take with you, but at the same time not lose functionality due to the form factor.

Aspire One D270

Next in line is the netbook. Consideration of this model should be divided into two groups, since the design of netbooks in this line is divided into two different branches: some of the devices have a rather strict appearance, enclosed in monotonous colored cases, and some have a cheerful design, with multi-colored bubbles on the lid and touchpad. Unfortunately, there is no space here for such a detailed analysis, and in terms of hardware, netbooks have no differences, so in support of the spirit of the holiday, we will simply keep in our mind’s eye a netbook in a colorful, cheerful case, and, accordingly, consider it as excellent a gift for a cheerful girl who easily goes through life with a conceptual Aspire One D270 under her arm.

The cheerful Aspire One D270 gets into the holiday spirit

To make the life of our imaginary heroine seem even more cloudless, and the operation of the netbook to remain stable and fast, the manufacturers equipped it with an Intel Atom N2600 processor with a frequency of 1.6 GHz. The netbook's RAM capacity is 2 GB. When looking at such indicators, of course, there is no particular admiration, but they are quite sufficient for stable and generally fast operation of the system. In addition, it is worth remembering that in this case we are talking about a device that has been on the market for a long time, i.e., it is completely established and has already proven its viability. Consequently, the Aspire One D270 has a decent number of grateful users.

The device is equipped with a rich set interface connectors: on the left side of the netbook there are USB 2.0, an HDMI connector, a VGA port, a standard RJ-45 and a connector for network adapter. On the right: a universal 5-in-1 card reader, a standard audio jack, a microphone input and two USB 2.0 ports, with a Kensington Lock connector in the very corner. The front and back edges are free of any interfaces. On the top panel, above the screen, there is a black peephole of a webcam with a resolution of 0.3 MP, which provides standard video communication capabilities.

The Aspire One D270 keyboard is quite ordinary

The Aspire One D270 is equipped with a 10.1-inch diagonal screen with LED backlighting and integrated Intel GMA3600 graphics. The maximum screen resolution is 1024x600 pixels. The resolution, frankly speaking, is not maximum, but one thing that cannot be taken away from a netbook is excellent viewing angles. When deviating left and right, the image does not fade or become distorted. The same goes for downward deflection. The only visible distortion appears when the vertical axis deviates upward, which is a characteristic feature for all devices in general.

Another argument in favor of the fact that the Aspire One D270 is a more acceptable gift for a girl is the size of the keys. Frankly speaking, they are not large, especially the arrow block, so the keyboard is not the most comfortable for men’s hands, but for the light fingers of our hypothetical user it is just right. But we had no complaints about the touchpad of the Aspire One D270. The matte surface is pleasant to the touch, the cursor clearly responds to touch. The touch vertical scroll bar does not act strangely or jump around. The touchpad buttons are merged into a single key, the press is tight, noticeable, but without a loud click.

The battery life of the Aspire One D270 is slightly less than that of the previous model, but also quite decent - 5 hours in moderate use mode, i.e., viewing images, working with text, surfing the Internet and other simple tasks.

Appearance is the undeniable advantage of the Aspire One D270

Thus, we have before us a nice little netbook with a full set of necessary functions and a fairly long battery life. life cycle away from the power grid.

Acer Aspire One 756

A netbook is quite a “dark horse” and, oddly enough, not many users can boast of being familiar with it. The strange thing is that this netbook comes in a fairly diverse configuration, which should arouse interest among those who like to experiment with hardware. On this moment The Acer Aspire One 756 laptop is available in the following configurations: based on Intel Celeron 87.887 processors with a clock frequency of 1.4 GHz. The RAM capacity is 4 GB, expandable up to 8 GB via two SO-DIMM modules, or 2 GB RAM.

Acer Aspire One 756

The storage capacity can also vary from either a 320 GB HDD or a 500 GB HDD.

The appearance of this laptop is quite strict, despite the fact that it comes in four different colors: black, blue, red and silver. The dimensions of the Acer Aspire One 756 are 285 x 202 x 20.95-27.35 mm, and the weight is 1.38 kg. The indicators are quite normal for an 11.6-inch device, but they fully meet the requirements for a device that is always with you.

The netbook is equipped with all the connectors and interfaces necessary for fruitful work, such as a reader and writer of SD and MMC memory cards, stereo speakers, a microphone, a web camera that allows you to record video with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels (like the One 725, this netbook can be equipped with a NON GLARE matrix), communication modules, RJ-45 and a Wi-Fi module that supports 802.11b/g networks.

Acer Aspire One 756 has good screen performance

This model would be quite suitable for a prudent user who perfectly understands the purpose of a netbook, its functionality and capabilities.

Packard Bell dots

And for a snack we were left with a very interesting Packard Bell dot s model. In general, Packard Bell devices have always been of particular interest among casual users. I think with this device the situation is absolutely the same. Packard Bell dot s is perfect for those who want to emphasize their own individuality without falling into an absurd addiction to flashy colors and kitschy design.

Packard Bell dots

The lid of the netbook seems to be chaotically cut with transverse textured stripes. Regardless of the color of the cover, and it can be black, white or purple, the netbook body is made of black plastic. On the one hand, it seems that there is nothing supernatural in the design of the netbook, but at the same time it is obvious that the device has a certain charm and attractiveness.

Like previous netbooks, the Packard Bell dot s comes in two different configurations. By choosing the junior model of the Packard Bell dot s netbook, the user receives a device equipped with a 10.1-inch display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 WSVGA and LED backlight, 0.3-megapixel webcam, Intel Atom N2600 processor, hard drive with a capacity of up to 320 GB and a full-size keyboard. It would be more correct to call the netbook's touchpad a multi-touch control panel. Packard Bell dot s carries adapters on board wireless communication Bluetooth 2.1 (or Bluetooth 4.0 optional) and Wi-Fi standard 802.11b/g/n, HDMI port plus a six-cell battery providing up to 8 hours of battery life.

The Packard Bell dot s design is familiar to many fans of casual products.

It is also worth noting the presence of a full Ethernet port and a multi-card reader.

The older Packard Bell dot s model has the same configuration of external ports and interfaces as the younger one, but the internal architecture is slightly different. The older model was built based on Intel processor Atom N2800 with a clock frequency of 1.86 GHz and 2 GB of RAM, versus 1 GB of RAM for the younger model. This configuration is naturally more powerful.

As graphics system in the older and lower configurations there is an Intel GMA 3600.

Packard Bell dot s configuration is sufficient

As mentioned above, Packard Bell dot s will be an excellent gift for a casual user in the best European traditions.

Bottom line

To summarize all that has been said, we can only note that by turning to Acer netbooks you can easily solve the problem of a New Year's gift for people of completely different social status and provisions. The presented lines can satisfy the tastes of almost any user.

Indicators such as mobility and performance will always be valued by users, and Acer products fully meet both indicators, and, importantly, do not require extremely high financial costs, since each of the presented devices can be classified as a budget model segment, regardless of high quality products. It is also worth noting the large number of possible configurations, which not every manufacturer provides today. For example, the Aspire One 725 and Aspire One 756 netbooks are available not only with different drives and processors, but also with different screen finishes (matte anti-glare or “glossy”).

The netbook market was once promising. Manufacturers kept creating new models, competing to see who could come up with the most interesting design, who would be the first to master the new platform, who would make the body thinner. Gradually, interest in this class of computers from developers faded away. This can be confirmed by the hype, or rather, the complete lack of it, with the appearance of the new Intel Atom platform.

Acer, for example, quietly prepared and released only one new model- Aspire One D270. And even then, it’s a stretch to call it new, since its design is identical to the budget netbook Aspire One D257, released a year ago. What interested us in this, in general, standard model? Only that this is one of the cheapest netbooks of the new generation and definitely has the best price/functionality ratio among analogues.

Specifications

As is customary with Acer, the netbook reviewed in this review is made according to the formula "cheap and cheerful": almost everything possible (for of this type computers) peripherals and interfaces. Installed: webcam with microphone, two speakers, two audio jacks, card reader with support for three card formats (SD, MS, xD), three USB port 2.0, two video outputs (VGA and HDMI), wireless and wired network controllers. What is missing in its hardware configuration is usually not found in budget devices: firstly, it is Bluetooth (it is not available in many configurations), and secondly, it is a built-in 3G modem.

The Acer netbook is equipped with a standard 2.5" hard drive with a thickness of 9.5 mm, while many competitors have chosen 7 mm drives to reduce the thickness of the case. Despite this, the Aspire One D270 model is thinner than many of its competitors (see . comparison table). Moreover, the developers provided a large cover on the bottom, but we were unable to remove it - according to some reports, the cover is secured with bolts located under the keyboard block. However, it is unlikely that the user will want to upgrade the device.

Being a budget model, the Acer netbook is equipped with a conventional 3 or 6 cell battery. Our test unit had the second option, with a capacity of 48.8 Wh (average for modern laptops). Despite the noticeable elevation in the rear part of the case, the battery does not completely fit into the dimensions: it is installed at an angle relative to the plane of the case and protrudes from the bottom from the bottom, albeit only slightly (5 mm). Thus, with a body thickness of 25 mm (30 mm including the battery), the Acer netbook is one of the thinnest devices in its class, second only to the new Asus model - X101CH.

Design and Construction

As we have already reported, from a design point of view, the Aspire One D270 model repeats its predecessor - the D257 model on the previous Intel Atom platform. In general, the appearance of the device is quite modest and unassuming: plump contours, rounded corners, ordinary thin hinges, inexpensive plastic. No chrome parts, no accents in the interior, everything is laconic and simple. Only the lid is designed in a non-trivial way: on its smooth glossy surface there is a large relief asymmetrically located, imitating diverging circles on the water.

The D270 model is currently available in four colors: all-black and white-silver (like our test unit) options are universal classics, and for those who like a bright design, there are unusual blue-green and more traditional dark red options. The material and texture of the panels are the same in all versions: the lid is glossy on both sides, without relief, the wrist panel and keyboard are slightly rough, the sides and bottom are grainy.

The netbook body is made of fairly thick but soft plastic. It is not possible to push through the panels of the case and the lid, but they have little resistance to torsion and there is a slight creaking sound. The lid hinge is implemented quite well: it is moderately tight, with a clear fixation, without play, the opening angle is 147° (taking into account the angle of installation on the table). The build quality is flawless, but we cannot vouch for the abrasion resistance of the materials, especially under the wrists - the coating looks suspiciously cheap. However, this is typical for Acer: good hardware in a cheap case.

Screen

It was not possible to determine the manufacturer of the LCD matrix in the test netbook (due to an error, presumably in the firmware of the matrix controller, the manufacturer's code is not available in software). Many potential buyers will be disappointed by the glossy, highly reflective screen surface. I also didn’t like the small brightness margin, which clearly doesn’t take into account the need to work with the netbook outdoors. In other respects, the Acer screen made a positive impression: good contrast, visual clarity, normal color gamut, nice balanced image.

The screen gamma is lowered by default, which visually enhances contrast. Viewing angles are at an average level, the image does not shimmer or distort, as on many cheap matte screens. The blue-violet coloration of dark shades is present, but is not very noticeable. Thus, if you do not take into account glare and lack of brightness, the screen of the Acer netbook is quite good, especially considering the cost of the device.

Sound

The Acer netbook is equipped with two speakers, although many manufacturers make do with just one in budget models. However, this fact in itself does not guarantee sound quality. So in the Aspire One D270, the speakers produce pale, very frequency-limited sound, with no volume reserve.

Keyboard

At first glance, the keyboard of the Acer netbook should be classified as one of its obvious shortcomings. It has an awkward FineTip design, with flat, thin keypads and tight key clearances. The keyboard area is noticeably curved and follows the convex shape of the wrist area. Nevertheless, we did not experience any serious inconveniences, apart from the inevitable touching of neighboring keys, while typing. The key mechanism has a pleasant, non-fatiguing elasticity, the actuation threshold is at the very beginning of the key travel, and the travel depth is a standard 2 mm. The base of the keyboard and the keys themselves are securely fastened, and flexion is almost unnoticeable.

The keyboard layout of the Acer netbook is completely standard, with all service keys and long Shift, Enter, Caps Lock, Backspace. The cursor buttons are made flat and half-shaped, and two navigation keys are added to them - PgUp/Home and PgDn/End, which may seem inconvenient. The key pitch is one of the largest among analogues, about 93% of the norm, which requires almost no adaptation. In general, despite the obviously unfortunate shape of the keys, working with text on the Acer netbook is very comfortable.

Buttons, indication

The keyboard indication on the Acer netbook, like other models from this manufacturer, is physically absent - there are only pop-up icons on the screen. On the left side of the wrist area there are three LEDs, clearly visible when the lid is closed - power, battery and Wi-Fi. There are usually no additional buttons in netbooks from this manufacturer.

Touchpad

The touchpad of an Acer netbook (in our copy, made by Elan) is located in a recess almost in the center and has average dimensions for similar devices - 78x37 mm. There are no complaints about the operation of the panel: the finger glides well on a smooth surface, the cursor is responsive, scrolling, zooming and other multi-finger combinations work surprisingly clearly and without significant delays.

The function of detecting accidental palm touches was a bit disappointing - there were some errors when typing. Alas, the long touchpad key is unfortunate: it’s tight, has a deep travel, and is slippery. In addition, in our specimen, its left half was triggered every other time.

Performance

The Acer netbook is built on a completely standard platform, has a standard configuration, and therefore demonstrates standard performance.

Judging by the PCMark 7 and Windows 7 SAT tests installed in our test unit HDD WD did not demonstrate the best performance, which had a slight impact on the results of all tests of the PCMark 7 package - among the already tested analogues, Acer was the worst. However, the lag did not exceed 4%, which will not be noticeable in real operating conditions.

Battery life

Despite the usual battery size, the Acer netbook showed decent results in battery life tests. When there is no load on the processor (MobileMark 2007 Reader test), it works without recharging for almost 10 hours.

With active Wi-Fi use, the battery drains much faster - in less than 7 hours. Average power consumption in the MobileMark 2007 Productivity test was 5.3 W, which is a record for standard netbooks.

Noise and heat

Our test copy of the Acer netbook was equipped with a new generation junior processor - Atom N2600. Its low power consumption allows for a very modest cooling system. Temperature measurements taken at rest and during stress testing (built-in test of the AIDA64 utility) suggest sufficient CPU cooling efficiency. Thus, in a state of relative rest, the CPU temperature, according to monitoring data, does not exceed 47°. During active heating with a stress test, it rises to 56-57° - not much, given the extremely limited internal volume of the netbook case.

The noise level under load is relatively low, although in a quiet room the rustling of the netbook will be clearly audible. The temperature of the body panels is moderate: the wrist area is up to 31°, the keyboard is up to 34°, the bottom is 32-36°, with the exception of the hot zone above the radiator (up to 40°). In general, the temperature regime and noise level of the device can be characterized as optimal.

Conclusion

In terms of technical characteristics, the new Acer netbook can be called an almost ideal device in its class: cheap, economical, quiet, fairly thin and light, with a full range of ports, including HDMI. There are practically no questions about ergonomics: a normal touchpad, a more or less comfortable keyboard, a good quality screen (if you do not take into account its glossy surface).

The design of the model, of course, is rather weak; the unusual wavy cover does not save it - Asus and Samsung netbooks look much more interesting and advantageous. There are other shortcomings, mainly related to the design and materials of the case, but overall the Aspire One D270 seemed to us to be a simple and pleasant device to use, which has a much better price/functionality ratio than most of its analogues.

Advantages:
low cost;
a complete set of devices and interfaces;
adequate battery life;
small dimensions and weight;
normal keyboard and touchpad;
nice screen;
successful lid design;
no noise or heating during operation.

Flaws:
glossy screen with no brightness reserve;
the case is not strong enough and of high quality;
weak design;
bad touchpad key.
A source of information:

In 2008, many of the largest IT companies managed to launch netbooks. Of course, ASUS succeeded more than anyone else as the initiator of the entire movement. The Eee PC 900 and Eee PC 1000, as well as several of their modifications, came off its stocks. MSI Wind U100 netbooks have become quite popular. Now the Taiwanese company is already going to release the U120. Manufacturers such as HP, Dell, Fujitsu and several more have distinguished themselves. But, unfortunately, so far only ASUS, MSI and Acer products have reached our shelves in sufficient quantities.

Acer Aspire One is one of the youngest netbooks on the market. However, his start was very rapid. Firstly, it immediately became available in several configurations. Well, secondly, its price is on average slightly lower than that of its analogues. By and large, the Acer netbook is something of a mixture of ASUS Eee PC 901, 1000 and 1000H, and at the same time MSI Wind U100. The Aspire One comes with both Windows XP and Linux. Well, either a small SSD or HDD can be used as a permanent data storage. But we'll talk about configuration later. Let's look at the design for now.

Design

The appearance of the Acer Aspire One is very attractive. Acer, like MSI, supplies netbooks in four different color options: dark blue, light gray, pink and brown. We got the first one.