Digital Home Thoughts - News & Reviews for the Digital Home

This is a bit off topic for some sites in our network, but a good deal is a good deal: our hardware affiliate partner Expansys is selling the Linux-based version of the Acer Aspire One for $199, which is an excellent deal. This version of the Aspire One has an 8.9 inch screen, 1 GB of RAM, a 120 GB hard drive, and uses the 1.6 Ghz Intel Atom CPU. Combine that netbook with a $49 copy of Windows 7, and you've got yourself a nice little piece of mobile computing technology (just be sure to also have an external USB-based optical drive). I haven't installed Windows 7 on an Acer Aspire One, but I suspect it would work just fine - Windows 7 identified all the important hardware on my MSI Wind and HP Mini 1000 netbooks without a problem. At the time of this writing, Expansys only has 58 left in stock, so don't delay.

"The Aspire One D150 lineup hits the streets of France beginning in February with the D150-0B. This €329 ($425) netbook sports a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, 1GB memory, 160GB hard drive, a 10.1-inch (1024 x 600) display, and a 3-cell battery. Then in March, the D150-1B makes its appearance. An enhanced version of the D150, this device is otherwise identical, save a 6-cell battery that should be good for up to 7 hours -- the battery upgrade will set you back a cool €349 ($450)."

Engadget has some details on the new Aspire One models, but they seem a little late and overpriced. I recently picked up the Asus Eee 1000-HA for $385 and it has pretty much identical specs. I'll reserve any further judgement until we get firm US pricing and release dates.

This is my review of the Acer Aspire One, a popular netbook with some fairly typical specs: a 1.6 Ghz Intel Atom CPU, 1 GB RAM, an 8.9 inch screen, a 120 GB hard drive, 802.11b/g, a 6 cell battery, and running Windows XP Home. Pricing varies - I paid around $439 for this, but Acer has changed the product slightly - they're now shipping it with a 160 GB hard drive, and there are several version of the Aspire One on the market, including an entry-level unit with Linux. I shot this review over a month ago, so keep that in mind when I mention not having the MSI Wind yet.

I should mention that my primary complaint about this netbook has apparently been addressed in the form of an updated BIOS: I found the fact that the fan was constantly running at high RPMs to be quite irritating, but I've been told that a new BIOS update addresses this issue by slowing down the fan when it's not needed. If that issue has been properly addressed, I'd have no trouble recommending this netbook to someone looking for one - it offers a lot of value for the dollar.

Jason Dunn owns and operates Thoughts Media Inc., a company dedicated to creating the best in online communities. He enjoys photography, mobile devices, blogging, digital media content creation/editing, and pretty much all technology. He lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with his lovely wife, and his sometimes obedient dog. He seems to have better hearing when it comes to fans than most people.

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