Is this the standard by which other Netbooks are judged?

Acer are keen to point out that the Aspire One is not a laptop but an internet device.  Well it certainly fits on my lap,  it runs windows XP quite happily and I think Acer are selling it short (although they ARE selling a lot !) by labelling it an internet device only.

The Aspire One is a true Netbook.

As you can see below the Aspire One is available in some cool colours.

Despite its 8.9 Inch screen format Acer have managed to pack a 95% full size keyboard into the Aspire which is truly up to touch typing and is better than many keyboards adorning full size machines.

We are not desperately keen on the touchpad which is ok apart from the mouse buttons being left and right rather than underneath. This is the same layout as the HP Mini note 2133 which also has an excellent keyboard.  It seems that this is the price you pay for a proper keyboard.

The Aspire weighs in at about 1.3kg.  When the Aspire One first launched it was under a kilo but the increase is due to the mcuh welcome change from 8Gb solid state storage to a large Hard Disk Drive (120Gb or 160Gb)

The Acer Aspire One is well connected with 3 USB ports, 2 SD card slots (one of which also recognises MMC, xD and Memory Stick Pro cards), Ethernet, Headphone and Mic sockets and finally a D Sub video out.

Wireless access is covered with 802.11 b/g connectivity but bluetooth is ommitted.

A major plus from our point of view is the sim card slot behind the battery which allows you to insert your 3G mobile simcard and surf away to your hearts content pretty much anywhere.

A webcam adorns the screen bezel with 0.3 megapixel resolution. This is oft reported as 1.3 megapixels, do not be fooled.

The Linpus Linux model is equipped with a 120Gb Hard disk drive, 512Mb RAM and is available at just over £200 including VAT. The great advantage of the Linux system is an amazing 15 second boot time.

If Windows XP is more your thing then you get the luxury of a 120Gb and 1Gb RAM can now be had thanks to those crazy folks at Tesco Direct for just £219. Have no fear, the Aspire One and its Atom processor are well up to the demand of the microsoft OS.#

Not to be left out, laptops direct have a deal on the acer aspire one AOA150 in pink for £229.97 but with voucher code LDACPK2 you get £50 pounds off making the Pink Acer One with windows XP, 160Gb hard drive and 1Gb RAM for just £179.97.  This code expires on 30th April so don’t miss out.

If you can live with Linux (I am told that some people prefer it!) then Comet are joining in the netbook price war with the Acer Aspire One AOA150 in White or Blue for only £169.99

The Acer AOA150 has the usual 8.9 inch screen,  1Gb RAM and a spacious 120Gb hard drive.

Battery life is less impressive than some of the competition with around 2 hours use to be expected.  An add on high power 4500mah battery is available as an extra though.

Conclusion

We like the Aspire One very much indeed and it is easy to see why Acer has had such a worldwide hit with it.

The 8.9 Inch screen is clear and bright, the keyboard a proper keyboard, the large hard disk drive is more than adequate and the ability to connect via 3G networks makes this the undisputed king of the budget end of the netbook range.  With the recent price cuts from Tesco and laptops direct bringing the higher spec models in at under £200 what are you waiting for?