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Windows 7 drivers added for netbooks

QueenB — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:23:45 +0000

If you’re looking to upgrade from XP or Vista on your netbook, or perhaps you already have, then here’s some great news for you. Some netbook makers have already updated the driver download pages to include Windows 7 drivers which should work better than Vista drivers you may be using instead. Most Asus netbooks now have drivers for Windows 7 from their support page.

Other companies have updated their support pages but, not all companies support many netbook models. There is support from Toshiba for the NB205, while Acer are providing Windows 7 drivers for the Aspire One 751 and AOP531h with AOD250 to follow. Dell are listing drivers for the Mini 10v and Mini 10 but not the Inspiron Mini 9 or 12. HP on the other hand have support for discontinued netbooks, such as the HP Mini 2140. They’ve also got support for the 110, 5101 and other models. Lenovo have also updated their support page to include manuals but, no drivers yet. This could change soon though.

via

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Windows 7 drivers added for netbooks

Acer Aspire One 751 reviewed by LaptopMag

David Gonzales — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:50:15 +0000

You may have read our Acer Aspire One 751 first impressions article earlier and are now looking forward to the netbook’s full review. Well, we’re still prepping up our own, but in the meantime, you can check out LaptopMag’s version of an AAO 751 netbook review. They give the netbook a rating of 3 and a half stars, identifying its strong points as long battery life, slim profile, comfortable keyboard and bright hi-res display. Of course, it isn’t without weak points, and these include the single touchpad button (which I quickly ranted about earlier) and its relatively subpar performance scores. Read the full Acer Aspire One 751 review at the link below.

Via LaptopMag

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Acer Aspire One 751 reviewed by LaptopMag

Acer Aspire One 751 hands-on

David Gonzales — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:54:33 +0000

Did you hear? 11.6-inch is the new 10-inch, and as such, one of Acer’s newest “top-of-the-line” models sports an 11.6-inch screen instead of the usual 10-incher. You’ve seen it unboxed, but in case that’s not enough, we’ve been able to get our hands on one recently and thus, we put it through a quick hands-on test to see how it fares.

The Acer Aspire One 751 moves away from the usual netbook specs of just a few months ago and carries an Atom Z520 processor, Windows Vista, and a very slim and sexy exterior. It has so far proved to be much slimmer than any other netbook I have put against it (except perhaps the 1000HA). It is also quite light considering the size and the 11.6-inch screen really shows a noticeable difference in size compared to other models.

Since the Aspire One 751 is equipped with a fairly larger screen, Acer was able to put in an even larger keyboard than usual, with wider keys and a lot of travel and tactile feedback. I even feel like this netbook’s keyboard has been the best that I have ever used. Its keys are comfortable to type with, and the increased width really helps a lot for touch-typists such as myself.

Key placement has not been a problem at all, and there are still indicator lights just above the keyboard for added convenience. After using keyboards on both 9-inch and 10-inch netbooks for quite some time, the difference of this 11.6-incher’s keyboard is really noticeable in terms of usage.

Acer has equipped the Aspire One 751 with a wide multi-touch trackpad that has a single left/right click button. I used to not care about this feature (multi-touch) at all but after learning how it actually works and what it does, I’ve found that it actually is, in some ways, better than using a mouse. The fact that the trackpad on the Aspire One 751 really helps. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about the one-button clicker. In usage, it feels like I’m making things hard for myself. Perhaps, one will be able to get used to it after time.

Apart from the fact that it is larger, the Acer Aspire One 751’s 11.6-inch screen seems to bear the same characteristics as the screens found in all other previous Acer netbook models. It is a glossy screen, so inherently it is quite problematic to use outside or anywhere with a lot of ambient light. Otherwise, it is a fine screen with lots of brightness and color.

The jump from 10-inch to 11.6-inch is even bigger, and the resolution is bumped to 1366 x 768 pixels. While it only really offers an inch and a half more screen real estate, the resolution helps make things even better.

Ports-wise, it offers the usual, 3 USB ports, mic/headphone jack, built-in card reader, etc. Its main difference when it comes to this aspect of being a netbook is basically its slimmer profile. It is a lot slimmer than many other comparable netbooks before it, and that’s saying something. Even with its 6-cell battery, it is not quite as heavy as other netbooks I’ve been able to hold in my hand.

And speaking of the battery, Acer claims that the Aspire One 751 can reach up to 8 hours of computing easy. This, of course, really depends on how you use the netbook and what you use it for, but we’ll see how it really performs in real life tests once we finish setting it up for a review. As far as performance goes, it works OK. Not really blazing fast, but I didn’t notice any noticeable slowdowns in a unit equipped with 2GB of RAM and the aforementioned Atom Z520 processor (clocked at 1.33GHz). We’ll be prepping up a full review of this netbook to be published soon, but for now take another look at it in the gallery below.

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Acer Aspire One 751 hands-on

Acer Aspire One D250 live pics and first impressions

David Gonzales — Mon, 11 May 2009 19:50:10 +0000

As it is already available in Asia, I was able to sit down with a live unit of the Acer Aspire One D250 today to see how different it is from the model that it replaces. As you may already know, it serves to phase out Acer’s first 10-inch netbook, which was released not more than three months ago, the Acer Aspire One D150. What’s so special about the Aspire One D250 that Acer had to introduce it even though it’s essentially just the same model as the D150 but with a better processor and slimmer profile? We’ll have the answer to that shortly.

At 25.4mm thick, Acer Aspire One D250 is nearly a centimeter slimmer than the Aspire One D150. It sports a 10.1-inch screen, stereo speakers, built-in Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, optional 3G, 3 USB ports, audio in/out ports, VGA-out, 4-in-1 card reader, Ethernet jack, and 6-cell battery. It has exactly the same specs as the Aspire One D150 that, well, it has exactly the same specs as the Aspire One D150. Except for one thing: it uses Intel’s Atom N280 processor, which is slightly better than the N270 Atom chip that Aspire One D150’s are equipped with.

In terms of outer appearance, the Aspire One D250 is not only slimmer, but also smaller as Acer has managed to squeeze the body somewhat to make the netbook more compact. And the ports have been rearranged so that there’s a larger exhaust vent on the left side and there’s a more even distribution of space for these connectors.

The keyboard keys are arranged in exactly the same way, but the Aspire One D250’s appear smaller. But even though they are, typing felt ever so slightly better than on the Aspire One D150’s keyboard. Perhaps Acer made the keys a little more rigid, but I’m not exactly sure. One thing I know is that it felt just as, if not more comfortable than any of the previous Aspire One netbooks to type on in my short typing tests.

With the lid closed, it’s going to be very hard to distinguish the Acer Aspire One D250 from its predecessor. If you haven’t noticed it by now, they actually look almost exactly the same.

This obligatory unnecessary sticker shows some highlights of the Aspire One D250. It’s 3G-ready, but my test unit didn’t have a built-in 3G modem like many of the Aspire One D250 units that will be available in the market.

Here is a photo of the netbook’s right side, showing how the 2 USB ports have been moved further towards the center to give way to the 4-in-1 card reader that was moved from the left side to this one. The position of the power jack and security lock slot hasn’t been changed.

Meanwhile, on the left side, there’s a larger exhaust vent, and a slight rearrangement of ports. The audio in/out ports have been moved to the front, the Ethernet jack moved to the back, and the VGA port now resides in the middle. I haven’t opened up the netbook yet to see its innards but it components have definitely moved around inside as well since the Aspire One D150.

Looks-wise, I’m finding it hard to see how the Acer Aspire One D250 will be able to sway current owners of the D150 to “upgrade”, if that’s what Acer is trying to do here. The prospect of having an Intel Atom N280 processor might be tempting to some, though, but even then I’m still hardly convinced. Perhaps a review of the entire system is necessary to draw a solid conclusion about this netbook. As for now, I say it’s a welcome alternative, but not nearly enough to trade the old models in for.

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Acer Aspire One D250 live pics and first impressions

Acer Aspire One D250 now available for a little over $500 USD

David Gonzales — Sun, 10 May 2009 20:36:26 +0000

A little over 2 months ago, Acer’s first 10-inch netbook went on sale on Amazon for $350 USD. This, of course, is the Acer Aspire One D150, which we’ve had the chance to review just recently. Over the weekend, its successor just became available in the Philippines, and I believe it’s going to be available in other markets across Asia (if it isn’t already) as well as Amazon and other online stores that sell netbooks very soon.

In the Philippines, I know of at least one local retailer that is already selling these netbooks, and I was informed that the AAO D150 would be phased out already in favor of this new 10-inch model. What makes the Acer Aspire One D250 so great? Well, for starters, it comes with an Intel Atom N280 processor, which has been proven to be generally faster (though only by a little) than the Atom N270 which has been the norm for netbooks for quite some time now. Besides which, you can consider the Aspire One D250 as just an Acer Aspire One D150 with a better processor and sleeker design. Some of the ports have been rearranged to be positioned evenly between the left and right sides, but the overall look and feel is basically the same.

The price Acer is asking for an Aspire One D250 is the same as the price of an Aspire One D150: 23,995 Pesos or about $507 USD. Right now, I’m a little wary if this model is really worth the upgrade/price increase, but I’ll be spending time with it later today to find out. I’ll let you know what happens then.

Via Electronic Pulp

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Acer Aspire One D250 now available for a little over $500 USD

Acer Aspire One D150 review

David Gonzales — Thu, 07 May 2009 08:32:30 +0000

After spending a significant amount of time with Acer’s 10-inch Aspire One D150, here now is my full review of the said netbook. The Acer Aspire One, with its 9=inch screen, served me well all these months of owning it, but the AAO D150 turned out to be a worthy contender, not only to Acer’s other notebooks but the notebooks of its competitors, as well. Hit the break for the full review.

Impressions on Hardware

My reaction upon picking it up for the first time is that it is one “heavy” netbook. Though the fact that my review unit had a 6-cell battery on and a larger screen at 10-inches compared to my 9-inch AAO, I think the biggest reason why it has become somewhat heavier than I expected is Acer’s use of brushed metal on the body. Still, it’s not that hard to carry around, and in a man-purse, it should fit snugly into place.

The Acer Aspire D150’s box contains just the necessary papers (quick guide, warranty card, etc), AC adaptor and the netbook itself. The only thing missing from it is a leather pouch just like the one that came with the 9-inch version when it was released.

I’d say it’s a pretty well built netbook, with a great design to boot. Only problem is, it fails in some areas in terms of quality.

Keyboard, trackpad and connectivity

The power button is placed on the right side, just above the keyboard, while opposite to it is the Bluetooth on/off button and Caps Lock/Num Lock light indicators.

The keyboard Acer used on this model still has the same set of plasticky buttons that feel like they’re going to fall off any minute if you ever do any long haul typing. I enjoyed using the keyboard for the slight increase in size (nearing full size), but I’ve found that typing for long periods of time on it can cause some fingers to hurt a bit. And that’s not a good thing. However, for just typing the occasional Notepad notes and blog posts, I felt the keyboard sufficed. Also, it’s nothing a USB/wireless keyboard can’t fix.

As for the trackpad, Acer did the right thing in ditching the old, side-contained left and right click buttons in favor of a single left/right button positioned directly underneath the touch pad. Unfortunately, it’s a little too narrow to provide any real comfort while pressing and oftentimes it can be hard to even just press it at all. Meanwhile, clicking with the use of the touchpad can be equally hard, because it’s not as responsive as it ought to be. Still, this isn’t that big of a niggle since it can easily be solved by using a USB/wireless mouse. I couldn’t get myself to use the multi-touch functionality so I found it pretty useless.

When it comes to connectivity, the Acer Aspire One D150 has got it all–as far as a netbook goes. It quickly runs out of USB ports (as there are only three), and besides the power jack, it’s got a VGA-out port, audio in/out ports, multi-in-1 card reader, Ethernet jack and a security lock slot on its sides.

There’s built-in Bluetooth, but I only got it to work for a file transfer with my Nokia phone, and failed to do so with another Bluetooth-enabled notebook of mine. There’s no built-in 3G module here, but you can always attach one via a free USB port and the Wi-Fi picks up signals very well.

Using Windows XP

Booting up to Windows XP felt like it took longer than necessary. I reckon it’s probably because of the obligatory “bloatware” that comes pre-installed with it in the form of an antivirus program, Acer-made utilities, and Google Desktop. After waiting for a good 30-45 seconds to get from blank screen to the Desktop, you will be greeted with pop-ups like it’s 2005 on the Internet, telling you to update this, download that, check out this, which, needless to say, got really annoying. I doubt if the average computer user will even do anything other than click the visible “x” marks to close these pop-ups, so they will be pestered with these annoying things until the day they learn to turn them off.

But you can’t blame Acer for subjecting their customers to this kind of annoyance. I guess it’s obligatory stuff to have on machines that come pre-installed with Windows XP Home. After all, it enables them to customize the netbook to their liking to the extent that they think will benefit its users.

That said, I think the performance of this netbook with Windows XP Home Edition is just a little bit over the average level. Its 1GB of RAM and 1.6GHz Atom processor with GMA950 graphics aren’t exactly the best combination for an XP machine, but for light tasks which a typical netbook user would be doing, it is fairly adequate. Every once in a while, an intrusive pop-up would come out to disturb the silent peace of operating the Aspire One D150, but it doesn’t really seem to affect how speedy the netbook runs. It’s definitely faster than the SSD-equipped Acer Aspire One that comes with a 9-inch screen, so it would be a nice upgrade for those who own this particular unit.

Battery Life

One of the Acer Aspire One D150’s strong points is its battery life. For through the use of a 6-cell battery, one can run up to 5 hours of usage on a single full charge. I know I have. I even tested the battery life by using the Aspire One D150 for about 1-2 hours each day just for browsing and sideloading of songs to my phone, and I was able to get 6 days of usage. Soon, I believe the battery life on netbooks will be so good that using them will feel like using cellphones all over again–2-3 hours of “heavy” usage per day and you’ll be able to use it for about 3-4 days. One side-effect of the increased battery life, though, is the lengthened charging time. Since the battery is of a higher capacity, it takes longer to fully charge it. Also, it sticks out like a sore thumb at the back of the unit.

Final Thoughts

Compared to the Acer Aspire One with a 9-inch screen, the Aspire One D150 is a worthy upgrade. With a bigger screen, built-in Bluetooth, longer battery life and better design, it beats the old model over most aspects any day. However, I feel that Acer released this model a little too late, for those same features were already found in offerings of its competitors back when the 9-inch model was their only available netbook. For the price, this is still worth it, though, and anyone who still doesn’t have a 10-inch netbook will do good to put this one on their “netbooks to be considered” list.

Acer aspire one D150 is available at Amazon.com for $329.

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Acer Aspire One D150 review

AT&T 3G-enabled Acer Aspire One to become available through Costco on May 11th

David Gonzales — Mon, 04 May 2009 19:17:59 +0000

Rumors of a subsidized 3G-enabled 10-inch Acer Aspire One going on sale through Costco have been floating around weeks ago. Now, we have even more evidence in support of these rumors. By way of leaked internal documents, it has been revealed that Costco employees are currently being trained for an upcoming launch and the reportedly, D-Day will be on May 11th. That is, when the 10-inch netbook will finally be available, not only on Costco’s kiosks, but also on AT&T’s stores. There’s no word yet on a final price, but it shouldn’t be too far from how much the subsidized 3G-enabled 9-inch model is selling these days, which isn’t much, if you don’t count the obligatory 2-year contract.

Via BGR

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

AT&T 3G-enabled Acer Aspire One to become available through Costco on May 11th

Easter Netbook Deals

QueenB — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:40:51 +0000

To kick start the week we’ve got three cracking netbook deals from TigerDirect and Best Buy.

TigerDirect have on offer on refurbished Acer Aspire Ones. The Aspire One usually costs $300 brand new, which of course also comes with a 12 month warranty. But if you’re looking to save a bit of cash, a refurbished model is available to purchase for $60 less. The refurbished model however only comes with a 3 month standard warranty, but optional cover can be taken on it.

Best Buy on the other hand, have two great deals on brand new Asus netbooks. Firstly we have the Asus Eee PC 1000HEB, which features a 10.2 inch display, 160GB hard drive, the newer Intel Atom N280 processor and 1GB of RAM. The 1000HEB usually retails for $400, but can found for $375. Best Buy’s price beats this at a lower $350. Also on offer at Best Buy is the Asus Eee PC 1000HD which comes with a 10 inch display, 120GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM and an Celeron processor. Again this netbook usually retails for $400, but Best Buy are selling it at a low $270, saving $130.

via & via

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Easter Netbook Deals

Acer Aspire One D250 gets a video unboxing

David Gonzales — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 03:52:37 +0000

Fans of the original Acer Aspire One may not like the fact that there are now many different models of their favorite netbook available, but there’s nothing consumers like ourselves can really do about that right now except face the fact and learn to live with it. After all, it’s not entirely a bad thing, and choice is beneficial for most. The Acer Aspire D250 is one of the many different Aspire One models now available, and the gang over at Geeky Lives just managed to secure a unit and have put together a swift unboxing video. We can’t promise you’ll see anything that will change your life by watching the video, but if you’re looking to make an informed purchase, it always helps to know more about the gadgets you’re considering. For those interested, the unboxing video is available after the break.

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Acer Aspire One D250 gets a video unboxing

Slimline Acer Aspire One photos and specs emerge

David Gonzales — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 03:30:15 +0000

Remember that slimmed down and obviously sexed up Acer Aspire One we should you just a day ago? It’s real. Someone, a helpful anon, has actually handled the device and has let us all in on its specs and its name: the Acer Aspire One Slimline BA01. Apparently, this will really be using open source software. To see its full specs and more pics, read the rest of this entry.

Most of the specs on this one actually haven’t changed since the original Acer Aspire One. This has Bluetooth besides Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity, though, so it’s going to be a force to be reckoned with when it finally comes out.

Its specs:

Housing: 2.4 cm thick, 25.5 cm wide, 18.5 cm deep
CPU: Intel Atom N270 1.6 GHz CPU: Intel Atom N270 1.6 GHz
RAM: 1 GB RAM: 1 GB
HDD: 160 GB HDD: 160 GB
WLAN: 802.11a/b/g Atheros (geht mit ath5k im 2.6.29er kernel) WLAN: 802.11a/b/g Atheros (goes with ath5k in the kernel 2.6.29er)
LAN: Attansic Gigabit (geht mit atl1e im 2.6.29er kernel) LAN: Attansic Gigabit (goes with atl1e in 2.6.29er kernel)
SATA: Intel ICH7 Controller SATA: Intel ICH7 controller
Display: 25,9 cm/ 10.2″ Diagonale mit Glare Display: 25.9 cm / 10.2 “diagonal with Glare :-( (aber durch die extreme Leuchtkraft fällt das im Betrieb nicht negativ auf) (but by the extreme luminosity falls in the operation will not adversely affect)
Auflösung: 1024×600 Resolution: 1024 × 600
Sound: Intel HDA (geht einwandrei unter linux) Sound: Intel HDA (einwandrei goes under linux)
VGA: Intel 945GME VGA: Intel 945GME
Int.Cardreader: Jmicron (geht mit sdhci module nach dem Befehl modprobe pciehp pciehp_force=1) Int.Cardreader: JMicron (goes with sdhci module after the command modprobe pciehp pciehp_force = 1)
Bluetooth: integriert (Broadcom Chipsatz) Bluetooth: integrated (Broadcom chipset)
UMTS: “scheinbar” ja UMTS: “apparently” yes
KillSwitches: für Wlan + für Bluetooth Killswitch: for Wlan + Bluetooth
Touchpad: Synaptics (scrollen am Rand möglich) Touchpad: Synaptics (scroll down to the edge possible)
Akku: 3-Zellen (rund 3 Stunden Laufzeit) Battery: 3-cells (approximately 3 hours duration)
Leistungsaufnahme: “deutlich unter 10 Watt – zumindest laut powertop” “Lüfter geht sehr selten los” Power: “well below 10 watts – at least according to powertop” fan is very rare los ”

No word on a definite release date, but it should take Acer long to out this, seeing as how it’s ready for primetime, judging from the leaked photos.

Via Netbook News.de

A post from the Asus Eee PC blog.

Slimline Acer Aspire One photos and specs emerge