Ever since the Asus came out with the EeePC, I've been itching to get my hands on a netbook. However, at the time, the tiny size and the 7" screen didn't really get my excitement up. Then Dell came out with their Mini series. A number of people I know got a 9" one, but while it was larger, Dell really dropped the ball by reconfiguring the keyboard, and only using a tiny solid-state drive. Furthermore, when upgraded to usable specs, these little ones would run close to $500.
During the winter of 08-09, Dell came out with the Mini12. Finally that was a netbook that was large enough to use. However, Dell crippled it with a 3-cell battery that rendered this "portable" computer into a brick after less than 3 hours... not to mention a memory that could not be upgraded beyond 1GB.
Fast forward to this Spring, and the Dell Mini10. Now. here was a machine with a large hard drive, a usable resolution (could be upgraded to 1366x768, which is high definition compared to the measly 1024x600 found on most netbooks. But again, the upgrades pushed the price up to $500, and the memory was still limited to a non-upgradeable 1GB.
Enter the newcomer - Acer Aspire One A751h. When I first saw it on Newegg.com (which is where everyone should shop for computer parts and electronics), I could not believe what I saw. An 11.6" screen, high resolution (>720p, same as the upgraded Dell screen), LED-backlit LCD, 160GB HDD, and user-upgradeable memory... all for $379. I just had to have it. Long story short, I ordered it, as well as a 2GB memory module, which came out to a hair under $400 including shipping.
So I have to say - it was a VERY good choice, and I am very glad that I've waited this long. The computer is very thin, very light... but not unusable. The extended 6-cell battery sticks out at a slight angle, but allows for about 8 hours of web browsing via WiFi and other miscellaneous computing. The screen is very bright, even at lower settings that conserve battery... and the notebook boots reasonably fast, but sleeps and wakes up VERY fast (<10sec). It weighs just a hair under 3lbs with the extended battery. The form factor is very pleasant, the keyboard (on which I am typing this review) is pretty much full-sized and is very well laid out, as well as being quite responsive. The touchpad buttons are a bit stiff but that is literally the ONLY criticism I can muster. Finally, the overall looks is one of very high quality. The outer glossy shell (mine is black) does accumulate fingerprints, but they can easily be removed with a microfiber cloth.
So my conclusion is that this netbook is currently at the top of its class in terms of usability, appearance, features, as well as price... and anyone in need of an ultra-portable computer (or a new toy) should consider it.
Some pics:
During the winter of 08-09, Dell came out with the Mini12. Finally that was a netbook that was large enough to use. However, Dell crippled it with a 3-cell battery that rendered this "portable" computer into a brick after less than 3 hours... not to mention a memory that could not be upgraded beyond 1GB.
Fast forward to this Spring, and the Dell Mini10. Now. here was a machine with a large hard drive, a usable resolution (could be upgraded to 1366x768, which is high definition compared to the measly 1024x600 found on most netbooks. But again, the upgrades pushed the price up to $500, and the memory was still limited to a non-upgradeable 1GB.
Enter the newcomer - Acer Aspire One A751h. When I first saw it on Newegg.com (which is where everyone should shop for computer parts and electronics), I could not believe what I saw. An 11.6" screen, high resolution (>720p, same as the upgraded Dell screen), LED-backlit LCD, 160GB HDD, and user-upgradeable memory... all for $379. I just had to have it. Long story short, I ordered it, as well as a 2GB memory module, which came out to a hair under $400 including shipping.
So I have to say - it was a VERY good choice, and I am very glad that I've waited this long. The computer is very thin, very light... but not unusable. The extended 6-cell battery sticks out at a slight angle, but allows for about 8 hours of web browsing via WiFi and other miscellaneous computing. The screen is very bright, even at lower settings that conserve battery... and the notebook boots reasonably fast, but sleeps and wakes up VERY fast (<10sec). It weighs just a hair under 3lbs with the extended battery. The form factor is very pleasant, the keyboard (on which I am typing this review) is pretty much full-sized and is very well laid out, as well as being quite responsive. The touchpad buttons are a bit stiff but that is literally the ONLY criticism I can muster. Finally, the overall looks is one of very high quality. The outer glossy shell (mine is black) does accumulate fingerprints, but they can easily be removed with a microfiber cloth.
So my conclusion is that this netbook is currently at the top of its class in terms of usability, appearance, features, as well as price... and anyone in need of an ultra-portable computer (or a new toy) should consider it.
Some pics: