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Acer Aspire One D270-1824 Netbook Laptop Review
Not All Netbooks Are Created Equal...
After our dependable Dell Inspiron Laptop decided to give up on life, we decided it was time for something a little more up to date. After all we had held on to the Dell full size laptop for over 5 years.While I liked the laptop I always found it to be a bit too heavy and large especially for browsing the web on the couch. Which is what I use my computer for most of the time.
Tech Specs Of The Acer Aspire One
We found the Acer Aspire One on special at Wal-Mart. It seemed to be a good price and the features were similar to other higher priced models. So we put our doubts aside and gave it a try. However, we soon found out that this model has some serious flaws. I wouldn't recommend it even at a discounted price. You would be better off buying a higher end model that really will satisfy your needs.
Anyway the Acer Aspire One features the following:
- 1.6 GHz Atom N2600 CPU
- 1 GB DDR3 RAM
- 320 GB Hard Drive
- Windows 7 Operating System
- 3 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
- 3 USB 2.0 Ports
- Built-in WiFi
- HDMI
Research, Research, Research...
Before buying any electronics make sure you not only research the product your thinking of buying but also any alternatives that may exist. Never buy electronics based on a cheap price alone. You know how the saying goes "You only get what you pay for". Computers and electronics are products where this tends to be especially true.
Highly Rated Netbooks
Instead of just judging a Netbook by the listed features it's much better to read user reviews and find the Netbook that is right for you. Saving a few dollars isn't worth it, if in the end you are disappointed with your purchase.
My Biggest Complaint
(Battery Life)
From what I've read online the 3 Cell Lithium Ion Battery is made to be long lasting. That's why it was such a surprise to learn that this battery only last 1 and 1/2 hours with out having to be recharged. In fact it's so bad that normally I will plug the Netbook in just to avoid having to use and recharge the battery. The description says the battery can last 4 hours but this has never been the case for us.
Windows 7 Starter Isn't Very Good
My other issue with this computer is that is comes equipped with what is being called Windows 7 Starter. Windows 7 Starter is like the other versions of Windows 7 except that you can't do some of the simplest things like changing the background image. Also, while other versions of Windows come with Microsoft Office the Starter version requires that you upgrade to access those features. However, it did come pre-loaded with a Netflix app, Nook app and a couple of others that I had to immediately uninstall.
The other problem with Windows on this computer is the speed. It is terribly slow to load apps especially web browsers. I don't know if it's the RAM or the CPU but many times it will lock up with only a few programs running. I've also encountered a problem where the Login Profiles get corrupted during shutting down and must repaired. This though may be a problem that is part of Windows 7 because it never happened to me on my old XP desktop.
It's Not All Bad...
There are some feature that I enjoy about this laptop. I like using the HDMI Output to watch ESPN 3 on my big screen. And light web browsing it seems to work fine. I also like that it has a built in video camera that can be used to chat on facebook or skype and create videos for youtube.
On the whole though if I could go back I would choose a more heavy duty Netbook that would allow more application to be run so I could get more done on the go. In the end this laptop lacks the basic capabilities needed to get things done.
Buying A New Computer
What is important to you when buying a computer?
