| Browse the Web, check email, share photos, keep up with social networks, listen to music and enjoy a variety of entertainment with the Aspire One AOD250, which features a small compact design that you can take anywhere. Acer makes it easy to stay productive while on the go with the 10.1-inch CrystalBrite LED-backlit screen as well as its excellent near full-size keyboard. A great choice for students as well as business travelers who like to travel light, this Aspire One AOD250 model (AOD250-1584) in blue has a 6-cell battery that provides up to 9 hours of battery life on the go and weighs 2.79 pounds.  | 
The sleekly designed Aspire One AOD250 weighs just 2.79 pounds (with 6-cell battery). | 
A great choice for light-packing business travelers and students, this 10.1-inch Aspire One AOD250 comes with Windows 7 Starter, a 250 GB hard drive, and a 6-cell battery for up to 9 hours of battery life. | 
Pinch, flick and swirl your fingers on the Multi-Gesture Touchpad for an intuitive navigation to view web pages, photos, spreadsheets and more. | It comes pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Starter operating system, which combines the latest in reliability and responsiveness with the familiarity and compatibility of Windows. It includes new Windows 7 features like Jump Lists to help you to better find and manage files, and connecting to printers and peripherals is easier than ever. (Learn more about Windows 7 Starter below.) You'll be able to easily video chat wherever you roam thanks to the Crystal Eye webcam integrated into the LCD's bezel, delivering smooth video streaming and high quality images even in low-light situations. And the built-in digital microphone delivers superior voice quality keeping background noise level low and minimizing echoes. Pinch, flick and swirl your fingers on the multi-gesture touchpad for an intuitive navigation to view web pages, photos, spreadsheets and more. It's powered by the 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N280 processor, which is designed especially for mobile devices using an innovative design structure and hafnium-infused circuitry to reduce electrical current leakage in transistors to conserve energy. Packed with roomy 250 GB hard drive--great for storing a mobile digital audio and video library--this Aspire One also features 1 GB of installed RAM (2 GB maximum), Draft-N Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity, multi-format memory card reader, multiple USB ports, and built-in email, web browsing, and digital media applications. Key Features - 10.1-inch LED-backlit CrystalBrite screen (1024 x 600 resolution) (Learn more)
- Windows 7 Starter makes small notebook PCs easier to use because it puts less between you and what you want to do--less waiting, less clicking, less hassle connecting to networks. And Starter combines the latest in reliability and responsiveness with the familiarity and compatibility of Windows. (Learn more)
- Get more features with Windows Anytime Upgrade. A small notebook PC running Windows 7 Home Premium is even easier to use. The new taskbar and advanced navigation features make launching programs, opening files, managing windows, and getting around your PC faster and easier. Personalize your PC to be just the way you want it with helpful gadgets and desktop themes--even turn your desktop into a slideshow of your favorite photos. And you get the best entertainment experience on a PC. With Windows Media Center, you can watch shows for free when and where you want with Internet TV.
- 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N280 processor combines performance and efficiency to explore the Internet and stay connected while mobile (Learn more)
- Up to 9 hours of battery life with included 6-cell battery
- Multi-gesture Touchpad for circular-motion scrolling, pinch-action zoom, and page flip (Learn more)
- 250 GB hard drive (5400 RPM)
- 1 GB DDR2 RAM (533 MHz; 2 GB maximum capacity)
- Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 video processor
- Crystal Eye webcam supports Acer PrimaLite technology, which consists of a premium sensor, firmware and lenses to provide superior video performance under low-light conditions. A built-in digital microphone helps keep background noise levels low and minimizes echoes.
- 84-key keyboard, 89 percent of standard-size with 12 function keys, WLAN switch
- Draft-N Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g/n) for greater speed and range
- Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity enables you to communicate and synchronize with Bluetooth-enabled peripherals such as PDAs and cell phones.
- Fast Ethernet (10/100)
- VGA video output
- Stereo speakers and optimized Dolby Headphone technology for 5.1-channel audio
- Pre-loaded software includes Microsoft Works for word processing and spreadsheet work. Enjoy a 60-day trial version of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007.
- Dimensions: 10.17 x 8.04 x 1 inches (WxDxH)
- Weight: 2.79 pounds
- Warranty: One-year parts and labor limited warranty with concurrent International Traveler's Warranty
Networking, Connectivity & Expansion
Enjoy easy wireless networking with the integrated Draft-N wireless LAN (compatible with 802.11b/g/n wireless networks). Based on the draft 802.11n Wi-Fi specification, it offers up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range as existing 802.11g wireless. It's also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found in home routers and wi-fi hotspots). It also provides Fast (10/100) Ethernet networking. - 3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
- Analog video output: 1 VGA
- Multi-in-1 memory card reader compatible with MultiMediaCard, Reduced-Size MultiMediaCard, Secure Digital, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO or xD-Picture Card
- 1 headphone jack, 1 microphone jack
What's in the Box
This package contains the Acer Aspire One AOD250-1584 notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions It also comes with the following software: McAfee Internet Security Suite 2009 (trial version with 60 days of live update); Microsoft Works with Office Home and Student 2007 Trial; Google Desktop; Norton Online Backup; WildTangent Learn More
The 10.1-inch screen has a WSVGA resolution (1024 x 600) and support for up a 262K color depth. Video is powered by the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950, which uses shared video memory with the main memory. Acer's CrystalBrite display technology guarantees the best possible visual experience by preventing the diffusion of surrounding light and internal ray. Compared to normal TFT LCDs, Acer CrystalBrite technology is able to read color coordinates more accurately, thus minimizing distortion and creating high-fidelity colors in all environments.
 Windows 7 Starter makes small notebook PCs easier to use because it puts less between you and what you want to do—less waiting, less clicking, less hassle connecting to networks. Windows 7 Starter combines the latest in reliability and responsiveness with the familiarity and compatibility of Windows. | Simpler and easier to use | Built with the latest technology | Makes home networking easy | - Features like Jump Lists, Pin, Snap, and Windows Search all make using a small notebook PC simple and easy.
- Connecting to printers and devices is easier than ever.
| - Windows 7 Starter supports the latest hardware and software.
| - Joining home networks with other PCs running Windows 7 is easy and simple.
- Connecting to wireless networks is easy and fast.
- Internet Explorer 8 improves the safety of web browsing.
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Take the Internet to more places with the long battery life and flexibility of a compact, lightweight netbook powered by the incredibly small, amazingly smart Intel Atom processor. It features a design structure that packs in 47 million transistors into a single chip sized at just 22mm (0.87 inches), and it uses just 2.5 watts of power--less than 1/10 of the 35 watts used by an Intel Core 2 Duo processor--for excellent battery management. This 1.66 GHz Atom N280 processor also includes a power-optimized front side bus of 533 MHz for faster data transfer on demanding mobile applications and a 512 KB L2 cache (which temporarily stores data).
The Acer Aspire One AOD250 has been designed to be even more streamlined than its predecessors--whittling down the depth to just one inch thin and shaving the weight down to just under 2.8 pounds. The sleek aerodynamic design includes elegant touches such as the color-rich chassis along with the metallic hinge with a colored accent. It also uses a clever Multi-Gesture Touchpad that allows you to pinch, flick and swirl your fingers across the touchpad for more natural photo and video viewing as well as intuitive navigation of websites such as Google Earth. The Multi-Gesture Touchpad allows you to scroll, zoom in and out and flip through web pages, photos, spreadsheets and more. Finally, it features a soft-touch palm rest to increase typing comfort. |
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 Acer One D250 with Windows 7 |
| Review Date: October 29, 2009 |
| Reviewer: N. Himert, |
Update (17 Nov 09): After a fair amount of travel I stick by my initial rating. Construction is solid and I have had no issues, even after it has been thrown around a bit with my carry-on. Also, you shouldn't have to worry about the "big" battery sticking out. The extra battery life is worth it and the netbook fits easy in your typical sleeve. I bought a standard netbook sleeve off the shelf for a bit of extra protection and the computer fits in with no issues. In fact, I'm able to get my travel mouse and power cord in with it, zipped up and all, which makes travel even easier.
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So I was recently in the market for a netbook for travel reasons and happened upon the Acer One. After days of reading reviews and visits to local electronic stores, I had narrowed my choices down to the Asus (10 hour battery life) EeePC and this Acer One. As luck would have it, I was in the market just as Windows 7 pre-orders began and both machines came through Amazon with the new OS. In the end, the AC adapter issues with the Asus kept me away, and I figured 10.5 vs. 9 hours of battery life wasn't too big of a difference (and neither would live up to the claims regardless).
The netbook arrived the day after Windows 7 was released and I immediately got to work removing the "extras" that come with the computer. Surprisingly though, Acer did not load too much bloat on the machine and getting it off took no time at all. So then began the installation process. Avast, Office, iTunes, CD Burning software, VLC, Chrome, Firefox, Skype and Quicktime (the usuals) were all immediate needs and all went on with ease. I did purchase the extra gig of RAM that is recommended on most other netbooks (read around and you'll see) as well, however, it did not come until 3 days later so I had a decent amount of time to play around with this machine with just 1g.
Even with 1 gig, iTunes ran smoothly, I was able to watch Hulu with no hiccups, Office didn't lag... I was actually quite surprised. The 2 gig showed up eventually though, and things got even better. Installation was a breeze (just open the memory "door" and clip it in) and took only 30 seconds. The computer recognized it instantly. Once up and running again, the system was noticeably faster... very noticeable. Having open multiple programs is not a problem at all (something I will admit I was concerned about initially).
Along the same lines as the memory upgrade, an external DVD drive may be another buy you will want (just like with every other netbook). I did not invest in one, simply because I will not be needing it, but just a thought when pricing out your "full" purchase.
So, what is good and what is bad?
Pros:
Battery life - lives up to the advertisement (for the most part). I run it on the intermediate setting and get 7 hours easy. Currently at 45% right now and have 4 hours and 5 minutes left.
Wireless N and Bluetooth - while not "necessary" these are very nice. I can pick up signals with my netbook that other laptops in the house cannot get. Range is amazing.
Speed - A lot faster than what I was expecting and blew away all my expectations. Just make sure you spend the extra 20-40 bucks and get the extra memory. You will see a big difference (keep in mind though, she does fine with 1 gig). 2 is always better though.
Display - Very clear and easy on the eyes. Thought I might have issues with the small screen but it looks amazing.
Windows 7 - you can read the reviews about it specifically but it runs great. I'll leave it at that.
Cons:
Keyboard - slightly smaller than some other netbook keyboards out there and can be tricky sometimes.
Touchpad - Acer, as with others, boasts a multi-touch pad (similar to an iPhone or iPod Touch). Maybe I just haven't found the right use for it, but I find it nearly worthless and even when I can get it to "work," it is slow and not very useful. Also, some may find the touchpad a tad too small (at least I do). Finally, the click bar on the touchpad is not broken up into two buttons, and while this is fairly common, the click bar can be tough to click sometimes and there are times I will try to click and hit the middle, which does nothing, and you don't "know" until you look down to see what you're clicking. I think two distinct buttons would have been better and easier.
In the end, this model (and it's brightly colored siblings), in my view, are an excellent buy if you're in the market. At around $400 (depending on how much you get the RAM for), this machine comes with features that you will only find in more expensive netbooks. While I've only had it for a week, I will say I am very pleased with my investment. If time permits, I will update this to review how it holds up with travel, etc... but based on simple home wireless use, I have very very few complaints. |
Another Fine Netbook from Acer
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| Review Date: October 30, 2009 |
| Reviewer: A reader, Berkeley, CA |
WARNING: netbook specs change rapidly, as do their prices. So be sure to research any changes since the date of this review.
OVERVIEW: bright, clear screen; snappy response (based on a couple of hours of adding and removing programs, after the 31 updates to Win7 first downloaded); tolerable streaming video (ran HD Apple trailers in 480 mode fine; Hulu was sometimes "choppy"; ran "Large" non-HD Apple trailers fine; ran ABC.GO.COM tv shows tolerably well; won't run Hulu in 480 mode or full screen; ran HQ You Tube fine). Smaller screen and smaller keyboard at a time when other netbooks are bumping up against super light laptops, but at least this is under 3 pounds WITH the charger. And you can't beat that battery life!
WHAT COULD BE BETTER: The 11.6" screen on some Aspire Ones is superb - more pixels = ability to see NY Times online full screen without scrolling (the 10.1" on this one requires slight scrolling, but you are only missing "ad boxes" on the right hand anyway). HOWEVER I bought a 10.1" because all the 11.6" models come with downgraded Atom processors (z520 with GMA 500 chips vs. the N280 and GMA 900 on this one). SHOULD come with 2 GB of memory to match the other upgraded specs on this otherwise upgraded version, but unfortunately, doesn't.
NOT ALL ASPIRE AOD250'S ARE CREATED EQUAL DEPT.: Danger Will Robinson! Danger Will Robinson! Danger Will Robinson! PLEASE NOTE that Aspire has put the AOD250 label on a WHOLE HOST of widely different netbooks. Things to watch out for: the N280 is MUCH faster than the N270 - not because of the processor speed (1.66 vs. 1.6, nothing!) but because of the front bus (memory) speed (677 vs. 533, a lot!). This version, as of the date I write this review, also comes with Win7 while many come with XP; comes with 250 GB hard drive instead of 160 GB on most AOD250's; has wireless N instead of G (a LOT faster, when internet cafes and other locations upgrade); has Blue Tooth; has the 6 cell battery (AND it's in the 5200 m.a. version, not the 4200).
WHAT I DID ON DELIVERY (ymmv so think before you leap:
1. BEFORE inserting the battery, I removed one easy screw from the middle back panel, pulled a couple of side clips off the existing memory module, and did a 5 minute total upgrade to 2GB of RAM. Super simple.
2. Install the battery, plug in the charger, boot up.
3. Wait for normal set up; enter minimal information.
4. Load Internet Explorer and click on Windows update - the computer will update soon on its own, but this speeds it up.
5. Installed 38 security updates and 3 non-essential updates. Note: Acer has its own update program to check for BIOS and device driver updates, a nice touch, I went in and changed the update frequency to monthly from daily.
6. Uninstalled the trial antivirus program. Which virus program you choose is up to you; I've had good luck with Panda (paid) and with AVG (free, no ads). Based on what I read since then, I decided to try Microsoft's new, free basic protection program, Microsoft Security Essentials (Google: download Microsoft Security Essentials) and quickly installed it. It's not supposed to be as up to date as some, but it's overhead is low and I have some confidence that MSFT will try to make it work well in conjunction with their Win7 patches and updates. NOTE: Security Essentials has its own Malware program which replaces Windows Defender which comes with Win7. Make sure both aren't running at the same time (make sure Security Essentials DID turn off Windows Defender).
7. Uninstalled all the junkware (trial Office, Norton BackUp, eSobi, etc.). Uninstalled all the excess MSFT baggage - Silverlight, Live Essentials. If you ever use a program that wants chunks of these, they will ask to download and reinstall and you can decide then. NOTE: you don't want tags of too many programs running in memory, that slows down the computer especially video - the "load" from the antivirus can be especially significant.
8. Downloaded Quicktime; iTunes; Flash 10 (already installed - good work Acer! - but there was an incremental update since the build they installed on my hard drive.
KUDOS TO AMAZON DEPT.: I got this overnight, with the memory chip to upgrade, for only $28. Wow. I could have had free delivery by waiting a week or two with Super Saver. And they actually got the right computer to me - given how my AOD250's variants they stock, and colors, that's no mean feat.
WHY YOU MIGHT WANT GET THE SMALLER BATTERY DEPT.: The humongous runs forever battery is fatter and heavier. Heavy, not a problem; wider not a problem; problem is, it juts down from the body which means it doesn't fit well in a flat computer slot. On the other hand, it elevates the rear of the deck slightly for better cooling.
YOU SHOULD GET THIS IF: You are cheap or on a budget or want a very light, very small, very functional computer for travel. If you write, blog, browse the web, watch YouTube, download to iTunes (250 gb helps).
YOU SHOULD NOT GET THIS IF: You want to watch Hulu in higher resolution and/or at full screen; if you burn a lot of DVDs; if you do Photoshop or make movies; if you play video games that make demands on hardware. Get the new white Macbook instead.
MY CRYSTAL BALL SAYS THESE THINGS WILL CHANGE IN ONE YEAR: Dual core Atom chips (already available); lower power consumption support chips instead of the ancient 945; better graphics chips (from Intel, or from 3rd parties, Nvidia already has the Ion); standard 2 gb with optional 4 gb; 11.6 as the "premium" netbook niche and 10.1 as the "standard" niche with small screens disappearing; XP disappears, finally replaced by Win7.
AND THE QUESTION YOU WANTED ANSWERED FIRST: Yes, Win7 works out of the box. Abiword works fine with it. Yes it is as fast, to my eye and hand, as XP. Yes, it will be supported a lot longer in the future than XP. NO, stay away from Vista even on a close out model. I had it one one netbook and had to return it, it was so slow. Win7 Starter has no "eye candy" for the desktop but it is FAST. |
Great netbook
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| Review Date: October 29, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Eagle, |
The Acer Aspire One D250-1633 is exactly as advertised. A nice small netbook with an easy to read screen. Windows 7 Starter works fine. So does Office 2007. I was concerned about the 1 GB memory but Windows 7 Starter seems very lean and Word and Excel and Internet Explorer run (at the same time) with memory to spare. The keyboard certainly is smaller than normal, but I'm a hunt and peck typist so it makes little difference to me. If you're looking for a small, light, inexpensive netbook this seems like a good choice.
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Beyond Surprisingly Good
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| Review Date: November 1, 2009 |
| Reviewer: T. Nolle, New Jersey |
I had some concerns about a netbook. To be sure, they're small and light, but my question was whether that also meant they were slow and functionally crippled. The Acer quickly overcame my skepticism. Despite the fact that this is a very small and light system, it is plenty fast and has a lot of good features.
The keyboard isn't full-sized, but it's well-designed and even for a fast typist (which I am) it's easy to get used to and positive when you gain some experience with it. The screen is also small, but bright and easy to read. Some software does create an issue with it by not showing all of a window, so it might be a good idea to check to be sure your favorite programs have windows that can be resized, even the smaller "internal" ones used when you pick a menu item.
Windows 7 was probably my happiest surprise. The Acer with Win 7 boots very quickly, and for users of XP it's not a major transition. To be sure, things like the Control Panel don't work exactly the same way, but it's not hard to figure out what the equivalent steps are. The Acer comes with the "Starter" version of Windows 7, which doesn't include personalization touches like your own wallpaper, but despite this it connected to my home network with WiFi security without a hitch and also shared files and printers with my other PCs (still on XP). If you don't have Windows 7 on all your home systems, pick "Work Network" when you set up because the default homenet option won't work with XP systems.
Program compatibility is good as long as you get software that works with Vista; the Starter version won't run the XP compatibility mode stuff. Open source programs like OpenOffice install and run fine. The Works and Office Home and Students software that comes with the system aren't useful; the former is the anemic ad-sponsored version and the latter is a trial that will cost half the price of the netbook to convert. Microsoft's own Security Essentials isn't loaded (there's a McAfee trial) but I uninstalled all this stuff and loaded my own without difficulty. Since there's no CD/DVD drive you will need to download, use a memory stick, or copy via a home network to get software onto the device.
In all, I'm very glad I got this system. It was easier to set up and more powerful than I'd expected. |
Awesome!
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| Review Date: November 16, 2009 |
| Reviewer: LW, Florida |
After owning this netbook for nearly two months, I stand behind my original review below. I even purchased one for a family member as a gift, and she loves hers, too. I use my 15" Dell laptop in my home office, but the netbook travels with me everywhere I go. My flash drive quickly transfers necessary files back and forth. Battery life has remained strong and Windows 7 easily finds and connects to wireless networks. I truly could not be happier with my choice to purchase this netbook!
********************************************************************************************************************I just received this little life-saver last week, and so far I could not be happier! Great price and quality. It has everything I need, and is light enough to take with me everywhere. Fits right into my handbag. I have even tethered it to my mobile phone for 3G service when wireless is not available. Windows 7 Starter is fantastic; lean in the sense one can't change themes, but I personally don't care about that.
If you are looking for a fast, QUIET, little lappie to keep with you at all times (and are tired of outdated XP), then this is a great choice! The video runs Hulu and other streaming video just fine!! No memory increase necessary, either.
**I recommend on start-up that one removes all of the Acer 'Junk-Ware' that comes pre-loaded on this machine.** |
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