Acer Aspire One Review

The Acer Aspire One is a 8.9" netbook with a starting price that is aimed to undercut nearly all the current market competitors. The base Aspire One, which includes an 8GB SSD and Linux starts at $329, which is far under anything else that has the Intel Atom processor. The big question running through everyone's minds is if this model is built like a budget computer, or if it has what it takes to go up against some models that sell for nearly double the retail price. In this review we cover all aspects of the Acer Aspire One, and let you know if this is a netbook you should consider purchasing.

Our Acer Aspire One specifications:

* 1.6GHz N270 Intel Atom Processor
* 1GB DDR2 533MHz
* Windows XP Home SP3
* 8.9" 1024 x 600 WSVGA glossy LED backlit display
* 120GB 2.5" 5400RPM Hitachi Hard Drive (with SDHC storage expansion slot)
* 802.11b/g Atheros Wireless
* 3-Cell 23Wh battery
* Size: 9.75" x 6.625" x 1.28"
* Weight: 2lb 5.0oz

Build and Design

The design of the Acer Aspire One is very sleek with softly rounded edges and a smooth glossy surface that is comfortable to hold when closed. The look is fairly basic, but it does have a few chrome accents here and there which add a bit of spice into the look of the netbook. Glossy plastic is found on the top of the screen cover, as well as around the entire LCD. At times the reflective boarder does get on your nerves if you are in a brightly lit room with many sources of glare.

Build quality looks solid for a subnotebook and the construction feels strong enough to handle being tossed around inside a bookbag without much concern for its safety (well apart from the glossy surfaces). Holding it while it is folded in half is similar to holding a hard cover book, having a good amount of rigidity to resist flex and compression. The screen cover feels especially strong, which is important for protecting the relatively fragile LCD panel.

From an upgrading perspective, the Acer Aspire One is a very difficult netbook to make enhancements to. The case does not separate as easily as others to access vital components like RAM or the hard drive. While most users won't touch the insides, it is worth mentioning it for those thinking about upgrading to Vista which enjoys additional RAM, or something looking to install a faster drive. Another disappointing aspect about the Aspire One is the open Mini-PCIe slot which is lacking any connector. This area is prepped with a SIM-card port for obvious 3G features, but unless you can solder on your own connector you are out of luck.

Acer Aspire 5920

Acer doesn't hide its aspiration to dominate the notebook market using the same formula that got Dell to first place in the past with its Inspiron line, top specs for the dollar. The "Gemstone" is their latest line and the Aspire 5920 is the top model. But does it deliver?

My chosen notebook was the Acer Aspire 5920-6313 equipped with the following specs:

• 15.4-inch WXGA (1280 x 800) CCFL Crystalbrite (glossy) screen
• Intel Core 2 Duo T5250 (1.5GHz , 667MHz FSB)
• 2GB DDR2-667 SDRAM
• 160GB 5400 RPM SATA HDD
• HD DVD / DVD-RW drive
• Nvidia Geforce 8600m GT 256MB DDR2
• 802.11a/b/g WLAN
• Two Speakers and a built-in subwoofer
• Windows Vista Home Premium

Reason For Buying

After looking for a desktop replacement notebook with gaming capabilities I found the Acer 5920-6313 offered unparalleled specs for the money. At the time of purchase it beat even the Inspiron 1520 when compared in a spec-to-spec analysis. Acer: 1, Dell: 0.

Buying Experience

Best Buy had the Acer 5920-6313 for $1,049 but I missed that deal so I had to find mine on ebay. I bought one from "HD Gamer store," one of the many aliases of a company called Dealtree which specialize in Best Buy returns. But instead of getting the advertised "Like new in its original box" I got a non-working, physically broken notebook with no box or accessories what so ever. This company wouldn't take responsibility and fix the problem so I had to send the notebook to an Acer certified lab, pay extra cash for the repair and wait for another five weeks. The tech determined the notebook screen to be faulty with no relation to the physical damage which wouldn't have happened anyway had the notebook been in its original box and not so poorly packed, but still Dealtree refused to acknowledge their fault and take full responsibility.

In short, this was the worst ebay experience to date but there is another reason why I'm telling you all this. While waiting for the notebook to come back from the lab I bought another 5920-6313 from a different seller. That allowed me to pit two 5920's in this review as well as comparing the original screen with the replacement screen on the repaired unit.

Build and Design

Acer marketing named their new Aspire line style "Gemstone" but we'll call it the pebble. A rounded, dark outer form combined with the yellowish gray stone-like inside reminds me of natural river pebbles. However, nature stops when it comes to the keyboard area. The somewhat eccentric keyboard has a high tech look combing lots of blue LEDs, grooved geometric lines and angles including a slanted space bar.

You can love it or hate it but you have to applaud Acer for the innovative style, especially in contrast with Dell's 1520/1720 styling statement which mainly consists of different colors for the lid. Another point for Acer.

Too bad the pebble doesn't come without design flaws. The glossy lid looks quite nice with the "floating" Acer logo but is a finger print magnet. The lid prevents any rippling to the screen and is opened with a car boot like handle, but it isn't as easy to use as the traditional slider. In addition, I don't feel comfortable applying more upward pressure to the handle when lifting the lid all the way up so I only use it to free the latch and then raise the lid by holding the non-moving screen bezel instead.

Acer Aspire 5920 User Review

Acer doesn't hide its aspiration to dominate the notebook market using the same formula that got Dell to first place in the past with its Inspiron line, top specs for the dollar. The "Gemstone" is their latest line and the Aspire 5920 is the top model. But does it deliver?

My chosen notebook was the Acer Aspire 5920-6313 equipped with the following specs:

• 15.4-inch WXGA (1280 x 800) CCFL Crystalbrite (glossy) screen
• Intel Core 2 Duo T5250 (1.5GHz , 667MHz FSB)
• 2GB DDR2-667 SDRAM
• 160GB 5400 RPM SATA HDD
• HD DVD / DVD-RW drive
• Nvidia Geforce 8600m GT 256MB DDR2
• 802.11a/b/g WLAN
• Two Speakers and a built-in subwoofer
• Windows Vista Home Premium