Linux Acer Aspire One

[donecweb]

This may not be the best place for this topic but since I got the Linux version I thought I would put it here.

I just got a new Acer Aspire One ultra portable netbook from CircutCity for $329.00. I don't like the name netbook but it with the way they setup the interface and the included software you are limited to what you can do. It is a very simplistic interface that doesn't even give the appearance of have the command line available. That takes some advance knowledge that most new users would not have. It boots in about 20 seconds, is very easy to look at and bright. Really typing on it is easier than typing on my Acer Aspire 9300 Desktop replacement with the full keyboard even a keypad. As I do more I post updates here.

[donecweb]

This is an update to the thread about my AAO.

It came with Linpus and even though it is very easy to use it is also quite crippled meaning you are limited as to what you can do with it. Unless you make a lot of CLI (Command Line Interface) changes. For these reasons I tried several other distros and got most of them to work for most things but they also took CLI mods. A couple months ago I tried Mandriva 2009 Gnome. I run it using a 16Gb SDHC card for my home partition and this required the use of a USB reader to allow Mandriva to use it for making the home partition. This is not a fault of Mandriva or Acer's Aspire One, but rather a problem with SD card reader's drivers. Using an SDHC card for home causes the Suspend and Hibernate to not work and there doesn't seem to be any fix coming soon. However if you use the standard installation then the Suspend and Hibernate do work. The only mods I had to make was to edit 2 files by adding a line in each using a standard text editor while logged on as root.

The AAO is one of the most popular netbooks and there are a lot of people that are making modes to them that don't have any idea what they are doing yet for most these AAO's continue to work fine. There are some people that have complained of having problems but I can't really address their problems since I have not had any. I find that when I try and use another computer the screen seems way way too big and it takes the cursor a long time to move across the screen. I believe this is due to the small size of the screen on the AAO but since the quality of the screen is so very good the AAO is easier for me to read than my 17 inch screen.

One of the things that impress me the most is how well the AAO multi-task.

Every thing from many Linux distros to Windows 98, 2K, Vista, Windows 7 and OSX have been installed on AAO's. The SSD version need some smaller versions for some Windows versions but the Hard Drive version of the AAO runs them all.

I know it has been a while since I posted this thread but I wanted to have some personal experience when I updated the thread.

[Andy]

when I try and use another computer the screen seems way way too big

 

This kind of computer would be great to take on a coach or plane IMO as long as the batteries last a long time.

[donecweb]

 

This kind of computer would be great to take on a coach or plane IMO as long as the batteries last a long time.

The 3 cell battery last about 2 - 2.5 hr, the 6 cell battery last about 4 - 6 hr and the 9 cell battery last 8 - 10 hrs according to the reports on the Acer  Aspire One forum. there is a difference in the size and weight of the different batteries also the tend to cause the keyboard to tilt up in the back that most people is a plus to typing.

[Andy]

That's not very impressive for a small computer. No different to a full-sized laptop for the 3-cell battery. I guess they did nothing to minimize the power consumption in the design of the circuitry?