The Acer Aspire One 722 may be small in size and price, but don't let that fool you. With it's 500GB hard drive and 4G memory it's larger than any desktops we own, and faster too.
Though I haven't had the Acer long, it is continually impressive. Out of the box, I was pleased to see it lacking in much of the bloatware that came on my HP netbook and Gateway laptop. The desktop was blissfully vacant, leaving me to populate it with my own selections of programs.
Connecting to any WiFi has been a matter of a couple of clicks, including our sometimes difficult home wifi that treats new devices with deep suspicion. The Acer was accepted onto our home network with no issues at all.
Whether loading on photos from sd, using the built-in webcam, or utilizing 3rd party readers such as Kindle for PC and Overdrive Media Console, everything works seamlessly.
I've read some reviews recently that laptops can run annoyingly hot, but that is not the case with the Acer. It's quiet and cool, even when streaming videos. If you are a person who, like me, is easily bothered by excessive electronic noise, you will especially appreciate this quiet little Acer.
A early drawback was the whiteness of the background. Even after turning the brightness all the way down, the whiteness was too intense. Fortunately, it is completely adjustable in the Control Panal where you can customize themes, colors etc. I was able to choose a background with a gentle glow much like the color on my favorite e-readers.
For many, the multi-gesture function is a good selling point and many will enjoy it. I, however, could not get accustomed to it and was happy to discover I could disable the features one by one until it functioned perfectly for me.
Certainly, this is not a high end laptop and it shows in the plastic and hinges, we well as the plug for the ac adapter. I'm gentle plugging it in because the connection feels a little frail. Same with transporting it. The shell is light plastic so I am extra careful. But for such an outstanding low price it's worth it. I only paid 250.00 for mine with a rebate, but it is a good value even at a higher price.
If you plan to listen to music or videos without headphones you'll want a good external speaker, but this is true for many laptops. I used my Jawbone Jambox speaker and it sounded great. I don't think this Acer model has bluetooth, so I used a cord into the audio.
Comes with Windows 7. Finally, Microsoft has produced an operating system I like almost as much as XP. It even has a built in security suite from Microsoft.
And lastly, there are amazing desktop background photos including landscapes and screens from around the world that automatically rotate through the day. I never know what dynamic desktop scene I will treated to next. It's an unexpected pleasure.
The Acer Aspire One is an excellent choice for the budget-minded person who also wants some speed and storage space. I'm so impressed, I would consider Acer in the future for my higher end electronics.
This is the exact model with the 500G HD, 4G ram that was sent out to all the tech magazines and bloggers for review. Beware that other retailers might have other versions that not only have a smaller HD but also half as much ram for a minute difference in price.
Acer vs Asus
Obviously the this machine is 2 1/2 years newer than the Asus 1000he and wins the spec-war hands down. However below are a few key points that really stand out for me as a casual user (word processing & websurfing):
My main peeves with this new Acer over my old Asus are:
a) Reflective glossy screen with lots of glare.
b) No light indicator for camera on/off
c) Function key is only on one side of the keyboard so to adjust a function, both hands are needed
d) Fewer screen brightness options darkest setting on Acer is still too white in low-light conditions
e) Soft flexible keyboard key's not as springy or responsive as Asus' chiclets.
f) Shorter battery life. My old Asus started at 10hrs+ with Wifi at second to lowest brightness and still squeaks out 8hrs. This new Acer only pushes 7hrs at a comparable brightness setting.
g) Lack of built-in BT (I use for tethering)
h) There is no pre-programmed function button for resolution or display size adjustment. It all has to be done through the Control Panel
Despite all of the above, I do love my new netbook. I love the 11.6" screen (compared to the 10.1") and the better resolution. I also love how there is an HDMI-port in addition to a VGA-port. The new water-drop design and tapered edges make the Acer look smaller and thinner despite being the same as the Asus.
Overall this is a lot of computer in a small package at a reasonable price and I would not hesitate to recommend this to others.
Buy Acer Aspire One AO722-0022 Notebook AMD Dual-Core Processor C-60 (1.00GHz) 11.6" 4GB Memory DDR3 10 Now
If you want an incredibly fast 11.5 inch netbook this is the one. I can't believe the speed. Also the display is very bright which some have complained about but I happen to like it as I work in low light conditions often. My impression is that due to the blazing speed this is a keeper. Just about everyone will be delighted with this, as am I.
I want to mention a few tiny things that kept me from giving this five stars.
I am replacing a three year old Asus eee PC netbook with this.
Cons:
1. The case isn't as sleek as the streamlined little Asus. This is more boxy and the hinges in particular are downright ugly. I wonder why any computer manufacturer wouldn't include great design of the computer as an obvious way to help sell them.
3. This is way heavier. Of course I am willing to lug around an extra 1.5 pounds for that extra 3 gigs of ram and faster processor. This is truely a speed demon.
4. This one seems unforgivable: there is no light to tell you when the cam is on!
Come on, those little LED lights cost what, 10 cents? There were a few times when the only way I knew my cam was still on was that little light! I don't know how to check to make sure it goes off on this.
6. It is RED HOT on the bottom. The fan is on but it is hot enough to iron clothes with.
I am wondering if those tiny circuits are going to quickly fry.
But after waiting around forever for that little Asus to get around to doing it's job this is wonderful. Everything happens in a flash on this. Loving it! And I suspect just about most people will too.
I got mine at the local "big box" store that starts with a W and I feel it was a fair price. I had to order it online and pick it up. There are lots of different similar models of the Acer Aspire One so make sure you get one with 4 gigs of ram for about $50 more, it's well worth it, and the processor is slightly faster too. I paid around $400 for mine. Amazon has a model about the same for the same price, but a different model number.
I can't tell it's any different from the one I got from reading the description.
Some models have Bluetooth but if I need it I can get a Dongle that plugs into the USB port here on Amazon for twelve dollars.
Seems to be a great incredibly speedy netbook so far.
And it has an HDMI port to stream movies to my TV with. Love that!
I think you will be pleased with this netbook.
edit: I've been using this for about five weeks and it appears the hard drive suddenly died. I was afraid of this since it heats up so bad. It just died and won't boot no matter what. Started making a little hiccup sound every few minutes then while watching a movie on it, then whamo, dead. I'm very upset.
Now I have to deal with the whole mess of customer service. I spent a couple of hours trying various ways to boot it without luck.
I've never had any computer die before after a month. So my new recommendation is DO NOT BUY.
I now see many other reviews here for various Acer Aspire One models where the exact same thing has happened.
edit number 2: After struggling with this for 3 whole days I finally got the
"eRecovery Partition" to function, which is the recovery partition of last resort that
Acer includes for just such an emergency in a non booting computer.
As the computer is just starting press ALT while you at the same time press F10 multiple times to bring up the eRecovery screen. From here you can basically re install windows.
I had to try this twice before it works. I have no idea what happened. I would have sworn the hard drive was fried. My data was lost but at least it is working again.
hmm.....I think I would look at a Dell or Gateway after this experience.
Read Best Reviews of Acer Aspire One AO722-0022 Notebook AMD Dual-Core Processor C-60 (1.00GHz) 11.6" 4GB Memory DDR3 10 Here
This machine packs power. Acer has given 4gb to this netbook which make up for the processor, however the processor is much better than you see on many netbooks. It is dual core which lets it out-compete intel atom single core processors. In addition the processor is very economic with its energy usage, as is the small screen, which allows this netbook to get a true 6.5 hours. The 4gb memory means that it comes with 64-bit Windows 7. Also the display is a full 1366x768 which means it has the same resolution as almost every 13.3" notebook. At the same time all of this remains in a 11.6 inch, 3.4 pound unit, which is light enough to make it feel the same as basically any other netbook. It doesn't feel cramped and the touchpad's features work well enough to make it an easily navigable system. It plays HD internet video and has both VGA and HDMI connectivity plus ethernet and 3 USB 2.0. It also has a 500 GB hard drive which is very uncommon in netbooks. This machine can easily be compared to many 13" notebooks in its speed and hardware while a netbook in size and energy consumption. At the price point there is nothing better on the market.
Want Acer Aspire One AO722-0022 Notebook AMD Dual-Core Processor C-60 (1.00GHz) 11.6" 4GB Memory DDR3 10 Discount?
Very good option to consider if like me, you want a Windows 7 machine before they disappear from the marketplace, and you want a travel size notebook (11.6" screen is perfect for me) with a full keyboard, but don't want to shell out the bucks for the sleeker ultrabooks or settle for a Chromebook. Another key feature for me on this model is that it has a 6 cell battery which effectively allows me to use it most of the day untethered from the power cord. Very beefy Memory (4 GB) and Hard Drive (500 GB) for this price point, but one shortcoming is that the Processor is just adequate (listed as 1.00 GHz but really 1.37 it would be better to have one 2.0 or higher.) It's fast enough for email, surfing the web, downloading music and e-books, watching You Tube videos, etc., but don't even think about gaming. The machine runs cool and quiet and the fan rarely comes on. Nice that it has an HDMI output so you can easily hook it up to a HD TV. A potential shortcoming is that it doesn't have a backlit keyboard but the keyboard is easy to see in dim light and shouldn't be a problem unless you're completely in the dark. The touchpad is not half bad, but easy enough to add an external mouse (the mouse and touchpad can operate simultaneously, making it seamless to switch back and forth). Screen glare is about average, shouldn't be a problem for most unless you are in very harsh lighting. Stylewise it's OK, but certainly not a sexy choice compared to the touchpads or ultrabooks which are sleeker and about a pound lighter. Then again, you don't have to worry as much about this one getting swiped, and even if does get lost or stolen, at this price, it's not such a big deal. In any case, it suits my needs quite well, and I'm very glad to not be lugging my old laptop around with me anymore when I travel.
Sony's VAIO Z-Series laptops are great in a lot of ways: compact, decent battery life, and great for travel work. The area that they fall down, however, is driver support. Sony refuses to let you install generic drivers for their hardware, and does not push out regular updates to keep pace. For example, my video card is an Nvidia, but the Nvidia drivers will not install because Sony has asked them not to allow it. I confirmed this with both Nvidia and Sony support. The video drivers are 2 years old for my card and really hinder the legs of the product.
