Acer Aspire One Review

It sure looks cute. That's all I know personally, because  I was not able to turn my unit on. It was Acer's customer service, though, that made me sure I had not found my ace in the hole. 

Everyone stops to stare at these computers. They walk through Costco or Target and say to themselves "WOW, I would LOVE to have that!  And it's so cheap!  Would I? Could I? Should I?"

They wonder whether it would do all the laptops that now look like behemoths in comparison need to do for them.  Well the answer to that is yes and no.  Many don't have a cd-rom drive, so if you need one it can't be your only computer.  And it is nearly impossible to look at more than one window at a time on screen (I have experienced this by others' not mine, as you will read later.

In theory, it was going to meet my needs. I have many other forums for cd and dvd-roms, which don't fit in these, and backup computers.  It has an Intel processor, and a high MP webcam. And I use that feature a LOT.  Seemed a bit light on the battery life but I have had worse.

The specs that I was promised: 
Display Type:  WSVGA 
Screen Size:  8.9"  Maximum Resolution:  1024 x 600    Memory Size:  1GB 
Capacity:  160GB 
Hard Drives Included:  1x 160GB 
Drive Types:  Hard Drive 
Condition:  New 
Operating Systems:  Windows XP Home 
Startup Operating System:  Windows® XP Home 
Processor Brand:  Intel 
Processor Class:  Atom 
Processor Speed:  1.60GHz 
Processor Number:  N270  Processor FSB:  533MHz  Processor Cache:  512KB L2 Cache 
Graphics Description:  Integrated Graphics  GPU/VPU:  Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950  Video Interface:  VGA  Supplemental Drive Type:  Media Reader 
Capacity:  5-in-1  Media Types:  SecureDigital  Memory Stick  xD-Picture Card  Memory Stick PRO  Multi Media Card  Supplemental Drive Type:  Media Reader 
Capacity:  1  Media Types:  Smart Card 
Audio Description:  Integrated Audio  Audio Chipset:  Microsoft DirectSound compatibility  Audio Channels:  Built-in Stereo Speakers  Audio Input:  1- Microphone input port  Audio Output:  1 - Headphone output port  Integrated Microphone:   LAN Ports: 
1  Audio Out Jacks: 
1  Microphone Jacks: 
1  VGA Ports:  1  Communications Description:  Integrated LAN  Integrated Wireless LAN  Interface Type:  RJ-45  Data Transfer Rate:  10/100Mbps
Network  Protocols:  802.11b  802.11g 
Width:  9.8" 
Height:  1.1" 
Depth:  6.7" 
Weight:  2.3 lbs 
Mouse Type:  TouchPadTM Pointing Device  Buttons: 
2  Keyboard Type:  84-key Keyboard  Battery Type: 
3-Cell Lithium-ion  
Color:  White  Pink 
Integrated Webcam

First, it arrived at my house on a Friday and I bought on a Tuesday so I was very excited. I had been wanting a mini for a long time, and even have a back-up laptop if it didn't do EVERYTHING I need it for.  But it was all downhill from there.

IT WOULDN'T EVEN TURN ON. The service manuals are incomprehensible, but that is really nothing unusual these days.  But once my husband, a computer wiz, determined that it was a defect we couldn't fix, my disappointing experience became a nightmare.  The tech support had ONE troubleshooting tip to try. The managerswere bafflingly rude and unhelpful.  The first sign of a second-rate company in my experience

Companies like HP send you a box on your doorstep the next morning just to make sure that no one is accused of problems during shipping after that point. For free.  But not Acer. No way.  They did away with that policy a year ago it seems. (I wonder what's next?) The second sign of a 2nd rate company in my experience.

Their offerings were also very small.  They wouldn't exchange it because I'd bought it at Walmart.com, who will also not exchange it.  So I am stuck with a computer that was a dud from the get go.   They wouldn't replace the power chord even, even though those are of little expense to them. They would basically do nothing I asked except, well I really don't know what they are going to do.

And when one of the managers, Randy, asked why I was comparing this to other companies, I said that not only do I own computers from HP and Dell, I said that I review products online.  This was the deal breaker. He said he couldn't even support my cause because he was personally offended by me (even though I NEVER raised my voice or got personal) and said that I "intimidated" him by telling him I write online, among a heap of other unsubstantiated insults.

So the next thing he did was to give me a pass-off with bad information (that the upper level management could make the call, which apparently they can't), he told me that I was rude, intimidating, demanding and all kinds of other insults and took everything I said personally just because I brought this up in response to his inquiries.

So it is unclear what will happen at this point, and so I will have to update it after I get it back from Acer.   But so far it has been a bad product, bad tech support, and bad customer service.  All around bad, and I haven't even been able to turn it on yet!

There are also several things about the product itself that are a dissappointment. I found out that while everyone I was buying from was telling me what a deal I was getting, I was buying at the exact upper range of the price.   The 3-cell battery, which lasts almost not at all. This feature, as opposed to the six-cell are among the ones that make this model the bottom-of-the-line.

It looks cute and everything, but until I can turn it on, after mailing it to them at my own expense and their specifications which will invalidate the warranty (very scary because they can always claim they told me something that they didn't or say that the damage was my fault in transit), until I am able to turn it on it is of little use.

With problems like this within Acer, I would go with a company that I know would be around the whole life of my warranty. Many other brands are getting in on the action of the mini laptop, so there will soon be many options. Just don't try to save money with the AMD chip, since I have also heard bad things about those.  They will slow down the already maxxed processing capacity.

I had about as good of luck at Walmart, where I made this purchase, and actually got hung up on!  But surprisingly. Wallmart.com was GREAT! They sent me a postage-paid label and I sent it in the mail and got my money back. Finally.  A happy ending and who knows, I may be toting another one of those cute baby pinkies soon.