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A great computer doesn’t have to be big!

Let me preface this review by stating I am not a computer/tech person. I am a 35 yo housewife and nursing student who needs something that is powerful (fast), small, light and handy that I can take with me everywhere I go. My first stab at reaching that goal was a 10.1″ Acer Aspire One over a year ago. I got some good use out of it but grew tired of the limitations and slow speed compared to an awesome desktop at home (my husband IS a computer/tech guy). So I’d been waiting for an 11.6″ model to hit the market that actually had true notebook features - not the lame atom processors, etc. It’s finally here.

What I like:
-quiet
it is super quiet, fan noise barely audible

-screen is really sharp
the definition and clarity of the screen/graphics are great; color is vivid as well

-keyboard
full size, and also quiet with low profile keys

-handy buttons
there are a lot of handy one-touch type features like one that will black out the screen (could be used to thwart that nosy neighbor in the seat next to you, as well as being a great power saver during downtime)

-setup was easy
it is pretty self explanatory: put battery in, plug in, turn on, follow instructions, uninstall pre-installed garbage.

-speed
it boots up quickly and switching windows or webpages is almost instantaneous

-touch pad
it is matte, slightly textured, and makes for easy use with average sensitivity. It also has some neat extra features where using different strokes across or in a circular motion will switch between windows and zoom in or zoom out… there are several of these and I don’t know them all yet. Also, it is not so sensitive that if your thumb pad rubs over it while typing the cursor will jump around - I’ve had that problem before and I’m glad I don’t have it now!

-surfaces
the inside surface hand rest, aside from the touch pad, appears to be a brushed metal type that does not show fingerprints (nice). The outside is typical onyx - it’s black with a little bit of barely noticeable sparkly-ness if you look closely.

I have not used the Bluetooth feature yet… need to set that up for my Blackberry Storm. Also am ordering a BT mouse but have seen so many mixed reviews about the available models so will need to do more research.

The computer comes well packaged and had no signs of damage. However, I think the cold made all the sticky plastic protectors leave a gummy residue on the case. It was easy to peel it off though -but initially alarming just the same.

No case or cover - it came with a fabric cover that is similar to the stuff that’s used on the bottom of box springs. So if you get this computer, you might as well order a bag/sleeve at the same time.

Windows 7 - works like a charm.

Weight - it’s light and easy to handle.

The bottom line: I love it and would highly recommend it. Thanks for reading my review!

Addendum: I wanted to mention how long the battery lasts. I am notorious for rapid battery consumption on all devices (have to take cords with me always) —this computer is changing that. I take it to school and it is on from 1:30-8:00 intermittently running MS office apps like Word, Excel and Powerpoint, plus an internet browser (I use Firefox). The use is not constant, but it’s still on and ready the whole time. I don’t even bother taking the cord with me, becuase on average after this usage I still have between 70-75% battery remaining when I get home! Amazing!

Update (2/9/2012): This item is currently on sale here for the lowest price I’ve seen. I also found some auctions for this item here.

The featured review for this product, Acer Aspire Timeline AS1810T-8638 11.6-Inch HD Display Black Laptop - Over 8 Hours of Battery Life Personal Computers, was written by Mrs. Night Owl.

The average rating for this item is 5 out of 5 stars, according to 3 reviews.