Strengths:Fast startup, >30 seconds,
true 8G SSD drive, not a hybrid ssd/sd-ram,
OS + apps take only 3.5G,
expand user storage space w/sd-ram card,
easy wi-fi connect, webcam OK,
keyboard OK, not too cram
Weaknesses:Per Acer, does *not* accept sdhc cards,
battery life >3.5 hours w/dim screen,
no network browsing,
OS shell does not accept new apps, no desktop icons,
system RAM upgrades must be done by Acer.
Posted 1 year ago - The OS shell is both functional and lame. This netbook is very suitable for travel and easily running common apps, such as web, email, Open Office, some games and IM. Die-hard linux fans would probably override the native linpus linux with gnome or kde, but that is really not what this unit is designed for.
The linpus OS is based on the Fedora 9 core. Fortunately, the file manager app has a backdoor link to terminal. From there, I was able to finetune some system settings, run package manager, and install rdesktop, samba, and a few other apps. A lot will not install, however, if it's dependent on a full gnome or kde environment.
I was able to set up printing to a samba printer and a samba share on the unit itself. Strangely, outbound network browsing is disabled (no nautilus, sigh). I'm sure that I will figure it out soon.
The firefox browser is installed, as is the t-bird email client, so it can do both pop and imap. Open Office suite is a big plus. The included game selection is pretty limited, and some of it is trialware (yuck).
According to Acer support, the unit will not accept sdhc memory cards in either the storage expansion slot or the card reader. This is a big drawback, since hc capacity is much greater. I did install a fast, standard, 2G sd card in the storage expansion slot and did not perceive a performance hit.
Biggest disappointment: mediocre battery life, despite all the hype pushing the atom processor. But the unit does start up fast and runs respectably fast, and the SSD hard drive performance is really awesome.
All in all, I give this little guy a thumbs up, especially if you can snag one for under $300. It's fun to use, and I couldn't resist getting one. This netbook is the second acer purchase I have made this year, and in both cases the disappointments have been few.
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