Netbooks are mainly dislike because of processor limitations and small keyboards, but it is still worth to take a look at the Acer Aspire One AOD257-13685 because of the cheap price. In this post I will write Pros and Cons of the Acer Aspire One AOD257-13685
So, as meant in the title, here are the PRO's
- Lightweight. Sub 3 pounds with 6 cell battery and barely over 2 with standard 3 cell
- Thin. I swear it can't be more than an inch thick
- 250GB HDD instead of the usual 160GB
- Oddly quiet. I have to strain to hear the fan running most of the time. Usually netbooks are noisy and even the HDD is quiet in this unit
- Wireless includes N. Most stop at G.
- It can sense with the power connector is loose and will beep to let you know it's not connected all the way (but only if the connector is still making partial contact).
- Dual core processor with hyperthreading is unique. Most stop with just the dual core and leave it at that
- DDR3 RAM, although limited to 1GB, is sufficient for the tasks I've put it through
- Unique cover design
- Solid construction with no creaking or cracking and limited screen flex
- Decent performance, especially video
- Cheap compared to tablets that are taking over the market. $240 for an ultraportable is nearly unheard of and a similar computer just 10 years ago from Dell or the like would have set you back $2,000.
- Keyboard that is actually pleasurable to use. I rarely had a mistype.
- Mouse/trackpad with the same pinch and squeeze features found on Apples. At least Acer got away from previous designs with the buttons on the side. While these finger movements may seem minor, they do come in handy for when screen print is small.
Not everything is perfect and there are CONS:
- Bottom firing speakers mean tinny and muffled sound
- Even Acer is confused with this model. The website states it's a single core model when it's actually dual core (and, yes, I did get the right model variation).
- No HDMI port for those desiring such nor is there Bluetooth capability
- Changing RAM or hard drive requires the removal of 6 screws on the bottom (2 of which are covered by the rubber feet), removal of the keyboard, yet another 6 screws and a metal plate. Screw any of these up and you're out of luck.
- Quirky battery life, at least with 3 cell. Prone to dropping a half hour after just a couple minutes use so it's really difficult to gauge when you need to find an outlet or call it quits.
- The two right side USB ports and next to each other. Fat dongles need not apply
- Surefire fingerprint magnet on the cover although keyboard surfaces are roughly finished
- Incredible amount of bloatware including anti-virus and Microsoft Office trials plus 22 Acer games that had to be removed.
- Have over 250MB of online updates waiting in the pipes?
- Watching videos turns up the heat to the point the bottom is really hot. Since most of the vents are bottom firing you can see where this presents problems. Adding the bulk of the 6 cell battery elevated the rear end and kept the heat done somewhat.
Overall, I give this unit a high rating but those interested might want to act quickly. Netbooks are a dying breed and may be replaced by tablets in the near future (might also explain with the prices are dropping, too).