San Jose, Calif. — Acer has unveiled the Aspire One, a new notebook it said is “designed to deliver continuous access to the Internet no matter where you are.”
The notebook comes standard with 802.11b/g Wi-Fi built in. Acer indicated that in the future it may also be equipped with 3G wireless technology. The unit features Acer Signal Up technology to help ensure wireless signal quality and stability.
The Asprire One has a Linux interface and comes pre-installed with Linus Linux Line or Windows XP Home. Additional software such as OpenOffice 2.3, One Mail, Messenger, Acer eRecovery Management, Acer Launch Manager, Adobe Reader, McAfee Internet Security Suite and Microsoft Office Trial 2007 are also installed.
The device measures 9.8 inches by 6.7 inches and 1.14 inches and weighs slightly more than 2 pounds. It is also said to offer a battery life of up to six hours.
It has an 8.9-inch Crystal Brite LED backlit display with 1,024 by 600 pixels. Acer’s CrystalEye Web cam is integrated at the top of the screen.
The notebook will initially be available in blue or white; however, Acer said it also plans to add brown and pink as options later in the year.
The Aspire One comes equipped with an Intel Atom processor and features 512MB or 1GB of RAM memory.
For data storage, one can use either an 8GB NAND flash module or an 80GB internal HDD. The device can also read five different types of memory card: Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO and xD-Picture Card. The computer’s Smart File Manager feature is said to seamlessly merge extra storage from any SD card inserted into the second SD card slot into the memory available to the user.
The Aspire One will be available in the third quarter with pricing beginning at $379.
It comes with a standard one-year parts and labor warranty, which includes concurrent international traveler’s coverage that can be extended to three years with the Acer Advantage service that is said to also cover accidental damage to the notebook. All Acer notebooks are also backed by toll-free service and support.
