San Jose, Calif.
– Acer‘s Aspire One netbook, available today
at prices starting at $349, lets users boot up in the Google’s Android
operating system or in the Windows XP Home OS.
When users
click the mouse to choose Android, the netbook boots up and shuts down quickly
with “instant on” Internet connectivity via Wi-Fi because Android was designed
specifically for mobile devices and applications, the company said. With a Windows
boot-up, users get access to the full range of Windows applications.
“The unique
dual-boot OS on the new Aspire One ensures users fast connections, the
familiarity of Windows, and the added convenience of [Android] open-source
mobile platforms and applications, “said Sumit Agnihotry, product management VP
for Acer America.
Android first
appeared in cellular smartphones and is branching out into other types of
mobile devices, including an Android-based mobile Internet device (MID)
from Archos at prices from $249 to $499 in capacities from 8GB to 500GB.
Acer’s 2.79-pound,
1-inch by 10.2-inch by 8.4-inch netbook features Intel Atom N280 processor, 10.1-inch
LED-backlit display, 5800 mAh battery, 1GB of memory, integrated 802.11 b/g
Wi-Fi, 160GB internal hard drive and Web cam with microphone. A multi-gesture touchpad
lets users pinch, flick and swirl a finger on the touchpad to navigate
applications and scroll, zoom in and out, and flip through Web pages, photos,
spreadsheets and the like.
It’s available
in four colors through Acer resellers and major retailers.
