Price Watch: Aspire One Netbook, $289.99 shipped

Get a high-end Netbook for a low-end price.

(Credit: Buy.com)

Notebook or Netbook? It's a question for the ages, or at least for anyone shopping for a new portable PC. Buy.com has the Acer Aspire One Netbook for a tantalizing $289.99 shipped. The hitch: it's a refurb.

The last time I posted about the Aspire One, it was $309.99 new. However, this refurb has much beefier specs, including 1GB of RAM, a 120GB hard drive, and Windows XP instead of Linux.

The One also features a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, an 8.9-inch screen, a Webcam, and 802.11b/g wireless. It's modeled in sapphire blue, which I can tell you firsthand looks mighty attractive.

That's because I've got one of these babies right here. You can read about my experiences with it in The Netbook Diaries, but I'll sum up: it's a great little travel companion if you don't mind a slightly cramped keyboard and screen and have easy access to AC power (battery life bites).

This configuration sells for around $370 new, so if you don't mind a 90-day warranty instead of the usual 12 months, the refurb is definitely a good deal. If Buy.com runs out, you can get the same model for the same price from TigerDirect.

[unwritten_law9]

Not to turn the comments today into another fight over Netbooks, but I'm still holding off for now. When Netbooks start dropping just a little bit more, and beef the specs up I'll probably jump on the bandwagon, but nice find. Have a nice day.

[i8246i]

$289.99 shipped isn't low enough for you?

O_o

I mean, there are plenty of reasons to NOT own a netbook (if you like seeing whatever it is you are doing, and if your fingers aren't the size of toothpicks...oh yeah, and smaller comptuer does not mean better battery life), but even a skeptic like me had to do a double take on this price.

[rufustel]

Thanks for providing alternate sources, Rick--helpful to save on tax and shipping (hey, another $25 plus for some!).

[rufustel]

One thing to note: if you were planning on buying a warranty on this, it may pay to buy the item new, where you get a one-year warranty which your credit might double to 2 years.

[ooprus]

At the Windows 7 demoes where they said "see it works just like a real laptop", they always showed it running on a dual core Atom, not the single core Atom in all the current netbooks. I think I'll wait untll I can get a netbook that matches the processing power used in those Win 7 demos. A REAL laptop is only $500.

[iff2mastamatt]

I think I'll splurge for the awesome Sony P-series. It is a bit on the pricey side, but it looks like its worth it!

[amadensor]

How much extra to get a Linux one?

[Dan7637]

These things are crap- my 3 yr old laptop has similar specs except 1.86 Ghz Pentium M and NVIDIA GeForce Go 6400 and runs like it has its huevos in a bunch, now imagine a slower atom processor and slightly cheaper graphics, get a cheap compaq for $400 and you will still get a better laptop

[CNET editor's note: Inappropriate content was deleted from this post]

[rufustel]

I agree with you Dan except that: a netbook would be great for travel/quick trips around and the like. I got a nice 15.4 laptop deal last year and can't really imagine an 8-9" screen for any amount of time; but the netbook small size and weight would be nice on a coffee shop run or when traveling.

[raindog469]

When you can put a $400 Compaq laptop in your jacket pocket, let me know. My $1800, 3-pound Thinkpad from 2 years ago has a 1.6GHz CPU and lousy Intel graphics, but at 12", it's still too big to be truly portable.

I'd even go for one of those 1-pound Chinese $99 ones with the Loongson processor, if they were sold here. If it runs a standards-compliant browser, Java, SSH and a good VNC client, that's really all I need to get work done. They're not meant to be workhorse machines, just a way to get online.

[Dan7637]

lazy people, use those chicken arms and carry the damn laptop in a bag or backpack, netbooks are a fad and not a good investment

[SNESimon]

2 reasons why not to get this netbook:

1) It's a refurb
2) Only a 3 cell battery

Now I could live with the refurb, but not the 3 cell battery. The 3 cell will only last about 2 - 2.5 hours, so unless you have easy access to an outlet, you will want to upgrade to a 6 cell battery.

For $80 ($369.99) more you can buy the 160 GB, 6 cell version BRAND NEW from Amazon.

Or even a better Deal for $60 more you can have a BRAND NEW MSI Wind with a 10" screen, 160 GB HDD, 6 Cell Battery, B/G/N Wi-Fi, for $349.99 at Zipzoomfly. $350 People!!!!

[ubpfc]

I was given this as a gift this Christmas really didn't hold out much hope but I have been surprised at how good it actually works.
I am a web designer so I am used to my computers running very fast, initially it seemed a little slow but I deleted all the programs I would never use (pre-loaded games, Microsoft works etc...) and it now it runs great. I use iTunes, watch my Netflix movies and also stream from my Slingbox and find no lag times at all. Battery time was around 2 hours but I added a 9-cell battery for $75.00 which is running me around 9 hours (claims to run up to 12 1/2). Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to run Photoshop or Flash on here but that's not what I need it for.

[mightymini]

I love mine too. I was wondering where you found the 9 cell battery and if you find the bulk of it tilting the netbook arkward to touch type.

[strange1889]

to Dan - (and anyone else who has an old computer) the age of a computer has little weight on the 'speed' with which it should run, with regard to the specifications. we all know that a computer accumulates old files, reg errors, etc. those are what slow a computer down as it ages. of course if you take a 7 year old laptop & throw vista on it, it is going to choke, no matter what you do(ignoring the high probability that it wouldn't even install). however, with maintenance and cleaning, almost any old computer (within reason) can run just as good as the first day it booted. necessary cleaning entails CCleaner (or something similar), defragging, disk cleanup, & malware removal.

[Dan7637]

netbooks suck, I stick by that

[rickbroida]

I tend to agree, but I can't argue with how popular they've become. Obviously they're filling a need for many people. With better battery life and graphics horsepower, they'll be a lot more attractive...

[rubinpham]

my next trip to vietnam, i plan to bring along a netbook. it will keep me entertained while flying for about 20 hours. besides there are wifi hotspot every where i go in vietnam now. even in the countryside.

[Forked_Tongue]

...or you can get them much cheaper http://caspoly.com/product127.html?osCsid=3a021422bf2dc81f3fb3493501f58e79 for a brand new ASUS Eee PC 1000HA for $239.95 with XP, 1GB ram, 160GB hard drive, led backlit 10" screen, and a 1.3 mp webcam as well. I think a new larger netbook with a longer battery life is better than a refurb.

[risovicha]

Do not purchase anything from caspoly.com, it is a scam.

http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=15428&page=4

[rubinpham]

and by the way, netbook is not a fad. it is here to stay.