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Acer Aspire One

(Credit: AT&T)

AT&T is hoping for happy holidays with the launch of two new Netbooks offering Windows 7 and mobile broadband.

The company announced Monday its new Netbook lineup--the Samsung Go and Acer Aspire One--both with built-in access to its 3G network. Available later this month in stores and online, both portables will cost gift buyers $199 after a mail-in rebate and two-year data plan contract.

The required DataConnect plan will offer 200MB of data for a new lower price of $35 per month, or 5GB for $60 per month, said AT&T. The plan will let consumers hop online via AT&T's 3G mobile network or any of the company's 20,000 Wi-Fi hot spots across the U.S.

"Demand for Netbooks remains strong among consumers, small business customers, and those who desire constant access to the Internet while on the go," said David Haight, vice president of product development for AT&T emerging devices, in a statement. "Paired with the nation's fastest 3G network, AT&T Wi-Fi service, and now the value and ease of use of Windows 7, these devices will make very attractive and affordable gifts this holiday season."

Samsung Go

(Credit: CNET)

Weighing less than three pounds, the Samsung Go is equipped with a 10-inch screen, 160GB hard drive, 1 GB of RAM, and a 1.3 megapixel Webcam. A bit skinnier at 2.2 pounds, the Acer Aspire One also includes a 10-inch screen, 160GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, and built-in Webcam.

Both Netbooks also come with AT&T's Communication Manager software, which tries to help Internet users better manage their connections by automatically tapping into AT&T hot spots.

The Samsung and Acer machines have one potential limitation, however. Like most Netbooks, they come with Windows 7 Starter Edition, a stripped down version of Windows 7 that lacks certain key features of its beefier brethren.

It's a price worth fighting for!

(Credit: Warner Bros. Entertainment)

You say you want value in your mobile computer? You say you want something super cheap? Not one year ago, we visited a very similar subject and found most Netbooks averaging $499. Now Netbooks are available for $299 or less, thanks to incredibly affordable new offerings from Acer--the just-reviewed Aspire One AOD250--and Dell's Mini 10v. A line has been drawn in the sand, and now we answer the question: what can $300 get me in a new Netbook?

The Dell Mini 10v was the first mainstream Netbook to come out of the starting gate at this sub-$300 price, followed by the new Acer Aspire One AOD250 and the HP Mini 1115NR. Below, check out our chart comparing the features each will give you in terms of CPU, hard drive, RAM, screen size, and other basic specs.

First off, you might notice a lot of similarities between devices. Might we say nearly identical specs? ... Read more

At $298, it's less expensive than a 32 GB iPhone 3G S.

(Credit: Acer)

With back-to-school planning practically around the corner, it's a good time to start thinking budget. Acer has already beat you to the punch, releasing the latest version of their extremely popular 10.1-inch Aspire One Netbook in a quartet of new colors, a thinner chassis, and a price point that's pretty impressive: $298. We used to spend more than that on RAM.

As prices keep dropping in the Netbook Wars, staying competitive among a slew of me-too Atom-powered mininotebooks is a challenge. Acer's Aspire One helped define the Netbook to the masses by undercutting the competition at $350, and the Aspire One AOD250 drops the price even further. Other than a shift to a three-cell battery, you're not losing anything with this model.

Read the rest of our review, and check out the gallery below.

Acer Aspire One AOD250

We've already seen them previewed with the rest of Acer's upcoming lineup back in April, but the official release of the next generation of Aspire One Netbooks is finally here. Most notable is the inclusion of a new, bigger 11.6-inch model, the Aspire One AO751h; also new is a revamped 10.1-inch system, the Aspire One AOD250. (Confidential to Acer: we're available as product naming consultants for the low, low price of free).

Both new Netbooks are thinner than Acer's previous models, and the 11-inch AO751h has a full-size keyboard, along with a 16:9 LED display. "We predict that the larger display and keyboard will be a game-changer for mobile consumers looking to take it to the next level with the ultimate mobile device," says Sumit Agnihotry, vice president of product management for Acer America. Thanks to the popular Aspire One line (and its low $350 starting price) Acer currently claims 30.5 percent of the global Netbook market, and has shipped 1.8 million Netbooks in the first quarter of 2009.

Available colors include Diamond Black, Ruby Red, Sapphire Blue, and Seashell White, and both models weigh less than three pounds. Like other recent Acer laptops, the new Netbooks include multi-touch gesture support for the touchpads, letting users pinch, rotate of flip through content.

Click through for full specs on both new models :

Acer Aspire One AO751h

(Credit: Acer)

Acer Aspire One AO751h-1192
* Intel Atom Processor Z520 (1.22GHz, 490MHz FSB, 512KB L2 Cache)
* Genuine Microsoft Windows XP Home
* 11.6-inch WXGA 16:9 ratio Acer CrystalBrite High Definition LED back-lit TFT LCD (1364 x 768 resolution)
* Mobile Intel US15W Express Chipset
* 1024MB DDR2 533 MHz SDRAM Single Channel Memory
* Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
* 160GB SATA 5400RPM Hard Drive
* Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader and Dedicated SD Card
* Acer InviLink 802.11b/g Wi-Fi
* Acer Crystal Eye Web Camera
* Two Built-in Stereo Speakers
* Three USB 2.0 Ports
* 6-cell Li-ion Battery (5200mAh)
* 11.18" (W) x 7.79" (D) x 1" (H)
* Sapphire Blue
* One-Year Standard Warranty
* Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price: $379.99

Acer Aspire One AOD250

(Credit: Acer)

Acer Aspire One AOD250-1042
* Intel Atom Processor N270 (1.60GHz, 533MHz FSB, 512KB L2 Cache)
* Genuine Microsoft Windows XP Home
* 10.1-inch WSVGA 16:9 ratio Acer CrystalBrite(tm) LED back-lit TFT LCD (1024x600 resolution)
* Mobile Intel 945GSE Express Chipset
* 1024MB DDR2 533 MHz SDRAM Single Channel Memory
* Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
* 160GB SATA 5400RPM Hard Drive
* Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader
* Acer InviLink 802.11b/g Wi-Fi
* Acer Crystal Eye Web Camera
* Two Built-in Stereo Speakers
* Three USB 2.0 Ports
* 3-cell Li-ion Battery (2600 mAh)
* 10.17" (W) x 7.24" (D) x 1" (H)
* Ruby Red
* One-Year Standard Warranty
* Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price: $298.00

Remember those first 7-inch Asus Eee PCs advertised with kids tapping on chicklet keyboards? Well, Intel apparently wants us to return to those Netbook glory days.

HP Pavilion dv2 laptop starts at about $700: Will upcoming cheap ultra-thin notebooks kill the Netbook?

(Credit: CNET Reviews)

In short, Netbooks are not for adults, according to Anand Chandrasekher, Intel senior vice president and general manager of the Ultra Mobility Group, speaking during a keynote speech at the Intel Developer Forum in Beijing, streamed on Intel's Web site.

"There are things that you would do on a notebook you wouldn't dream of doing on a Netbook...For a kid, a Netbook is fantastic, as an adult you probably want a notebook. So, there are very simple ways of positioning and thinking about it."

(Hmm...what about all those big people with Netbooks? I guess it's time to trade it in for a grown-up computer.)

Now, contrast this with what Stu Pann, vice president in Intel's sales and marketing group, said back in November of last year at a Raymond James IT Supply Chain Conference.

"We originally thought Netbooks would be for emerging markets and younger kids, and there is some of that. It turns out the bulk of the Netbooks sold today are in Western Europe, North America, and for people who just want to grab and go with a notebook," Pann said.

And Pann added: "If you've ever used a Netbook and used a 10-inch screen size--it's fine for an hour. It's not something you're going to use day in and day out."

(Credit: CNET)

If you feel the 10.1-inch Aspire One AOD150 (pictured) is too stingy with screen estate, and the 12.1-inch Dell Inspiron Mini 12 just too darn big, you'll probably want to wait for this. Blog site macles suggests that an 11.6-inch version of the Acer Netbook, Acer Aspire One Pro 731, is in the works. If this is true, it means Netbooks will start invading another niche market currently populated by only the Vaio TT series.

This new model targets the prosumer and business user, which is similar to the positioning of the HP Mini 2140. Besides the high-resolution 1,366x768 display, the other noticeable improvement is the redesigned keyboard with flat keys much like those on the MacBook and Sony Vaio.

Unfortunately, the rumored model is said to be based on the current Atom Z530 processor with integrated Intel GMA500 video chipset. We were hoping for the next-gen Atom N280/Intel GN40 platform which is said to be able to handle 720p video.

Our only concern is that since this model targets the business crowd, we might see a premium placed on the 11.6-inch model. We'll know more once we get closer to the release date of the Acer Aspire One Pro.

(Via Crave Asia)

With all the buzz about Amazon's new Kindle 2, you'd think this revamped e-book reader was the most advanced piece of technology this side of designer babies. After all, for $359, you get a color screen, Wi-Fi and full-function Web browsing, video playback, 60GB of storage, and a reasonably usable keyboard.

Oh wait, you don't get any of that stuff. No, that's what $350 can get you if invested in even a low-end Netbook, such as the new 10-inch Acer Aspire One. Not only is there a wide range of PC software available for buying and displaying e-books (and tons of free content as well), when you're done with all that highbrow readin', pop open a Web browser and rot your brain with some Hulu videos.

Unlike the closed-loop system on the Kindle (it generally only works with e-books from Amazon, and Amazon e-books only work on the Kindle and the related iPhone app -- although there are some Kindle conversion tools out there, and Amazon will convert your personal docs for Kindle use at 10-cents a pop), at least you have a variety of different software and content provider options with my proposed $350 Kindle alternative.

Microsoft's Reader app will also read out loud to you in a Stephen-Hawking-style voice.

We'll be the first to admit, none of these options are as seamless or easy to use as the Kindle (especially with its always-on wireless digital download store), and companies like Microsoft and Adobe aren't exactly known for building great software user experiences.

We tried installing and using a couple of e-book reading software packages on our Acer Aspire One, with mixed, but not wholly unsatisfactory results. First up was Microsoft Reader, which uses .lit files, available from several online e-book retailers (although not Amazon). Originally released in 2000, the software has a dated, inelegant interface, but displayed our e-book files cleanly. Like the Kindle, Microsoft Reader also has a built-in text-to-speech feature, although the results are just as robotic.

On this week's installment of the Digital City podcast, we discuss Acer's new ultra-cheap Netbook, share tales from the recent New York Comic Con, and how Lara Croft is getting sold to the makers of the Final Fantasy games.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

The new 10-inch Acer Aspire One.

Despite owning a huge chunk of the growing Netbook market, the Acer Aspire One has been saddled with a 9-inch screen, rather than the bigger 10-inch type we prefer.

Well, wait no more. Acer is now unveiling a 10-inch model, and even better, it is keeping the starting price at $349 (not that it's a bad Netbook, but the Aspire One is one of the most popular Netbooks, largely because it's often $50 to $100 cheaper than similarly configured competing systems). Acer's press release says:

Acer America, part of the world's third-largest PC company, today announced U.S. availability of the 10.1-inch Aspire One AOD150, expanding the company's growing family of popular Netbooks.

The new Aspire One AOD150 comes on the heels of its highly successful 8.9-inch predecessor, which was one of Amazon.com's top three holiday best sellers in the consumer electronics category.

The global market share leader in the Netbook category, Acer is offering the 10.1-inch Aspire One AOD150 to U.S. customers today, with prices beginning at $349.99.

The system is already available at Amazon and J&R, and it should be available from other retailers this week. Check out specs and a gallery of photos after the jump. ... Read more