Archive for February 3rd, 2010

[Review] Acer AO532h-2067 10.1-Inch Matrix Silver Netbook – Up to 10 Hours of Battery Life

Posted in Acer, Netbook Reviews on February 3rd, 2010 by BestNetbookNow – Be the first to comment
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Manufacturer: Acer
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Product Description

Aspire One AO532h: Go Anywhere Mobility

Browse the Web, check email, share photos, keep up with social networks, listen to music and enjoy a wide variety of entertainment with the Aspire One AO532h, which features a small compact design that you can take anywhere. Combining the power of the latest Intel Atom N450 processor and NM10 Express chipset with a 6-cell battery, this Aspire One AO532h model (AO532h-2067) in silver provides up to 10 hours of battery life on the go--enough for a full workday.

A great choice for students as well as business travelers who like to travel light, Acer makes it easy to stay productive while on the go with the 10.1-inch CrystalBrite LED-backlit screen as well as its excellent near full-size keyboard. You'll be able to easily video chat wherever you roam thanks to the Crystal Eye webcam integrated into the LCD's bezel, delivering smooth video streaming and high quality images even in low-light situations. Pinch, flick and swirl your fingers on the multi-gesture touchpad for an intuitive navigation to view web pages, photos, spreadsheets and more. It comes preinstalled with the familiar Microsoft Windows XP Home operating system.

Key Features



    The Aspire One AO532h is only 1-inch thin and weighs just over 2.5 pounds, yet the keyboard is 93 percent standard size with large keys for better typing.


    The Aspire One AO532h in silver.
  • 10.1-inch LED-backlit CrystalBrite screen (1024 x 600 resolution) presents crisp, clear imagery for a great web browsing experience for on-line chats, email, surfing the Web.
  • 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N450 processor (512 KB L2 cache, 667 MHz FSB) combines performance and energy efficiency to explore the Internet and stay connected while mobile.
  • Up to 10 hours of battery life with included 6-cell battery
  • Multi-Gesture Touchpad allows you to pinch, flick and swirl your fingers across the touchpad for more natural photo and video viewing as well as intuitive navigation of websites such as Google Earth. It also enables you to scroll, zoom in and out and flip through web pages, photos, spreadsheets and more.
  • Crystal Eye webcam supports Acer PrimaLite technology, which consists of a premium sensor, firmware and lenses to provide superior video performance under low-light conditions. A built-in digital microphone helps keep background noise levels low and minimizes echoes.
  • 84-key keyboard, 93 percent of standard-size with 12 function keys, WLAN switch
  • 160 GB SATA hard drive (5400 RPM)
  • 1 GB DDR2 RAM (667 MHz)
  • Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150 video processor
  • Wireless-N Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) for ultra-fast connectivity to home and business networks.
  • Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity enables you to communicate and synchronize with Bluetooth-enabled peripherals such as PDAs and cell phones.
  • Fast Ethernet (10/100)
  • Multi-in-1 memory card reader compatible with Secure Digital (SD), MultiMedia (MMC), Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, and xD Picture Card media
  • 3 USB ports
  • VGA video output
  • Stereo speakers
  • Microsoft Window XP Home operating system (SP3)
  • Pre-loaded software includes Microsoft Works for word processing and spreadsheet work. Enjoy a 60-day trial version of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007.
  • Dimensions: 10.17 x 7.28 x 0.99 inches (WxDxH)
  • Weight: 2.76 pounds
  • Warranty: One-year parts and labor limited warranty with concurrent International Traveler's Warranty

What's in the Box
This package contains the Acer Aspire One AO532h-2067 notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions

It also comes with the following software: McAfee Internet Security Suite 2009 (trial version with 60 days of live update); Microsoft Works with Office Home and Student 2007 Trial; Google Toolbar; Norton Online Backup; MyWinLocker; Acer eRecovery Management and Launch Manager

Product Details
  • 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N450 Processor
  • 1GB DDR2 Memory
  • 160GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM); 802.11 b/g/n Wireless Certified
  • 10.1" WSVGA Acer CrystalBrite LED Display, Intel GMA 3150 Graphics
  • Windows XP Home; Up to 10 Hours of Battery Life

Video Reviews
No video reviews found for this product.

Customer Reviews
Exactly What I Needed! Perfect for On-the-Go.
 
Review Date: March 9, 2010
Reviewer: C. Jones, Commerce, Ga
This has been the perfect on-the-go machine for me. I'm a student at a technical college and this little computer has been such a help. I'll admit, I'm not very technologically inclined (hence going to tech school), but I've found my Acer to be very user-friendly. If you're used to a desktop or a larger laptop, the small screen takes some adjustment. To me, the portability is worth the small screen. I was concerned that the keyboard would be too small, but I've had no trouble. The battery life has been more that I'd hoped. With moderate use, I've gone four days without having to charge the battery. Also, I've not experienced any issues while running multiple programs. My Acer has been the perfect extension of my home PC. I've been using it for a month and I still love it.
PC2-6400 2 Gb CT25664AC800 Did not Work with This Netbook
 
Review Date: February 20, 2010
Reviewer: David H, NJ
Very happy with this netbook. Used now for 1 week. It does all it claims to do. Very nice machine. Only issue is getting used to the mouse pad.

There is a considerable amount of dabate over upgrading to 2Gb of ram. I got the 2 Gb PC2-6400 800 card and installed it and the computer would not boot.

I also bought this Acer Ao532h with Windows 7 starter for my wife. I popped the memory card in hers and it booted up without a problem and also it immediately recognized the 2GB of ram. I then placed the 1Gb card from the Acer Ao532 Windows 7 machine to mine (Acer A0523 with Windows XP) and it did not boot either. So I am now convinced that both machines use diffferent memory cards because of the difference in the operating systems. I am hoping what I am saying is true. Maybe it is my Acer with Windows XP is no good (based on a prior customers review) or I may need a different memory card.

Update: I ordered the Crucial 2GB 256Mx64PC2-5300 CT25664AC667 DDR2 200-Pin SODIMM Laptop Memory and installed it on My Acer Ao532h running Windows XP and it booted up recognizing 2GB of ram. Works like a champion. Now I am very pleased. *****5stars. Absolutely 100% satisfied with this netbook and so is my wife. Her's running on Windows 7 starter pack.
This is the Windows XP edition but has a larger battery and bluetooth
 
Review Date: February 1, 2010
Reviewer: A reader, Berkeley, CA
Please be aware that this comes with Windows XP, not Windows 7 Starter which has become the de facto standard for netbooks.

This may actually be appealing if you want to run XP, either because you don't want to learn the new operating system, Win7, or because you see specific legacy advantages to XP (may run slightly faster than Win7 on the lightweight Atom processors that run most netbooks). Please note that if you don't want to learn the new operating system, that probably isn't the best of reasons since long-term support is probably going to be better for Win7, and Microsoft is reporting fewer virus problems with Win7 than with XP (although that may just be due to the fact that Win7 is still new).

Other than the operating system advantages/disadvantages, this unit comes with a more powerful battery (10 hour battery life from 5400 m.a. battery); the other current a0532h editions have a lower power rating, hence 8 hours of battery life. Also, this unit has Bluetooth.

So for about $30 over the cost of the more common edition, you downgrade to WinXP and upgrade to Bluetooth and a stronger battery.

If you are upgrading the memory module, latest user postings indicate you need to use an 800 Mhz module (PC-6400, not PC-5300 as indicated by the Acer published specs).

My rating of this unit is based on my brief ownership of the "standard" Win7 edition Acer AO532h-2223 10.1-Inch Matrix Silver Netbook - Up to 8 Hours of Battery Life.

My current favorite among netbooks is the HP Mini 210 HP Mini 210-1010NR 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 4.25 Hours of Battery Life, due primarily to its matte screen (instead of glossy). But the Acer a0532h's have some appealing features, like wireless "n" support, and a 6 cell battery (in the lower capacity) for the same price as the HP with a 3 cell battery and wireless "g".

I have this WinXP edition Acer on order and will insert a comment to this original post to provide some hands-on notes later.