Re: Review: Acer Aspire One (Black, Windows XP)

**Bamboo** · 02-03-2009, 01:05 PM

Buy.com has a big sale on it right now:
Dealzmodo: Acer Aspire One for $260

It is the XP version, but the one with the 16gig SSD. They may have specials on others too.

**Acreo Aeneas** · 02-03-2009, 02:10 PM

Yeah, they're getting cheaper because Acer will roll out their new 10.1" netbook in March 2009. At this rate, I might sell my netbook and get that new ASUS 1000HE just for the longer battery life (maybe 7 hours).

---

I still have not heard back from Acer yet, although they did acknowledge they received my netbook at their repair facility. I'm hoping they'll have the fan replaced and on its way back to me by the end of this week.

I can't write fast enough at the rate DePaul's professors go through slides and info.

**Acreo Aeneas** · 02-11-2009, 02:31 AM

Got it back today. Just put on Windows 7 Beta. It seems the fan was fixed. According to the repair report, they replaced the fan and the thermal heatsink (didn't know there was one).

Won't know for sure if the fan is totally fixed until I try it out upstairs in my quiet bedroom. Will post any problems I run into.

(Gosh having two mice next to each other is confusing.)

**Acreo Aeneas** · 02-11-2009, 06:18 AM

The fan still gets loud, but the "buzzzz" sound before is gone. So it looks like it did get fixed, just not as quiet as I wanted.

Spulat,

Have you tried the Atheros .194 driver yet for your WiFi?

Get it here (first post). It should solve the network detection bug when you start up your machine sometimes.

**Spulat** · 02-11-2009, 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by Acreo Aeneas

The fan still gets loud, but the "buzzzz" sound before is gone. So it looks like it did get fixed, just not as quiet as I wanted.

Spulat,

Have you tried the Atheros .194 driver yet for your WiFi?

Get it here (first post). It should solve the network detection bug when you start up your machine sometimes.

I'll check it out when I have the chance. I haven't had the problem lately.

**Acreo Aeneas** · 02-11-2009, 02:36 PM

I can confirm that it solves the "no networks detected" problem when you boot up/restart your netbook. Plus the blinking LED light is functional again.

**Spulat** · 02-12-2009, 12:13 AM

Originally Posted by Acreo Aeneas

I can confirm that it solves the "no networks detected" problem when you boot up/restart your netbook. Plus the blinking LED light is functional again.

I was kind of glad it was gone

**Acreo Aeneas** · 02-12-2009, 12:28 AM

It seems I might have run into a major downside running Win7 Beta live: DaemonTools.

I haven't found one that works in Win7 yet, maybe except for PowerISO which supposedly works great. Every other virtual drive tool fails in Win7. Hopefully this PowerISO trial will let me use the mounting/virtual drive function beyond the 30-day period.

Maybe I should have used my copy of Vista Business x86 on my netbook instead of my sister's rig. Too late now, though.

**Acreo Aeneas** · 02-16-2009, 04:14 AM

I can confirm that PowerISO works fine with Win7 beta.

Unfortunately, it seems my fan is still pretty loud now (some buzz), but not the very loud buzz I was getting before.

The I feel airflow is the poorest of any netbook, especially the exhaust. My CPU is on load and is at about 71 C according to CoreTemp.

I'm debating whether or not to sell this one and "upgrade" to the ASUS 1000HE for the longer battery life and better exhaust port, even though it is about twice as heavy.

**Spulat** · 02-17-2009, 12:47 PM

I thought I read an article somewhere about a guy taking his AA1 apart and adhering small aluminum "fins" to his heatsink, with the result of the fan running dramatically less. I imagine it was by retrofitting a small, short chipset heatsink to it somehow.

Either way, the 1000HE weighs only 1lb more, and it's still a single-core Atom. If you're going to pitch the AA1, I would only do it for a dual-core Atom netbook.

-and I was using mine quite a bit the past couple of days, and just noticed what you were talking about. I'll apply you're fix when I'm not feeling lazy

**Acreo Aeneas** · 02-17-2009, 12:58 PM

It doesn't seem like we'll see the Atom 330 in a netbook anytime soon. Manufacturers and such seem only interested in putting them into nettops.

Guess I'll wait and see. I won't have to put up with my netbook's loud fan too much in another week since I'll have my Kindle for reading.

Do you think you can find me the post where the guy describes how he modded the CPU heatsink assembly? (Hopefully there are pictures)

**Acreo Aeneas** · 02-17-2009, 08:35 PM

Update

All right, I've had about enough. It seems even at idle, my netbook's temperature is floating around 70 C. This is ridiculous. There doesn't seem to be much air movement out of the exhaust vent, but the fan seems to be going at full throttle and making a discernable buzz (again not as loud as before the repair).

It soars as high as 85 C on load and that's just 5 C short of the highest TDP temperature for the Atom N270. I really don't want to spend another $11 on shipping to Acer for another repair attempt and wait another 2 weeks.

I might be placing an order for the ASUS 1000HE at this point. I'll see if I can borrow a few hundred from the parents and sell this netbook (maybe a modder will find it of use). If not, I'll be cancelling my Kindle 2 order to get a new netbook instead.

Edit:

Well it seems I was mistaken about the fan noise. Just got back from class and sitting here in my bedroom. The buzzing fan has officially returned. Argh.

No go with borrowing funds from the parents. I figured as much, but thought I'd at least try.

So now, it's one of three plans:

Plan A

Buy the ASUS 1000HE and sell this one. Then see how much I have left to see if I can still purchase a Kindle 2.

Plan B

Keep this netbook and continue with the Kindle 2 pre-order. Try to ignore the loud fan in the quiet room and resist the urge to send it for another fan replacement.

Plan C

Continue with the Kindle 2 pre-order. Spend another $11 and send this thing back to have the fan replaced again.

- Maybe I'll get it back and this whole process has to start over again 2 weeks after I get it back or maybe not.

I don't really know at this point. I was the Kindle 2 so I can save on buying paperbacks and not be crowded with a slew of paperbacks on the shelves.

God this fan is on my nerves...

**Acreo Aeneas** · 02-18-2009, 12:30 AM

Figured out why the CPU temp was hitting 80-85C a few hours ago. I had a ebook reading software (Calibre) updating about 14 technology RSS feeds and this was causing a 100% CPU usage in the 80 F degree computer lab I was in.

It's now hovering around 65 C and will go to 70 C on load and back down to 58 C when completely idle.

Anyways. I decided on Plan A. I should get the 1000HE sometime next week. I will then see how much I can sell my AAO150-1049 for. Might aim for around $300 since I still have everything including the original box.

If I have to wait another 6 months for a Kindle 2, then I'll wait. I'll just have to deal with my heart racing every time I hear Kindle 2 mentioned or see one in person...

**Acreo Aeneas** · 02-19-2009, 12:12 AM

After a bit more research on this whole "fan buzzing" noise thing. It seems it is quite common to the AAO and generally to every netbook out there. Although it seems there are two types of "buzziing":

1) loud buzzing already from a cold start all the way through to shut down (think swarm of angry bees) - already had this before repair

2) "buzzzz/weeeezzzzz" buzz - this is what my netbook sounds like once the CPU temp hits 60-70 C. Apparently this is quite normal as most of the heat is actually coming from the 945 chipset next to the CPU itself.

Unlike the other netbooks, apparently the AAO's fan will get either loud or louder. In my case, it gets louder if the CPU temp hits 70 C or higher.

Here I thought, the old "angry bee buzz" was back. Well, I wish the reviews out there covered the fan noise issue a bit more in-depth.

Although I still don't like how the exhaust vent has a smaller vent on the side and a larger vent on the bottom forcing the hot air out the bottom rather straight out the side (like on other netbooks).

Edit: Ooooh, I found a YouTube video of a AspireOne with the "angry bee buzz" fan noise. Basically exactly how my AAO's fan sounded like before I sent it in for the repair.

1000HE Pre-Order Update

Well, I'm still waiting on it. Still no shipment date even though a few online sources say Amazon should have the bulk of the first shipments.

Of course, once I get the 1000HE, I have a few options for what to do with the AAO150:

a) I can sell it for around $250-$300. Use that money for a Kindle 2 (or something else entirely). Sellability comes to mind. With the D150 coming out and the 1000HE at the $350-$400 range, I'm really lost as to how much I can get back for my AAO150.

b) I can give it to a friend or family. Mom would probably like it. Would definitely cut down the few thousand pages she prints every semester for her classes.

c) Crack her open and upgrade the RAM, replace the screen with a touchscreen, put in one of the Intel SSDs, maybe a better thermal module with a larger fan (maybe not possible), etc. Would make the other netbooks out there jealous!

- Here's an example of the touchscreen on the AAO. It's pretty nice mod to attempt. Another BETTER video. The guy does a great job explaining the finer points using the Eee PC 701 (it's one of the 7-inchers).

d) Pulverize it with a hammer and swear up-and-down. (Not likely, even though it sounds appealing.)

One last note: I'm guessing no one cares about this thread anymore, other than the occasional read by Spulat. Am I right? (I sure feel like an idiot typing this.)

**Acreo Aeneas** · 02-19-2009, 12:30 AM

Spulat,

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrpXZF2XC5M&feature=related[/media]

Is that the cooling mod you were talking about? It looks pretty simple to do. I just have to get over the antsy jitters of taking the AAO apart.

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