Jumping on the jolly 3G Bandwagon (the more the merrier) along with ECS and Asus are Acer. A positive review at Chip.de mentions the following.

Im dritten Quartal folgen weitere Modelle mit UMTS/3G-Modul und den Farben Pink und Braun.

My translation: In the third quarter follow further models with UMTS/3G and Pink and Brown colours.

This is excellent news because, apart from a lack of Bluetooth and touchscreen, the device is shaping up nicely as an Ultra Mobile solution. With the 6-cell battery you’ll reach 6 hours battery life (possibly more when Linpus switch over to the Moblin core) in a smaller package and 30% lighter weight than the MSI Wind with 6-cells. Chip.de are reporting a bright screen and quiet fan too. If the 3G version comes with 8Gb of fast flash then it’s even better!

Via EeePC News.

Despite my definition of a ultra mobile PC reaching up to 10″ devices, I never call the netbooks UMPCs! Maybe it’s because the term ‘netbook’ say something about the low-end features rather than the size. In the podcasts, we’ve been talking a lot about how small the 701, 900 and 901 are compared to the other netbooks but it’s not until you see an image like this that you realise the real difference. To most people it’s nothing. Both require a bag. But if you’re on a plane, in a train or the back of an automobile, those mm’s could make an important difference.

The other problem with all this sizing talk is that if you really need to be ultra mobile, then wait a while. MIDs are coming and could be an even better solution for you. Granted, with 3G, GPS and miniature keyboard mechanisms on board, they won’t be as cheap but it might pay to be able to use the device in even more locations, without any sort of bag.

Via JKKmobile. Source Crave.

Expansys have just put up their Aspire One prices in the UK (and for delivery EU-wide) with the Linux version plus 512MB and an 80GB HDD going for just 244 pounds. There’s no mention of the SSD version yet but with the 80GB version going for that price, only those looking for ruggedness or the best possible battery life will be waiting. Prices are also available for XP and 1GB versions here. (affiliate link)

As for delivery dates, neither Acer or Expansys can fill me in on that one yet but I’m working hard on it, if only for my own order! (I’m probably going for the 1GB, 8GB Linux version when it turns up.)

Thanks Phil, Expansys.

A number of Acer Aspire One articles came to my attention last week that I have only just got round to reviewing. The first article from PC Professionale includes a video showing the internals of the Aspire One. There are a couple of important points to note (that come from a translation by Blogeee.net) which are the SIM card reader and easy-to-access 3G slot module slot. The 3G module slot definitely raises the interest level for me.

The second article is a fairly detailed in-depth review from Laptop Magazine who appear to be impressed.

• Keyboard big enough for comfortable touch typing. Bigger keyboard than Eee PC 900.
• Good low-light web cam. A web-cam that doesn’t work in low-light situations is quite often, useless for most people so it’s good to see this.
• Two SD cards slots. One adds memory to system storage in a seamless way. A great idea.
• ‘One of the thinnest and lightest we’ve tested.’ For Ultra-Mobile folks, this is important.

The Aspire One is not only the favorite on the Portal here but it’s fast becoming my favorite netbook too. The design looks good, size and weight are more ultramobile than most netbooks and the Linpus Lite build is getting very good feedback.

Finally, if you’re thinking about the Aspire One and want a final thumbs-up, check out this fairly simple overview video from ShinyMedia. Its all thumbs up from them!

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Acer have a big advantage in the netbook race. Pre-established sales channels and partners.

The Aspire One is already showing up in price comparison engines in Germany with the base model being advertised for 329 Euro (8GB, Linux, 512MB) which is just 50 Euro more than the Eee PC 701 4G! The high-end Linux model (80GB, 1GB) for 399 Euro which is 40 Euro less than the ‘old’ and less equipped Eee PC 900. Availability looks like 4-7 weeks although one reseller is quoting 10 days.

Because of its size (smaller than HP2133 and MSI Wind,) style, dual SD card slots, availability and low-low price, I won’t be surprised if this ends up as one of the most popular netbook choices of 2008.

Source: Geizhals.

Acer’s entry into the netbook space was seen a few weeks ago, but hasn’t been seen on their site until recently. An entire mini-site dedicated to the Aspire One can be seen over at Acer’s website. One of the first things you will read on that site is the following:

The Aspire one is more than just another ultra-mobile notebook: it’s an all-new communication device designed to deliver continuous access to the internet and a simplified wireless experience no matter where you are.

I really hope they have some magic to back up that claim. As far as I can tell, it is in fact “just another ultra-mobile notebook”. Granted, it looks very slick but so far I can’t say there are any features that make this one stand out from the crowd. The site gives only information that has already been know; the Aspire One will be available in many different colors, and weigh in under 1kg (2.2lb). Interestingly Acer has chosen to use Linpus Lite for the OS, and the site says that they have kept startup/shutdown times very low. Of course some people need software compatibility so I’m sure we’ll see XP as popular choice for the Aspire One. And then there is the standard 8.9″ LCD screen running at 1024×600, and the whole thing is running on Intel’s Atom. Could this netbook be any more generic?

Take a look at 4 of the most popular netbooks side-by-side.

Fresh from Sascha (eeepcpnews.de) at Computex. Here’s one of the first ever hands-on videos of the Acer Aspire One.

Specifications

The Acer Aspire has been officially launched. I think we need to go straight to a photo first…

Click to Enlarge.

And then there’s the second good bit of news – the price. $379.

The specifications look reasonable and include

• Intel Atom @ 1.6Ghz
• 8.9" LED-backlit 1024×600 screen,
• 512MB of RAM
• Linupus Lite OS
• 8GB of SSD.
• SD card reader (5-types)
• Four colours: four colors – sapphire blue, seashell white, golden brown and coral pink
• 248mmx170mmx29mm
• 3hrs (3-cell) and 6hrs (6-cell) battery options.
• Options: 1GB RAM, 80GB HDD. Windows XP

3G and WiMax options to be available later in the year.

Live images and comment from Sascha follow…[Click here]

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