Review: Acer Aspire AS1410 (Page 1 of 1)
Written by
SJR
Posted on: Jul 09, 2010 at 01:42pm
Section:
Hardware
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The imagination of the computing public was captured in 2007 with Asus's release of the Eee 700, the small computer which introduced the netbook category. Since then, these machines have grown steadily in capability and popularity, fueled by inexpensive Intel Atom CPU's and the growth of public wireless connections that made carrying and using small, light mini-laptops with limited local storage practical. Many netbooks offer extended battery life and added to the featherweight mass and tiny size of the units, they can be excellent choices for travel or as a secondary computer for casual web surfing or other light uses.
In many ways, the downside to the category lies in the same qualities that made them attractive. The small size and light weight often limit the number of expansion ports on the units, and internal optical drives are unheard of. Although they sip power, the Atom and underpowered integrated graphics put high-end applications and any sort of serious gaming completely off limits. To try to cater to users who need more power or features than the more or less standard netbook template offers, makers have explored a variety of other platforms and formats, adding larger screens or different CPU's to provide an enhanced experience while keeping costs low. The resulting machines have blurred the line between high-end netbooks and low-end thin-and-light machines.
Acer's AS1410 – Svelte but not beautiful.
For the last year, I've done most of my daily computing on one of these in-between PC's, an Acer Aspire AS1410. The computer blends a slightly enlarged netbook formfactor featuring a highly glossy but very vivid 11.6”, 1366x768 LCD display with a slim, completely generic chassis featuring a silver and black keyboard deck complementing a glossy black fingerprint magnet (the lid, for those who were wondering.) The CPU is an Intel CULV (Consumer Ultra-Low Voltage) Core Solo SU3500 chip backed by 2GB of RAM (expandable to 4GB) and a 250GB 5400rpm hard drive. (Acer replaced this machine in its lineup with the slightly upgraded AS1810 series with different CPU and HDD options, and in July 2010 is expected to introduce a further upgraded 11.6” notebook with the new i-series CPU.)
The AS1410 came with reliable 802.11N-capable wireless, which has proved good under a wide variety of operating circumstances. Video is catered to by an analog VGA connector and an HDMI port, and expansion duties are handled by three USB 2.0 ports. The machine also features mic/audio out jacks, RJ45 port and a card reader, but has no integrated optical drive or Express Card/PCMCIA slots. The battery is integrated smoothly with the back of the unit and doesn't protrude past the back of the chassis. It's proven good for between 4hrs (under Linux) and 6hrs (Windows 7) of unplugged use. The machine's keyboard has broad, flat keys with crisp, although limited, travel and a muted click, and is easy to touch type on. The 16x9 aspect screen is bright and crisp, although I would have preferred a matte coating and not the standard, very reflective glossy finish. The touchpad is smooth and responsive, if somewhat too sensitive to accidental brushes from palms and fingers when typing.
Bottom view: User-upgradeable parts are easily accessible.
The machine was an upgrade from a stylish but extremely poorly-built HP Mini 2140. Maybe because I'd been beaten down by the HP's miserable reliability and poor customer service, I've been ecstatic about the machine's lack of problems. For daily use, and particularly for travel, this machine is hard to beat -- as long as you keep your expectations realistic. The reliability has been first-rate, and the components are well-matched to basic computing tasks like email, web browsing, and enjoying – but not producing – digital content. I've traveled widely with the AS1410, and find the 3 pound machine a delight. It's easy to forget that the PC is in my carry-on bag. Even in the flying veal pens that pass for economy class seating on most American airlines, the AS1410's footprint allows it to be opened and used in-flight.
At the time I purchased the machine, it shipped with Windows Vista Home Premium. This choice and Acer's customer support make me think the company has some sort of mild love-hate thing going on for their customers. I was entitled to a free upgrade to Windows 7, which solved Vista's glacial boot times and generally bloated and sluggish performance. The improvement was dramatic and made the machine actually usable in Windows. Unfortunately, it also meant sitting through a months-long wait for Acer's fulfillment people to get it together to mail me the actual Win 7 disk. Doubly unfortunately, Acer's customer support seems cut from the same cloth. I emailed Acer a simple test question about using IE7, and was told that it was too complex for me to expect a free answer but they'd love to handle it on a pay basis.
Ports galore on the right hand side of the machine.
I tend not to use Windows, except when that architecture's support for DRM comes into play (as with Netflix) or I'm locked into using a Windows-only application. I've found very little to argue about with the little Acer's performance under Windows 7, with everything being reasonably responsive and suitable for daily use. Given the integrated graphics, I haven't tried gaming with anything more demanding than Plants vs. Zombies. Flash video from You Tube has played acceptably, although the tinny and underpowered speakers mean that you'll want your audio through headphones.
If performance under Win 7 is good, the little subnote excels at running Linux. My first flavor was Mandriva 2009.1 with Gnome – not the lightest distro available. Performance nonetheless was outstanding, with 30-40 second boot times and little or no noticeable lag opening most programs. Ubuntu 9.04, 9.10 and 10.04 all worked seamlessly as well, with Lucid booting particularly quickly. My current distro is Lubuntu, which flies, booting typically in around 15-20 secs. I've had no hardware compatibility issues, except between Lucid's implementation of ALSA and the integrated sound, and even that had initially worked.
Yes, Virginia – That is an HDMI port.
Overall, this was an excellent buy at just over $500. Although more expensive and notably dowdier than the netbook it replaced, the AS1410 has repaid the extra outlay with rock-solid reliability and better performance for a relatively small premium. While no i7, the box handles everyday casual computing smoothly and competently and has delivered exceptional portability and good battery life. For a users looking for a boost over the netbook category but who don't want the portability or cost issues of high-end laptops, the AS1410/1810 family offer a viable choice.
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