Acer AO532h-2223 10.1-Inch Matrix Silver Netbook - Up to 8 Hours of Battery Life

Acer AO532h-2223 10.1-Inch Matrix Silver Netbook - Up to 8 Hours of Battery Life Review

...until I had it for a while. I will go ahead and reiterate what many reviewers before me have clearly stated - you will struggle with this netbook if you depend on it for cpu-heavy tasks like playing graphics-intensive games or hardcore photo editing. Along the same lines (things you may have read in other reviews) this thing comes with a ton of bloatware that needs to be removed pronto or else it will run slow as molasses. I purchased this particular comp at tarjay for 2 bills, yes 0 and was expecting to get what I paid for, meaning a cheap piece of crap that would allow me to compute on the go. What I got was much, much more. It is simply a matter of realizing that you must buy into a new way of computing, at least if you are used to desktop pc's with tons of memory and HD space.

First thing you need to do is dump the windows 7 starter kit by way of upgrade (by paying $ or otherwise) and get yourself something a bit more suitable, I use 7 ultimate (although I don't really need to be, I just thought it sounded more awesome than "home" or "professional".) I tried on Ubuntu for a week or so and didn't like it all that much. Honestly it is a matter of personal opinion, it is totally preference that could be based on something arbitrary like a visual theme or location of certain needed items or files. The cool thing about Ubuntu is that it is 100% free, and you can boot it from a thumb drive so you don't have to wipe your 7 out to try it. I tried it, thought it was pretty cool, but didn't notice any real difference in speed. That was the whole reason I tried it, I read a bunch of opensource junkies waxing about how much faster it was and guess what, it wasn't. Hardly noticeable. 7 is like what vista should have gone for in the first place: everything you need minus a whole bunch of useless programs you never use that take up tons of hard drive space, although there are a few stupid things you can easily uninstall, most of it from Acer. Once you go though the control panel and uninstall all the junk, this thing is lean and mean. But you absolutely have to follow these rules, in my opinion based on 6 months experience with this product, if you want it to perform at maximum speed and efficiency.
First off, wean yourself from the tit of any browser besides Google Chrome. I tried every single different one on here and Chrome on this sucker runs laps around the competition in terms of speed in loading pages and graphics. Other browsers (I prefer Firefox) just do not cut it on this thing. Your next step, if you have to do word processing or any other MSoffice task like excel or powerpoint, is to get openoffice. Ditch the proprietary microjunk and get OO, it works much faster and uses less battery. If you need to read PDFs, get Foxit reader. Again, I have tried many different products for these tasks and these ones are the quickest loading, most CPU efficient programs out there and guess what: they are FREE! Nothing is stopping you from unlocking this netbooks true potential.
OK - let me clear the air once and for all about the issue of Readyboost, touched on vaguely and uninformatively by a few reviewers and overlooked by the rest. If you don't know what readyboost is, it is a feature on vista and 7 where you can allegedly increase your computers peppyness and responsiveness by using a thumb drive for small ram operations (forgive my lack of jargon, look on wikipedia for a nerdier explanation.) Gee, flash drives are so ubiquitous now they are all over the place, what a great idea to throw one in one of the three usb slots for a quicker computer. What's this? You can even use a SD card in the cardreader so there isn't anything sticking out of the side of your netbook! How awesome!
NO. The cardreader is not USB 2.0, why, I have no idea. Someone in another review incorrectly stated that acer has a driver that enables you to use readyboost in the cardreader. Not so, I tried all the different drivers there are and no haps. So I tried it with the USB flash drive and wala, it worked. It increased speed noticeably, I recommend it for anyone who has one of these netbooks. Cheap, and I use a Buffalo thumbkey 4gb that protrudes only 5mm from the side of my netbook. Like it's not even there. Readyboost is only effective if you use it in a 2.5:1 or less ratio to your ram. 4gb readyboost cache on the flash to 2gb ram I have.
That brings me to my next point: upgrade the ram. It is really easy. There is a lot of faulty info about ram upgrades in other literature about this netbook, even from the so called Acer "tech support" guys. Yes, you can upgrade the ram. It is not at all a matter of some computers will and some won't, if you have the Acer ao532 2588 you can throw in a 2gb ram stick. I have several friends who also have this computer and they have done the same. It is simply a matter of getting the right part, not the one that Amazon tells you that other customers have bought while buying this or in other reviews or wherever -
I bought part # KAC-MEMF/2G model 2GB 667MHz Module from Kingston's website. Be careful, kingston makes a cheap kind of ram (kingston economy or someother something), and then they have their premium top dollar stuff. This 2gb stick is the good stuff and it was , worth every penny. Best move I made with this netbook, it is really quick now. Cheap ram is a false economy, it runs hot (and this baby gets pretty warm sometimes if it's actually in your lap) and it doesn't last as long. This part is KNOWN GOOD, I am using it now. Make sure to cram that thing in there snug or else your comp will not boot.
The battery life is great, usually 6 hours of actually doing stuff on it before it dies, longer if you use certain tricks. Don't use Aero theme on 7. I know it looks sweet, but it is a waste of cpu and battery. Totally unnecessary. I use high contrast black, so when I'm typing in openoffice the background is black and the text is white. It takes a second to get used to, but if you have it that way you can turn the brightness down really low to preserve battery and still see the text clearly, unlike black text with a white background where you have to have it a certain brightness or it is unreadable. Neat little trick I thought I would share that nobody else really touched on. Another reviewer said they have a plain black background to nominally speed up cpu: that is stupid and they are playing themselves out of having something cool there, I have "the kiss" by Klimt. The way the LCD works is that it uses the same cpu/battery/ whatever no matter how you have your background set. I guess that person has psyched himself into thinking his computer is faster that way. Not to dwell on it, but I laughed out loud reading that. Pointless.
The wireless on here is great. It quickly locks into the network you are in range of, no problems whatsoever. I look at the news on my back porch, write papers on the balcony, watch movies in my room and look at porn in the basement. No connectivity issues in the house or on public wifi. Phenomenal in this aspect.
Oh yeah, a lot of crybabies have been whining about the fingerprints that this netbook accumulates - wow, get a life. If it really upsets you maybe you should go in the box the netbook comes in and get the suede rag provided by Acer to wipe it down if you need to so badly (how come no one else said anything about this rag? It solves the problem completely and takes ten seconds to do.) It is such dumb thing to complain about on a 200$ computer. It's like buying a coat at the thrift store and complaining when it smells funny, this isn't a macbook that cost 2 grand people, when someone sees you using it they will probably think "look at that person with their cheap little netbook" not "wow that thing would be nice if it didn't have the fingerprints". Non-issue.
I grabbed a Targus neoprene sleeve for my netbook for ten ducats. It fits perfectly, smells like crap, is really ugly and serves it's purpose wonderfully. Get one before you drop this thing and feel like an idiot.
The keyboard is good once you get used to it. The caps lock key is inconvenient and it gets hit accidentally a lot, and yes, the arrows are small. Not such a big deal. The touchpad takes a minute to get the hang of, and I never use the "gestures". It is ok, not amazing, but more than I should expect for the cost.
The webcam is actually pretty good. I can skype my fam and peeps all over the world with hardly any delay, and little choppyness. I use MediaPlayer Classic for viewing movies and shows, the program takes up like two megabytes and handles any format you throw at it. Highly recommended, and 720p plays fairly well but don't get all 1080p on this thing, it's not happening. The speakers on this netbook are aight, not alright but just aight, I had some plug in speakers lying around and I those so no biggie. The plug is pretty small, it doesn't take up two plugspaces in the wall (you know what I mean) and is surprisingly light. I think that covers just about everything.
Overall, I wish I could travel back in time 6 months and read this review. I would have saved bread on a ram stick that was the wrong model that some dbag in another review insisted was the RIGHT model, an SD card that wouldn't work for readyboost, and I would probably have 50 hours of my life back that were spent waiting for word to load and for adobe to open a pdf. Not to mention firefox timesinking my entire night loading a web page. But now, me and this thing are unstoppable and I laugh at clowns who waste upwards of a grand or more on a lap. Totally unnecessary, unless you need to photoshop or are a gamer. For everything else - especially for a student like me - the ao532 is your go to. Get like me - I love this thing and with all the upgrades and accessories it was under 300$. You can't lose.

Acer AO532h-2223 10.1-Inch Matrix Silver Netbook - Up to 8 Hours of Battery Life Feature

• 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 7 Starter; Up to 8 Hours of Battery Life

Acer AO532h-2223 10.1-Inch Matrix Silver Netbook - Up to 8 Hours of Battery Life Overview

Acer AO532h-2223 comes with these high level Specs. Intel Atom Processor N450, Windows 7 Starter, 10.1-Inch WSVGA Acer CrystalBrite LED Display, Mobile Intel NM10 Express Chipset, Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150, 1024MB DDR2 Memory, 160GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM), Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader, Acer InviLink 802.11b/g/Draft-N Wi-Fi CERTIFIED, Built-In Webcam, Two Built-in Stereo Speakers, 3 - USB 2.0 Ports, 6-cell Li-ion Battery (4400 mAh), 2.76 lbs. | 1.25 kg (system unit only)

Acer AO532h-2223 10.1-Inch Matrix Silver Netbook - Up to 8 Hours of Battery Life Specifications

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-2223) in silver provides up to 8 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 pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Starter operating system, which combines the latest in reliability and responsiveness with the familiarity and compatibility of Windows. It includes new Windows 7 features like Jump Lists to help you to better find and manage files, and connecting to printers and peripherals is easier than ever.

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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 8 hours of battery life with included 6-cell battery (4400 mAh)
• 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.
• 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
• Windows 7 Starter makes small notebook PCs easier to use because it puts less between you and what you want to do--less waiting, less clicking, less hassle connecting to networks. And Starter combines the latest in reliability and restertainment experience with Windows 7 Home Premium.
• Get more features with Windows Anytime Upgrade. It's the best way to add features to Windows 7, takes as few as ten minutes, requires no software or downloads, and you'll keep your existing programs, files, and settings. Windows will walk you through the simple upgrade process.
• 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-2223 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

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 02, 2010 20:17:05