Acer remembers netbooks were supposed to be cheap, drops price on Aspire One

By Darren Murph

posted August 22nd 2008 8:30AM

Not sure if you noticed (though you probably did), but these so-called netbooks never actually ended up being nearly as inexpensive as we were all led to believe. Matter of fact, some manufacturers even took the liberty of charging more than basic 15-inchers as they pimped the whole "pay a premium for portability" aspect. Nevertheless, we're glad to see the stickers declining on at least one subset, as Acer has announced price drops today on its Aspire One. The Windows XP unit will fall to $349 (from $399), while the Linpus Linux Lite model will sink to $329 (from $379). Best of all, the longevous six-cell battery-packin' flavor is now $399. Full release is after the break.

Acer Drives Outstanding Value in the Netbook Category with Price Reductions
on its Popular Aspire one

Ideal for Students, an Acer Aspire one Ultra-Lightweight Mobile Internet
Device Featuring Windows XP is Now Available for Just $349

SAN JOSE, Calif., August 22, 2008 – Acer America, the third largest vendor
in the global PC market (source: Gartner data, 2Q 2008), today announced it
has lowered the price of the popular Aspire one ultra-lightweight mobile
Internet device in the U.S. retail channel. In a move that will provide
affordability and value just in time for back-to-school, the Aspire one
featuring Windows XP Home® will now retail for $349.

Compact and smart, the Aspire one provides continuous access to the
Internet in an easy-to-use, stylish and ultra-mobile platform. Light
enough to tote in a backpack at just 2.17 pounds, the Aspire one is
designed to be an affordable, entry-level, "first PC" solution for
students, as well as a secondary computing device for on-the-go tech savvy
enthusiasts and professionals.

The Aspire one is ideal for everyday tasks such as Web browsing, checking
email, listening to music, instant messaging, viewing photos, VOIP calls
and streaming video. Equipped with Intel® Atom™ processor, Windows XP®
Home, 1GB of RAM memory installed, 120 GB internal hard drive, and a
three-cell battery, the Aspire one AOA150-1570 is now priced at $349. The
Aspire one AOA110-1722 with Linpus™ Linux Lite is now priced at $329.

"The Aspire one is a breakthrough product that meets the connectivity needs
of both students and mobile professionals," said Kristin Markworth, senior
manager of notebook product marketing for Acer America. "By increasing the
value of our mobile Internet device lineup, Acer is opening the Aspire one
experience to a whole new base of users."

Also introduced for business and education customers, the Aspire one
AOA150-1447 offers a professional solution for those who require added
performance. Featuring a six-cell battery, 160GB internal hard drive and
Windows XP Home, the Aspire one is perfect for on-the-go business
travellers and environments which require long-lasting battery power. The
Aspire one AOA150-1447 is now available via Acer authorized resellers with
prices beginning at $399.

Pricing and Availability

The Acer Aspire one netbook is available now via Acer's authorized
resellers and at major retailers nationwide. All models come with a
one-year limited warranty.