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• We wanted to use a current netbook as our test platform for this review and settled on Acer’s Aspire One D150. Although it is still built around Intel’s aging 945GME chipset, it does use a slightly faster version of the Atom processor, namely the N280 running at 1.66 GHz. Beyond that, the Aspire One D150 is a pretty standard netbook. It features a 10” display, integrated Intel GMA 950 chipset graphics, 160 GB of hard drive space, 1 GB of RAM, LAN, WiFi, Bluetooth, and the usual complement of USB ports. It comes with Windows XP Home Edition SP3 pre-installed. During testing, any tools and utilities installed by Acer were disabled or uninstalled. After ensuring the drivers were up to date, we put the little Acer through its paces in a number of benchmarks. Next, we performed a clean install of the 32-bit version of Windows 7 RC1 from an external optical drive and repeated the benchmarkds. Since Microsoft provides a wide variety of drivers right on the installation disc and via Windows Update, we originally intended to perform testing using those versions. However, it turned out that some of these drivers were badly out of date and were holding back performance. Installing the most recent Vista drivers greatly improved the situation, which is why they were used for testing instead. There is one drawback to this approach, though. With Windows 7, Microsoft has continued tweaking its Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) originally introduced with Windows Vista. Compatible drivers enable certain desktop effects and acceleration features, even providing the basis for GPGPU computing (assuming the GPU features such functionality). Windows 7 uses the most recent version of this driver model, WDDM 1.1. The latest graphics driver available on Intel’s support and drivers page during testing only supports WDDM 1.0. From a performance standpoint, we therefore recommend installing platform and graphics drivers manually and not relying on the versions provided by Microsoft. As newer performance-optimized releases become available for Windows 7, you can always switch to that version.  Windows 7 Performance CheckModelAspire One D150ManufacturerAcerDisplay Size (Resolution)10.2" glossy (1024 x 600), LED backlightHard Drive ( Capacity, Manufacturer, Model)160 GB, Western Digital WDC1600BEVT-22ZCT0, 5,400 rpmBattery Capacity59 Wh / 5,800 mAhCPU (Code Name)Intel Atom N280 (Diamondville), 1.66 GHz (HT)ChipsetIntel 945GMEMemory (Number of Modules)1024 MB DDR2-533 (1 x 1024 MB)GraphicsIntel GMA 950 integratedAudioRealtek ALC272XWebcam (Resolution)1.3 MpixelConnectivityUSB 2.0 (Number and Location)3 (2 right, 1 left)Display Connectors (VGA/DVI/HDMI/S-Video)1/-/-/-NetworkingAtheros AR8121/AR8113/AR8114 10/100 PCI-EWiFiAtheros AR5007EG 802.11 a/b/gCard Reader (Formats)SD, xD, MMC, MS, MS ProPC-Card/ExpressCard-Slot-Bluetooth (Generation)2.0Operating System And DriversOperating SystemWindows XP Home (SP3) Windows 7 RC 1 (Build 7100)Platform DriverIntel 9.1.0.1012Graphics DriverWindows XP: Package 14.32.4 Windows 7: Package 15.8.3.1504

• In order to give you an idea of what you can expect for a certain price, we compared the Acer Aspire 6920G-814G32BN, which is available through online shops for about $1850, with a desktop system of the same price. The results are not surprising, but they can serve as a guideline if you are still unsure of which system is right for you. Acer 6920G-814G32BN Platform CPU Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 (45 nm; 2100 MHz, 3 MB L2 Cache) Motherboard Mobile Intel PM965 Express Chipset RAM 2x 2048 MB DDR2-667 SDRAM Hard Disk Drive Western Digital WD3200BEVT320 GB, 5,400 RPM, 8 MB Cache, SATA2/300 BD-ROM Blu-ray Disc Drive with DVD-SuperMultiBD-R/-RE/-ROM/DVD+-RW/+R DL/RAM Wireless Intel 4965AGN WLAN (802.11a/g/n) Mini-card Screen 16″ Widescreen WXGA LCD (1366x768) Acer CineCrystal Graphics Card Nvidia GeForce 9500M-GS 512 MB dedicated VRAM Sound Card Integrated Power Supply 4400 mAh Primary Battery System Software & Drivers OS Windows Vista Enterprise 6.0 Build 6001 SP1 DirectX Version 10 Platform Drivers Intel Version 8.2.0.1014 Graphics Drivers Nvidia Display Drivers 174.51 (7.15.11.7451) Tom’s Hardware personal configuration System Hardware CPU Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 (45 nm, 3.00 GHz, 6 MB L2 Cache) Intel Platform S775 Gigabyte EP35C-DS3R, Rev. 1.0 Intel P35 Intel P35, BIOS: F3B Memory 2x 2GB DDR2-800 G.Skill F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ DVD-ROM Samsung SH-D163A, SATA150 Hard Disk Drive Samsung Spinpoint F1 HD753LJ 750 GB, 7,200 RPM, 32MB Cache, SATA2/300 Graphics Card GeForce 8800 GTS 320MB Power adapter Zalman, ATX 2.01, 510 Watt System Software & Drivers OS Windows Vista Enterprise 6.0 Build 6001 SP1 DirectX Version 10 Platform Drivers Intel Version 8.2.0.1014 Graphics Drivers Nvidia Display Drivers 169.75

• MIDs and UMPCs were also a big hit this year at Computex 2008. Many manufacturers were showing off ultra-portable devices. Of notable launches this year were MSI’s Wind, Gigabyte’s M-528 and Asus’ EeePC 901/1000H. All the craze about subnotebooks is that they are all easy to handle, very light, and support all your daily routines without breaking the bank. Many of the new subnotebooks offer operating times of over 7 hours and are getting even more powerful with support from Intel’s Atom processor. Most of these devices come well below the $1000 mark, which is a very affordable price target. Considering what they offer, it’s no surprise that many users are opting to go for UMPCs rather than full-blown notebooks or desktop replacements. While most of the new UMPCs use Intel’s powerful Atom processor, VIA announced that it would give Intel a run for a money with the launch of Nano, VIA’s claim to fame against Intel’s Atom. The Nano processor, VIA claims, gives even more operating time than Atom based systems, and even better performance. It’s been a long time since VIA honestly released a processor with so much excitement, and we’re eagerly waiting to see subnotebooks based on this jewel. More competition in this space - and any space for that matter - is win-win for the consumer. Competition in the UMPC space is heated and it’ll only get more intense as 2009 rolls in. Acer’s Aspire One is a particular UMPC that caught our attention for the inclusion of 3G wireless technology. No other UMPC currently includes it, and it takes top places in our hearts because of it. Having 3G connectivity enables users to truly go wireless, and it really gives the feeling of ultimate freedom with high-speed Internet access almost anywhere you go.