October 14th, 2009
Dual boot Android/XP Acer netbook available for pre-order
I’ve been pretty pleased with my MSI Wind netbook and use it to manage my Zune content and sync up devices that do not work natively with my Mac. I am also a fan of the Android operating system so I was intrigued to read over on Android Central that the dual boot Acer Aspire One D250 is now available for Amazon pre-order for $349.99. This 10.1 inch netbook can be booted into either Windows XP or the Google Android operating system and has a reported 9 hour battery life (with wireless and in “normal” working mode you will probably see 5 hours or so).
I have not yet seen the Android OS running on a netbook device and am interested in seeing how it will be presented and used on such a form factor. I know on my T-Mobile G1 and the HTC Hero it is highly focused on the connected data of the phone and am not sure how that will play out on a notebook. The Aspire One D250 has great specs for a netbook and is priced quite reasonably. Some of the specs include:
* 10.1-inch LED-backlit CrystalBrite screen (1024 x 600 resolution)
* Unique dual-boot operating system lets you choose between Windows XP (SP3) or Google Android
* 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N280 processor
* Up to 9 hours of battery life with included 6-cell battery
* Multi-gesture Touchpad for circular-motion scrolling, pinch-action zoom, and page flip
* 160 GB hard drive (5400 RPM)
* 1 GB DDR2 RAM (533 MHz; 2 GB maximum capacity)
* Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 video processor
* Crystal Eye webcam supports Acer PrimaLite technology
* 84-key keyboard, 89 percent of standard-size with 12 function keys, WLAN switch
* 54g Wi-Fi (802.11b/g)
* Bluetooth 2.1 radio
* 3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals–from digital cameras to MP3 players
* Analog video output: 1 VGA
* Multi-in-1 memory card reader compatible with MultiMediaCard, Reduced-Size MultiMediaCard, Secure Digital, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO or xD-Picture Card
* 1 headphone jack, 1 microphone jack
* Stereo speakers and optimized Dolby Headphone technology for 5.1-channel audio
* Dimensions: 10.17 x 8.04 x 1 inches (WxDxH)
* Weight: 2.79 pounds
The multi-gesture touchpad looks interesting and I look forward to reading reviews to see if that is supported in both Windows XP and the Android OS. At this price I am seriously thinking of moving from my MSI Wind to this dual boot setup, but first want to see if there is any benefit to having the Android OS on a notebook device.
Matthew Miller is an avid mobile device enthusiast who works during the day as a professional naval architect in Seattle. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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