Acer Announced £199 Linux laptop
Computex Acer has launched its Eee PC wannabe, the Aspire One, pitching the product to Brits at just £199 including VAT - even though it's "not a low-cost notebook", according to the company. The One's specs largely match those of its rivals: 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor; 512MB of 533MHz DDR 2 memory with a single SO-Dimm slot for more; and an 8.9in, 1024 x 600, 262,000-colour LED-backlit display. There's a 0.3-megapixel webcam in the screen bezel. Acer's Aspire One: Eee-beating price? As per usual with Small, Cheap Computers™, the One comes with a choice of Linux or Windows XP Home. The former is fitted with 8GB of solid-state storage, while the XP model packs an 80GB hard drive, a higher price and a lower battery life. Under XP, expect two-and-a-half hours out of the standard, three-cell battery, or five hours if you buy an optional six-cell power pack. Run Linux instead of XP, and those numbers rise to three hours and seven hours, respectiv...