Acer developing an 11.6 inch Aspire One laptop?

Is Acer planning to build an Aspire One laptop with an 11.6 inch display? That’s what Macles is reporting, and the site does have a pretty good track record of breaking Acer-related netbook news.

If the rumor is true, the new Aspire One would have an 11.6 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel display with a 16:9 aspect ratio. It would also have an Intel Atom Z530 CPU and integrated GMA 500 graphics with hardware support for decode HD video. The Z530 isn’t exactly a speed demon, but it’s easy on the power consumption.

I’m reluctant to call a laptop with an 11.6 inch display a netbook, and to be fair, Acer hasn’t labeled this computer as such yet. But slapping the Aspire One name on it seems like a bad idea to me. I prefer the way Asus has done things so far, by differentiating between its netbooks with the Eee PC moniker and higher end machines like the Asus N10 series that look a lot like netbooks, but have higher quality graphics cards and other components.

But it sounds like the only thing separating the 11.6 inch Acer Aspire One from its netbook brethren is size. It will have the same processor as many netbooks and it will still be thin and light compared to full sized laptops. Am I being too rigid here? What do you think, can an 11 or 12 inch notebook be a netbook?

Posted on Friday, March 20th, 2009, 8:53 pm by Brad Linder

PrincessNybor

I think you've been correct for months in saying that so-called “netbooks” are really just smaller versions of fully-functional laptop computers. I still think that by the time either Psion or Intel/Dell win their lawsuits, the name won't be heavily in use anymore.

It was more critical for retailers and manufacturers to distinguish the capabilities of these devices when the differences were greater — tiny 7″ screens, small flash drives instead of hard drives, and limited operating systems. But that hasn't been the case for months.

The old laptop trifecta is still alive and well. When it comes to portability, performance, and price, you get two of the three.
Drew

This would be the perfect candidate for the nVidia ION platform
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Linc (MonkeyKing)

Yes, yes, yes! The future of netbooks is 11″ whether people like it or not. A computer is what it can display for you. Ten inches is just barely enough and maybe tweleve inches is too much, but it is only too much because we need something smaller then a sheet of paper and less then 3 lbs.

So, the only thing that needs to happen is the case size needs to be 10.7 inches or less if possible, and 7.7 inches wide or less less if possible. And 2.8 lbs would be nice as well.

In some ways the only true requirement is something light enough to carry and small enough to put in a small bag.
J

I use my mini 1000 at 10.1″ and love it. I think the 10.2 and under rule you've been using is spot on. Laptops are bigger than notebooks, notebooks are bigger than netbooks and netbooks are bigger than palmtops. A category for everything and everything in its category. The world is in balance
okeribok

a netbook *must* have a sub-100% keyboard, so I think it ends somwhere like 10.5″.
ToniBorgetto

If it's cheap and compact, well, then it's definitely a “netbook”. And whether it's compact or not depends on the size of the whole package, not just the display.

When I see so-called “netbooks” with 10″ displays but huge bezels around the screen, and a weight of 1.5kg, then why not put an 11″ display into the same case, and drop the stupid bezel?
DG

11″? No, stop already, and hurry up and release that promised revamped 9″! Given the inevitable associated price hike, the way this is going there will soon be 14″ and 15″ so-called netbooks with naff-all performance, no optical drive, etc, and costing more than their fully-equipped notebook brethren…
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Ohio Red

Portability, performance, and price have no universal definition. My Kaypro, weighing 15 pounds, was advertised as a portable computer. Nowadays I put portability and price above performance because a computer that I am reluctant to carry and reluctant to purchase does me no good. For other people, performance matters more because they want to get the features of a full-fledged laptop or desktop. The market inevitably is fragmented.
Filly

Intel CULV PLEAASE
http://netbookupdates.com/ shcboomer

At this rate, I might actually have an interest in the AMD Neo. When we get into these sizes, I think we should also take a look at the HP Pavilion dv2 with the AMD Neo. It is actually quite close in size and probably has better performance than what the Z530 and GMA500 can dish out.
Linc (MonkeykIng)

The bezel point is what I am talking about, we have 10″ screen netbooks now with these bezels and there is no reason that an 11″ screen netbook cannot be nearly the same case size.

It is the overall size, shape and weight that matters. Why people want to get tripped up by screen size when it won't affect case size is confusing to me.

In twp years we might see netbooks with 12″ screen that are small, weight half the weight of current 8.9″ netbooks that cost $400. Are you really going to say something that is nearly as small, half the weight, and the right cost isn't netbook just because it offers a bigger screen?
emeraldpark

Digitimes reported in February that several manufacturers, including Acer and Asus, were planning to release 11.6 inch netbooks later this year. How much these devices cost and weigh will be interesting. I see the netbook market by next year being split into several categories, with smaller, ARM Linux devices at the low end ($99-$199), 10 inch netbooks at $299-$349, and 11.6 inch netbooks with better graphics and a full keyboard at $399-$499. Anything bigger than 12 inches is a notebook, in my opinion.
wayne

perhaps the problem is because people started calling them netbooks when all along they should have been mini notebooks.

you can't say they are cheaper versions of notebooks. there are MANY 14″ laptops that are cheaper than some models of “netbooks”.

perhaps the next group of products come from a meshing of the two lines… a 14/15″ screen powered by Atom (or similar) processors. cheaper to build, longer battery life and WinXP. it would seem the only way to make a cheaper laptop now they are all so cheap.

i really don't care what you call any of them. i don't think most purchasers care either. if they want something small and light for a specific reason then they'll look at the cost and decide whether they buy that or something more powerful.

all these products can be viable (i find it hard to believe that Asus can have so many models and think that's a good business move!). models that meet buyer's expectations will sell. what started out as a new group of limited devices are suddenly branching out and testing the waters for new groups of consumers. that can only be good.
di

I think a netbook ends in 14'' screen, so it will be nice to have a 11'6 screen
Eloquescence

Netbooks end at about 12″. To my way of thinking, the true definition of a netbook was squashed when MSI came out with the Wind and called it a netbook last year. It's all about low-powered computing in which the device doesn't come with super amounts of hard-drive space – IMHO. Like the Asus 701 / Surf of October 2007 they were true netbooks.

Let me also point out that footprint is a big issue for these little computing wonders. I agree with the post by Linc (MonkeyKing) in regards to size. I think a netbook ceases to be a netbook when the screen reaches 12″ in diagonal. At that point it's basically a notebook – and yes, the stewardess on the plane will notice it even when you try to stuff it behind a magazine in the pocket of the seat in front of you – She never notices the netbook

As long as manufacturers get rid of these UGLY bezels on Netbooks, keep the footprint the same and increase the screen size, while retaining low-powered, low-cost processors they will still be Netbooks. Look at the Lenovo S10 – the body of a 8.9″ netbook with the screen of an 10″ netbook. So why can't we have Acer or Asus or whoever use the body of a 10″ netbook with the screen of an 11″ netbook?

It can be done for the next-generation of netbooks people! Get 'er done Acer/Asus!
REMF

11.6″ is a very nice size………………. if they make use of it by providing something better than atom.

i would be very interested in a cheap ultraportable/netbook with an 11.6″ screen and the new AMD Conesus platform.
pauli

my definition of netbook involves people walking past them at costco, stopping, and saying “…oh.”

if it's not *noticeably* small, then no matter the price, no matter the weight, no matter the specs, it's not a netbook.

Acer developing an 11.6 inch Aspire One laptop?

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