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Get an Acer Aspire One Netbook for $199.97

This mega-popular netbook sold new for $350. Here's your chance to scoop one up on the dirt-cheap. The only real caveat is the warranty, which expires after 90 days.

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
2 min read

Originally $350, the Aspire One can be yours for just $199.97. CompUSA

These will sell out quickly, so let's dive right in: CompUSA has the Acer Aspire One AOA150-1786 Netbook for $199.97. Its shipping runs a very reasonable $1.99.

Because this is a refurbished unit, the warranty expires after 90 days. That's not a deal-breaker to me, as the only mechanical part in the thing is the hard drive.

The last time I posted an Aspire One Netbook, it was a Linux-powered model with a 16GB solid-state drive--for $239. For 40 bucks less, the AOA150-1786 features Windows XP and a 120GB hard drive.

It also comes with a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, 1GB of RAM, an 8.9-inch LCD, a Webcam, 802.11b/g, and a three-cell battery. In other words, it's a full-featured PC, but one that measures just 9.8 inches by 6.7 inches by 1.1 inches and weighs a scant 2.3 pounds.

I own a nearly identical model, the AOA150-1570, which I chronicled in the Netbook Diaries. In a nutshell: Its battery life is pretty crummy, and I don't like the small track pad or its button placement.

Of course, most Netbooks that have three-cell batteries have crummy battery life. I like the Aspire One a lot, more than I ever thought I would. It's a great little travel companion, especially if your needs are minimal (e-mail, Web browsing, word processing, and so on). At $202 out the door, this model is almost impossible to beat.

Want to make your Netbook more like a notebook? I recently wrote an article on that subject.