Acer Netbook questions...

Easto · Post by **Easto** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 11:24 am

I was given an Acer ZA3 Netbook (Product Model: AO751h) from work. The screen was broken and they didn't want to fix it so they said I could have it. I've removed the damaged/cracked screen and I can get another for about $80. Other than that the thing should be working fine.

In case you want to look, here's the page for the things specs...

http://support.acer.com/acerpanam/netbo ... hsp2.shtml

I would like to do a clean OS install and from what I can deduce from the Acer site I can either load Vista or XP sp3 (I have an unused copy of XP Pro so that's going to go on it).

Questions: Seeing as how this is just a 1.33 ghz piece of hardware and it will only be used by the wife for emails and surfing on the road.

1. Would there be a benefit to installing a 7200 rpm HDD on this thing?

2. Would there be a benefit to upgrading to 2 gig memory?

3. Since I don't have an external CD/DVD drive laying around how do I install the new OS? (I have a wireless setup at home)

Outside of having to purchase the screen I figure a new HDD and Mem would be about another $80 so... for about $160 this thing should be like new(?) Yes/No or just a waste of time?

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 11:46 am

I'd give it 2 gigs of RAM, and stick with XPsp3 over Vista.
And a 7,200rpm drive will help.

Right now I'm installing XPsp3 on a pair of 12" laptops that don't have optical drives....we have a few external USB drive caddies....they take SATA and PATA drives.

Sava700 · Post by **Sava700** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 12:44 pm

What HDD and 2 gigs of memory are you looking at to cost you $80?? But by time you drop another $80 into it if that indeed is the final amount which I'm thinking it will be higher, then your likely pushing $200 after shipping costs also. For $300 you can get yourself a brand new laptop with a dual core processor and most likely Win7, and a year warranty.

Even this corsair 1gig chip will cost you about $20 each after shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820233078

Then you add in the hard drive which I'm assuming it is a sata drive and not IDE then your looking at $50ish + shipping so that's nearly $100 there. Yep it's darn near $200 after all shipping costs and such.

I'd sell it and get a new one.. but that's me

Easto · Post by **Easto** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 1:01 pm

Sava700 wrote:Then you add in the hard drive which I'm assuming it is a sata drive and not IDE then your looking at $50ish + shipping so that's nearly $100 there. Yep it's darn near $200 after all shipping costs and such.

I'd sell it and get a new one.. but that's me

I understand. I have not finalized the exact costs but those performance bumps aren't really necessary. I'm just getting a feel for it and a few opinions. Basically, all I have to do it attach the new screen and load the OS. The wife is not anything close to a power user.

Sava700 · Post by **Sava700** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:13 pm

Easto wrote:I understand. I have not finalized the exact costs but those performance bumps aren't really necessary. I'm just getting a feel for it and a few opinions. Basically, all I have to do it attach the new screen and load the OS. The wife is not anything close to a power user.

Well it just seems to be a longer lasting choice to get a new one with at least a 1 year warranty if you know what I'm saying. Power user or not, anyone with half a brain will enjoy the differences between a dual core processor and windows 7 vs XP and that older hardware. :P

Easto · Post by **Easto** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 1:50 pm

Sava,

Unfortunately right now money is pretty tight. Getting a Netbook up and running for $80 is about all I really want to spend. I'd really rather have my wife carting around an $80 Netbook rather than her usual laptop. If anything happens to the Netbook I just move on. Speed and performance are not an issue.

Ken · Post by **Ken** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 9:40 am

For merely email and web surfing, your internet connection is really what makes the difference... (even if it is a non-web based email)

As long as it can do what she needs it to do, don't worry about it... Spend the 80 for the screen and ride it like you stole it... Do keep 1 thing in mind though. Laptop batteries have a short life span, even if you take care of them properly... You may want to consider the price of replacing the battery if she will be using it away from a power outlet...

So many times I have souped up friends computers by adding faster drives, maxing out fast RAM, tweaks and such, for them to not even be able to tell the difference... We often forget that we are power geeks and know/understand computer performance, and the casual home user is typically clueless...

Sava700 · Post by **Sava700** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 9:44 am

Easto wrote:Sava,

Unfortunately right now money is pretty tight. Getting a Netbook up and running for $80 is about all I really want to spend. I'd really rather have my wife carting around an $80 Netbook rather than her usual laptop. If anything happens to the Netbook I just move on. Speed and performance are not an issue.

Yeah, I guess if its just 80 then go for it.. but if your looking at the rest of the stuff and even like Ken said if the battery tanks on you then you will fork out another $50+..... just my 2cents