JustPlaneChris & Lizeebie

For some time now I’ve been using an old (old) computer in my hobby room for email and forum duty, as well as programming my various RC bits that have a computer interface. While it was doing the job - barely - it was certainly not speedy, nor was it portable. Like many geeky hobbyists, I longed for a laptop that I could take to the flying field to retrieve data logs or reprogram ESCs. I’m happy to report that Liz came to the rescue with a fantastic Christmas gift!

At the recommendation of a friend, she bought me an Acer Aspire One netbook PC. It’s got a 1.6ghz Intel Atom processor, 1gb of RAM and a 160gb hard drive! The display is bright enough to be easily read outdoors, which of course means “at the flying field”. Perhaps most impressive is the battery life. My Acer, which I’ve dubbed “Tiny”, has the optional 6 cell battery which gives it an impressive 5+ hours of run time. Simply amazing.

So far I’ve been really impressed with the performance and aesthetics of the little guy. The keyboard, even though it’s not full-size, is easy to type with. In fact, this very article is being typed on Tiny from the comfort of the couch.

As if all that wasn’t cool enough, I can even connect my BlackBerry Curve to Tiny with a USB cable for charging and to function as a cellular modem for internet connections out in the wild. This ability came in handy on the first flying day of the year when I remembered I’d not renewed my AMA membership. You guessed it, I connected the BlackBerry to Tiny while at the flying field and renewed my membership on the spot.

Yep, I’m really pleased with Tiny, and consider it one of the best gifts ever. If you are looking for an ultra-portable PC that’s got great battery life, decent speed, and that all-important geek factor then the Acer Aspire One gets a definite nod of approval. They are available from lots of places, but two of my favorite vendors have them at great prices: Amazon.com and Buy.com. In fact, rumor has it that Santa Liz got Tiny from Amazon.