Forex Trading Robots

I checked a forex trading robots track record the other day and if I ran my trading account size on its track record I would be making $324,000 a year! Not bad for an outlay of a few hundred bucks. People fall for these track records, yet they always lose why? Because their greedy, think forex trading requires no effort or they simply don't read the disclaimer which is tucked away in the small print.If you see a track record of a forex automated trading system on the net with this disclaimer then it probably spells a wipe out of equity here it is:"CFTC RULE 4.41 - Hypothetical or simulated performance results have certain limitations. Unlike an actual performance record, simulated results do not represent actual trading. Also, since the trades have not been executed, the results may have under-or-over compensated for the impact, if any, of certain market factors, such as lack of liquidity. Simulated trading programs in general are also subject to the fact that they are designed with the benefit of hindsight. No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve profit or losses similar to those shown".So they are not real time profits there paper profits made looking backwards! Would you trust the above? I know I wouldn't!It amazes me how many people buy these unproven systems. Most of the track records are so good, you wonder why the vendor even bothers selling it - he could make enough money by trading it. Of course he doesn't, because he knows it won't win and that's why you never see a real time track record. Do savvy forex traders use them, do you see them in bank dealing rooms or do you ever see anyone who has made long term money with them - No you don't. Today there is a huge industry in these trading systems and they appeal to the naive and greedy traders, who won't to make money with no effort. Of course in life you get out what you put in and forex trading is no different. Forex trading can offer you the ability to make huge profits and even a life changing income - but you must have the right mindset and get the right forex education. A forex trading robot probably will destroy your equity - but you don't have to take the lazy path! Forex is a challenge, an exciting one, with huge rewards so accept the challenge, get the right forex education and you can enjoy currency trading success.

Forex Trading for Beginners - Avoid Mistakes

Forex trading for beginners is straightforward if you have the right mindset and get the right forex education however, you must avoid the mistakes enclosed which will slash or even worse wipe out your equity... Here are the 10 most common mistakes in no particular order of importance - there all important. 1. Don't Day Trade or ScalpAll short term volatility is random, you can't measure what millions of traders will do in a few hours so don't try. 2. Avoid Most Forex RobotsI see these forex trading systems all the time and they all claim great profits but the track records are all simulated in hindsight and have never been traded. If you trade one of these you can kiss goodbye to your equity. 3. Don't Predict If you predict you are simply hoping and guessing and that won't get you far in currency trading or life - trade confirmation and the reality of change and don't guess.4. Markets do Not Move to Science Many people claim they do and follow the methods of Gann, Elliot and Fibonacci but they don't work. If markets moved to a scientific theory, we would all know the price in advance and there would be no market - common sense yet, many traders fall for this ridiculous idea, don't join them.5. The harder you Work the More You Make In a normal job yes, in forex markets no. You get paid for being right with your forex trading signal and that can take you ten minutes or ten hours - you earn your rewards for results. Work smart not hard. 6. Following expert Opinion and News Stories The markets are a discounting mechanism and news is discounted instantly, it also reflects the greed and fear of the crowd who lose. Will Rogers once said: "I only believe what I read in the papers"He was joking of course - but it's surprising how many people follow the news and try and trade it - don't do it! If you do, you will end up losing. Markets move on trader's view of news and their emotions. The facts are unimportant its how they are perceived that determines the course of events. 7. Using a complicated method 10 indicators are better than 2 - dead wrong. A complicated forex trading strategy , will not as a general rule beat a simple one as it has to many elements to break. Simple systems have and always work best, as they are more robust. 8. Making Money in Demo Account Means You Will Make Money for Real No, a demo account helps you learn how to trade not to make money and you need to understand this: There is no pressure on you and therefore it's not a real trading experience.9. Not Being Patient Many traders think the more they trade the more they will make - wrong. You get paid as we said earlier on for being right and that means waiting for the high odds trades. I know traders who trade around 10 times a year and make 200% or more. If you want fun and excitement do something else. If you want to make money, being patient is a key element to learn in your forex education. 10. Snatching Profits to Soon When you first start trading, you will be tempted to snatch profits - but look at a forex chart - the big trends last for months weeks and years. if you have the courage to hold them and take short term equity swings against you, you will be well rewarded when the trade is finally closed with a thumping profit. Traders have more problems holding profits than they do cutting losses, don't make this mistake. Now here is the major problem that causes most losers to lose - I will ask you the question: What's your trading edge defined? i.e. why will you win, when the vast majority 95% of traders lose? What's Your Edge?Don't know what your trading edge is? You don't have one and will lose and it's back to your forex education until you do. We hope you found our forex trading for beginners of use and that you will avoid them in your forex trading strategy and enjoy currency trading success.

Euro Extends Losses On Risk Aversion And Falling Inflation

The Euro extended its losses from yesterday falling to as low as 1.2833, as the single currency would lose ground against the dollar and yen as risk aversion picked up due to weaker than expected U.S. data. European fundamentals added to the bearish sentiment as unemployment rose for a fifth straight month to 8.0% from 7.9% in November.Talking Points• Japanese Yen: Strengthens On Risk Aversion Flows• Pound: Mortgage Approvals Increase• Euro: Lower in Higher German Unemployment• US Dollar: GDP On TapEuro Extends Losses On Risk Aversion And Falling InflationThe Euro extended its losses from yesterday falling to as low as 1.2833, as the single currency would lose ground against the dollar and yen as risk aversion picked up due to weaker than expected U.S. data. European fundamentals added to the bearish sentiment as unemployment rose for a fifth straight month to 8.0% from 7.9% in November. Meanwhile, the CPI estimate fell well below expectations of 1.4% printing at 1.1%, as inflation remains below the ECB 2% target.Although we have been getting mixed signals from the central bank on whether they will pause their easing policy in February, expectations are that they will cut rates again in the next two months by at least 25 bps. The MPC’s price stability mandate may force their hand as falling inflation increases the risk of deflation in the region. President Trichet has consistently maintained that deflation isn’t a concern as he expects prices rise in the second half of the year. This may keep the ECB from cutting rates near zero but further easing is very likely and the lower interest rate expectations may be a weighing factor on the Euro. However, a pick up in risk appetite could spark bullish sentiment as the single currency currently has the third highest yield among the majors.The British pound continues to find support despite expectations that the BoE will cut its benchmark rate by 50 bps next week. The sterling would reach as high as 1.4350 overnight before meeting resistance and falling back below 1.2750. Yesterday Chancellor Darling authorized the central bank to set up an a £ 50 billion asset repurchase fund in order to lift money markets. The central bank now has the ability to employ quantitative easing and can now purchase bonds and commercial paper in an effort to improve credit conditions. Today we saw that there has been a slight increase in credit as mortgage approvals rose to 31,000 from 27,000 in December. Despite the improvement conditions remain tight and with the GFK consumer confidence reading falling to –37 from –35-the lowest since July- the U.K. economy may continue to contract. Therefore, we may see the pound weaken, as we get closer to the rate decision, a key level to watch is the 20-day SMA at 1,4984. Another failed attempt to break above the technical level could lead to a sharp reversal.The U.S. GDP figures due it today are expected to show that the economy contracted by 5.5% in the 4Q, which would be the most since 1982. A deeper than expected contraction will add to the current sentiment that the U.S. economy may not see growth until 2010.The dismal durable goods orders and unemployment figures yesterday have sparked yet another bout of risk aversion and confirmation of a deepening recession may add to that sentiment. However, a better than expected print may lead to a risk reversal and dollar weakness. Additionally, since the growth numbers are backward looking traders may not put as much stock in them as the expectations that the forthcoming stimulus plan will lead to growth returning in 2009

Rally to spend billions of dollars and euros

EUR/USD (1.2583)European & US sessions forecast levels: 1.2510/1.2710Trend Sessions: European: Neutral/DownwardUS: NeutralMarket Focus: 8:30 AM PPI, Core PPI, Initial Claims, 10:00 AM Leading Indicators, Philadelphia Fed.Daily Strategy: The dollar gains continue against the euro as set new support level at 1.2513. The break below the level of 1.2513 will open the way for 1.2390. This level are expecting in a short time. USA and Europe send signals that will spend billions of dollars and euros to keep the jobs places, the banks stability and avoid corporations bankruptcy. But the small banks in United States are leave to bankruptcy. The US reports today will show that the recession continue as the jobs losses rising. Although the negative news for the US economy is expect the advantage of the dollar to continue.

Daily Foreign Exchange Market Summary

The US dollar gained overnight, driven by safe haven buying on fears that the U.S. economy is getting deeper into a recession. The U.S. economy contracted 6.2 percent in the fourth quarter, the biggest decline since 1982 and worse than expected. Talk that the U.S. government will raise its stake in Citigroup spurred further dollar buying for safety.The Japanese yen recouped some losses after a technical indicator showed its recent decline was excessive. However, the yen remains vulnerable to worries about Japan's weakening economy. Japan's economy contracted last quarter by the most since the 1974 oil crisis, while its trade deficit expanded in January the most in more than two decades. The yen has depreciated 8 percent against the US dollar in February. Some traders think that as global growth evaporates, the yen is no longer viewed as a safe haven.The euro fell despite news of a 25 billion euro multilateral bailout deal for the central and eastern European countries. Investors are still concerned that rising defaults on foreign currency loans may spread to western European countries and this bailout plan may not be enough to revive the economy. The European Central Bank is expected to cut rates next week from the current 2 percent, but not below 1 percent.The British pound benefited from a UK government bank insurance plan launch for toxic assets in attempt to spur lending. The news came after Royal Bank of Scotland reported a 24 billion pound loss. However, the sterling has fallen since then as UK consumer confidence remained the weakest in 30 years. Weak UK data suggests further UK monetary easing in March.The Canadian dollar was hindered by a stronger US dollar amid safe haven buying and on expectation of dollar demand for the month-end fixing. Meanwhile, Bank of Canada is expected to cut rates by another 50 basis points to 0.50 percent on March 3.The Australian dollar is trading steady ahead of next week's central bank meeting on monetary policy. The market is uncertain if there will be a rate cut after Australian capital spending jumped 6 percent in the last quarter, reducing the chance of a rate cut on March 3. However, a rate cut is still expected in New Zealand on March 12. The New Zealand dollar dipped, hurt by a slide in business confidence data in New Zealand.The Mexican peso fell to a record low for the second straight day as the U.S. economy shrinks. U.S. buys at least 80 percent of Mexico's exports. Mexico's economy will be hurt if exports to the U.S. continue to evaporate.Indicative rates:EUR/USD 1.2644USD/JPY 97.97GBP/USD 1.4243USD/CAD 1.2660loadingFontReSize();

Return of the Carry Trade

The carry trade – a phenomenon of the forex markets where traders short low-yielding currencies in favor of higher-yielding currencies – seemed to be pretty much left for dead as Central Banks adopted zero-bound interest rates and a policy of quantitative easing to deal with the on-going economic crisis. The only countries that continue to offer high interest rates belong to the developing and emerging class that because of their inherent greater risks, are forced to offer premiums to attract investment. The forex carry trade is based on the fact that traders must pay interest on the money they borrow, while receiving interest on the currency they buy. Naturally, interest rates vary depending on the currency, so traders strive to borrow a currency that requires them to pay as little as possible, while holding a currency that pays considerably more. The difference between the two rates is known as carry which, if positive, the trader gets to keep as profit. As long as exchange

Euro Recovers From Yesterday Losses

The euro posted a moderate daily gain against the other major currencies today after some regional banks reported not-so-bad results for the fourth quarter of 2008.Among the banks that surprised the market analysts were the German Commerzbank AG and the Dutch ING Groep NV. Both of them reported lesser losses for the last quarter than the average estimates showed. The euro also was positively affected by the yesterday’s better than expected reports on ZEW Economic Sentiment and Eurozone trade balance.The Forex market analysts view the current recovery as a short-term correction gained solely by the conditions of the moment and see no strong reasons for the euro to appreciate significantly against the U.S. dollar or the Japanese yen. As to the British pound — it also has a lot of weak sides and can probably go down against the euro in a real trend unlike the other, less risky, currencies.EUR/USD rose from 1.2578 to 1.2616 as of 8:47 GMT today after losing as much as 1.7 percent yesterday. EUR/JPY advanced from 116.17 to 116.52, while EUR/GBP grew from 0.8832 to 0.8899 today.

Trichet’s Tokyo Tirade

All for one, and one for all’ this Dumas quote can never be applied when describing the ECB. The EUR has weakened vs. the USD and JPY after Trichet in Tokyo admitted that he has ‘failed to eliminate concerns about a split amongst policy makers’. This ‘ambiguity’ will delay the economy’s recovery and undermine investor confidence even further. We have not seen the worst from Europe, we are being prepared for mass layoffs and a summer of tension, as unemployment is rising fast throughout the world due to increased bankruptcies, collapsing investment spending and declining demand for labor. Does it not seem that these equity markets continue to get ahead of the ‘natural negative fundamentals’ that’s appearing around us? The US$ is stronger in the O/N trading session. Currently it is higher against 14 of the 16 most actively traded currencies, in a ‘whippy’ trading range.

Toshiba Satellite A305-S6857

Description: The Toshiba Satellite A305-S6857 is a 6-pound, general-purpose notebook computer.Compared to other general-purpose notebooks on the market, it is relatively inexpensive at around $1,005.The 15.4 inch widescreen has a native resolution of 1280 x 800, which is fairly standard among notebooks.Built around the Intel Core 2 Duo CPU.This unit has a 320GB hard disk and 4 GB of RAM.
Pros: Has a 320GB hard drive, which is larger than some similarly priced notebooks.Cons: The fair battery performance of this laptop means it has to be recharged more often than other notebooks in its class.Shared video memory has an adverse effect on system performance which may be okay for users with more modest graphics needs.Users with more demanding needs should look to a graphics solution that brings its own muscle.
Suitability: A mainstream notebook, suited for general mobile computing.If you have a wireless network at home, wirelessly browse the Internet from any room in your house with this Wi-Fi enabled notebook.Archive your digital videos using this computer's DVD burner.Value: In view of its relatively inexpensive price, this notebook has good features for the money.

Compaq Presario Notebook with AMD® Athlon™ X2 Dual-Core Processor

Compaq Presario Notebook with AMD® Athlon™ X2 Dual-Core Processor
SAVE $150 Item # 978005 cq50-210us$499.99 after all Savings (in Store Price $649.99)
• 15.4"-diagonal widescreen WXGA (1280 x 800) BrightView® LCD screen• AMD® Athlon™ X2 QL-62 dual-core processor operating at 2.0GHz
• 2GB of DDR2 SDRAM memory (2 x 1GB), Maximum memory capacity: 4GB• 160GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive
• SuperMulti DVD drive with Double Layer support• Windows Vista™ Home Premium with Service Pack 1
• 802.11b/g wireless LAN (WLAN)• nVidia® GeForce™ 8200M graphics with up to 895MB shared memory
• Altec Lansing® audio with built-in stereo speakers• Built-in microphone
• Weight: 5.83 lbMore detail: Compaq cq50-210us
Toshiba Satellite™ Notebook with Intel® Centrino® Processor Technology
SAVE $150 #174645 Model L305-S5877$599.99 after all Savings (Reg. $649.99)
• 15.4"-diagonal widescreen WXGA (1280 x 800) TruBrite™ LCD screen• Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T5750 operating at 2.0GHz
• 3GB of PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM memory, Maximum memory capacity: 4GB• 200GB 5400-rpm hard drive
• Reads & writes dual layer DVDs & CDs with Labelflash™• Integrated webcam & microphone
• Integrated 802.11 a/b/g wireless LAN• Windows Vista™ Home Premium with Service Pack 1
• Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 with from 128MB to 358MB shared memory• 5-in-1 memory card reader
• Weight: 5.67 lbMore detail: Toshiba L305-S5877 (OD)
Toshiba Satellite® Notebook with Intel® Centrino® Processor Technology SAVE $300 #176235 Model A305-S6857
$649.99 after all savings (Reg. $949.99)Make your face your password with facial recognition software
• 15.4" high-definition TruBrite™ widescreen display with 1280 x 800 pixel (WXGA) resolution• Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T5750 operating at 2.0GHz
• 4GB of PC2-5300 DDR2 memory• 320GB 5400-rpm hard drive
• Reads & writes dual layer DVDs and CDs with Labelflash™™• Integrated webcam & microphone
• Listen to radio with built-in FM Tuner• Windows Vista™ Home Premium 64-bit edition with Service Pack 1
• Integrated 802.11 a/b/g/n wireless LAN• Mobile Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 and 358MB of shared video memory
• 5-in-1 memory card reader• Weight: 6 lb
More detail: Toshiba® A305-S6857 (CC)
Toshiba Satellite® Notebook Computer with Intel® Centrino® Processor Technology
Save $250 #176270 Model A305-S6862$799.99 after all savings (Reg. $1049.99)
• 15.4" high-definition TruBrite™ widescreen display with 1280 x 800 pixel (WXGA) resolution• Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T5750 operating at 2.0GHz
• 4GB of PC2-5300 DDR2 memory• 500GB on dual 5400-rpm SATA hard drives (250GB + 250GB)
• Reads & writes dual layer DVDs and CDs with Labelflash™™• Integrated webcam & microphone
• Listen to radio with built-in FM Tuner• Windows Vista™ Home Premium 64-bit edition with Service Pack 1
• Facial recognition software• Intel® Wireless Wi-Fi Link 4965AGN (802.11a/b/g/Draft-N)
• 5-in-1 memory card reader• Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 graphics with from 128MB to 358MB shared memory
• Weight: 6.0 lbMore detail: Toshiba A305-S6862 (OD)

Toshiba Satellite A305-S6857

DescriptionAt home, at school, or even for work, these brilliantly designed Satellite® A305 laptops let you live brilliantly too.
Use the TruBrite 15.4-inch high definition diagonal widescreen display to get more from movies, games, spreadsheets and multitasking. Keep in touch with friends, family and co-workers with onboard wireless, plus a Webcam and microphone. Burn home movies on DVDs, and keep them organized with Labelflash. Game all night with a choice of outstanding graphics systems. Use Intel dual-core processing* power to make the most of the latest software and keep all your stuff in one handy place thanks to some serious storage capacity.
Detailed Specs:================================================================
ProcessorProcessor Class: Intel Core 2 Duo MobileProcessor Speed: 2 GHzCache Size: 2 MBBus Speed: 667 MHzMemoryInstalled Memory: 4 GBMaximum Memory: 4 GBMemory Technology: DDR2SystemInput Devices: KeyboardTouchpadInterface Connection: Audio - Line In (1/8" Mini)Audio - Line Out (1/8" Mini)Audio - S/PDIF (1/8" Mini)Ethernet - RJ45 Twisted-Pair (XBaseT)FireWire 400/IEEE 1394 - 4 pinUSB - Universal Serial Bus 2.0Video - S-VideoVideo - 15 pin High-Density D-shell (VGA)
Slots: Express Card 34Express Card 54Memory Stick PROMultiMedia Card (MMC)SD CardSony Memory StickxD-Picture CardDisplayDisplay Size: 15.4 inAspect Ratio: 16:10Max Resolution: 1280 x 800Video Chipset: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
StorageIncluded Drives: DVD+-RW DLHard Drive Capacity: 320 GBNumber of Storage Drives Included: 1FeaturesIncluded Network Card: Ethernet (10/100 Mbps)Wireless Ethernet - 11 Mbps IEEE802.11bWireless Ethernet - 54 Mbps IEEE802.11aWireless Ethernet - 54 Mbps IEEE802.11gWireless Ethernet - 540 Mbps IEEE802.11nIncluded Devices: Built-In FM RadioBuilt-In MicrophoneBuilt-In Webcam
SoftwareOperating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate 64-BitDimensionsHeight: 1.52 inWidth: 14.3 inDepth: 10.5 inWeight: 6 lbsWarrantyWarranty Information: 1 Year Limited WarrantyMore InfoURL: URL
Generalnormalized-Cache Size: 2normalized-Display Size: 15.4normalized-Installed Memory: 4000

Toshiba Satellite A305-S6857

It's really a great laptop for the deal. It's amazing gorgeous, very good performance for applications like music, HD movies and much more. Of course that the HD movies will be play at 720p Resolution. Overall an Eye candy laptop. So, a general overview part by part: - Keyboard: The keyboard of the laptop is very soft, nice type on the keys, very comfortable only the madness of the fingerprints. - Screen & Video : Can't be better, the bright of the screen is just amazing, clear text and clear movies. For games, can perform well if the game doesn't require too much power; remember is an integrated graphic card but it can be manage to use the memory. (Actually a cons if you will use it for gaming) - Hard Disk: Decent space for an all day use laptop, 250 GB will be enough, of course you better get an external drive for back up and data like movies... 5400 RPM must be good but 7200 will be better(Don't forget the price) - Memory: WOW... 4 GB PC-6400 means, 800 MHZ, it will move FAST. - Operative System: Windows Vista 64 bits to can use the full 4 GB of memory...
- USB Port and other Ports: With this laptop you will have 3 usb ports 2.0 and an external e-Sata port... Wonderful, it doubles the speed of an usb 2.0. - Processor: It blast the performance with the intel core 2 duo T6400 running at 2.0 GHZ, very fast for the task in this days.
- Webcam: 1.3 Mpixel of a web cam will be very good for chatting and video conference. - Real cons: Like I said before like 100 times, is a finger print madness. No Bluetooth and no dedicated graphic. If you can survive without those, it will be an Amazing Laptop...

Acer Aspire ONE A150

It is equipped with Acer CrystalBrite technology Supported 8.9 inches WXGA wide screen mirror-li, a resolution of 1024 × 600 pixels, showing good results. Dimensions 249 × 170 × 29mm, weight of machine 0.99KG, portability very good. This was located in the "modern business people second," the ultra-portable computer of this, continues the Acer Gemstone notebook design is the essence of the roof is simple and mellow smooth, but this blue version of the Aspire One is even more with kindness Configuration aspects: the use of the Intel Atom N270 processor (GHz 1.6GHz, 512KB cache, 533MHz front side bus), Intel 945GSE chipset, 512MB DDR2 memory, 160GB hard drive, Intel GMA950 integrated graphics, 8.9-inch widescreen display , wireless LAN module (802.11 b / g), Fast Ethernet, 300,000 high-sensitive camera, 6-cell lithium battery, the operating system pre-installed XP. Because of the smaller airframe, AspireOne A150 provides the following interfaces: equipped with three USB2.0 ports, a VGA port, 1 RJ-45, 1 microphone input and headphone output interface, as well as more than one All-in-One Card Reader However, this UMPC in at a very good.
Networks: it built-in 10/100M Ethernet card, and equipped with support for 802.11b / g wireless LAN protocol, the basic wireless Internet access to meet the requirements. At the time on battery life, this is equipped with 6-cell lithium battery Product official nominal life of up to 3 hours.

Acer Aspire ONE A150

This is a very impressive laptop that has a lot to offer an individual. I have been using this laptop now for close to a month and I have not experienced one problem, lock-up, glitch or error. The laptop powers up quickly and powers down just as quickly. It quickly pulls up whatever program I want to open and I have not needed to use Windows Task Manager to terminate any application for not responding. The 10.1-inch screen is really beautiful and easy on the eyes, so the hours can just fly right on by and my eyes will not experience any strain or tiredness. The laptop is comfortable to use and it does not take up very much space at all thanks to its sleek and compact design. One cool thing about this laptop is that it has a built-in webcam so an additional webcam accessory is no longer necessary. It works real well too and is clearly not some cheap addition. The battery life is also quite impressive and I am able to get close to ten hours of use out of the battery if I putthe laptop on low power. On high power, I can still get close to eight hours of battery life out of it. I have never owned a laptop with such a powerful and long-lasting battery! Battery charging takes a couple of hours, which seems about average. The wireless Internet card has continually been providing me with a stable and fast connection. It is really something this laptop is only $350. I consider that to be an incredible bargain price and that is why I decided to go with this laptop. Although I recommend that any buyer always do his or her own research before purchasing something as opposed to going by the word of a reviewer, I highly recommend that you check out this laptop when shopping around for one. This laptop has the power and the features to make me happy and accomplish what I need to accomplish, but for others, this laptop may not have enough of something to fit their personal or business needs.

Manufacturer's product description

Manufacturer's product descriptionSmall and smart, the Aspire one takes you wherever you want to be and keeps you connected when you get there. The Aspire one comes with 802.11b/g WiFi built-in as standard for easy access to available wireless networks and can also be specified with a choice of embedded WiMAX or 3G wireless technologies for even greater wireless freedom. The result is always the same: you're online in an instant and can stay there as long as you want. The Aspire one is great for getting things done: whether you're checking your mail, managing your online bank account or chatting with friends, the Aspire one offers a simple, intuitive Linux interface that clearly organizes everything you need to surf, work or simply have fun. The pre-installed software is separated by functions and presented in 4 distinct areas on the screen - connect, works, fun and files - that is so simple it's impossible to get confused: the easier it is to get things done, the simpler it is to enjoy life. NetworkingNetworking: Network adapter
Wireless LAN Supported: Yes
Data Link Protocol: Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
Compliant Standards: IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
Expansion / connectivityExpansion Slots Total (Free):
1 ( 0 ) x memory - SO DIMM 200-pin 1 ( 1 ) x expansion slot
Interfaces:
1 x network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX - RJ-45 1 x display / video - VGA - 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15) 1 x audio - line-out/headphones - mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm 1 x microphone - input - mini-phone 3.5 mm 3 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type A
MiscellaneousFeatures: Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately)
BatteryTechnology: 3-cell lithium ion
Installed Qty: 1
Operating system / softwareOS Provided: Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Software: Acer Launch Manager, Adobe Reader, Acer eRecovery, McAfee Internet Security Suite (Trial), Microsoft Office 2007 (Trial)
Manufacturer warrantyService & Support: 1 year warranty
Service & Support Details: Limited warranty - 1 year

Product Information

GeneralMPN: LU.S040B.110
System Type: Netbook
Built-in Devices: Stereo speakers
Width: 9.8 in
Depth: 6.7 in
Height: 1.1 in
Weight: 2.2 lbs
Color: Seashell white
ProcessorProcessor: Intel Atom N270 / 1.6 GHz
Data Bus Speed: 533 MHz
Chipset Type: Mobile Intel 945GSE Express
Cache memoryType: L2 cache
Installed Size: 512 KB
RamInstalled Size: 1 GB / 1.5 GB (max)
Technology: DDR2 SDRAM - 533 MHz
Form Factor: SO DIMM 200-pin
Configuration Features: One user-accessible socket
StorageHard Drive: 120 GB
Card readerType: Card reader
Supported Flash Memory Cards: SD Memory Card, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, MultiMediaCard, xD-Picture Card
DisplayDisplay Type: 8.9" TFT
Max Resolution: 1024 x 600 ( WSVGA )
Widescreen Display: Yes
Features: CrystalBrite
VideoGraphics Processor / Vendor: Intel GMA 950 Dynamic Video Memory Technology 3.0
AudioAudio Output: Sound card
Compliant Standards: High Definition Audio
Notebook cameraCamera Type: Integrated
Input device(s)Type: Keyboard, touchpad

Acer Aspire ONE A150

You can’t escape the buzz about “netbooks” these days. For the uninitiated, a netbook is the term being given to laptops that have a 10-inch screen size or less, a weight of under 3lbs and a price tag of around $400. A netbook is basically good for common PC tasks such as email, surfing the web and running Office applications. Gaming and multimedia are pretty much out of the question because a netbook uses a low power processor and has no dedicated graphics processing capabilities.
Acer Aspire OneMany of the netbooks are being marketed as education tools that can be used by students in the classroom. The HP 2133 Mini Note PC in particular is a netbook designed for the education market. The HP Mini Note costs a bit more than other netbooks, with a starting price of around $650, but it is built a little better than competing $400 netbooks. However, if you’re paying for a netbook out of your own pocket and are a student then it’s highly like price is a big factor for you. If price is a big factor the cheaper $400 range netbooks from the likes of Asus, Acer, Lenovo and Dell are probably better options.
Aspire One brick and cordAspire One with power cord
One of the more recent entries onto the netbook market is the 8.9″ screen Aspire One that was released this August. Acer recently dropped the price on the Aspire One to an incredible $349 for a configuration with Windows XP and $329 with Linux. The specifications on the Aspire One AOA150-1570 for the $349 price are as follows:* Processor: Intel 1.6GHz Atom* Memory: 1GB* Operating System: Windows XP Home SP3* Scree Size: 8.9-inches with a 1024 x 600 WSVGA resolution* Storage Drive: 120GB 2.5″ 5400RPM hard drive* Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g* Battery: 3-cell Li-Ion rechargeable battery with 2.5 hours of run time* Weight: About 2.5lbs* Ports: SD card reader (SDHC compatible), 4-in-1 media card reader, 1 VGA port, 3 USB ports, 1 Ethernet port, 1 Microphone port, 1 headphone jack
Aspire One box Aspire One specsAcer Aspire One specs as show on the box
That’s quite a lot for $349. Having a 120GB hard drive opens up the possibilities for this laptop to be used as your main laptop, many other netbooks such as the Asus Eee PC have limited 4GB - 8GB flash storage on board.The question many students will have is “can a netbook replace the need for a larger laptop for my school needs?” At least, that’s the question we want to focus on most in this review and central point that shall be harped on.
Aspire One screen size and viewingThe 8.9″ screen size is of course good and bad. The screen size is necessarily small to make this device more portable and easy to carry around. It’s good because as a student you already lug a bunch of textbooks and adding a bulky 15.4″ screen 7lb laptop on top of all that could just give you a back ache. The 8.9″ screen size is bad because you really can’t see much on the screen at one time, which cuts back on productivity and can be just plain annoying when you have to constantly scroll to read things or view images.
IMG_3711For a student you really have to consider the fact the smaller screen will make it more challenging to surf the web to do research online. It also makes it harder to check email. I use Outlook for email and my setup has three panels (left side navigation, inbox list and email preview item) and it’s almost impossible to use in this fashion since everything is so scrunched onto the screen. You really need to use just a two panel approach, such as Gmail uses. As a comparison, below is a screenshot of the same Google News web page, the top screenshot was taken on the 1024 x 600 (WSVGA) 8.9″ screen Acer Aspire One while the bottom image was on a 15″ LCD panel with 1024 x 768 (XGA) resolution.
screenshotAcer Aspire One screenshot of Google News
regular_screenshotSame Google News page on a 15″ screen, notice you can see a lot more information on one screen
With the 15″ screen you can see more than twice as much news on the screen, limiting the need to scroll and possibly making it easier to catch important information you are interested in with just one glance. Think about this fact if you are doing a lot of research on the web — it could really slow you down to be using such a small screen.Aside from the small screen size being a factor, the viewing is nice. It has a glossy finish so it is a bit reflective, but colors show up nicely and brightness is very good. The screen is not quite bright enough to be used for outdoor viewing unless it’s a gloomy day or night time. Too bad, it would be nice to use this on the campus green!
If you rip some media to the Aspire One or attach an external media drive via USB (remember it has no DVD drive built-in) then watching a movie can be enjoyable on the screen. The widescreen format of the Aspire One certainly helps out here.Speaker audio quality
The speaker on the Aspire One is poor, as you would expect on such a small laptop. The speaker volume does not get very loud and the sound is tinny. It’s fine for system sounds and audio when you’re in a pinch, the headphone jack is there for a reason of course and thankfully the audio delivered via a good headset is excellent.Using the keyboard and touchpad
The keyboard for the Aspire One is another point that students will be greatly interested in. During school you’ll be typing like a fiend. Just think of the list of tasks you’ll be using a keyboard for: taking notes like a madman in class, typing up long research papers, sending emails to friends, family and professors, collaborating online with classmates for projects and of course using FaceBook to communicate with friends and keep that profile up to date :)Aspire One keyboard
Aspire One keyboardYou can expect to spend several hours typing on a keyboard some days. So does the Aspire One keyboard make doing this type of thing comfortable? Definitely not, especially if you have larger sized fingers. The Aspire One keyboard isn’t terrible as far as netbooks go, but the keys are definitely smaller than a standard sized keyboard you’ll be used to and the feel of the keyboard overall is somewhat flimsy. After a while you will get more used to the keyboard, but it’s impossible to type as fast as a regular keyboard and simply not as comfortable. I find myself making many more typos than is usual, and my fingers are fairly small.
The touchpad and mouse button design is a little strange, the mouse buttons are vertically aligned on either side of the keyboard. The touchpad works ok, though you’ll have scroll your finger a couple of times across the touchpad in order to move the cursor from one side of the screen to the other. The mouse buttons are pretty poor and hard to use. They are very stiff and hard to push down and also quite noisy.IMG_3698
Aspire One performanceThe Aspire One surprised me in how snappy it is. When just using Firefox to browse the web the experience is much the same as a Core 2 Duo powered machine. Bootup is snappy, Windows XP feels quite fast with the 1GB of RAM. It really helps that Acer doesn’t install a bunch of bloatware either, it’s a very clean installation so startup times are really helped due to that. When using the Aspire One for any general PC task you’ll get performance that’s just fine. It’s if you try to do a lot of multi-tasking, gaming or things like playing HD video content that the Intel Atom processor will simply choke. For your average student just looking to get some work done, I see nothing stopping you with the performance of the Intel 1.6GHz Atom processor. A Core 2 Duo 2.40GHz processor laptop scored 2,602.74 on the PC Wizard benchmark while the Aspire One scored a paltry 401.73, but the performance didn’t feel five times slower like the score might indicate. So perception wise, performance of the Aspire One is quite good, though it won’t benchmark well at all using any of the modern benchmark applications.
pc_wizard_ratingDesign, will I look good carrying the Aspire One?
Aspire One designShallow as it may seem, we all care what people think about us and the things we choose to carry with us. When you’re carrying a laptop around with you everywhere you go and are seen with it everyday, it could be as important as that designer pair of jeans you bought in terms of saying how stylish you are. The Aspire One comes in a variety of colors, this model happens to be blue, which really looks nice. The orange accents on the hinge and overall clean look could certainly turn some heads and provides a nice clean look. The Aspire One logo on the hinge is also very cool. Because the Aspire One is so small, it also has that “neato” type of appeal to it, so you can rest assured the look and design of the Aspire One will add points to your style meter and no risk of being accused of lack of taste.
Aspire One overhead shotThe only thing you’ll have to make sure of is that you clean the screen area and lid which tend to pickup a lot of fingerprints due to the glossy finish. You could be accused of having greasy and oily skin if you don’t stay on top of that!
Noisiness of the Aspire OneA problem that has been noticed in many other reviews on the web about the Aspire One is the fact that it is indeed quite noisy, even when it’s not being used to do work. This problem does indeed exist, for such a small little laptop the fans are quite loud, especially when it is used to do intensive work such as playing movies or music. Even rendering a web page with Flash in it causes the processor to do a bit more work than usual and thereby causes the fans to rev up and get louder. If you’re using this in a classroom setting where there isn’t much ambient noise around then other students around you will definitely hear and notice it. If you’re in a lecture hall with a low din and noisy air conditioner then it will not be noticeable and you’ll be fine.
Basically what you need to know is that If you’re the only person in a small classroom with a laptop and it happens to be loud it can be embarrassing for you and annoying for others, so keep that in mind. If a bunch of people in a classroom have their laptops then it won’t be a big deal.Portability of Aspire One
One of the great advantages of the Aspire One is of course how easy to carry it is. Weighing only 2.33lbs without the power cord means this thing is lighter than a textbook. With the power cord and brick, which are very light, the total comes to only 2.37lbs of weight to carry around.IMG_3719 IMG_3721The size footprint wise is also smaller than your average textbook. The thickness is about 1.2 inches, so again that’s smaller than many textbooks. Overall the Aspire One is a joy to carry around, you won’t even feel the extra weight in your backpack.
Aspire One next to a textbookAspire One next to a textbook
If you put the Aspire One in your backpack with books it’s a very good idea to protect it. Acer provides you with a nice faux leather slip cover. It’s a nice touch, but it doesn’t offer any cushioning for protecting the Aspire One so you might want to think about getting a padded sleeve.Aspire One sleeve cover
Aspire One included free sleeveAspire One port selection and wireless
For such a small laptop the Aspire One offers a good number of ports. Three USB 2.0 ports is really good for such a small machine. Then you still have an Ethernet port, monitor-out port, 4-in-1 card reader port (which can read SD, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro and xD cards), a dedicated SD slot (SDHC compatible for higher capacity SD cards), headphone jack and microphone in.From a wireless perspective the built-in 802.11 b/g is great and has worked well in my usage, connects fast and holds a good connection. There is no Bluetooth, which is quite a bummer, many people with Bluetooth enabled phones would like to pair it with a netbook so they can surf the web from anywhere (assuming your phone has a data plan to do that). It would also have been nice to be able use a wireless Bluetooth mouse with the Aspire One.
IMG_3697Front view of Aspire One
IMG_3730Left view of Aspire One (power jack, monitor out, USB port, SD-card reader)
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