Acer 0.3 Webcam and Skype

I'm in the market for a netbook, and one of the main intended functions is to use Skype. I am looking at the Aspire AS1410 at tigerdirect, which has an 11.6" HD screen, 2GB memory, and 250 GB HD. However, I am concerned that the built-in 0.3 MP webcam on these babies isn't going to cut it.

In comparison, the default webcam on the HD mini 311 is 2.0 MP.

can someone tell me what kind of difference this will make? my connection is a fairly simple AT&T DSL.

 

The HP is an older generation N270 Atom processor system. Expect that you won't see the battery life of current generation N450 Atom, like the ones in the Aspire 532H. The Aspire AS1410 is not a netbook, but a low power IA notebook. It can support full resolution screens (e.g.1024x768 -- vs. a netbook (like the 310), where you would typically see a max. resolution of 1024x600). The Aspire can also natively support up to 4GB of RAM.. the 310 -- being a netbook, will top out at 2GB. I know that wasn't the question -- but you should be aware of the system differences. You are comparing apples and bananas. The HP is an older generation netbook, with last generation chip.. battery life will not as good as current N450 based systems. The Acer you are considering, is not a netbook at all, and can be upgraded to have more memory, and natively support better screen resolutions. Its processor is a celeron class chip - not Atom. Also -- the Aspire - has HDMI output. This would be great, if you for instance, wanted to run Netflix on it - and plug into a HD TV.

/Ramble-mode off

 

yes, despite being the same size, it is apparent that the aspire 1410 is a somewhat better machine with more capability -- if you want to call it a different class, fine. on the other hand, the HP 311 does come with a 1366 x 768 screen, and is available from the HP store with up to 3 GB RAM, so some of the specs are similar. i would easily just get the aspire, if it weren't for this concern about the webcam.

mainly i picked those 2 to compare because they are both 11.6" HD screens that come with comparable memory. so given those similarities, i want to know how the 0.3 MP vs. 2.0 MP cameras will affect my skyping experience.