Difference in SSD/HDD models.

Hello.

I have just joined the forums after browsing it for a couple of days and have been interested in the Aspire One.

I got to try out two SKUs at my local Microcenter in Houston, TX, USA. The $379 model had an 8gb SSD, 512megs of ram and Linpus Linux. The $399 model had a 120gb HDD, 1gb of ram and XP Home. Its incredible how much more you get with $20 more. I know the benefits of an SSD, but the HDD outperforms it anyways, its not a high-end SSD. Would there be a large difference in battery life between the two?

As some have said sadly, the touchpad buttons are very loud, the left button being louder than the right. The ones on the SSD model were also louder than the HDD model.

The HDD model has a slight bulge at the bottom obviously to fit the HDD. I am wondering if the HDD is 1.8" or 2.5"?

I found it interesting the buttons were louder on the SSD model, are there any other differences between the two?

The $400 model is a great netbook for the price, especially when compared to the Wind and EEEs, the 7" 4gb EEEs still retail for $399! The main drawback is the 3 cell battery but I can't complain for the price!

I don't get how you get much more in the $400 model compared to the $380 one.

 

Well, here in Canada HDD and SSD are almost at the same price when they come with Linux...

The HDD seems to be a 2,5"" according to many threads in this Forum

Just a question, I'm a little bit frustrated to be unable to find precise measures for the HDD + 3 cell battery version. You wrote that the HDD has a slight bulge at the bottom, but could you give us the measures (Width, height and depth). It would be very nice and help me a lot for choosing the version I'll buy (SSD or HDD, but with linux for me ;-)

Thanks

 

Considering that one can get a 160g external HD for about $30 these days,
perhaps the difference is not too difficult to figure out.

 

Well...

1. Size. Semms like the HDD version is - practically - the same size as the SSD version. Perhaps, the HDD version is a bit depth than the SSD version.
2. Weight. HDD version should weight 100 g. (aprox.) more.
3. Battery. I think there should be a difference of 30 mins (in favour of the SSD version).
4. Transfer rate. No comments, HDD version wins here (at least, if we are speaking about Windows OS).
5. SDD version has no movible parts inside, so you can shake your computer :lol:
6. HDD version has a SATA interface instead of the PATA interface of the SSD version.
7. HDD version can be upgraded to an SSD version "easily" (i. e. with a SATA II SSD). So, again, you could shake your computer :mrgreen:
8. HDD version has 1 Gb of RAM. SSD 0,5 Gb (or 512 Mb).
9. [EDIT] HDD: 120 Gb, SSD: 8 Gb...

So, I prefer the HDD version over the SSD version. I cannot understand why Acer is selling the SSD version for €299 and the HDD version for €349. I think SSD technology is actually very expensive and has no significally advantadges over a traditional HDD. I think.

 

Well my SSD version comes with 1Gb of RAM, so you haven't got all the facts right.

 

Being able to shake my laptop and move it about without fear of breaking the hard drive qualifies as a significant advantage to me. SSDs also have much better seek times over HDDs even if the transfer times are lower, at least that is the theory, anyone done a test comparing the AA1s SSD seek times to a HDD?

I don't really understand how in the US there is only $20 difference between those models. It is probably safe to assume the SSD costs the same as the HDD, the extra RAM is perhaps $10, that leaves only $10 for Windows where normal OEM prices (at least what the normal customer can buy) is $85. This seems rather odd to me.

Myself, I want a SSD anyway for the reasons I gave above and I don't really need more space anyway. I'm a Linux user, so I place no value in having Windows included, so for me the only benefit from the HDD version is the extra RAM included, so even if I could get the same deal in the UK, I'd still choose the Linux version again, it runs very nicely on the hardware, it doesn't really need more than 512MB RAM anyway and it already has the SSD I want, so I don't have to swap the HDD out for one.

I think the HDD version is only better value if you need the storage space it provides or if you need/want Windows.

As for the touchpad buttons, I rarely use them, the touchpad interprets a tap as a left-click anyway and I've gone the further step of configuring taps in the top corners to work as middle-clicks and the bottom corners being right-clicks.

 

:shock:

Ok, editing:

8. HDD version has 1 Gb of RAM. SSD 0,5 Gb (or 512 Mb) and ocasionally 1Gb :lol: .

 

No heads, no cylinders, no mechanical parts, only flash chips. So, seek times are null (there're no seeks).

I totally agree with you. If you are a linux user, the SSD version is enough, I think. Myself, I'm developping using DirectX SDK so I need Windows, extra RAM and extra space. Now, I've the SSD version:

Windows XP SP3 + Drivers + Visual Studio 2008 + Windows SDK + VMware Player = 5.4 Gb

I also need OpenOffice, Adobe Reader and Java SDK / IDE. I'will run out of space quickly. So, I'will move to HDD version when available here by the August, 30 (I hope...).

Regards,

 

More often than occasionally, I'd say. IGb RAM is official for all A1's sold here (Taiwan). :lol:

 

Again... :shock:

Editing (last...):

8. HDD version has 1 Gb of RAM. SSD - at Europe - 0,5 Gb (or 512 Mb) and "Tawiness model" 1Gb :lol:

 

Hey you are learning! Now when it comes to price differences between European and Asian models.... :lol: :lol: