Getting Windows XP installed, however, does not. I do not have an external CD/DVD reader (I’m the world’s worst geek, I collect old, outdated computer peripherals, not new ones that would actually be useful), so I needed to install Windows XP using an USB stick. You’d think that in 2008 this would be trivial, but apparently, it’s not, for some mysterious reason. I like to think it’s that same reason that supposedly explains why Vista’s Mobile Device Center doesn’t sync Windows Mobile devices with Vista’s Contacts, Mail, and Calendar applications.

Creating a bootable Windows XP USB stick is tricky, but not impossible. The surge in popularity of netbooks has created a lot of attention on this subject, meaning there are a lot of guides out there. This one worked for me, but your mileage may vary. Once you’ve booted off the USB stick, be wary when you come to the step where you create and format the system partition, because you have to make sure the system partition is the c: one, or else the system will not boot. This may mean that you need to reboot into the text installation after creating the system partition just to be sure it’s mounted as the c: drive. And yes, it’s not you, it’s still 2008. Be sure to format the partition with fat32, as that greatly improves the speed of the system.

Full read up here @ osnews.com

Hands on Acer’s Aspire One is ready to go out of the box, but if you’ve opted for the Linux version and you’re new to the OS, you may be wondering how to started. Here are ten things to try.

Before we start, a warning. Later tips involve working with Linux configuration files, which do not take kindly to errors. Check your typing very carefully, particularly spaces and capital letters, and only proceed if you’re comfortable. Back up your data, and ensure you have a recovery disk on stand-by. We’ve done our best to check the text below, but we won’t be held responsible if your AA1 crashes and data is lost. Nothing here will damage your machine or void your warranty - at worst, you’ll have to reinstall the OS using the Recovery Disc that comes with the AA1.

Read the about the 10 tweaks here @ reghardware.co.uk

The Acer Aspire One netbook. It’s inexpensive, it’s tiny, and the base-level version only comes with 512MB of RAM. I cracked open the case, voided the warranty, and added an extra gigabyte. Watch the above video to see how. More details after the jump.

Tools Needed

• Small Philips screwdriver
• Two small flathead screwdrivers (or something similar) to get at the keyboard
• 512MB or 1GB stick of RAM. For best results, use PC2-5300 RAM.
• Time, patience, and a blatant disregard for your warranty

Full reading at Crunch Gear

ACER’s Aspire One is a solid netbook, but it can be much more.

In the last two weeks, I’ve been using it as a full notebook, running office applications, editing digital photos, surfing the Web and watching videos on a robust, full-featured system. The remarkable thing is, I’m doing it on a such a small, lightweight computer (less than a kilo) that has only 8 gigabytes (GB) of storage and 1GB of memory.

The key to unlocking the Aspire One’s power was to replace the Linpus Lite Linux operating system that comes installed with the netbook with Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron).

Linpus Lite, based on Fedora, is a good choice for first-time Linux users because it shields them from the complexity of the operating system. On the other hand, the simplified approach also makes it unwieldy to add programs that do not come installed, or to customize the system to work the way you want.

I chose Ubuntu as a replacement because it’s a great, user-friendly Linux distribution and I’ve always wanted to run it on a notebook.

The first challenge in installing the new operating system was the absence of a CD-ROM drive. Fortunately, I found an excellent guide (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AspireOne) that stepped me through the process, which entails using a USB drive in lieu of an install CD.

A few caveats before you decide to jump in.

First, you will need another machine with Internet access to download the latest version of Ubuntu and Live USB, a program to create the boot USB disk.

Second, you will need a wired connection because Ubuntu’s default drivers will not work with the netbook’s Atheros wireless card when you first boot it. This shouldn’t be a problem if you have a standard wireless router—just connect the netbook to one of the LAN ports with a cable and you’re ready.

Third, because Ubuntu is not tailored to work with the Aspire One’s hardware, some features—the Wi-Fi indicator light and hibernate—will not work. Other functions work only partially.

Further reading @ Philippine News

IT’S difficult to write about the Aspire One from Acer without gushing.

Out of the box, this mini-notebook is the perfect traveling companion for anyone who simply needs to surf the Web, send e-mail and perform typical office tasks such as typing up documents, working on spreadsheets or giving a presentation.

Its compact size—6.7″x9.8″ and less than an inch thick—and weight—less than a kilo—make the Aspire One extremely easy to bring along anywhere. The netbook is slightly longer than the pioneering Asus Eee PC, but Acer has put that extra space to good use by building in a larger keyboard that most touch typists will appreciate (about 85 percent of a full-sized one) and a glossy black frame around the LCD screen that makes it look brighter.

“Like the Eee PC, the Aspire One doesn’t make this easy to the casual user. In fact, the default launcher doesn’t even have an icon for installing or removing software.

Fortunately, Laptop Magazine details how to do this:

1) Open a terminal by going to My Documents in the Files group. Then choose File > Terminal.

2) Type “xfce-setting-show” (without the quotation marks) and hit Enter.

3) In the Settings Manager window that appears, select the Desktop icon. In the Behavior tab, check the box that says “Show desktop menu on right click.” Now you have access to the system’s advanced menu by right-clicking on a blank area of the desktop.

4) Open a terminal and type “sudo -su” and hit Enter. Type “password” and Enter. Type in a new root password. The password cannot be a dictionary word but a combination of letters and numbers. Retype the password.

5) Right-click on the desktop and choose System > Add/Remove Software. Enter the root password you set and use the Package Manager to install the programs you want.

Using this method, I was able to install Gimp, a powerful open source image editing program similar to Photoshop and Deluge, a BitTorrent client for downloading large files.”

Further reading here

TrustedReviews has a nice little guide how to install Microsoft Vista operating system onto the MSI WInd (same method applies for the Acer Aspire One as well.)
Though to be honest Vista even on a normal desktop PC doesn’t even run that well.

Anyhow the guide is here to read.

bb320 on our message forum, has posted a useful guide how to open your Acer Aspire One to upgrade ram etc..

Guide can be found here