E12 Classmate

[ebarker]

We built two new driver stations using the Acer 'Aspire One' 11.6" inch screen netbooks. ( not the 10.1" screen )

They are fantastic, we love them. We have a single account, normal looking desktop. From the desktop we can start the driver station, run development tools, web browser, command prompt, pretty much all we need to do.

They are way better than the classmate !!!! We have taken out classmate driver station completely out of service except for a third station for public exhibitions.

We disabled the wifi, and use a hard network connection into a router, basically the same way you would have at a competition. This is the way we run it all the time, for development, for shows, for competition.

Never connect it to the internet, and it boots pretty fast. Long battery life.

We paid about $ 280 at Best Buy last summer for each of them but now they seem to cost a lot more, about $ 340. But at that price it still is way better than the classmate. I do not know why the price jumped but it seems to be that way with all makes. I don't know if it is a holiday thing or what.

2 cents.