The Net Book is excellent candidate for logging machine. NetBooks are a relatively new market but with many entries by some “ big boys” – Dell, Asus, Acer, HP etc. I decided on Acer Aspire One!
The version I got is with 160 GB HDD, 1 GB RAM (which I later upgraded to 1.5 GB) and 6 cell Li-ion battery powering the machine for up to 6 hours! The Aspire One is very small and light machine – 2.2 lbs. It is using the new 1.6 GHz Intel Atom CPU. The only thing missing to a full-blown laptop is the CD-ROM/DVD drive – an external USB CD-ROM can be connected if needed. Aspire One is well equipped for connectivity – LAN, WiFi, 3 USB ports, built-in camera and audio card /w microphone (for digital modes).
I got an external “Prolific chipset” based USB-to-RS232 converter for connecting it to the radio via CAT interface. Ham Radio Deluxe runs just fine on this machine. The built-in wi-fi card does a great job connecting the PC to Internet hot-spots (eQSL, propagation, even DX cluster to mention just a few ham applications) . The screen is extremely bright and sharp! One very useful feature of this machine is also the ability to run from solid-state memory module instead of a hard-drive – they sell a different version equipped with solid state memory for those who like better shock-resistance. I decided to go with the hard drive as I needed the storage space – it is nice to have space for pdf manuals, books, music and even a few movies.
The Li-Ion battery is 11.1V /5200 mAh (operating) and DC charging/operating voltage is 19V / 1.58 A. I’ll look into a modification to power it from external battery or solar charger. Another thing I would like to see is a built-in Bluetooth interface which will complete the “interface arsenal”.
The Net Book is excellent candidate for logging machine.
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