Windows 10 Para Mini Laptop Acer Aspire One
Edel Dieringer
I have an old mini laptop. My son tried to download windows 11 on it and it crashed. Model Aspire One 756-2894.
Is this something that can be repaired easily and cheaply. I realize it wouldn't be up to todays standard for a laptop, but i wonder if it would be repairable so that I can let my granddaughter (almost 4) play little kid games etc. Would it be worth repairing? I can get it to power up but nothing happens otherwise.
The offer for budget 11-inch small laptops is diverse, especially in the $200 to $400 range of compact no-fuss daily computers, travel companions, or inexpensive small laptops for your kids; these are just some of the common use cases for small laptops.
This gets the same kind of 11.6-inch touchscreen display and the same convertible format, but slightly different hardware with a Mediatek processor, and a larger 42 Wh battery that allows it to last a little longer on each charge.
The form factor is that of a tablet, but Lenovo bundles a keyboard folio for laptop use, and the two make up for around 2 lbs combined. Spec-wise, everything is motorized by a Mediatek platform, paired with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage space, which feels alright with daily use and proves to be highly efficient, squeezing 6-12 hours of battery life out of the 28 Wh battery inside.
Most of these options are similar in specs, with 11-inch HD screens and Gemini Lake-R hardware. Among these, I lean towards the Asus Go and the HP Stream 11 for their slightly nicer builds, reduced weight, and low price, but the newer Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 11e is a worthy alternative if you value the superior IPS panel with touch and the convertible rugged format. Furthermore, the Dell Latitude 11 is an interesting option as well, with more powerful hardware specs than most other 11-inch notebooks available these days, and a good keyboard, making it a proper option for programming and engineering work on the go.
Most manufacturers migrated their premium ultraportables towards the 12 and 13-inch segments in recent years, as those formats can easier accommodate modern and more powerful components, better displays, and a larger battery.
The One-Netbook OneMix 4 is perhaps the more interesting product here, a 10-inch 2-in-1 with Intel Core U hardware, the same kind available in ultralight laptops such as the ThinkPad X1 Nano.
Update: A follow-up OneMix 5 (also known as One Notebook 5) generation was recently announced, a slight refinement of the existing OneMix 4, with updated hardware and a interesting Convertible format. We discuss this further down.
Update: The newer OneMix 5 is available now for $1299, from MiniXPC. It offers a interesting format, like a miniaturized Microsoft Surface Studio, with still a 10-inch 1600p display, but now with newer Intel Core U hardware, up to 32 GB of RAM, up to 2 TB of SSD storage, and a 41 Wh battery.
All these are powered by Intel fanless hardware, paired with 4-8 GB of memory, 64-128 GB of eMMC or SSD storage, and a 27 Wh battery that offers 4-8 hours of tested daily-use battery life and 10+ hours of video on a charge. The battery charges via USB-C and supports quick charging.
The Surface Go is usable as a stand-alone device, with the cleverly integrated stand on the back, but much more versatile when hooked up to its backlit keyboard cover. Given this is a 10-inch device, expect the keys to feel rather cramped for those of you with larger hands, but the layout should be fine for kids and users with smaller hands.
Much like the Surface Go, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet is made out of metal and feels premium and sturdy. It comes with a canvas back cover that includes a built-in kickstand, and a keyboard folio, both bundled with the tablet by default, and all these start at sub $300.
Bottom point, the Chromebook Duet is a game-changer and an excellent buy for under $300. Lenovo nailed it with this product, so if a ChromeOS device would work for you, this would be my budget go-to in this niche even over the Surface Go. As long as you can actually find it in stock, since this is in very high demand.
Other affordable Windows tablets include the rather unique Lenovo Yoga Book or some of the older Asus Transformer Pad Minis and Acer Aspire Switch tablets, if you can still find them in stock.
We must also touch on this class of tiny personal computers represented by the GPD Win, Valve Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally, or the AYA Neo projects (pus a few others), all designed and marketed primarily as hand-held gaming devices, but all flly-capable Windows devices at the same time.
The GPD Win 4 (in its most recent generation) offers a 6-inch 1080p display, which slides up to unveil a touch QWERTY keyboard tucked underneath. The screen is flanked by controllers and the whole thing weighs around .56 kg (1.23 lbs).
With the 1080p screen and RDNA3 AMD Radeon graphics, the Win 4 is designed to handle a multitude of games, including modern AAA titles. But its format, with a QWERTY keyboard, also makes this a fully functional mini laptop, unlike some of the other handheld designs that are primarily made for gaming, and lack a keyboard.
Aya offers a few different devices in this class, such as the Aya Neo 2S or the Aya Neo Air, as some of their latest launches. These are still built on powerful AMD hardware, but lack a physical keyboard and are primarily designed as gaming handhelds with a large screen and integrated gaming controllers, and less so as potential all-purpose mini laptops such as the GPD model.
The Asus ROG Ally is an even more powerful device, but still a handheld-first design. It is built on an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Processor with 16 GB of RAM, and drives a 7-inch FHD IPS display. It integrates advanced controllers and a 40Wh internal battery, and weighs a little over 600 grams.
Lenovo also offer a more recent handheld product, called the Lenovo Legion Go. This is a larger and heavier device than the other options in this space, as it offers an 8.8inch 1600p display, a powerful AMD Ryzen Z1 hardware platform, and a 50 Wh battery.
This also comes with a unique feature: gaming controllers that can be attached to the main tablet-like device, but can also be detached and used independently. However, the higher weight of this format, as well as the fact that the hardware needs to accommodate a 1600p native screen resolution, make steer some potential buyers towards the other options in this space.
Size, of course, as well as everything that derives out of trying to create a fully functional computer in a tiny chassis: lower power hardware, smaller batteries, fewer ports, more cramped inputs, but also highly portable designs.
ON the other hand, looks like the 6859 version comes with two batteries in the pack, the included 4 Cell one and an extra 3 Cell on. It also has a multitouch trackpad, while the specs for the 6447 fails to mention that (although i believe both have multitouch trackpads).
Thank you for the very useful reviews! I am trying to find an option that will provide good work productivity (word, excel), serve as a tablet, and be good for taking notes (real note-taking, not just side comments). Ideally weigh 2.5 pounds or less, and like you, much prefer 12.5 or smaller. Looking at Surface 2 Pro, maybe Dell XPS 11 (though have not seen any reviews for note-taking on latter). What would you suggest? Greatly appreciate your insights.
Hi
Thank you for this very informative article.
I am struggling to find a suitable solution. Currently it seems that a surface pro 3 is the only option.
I require at least a haswell i5, 11.6/12 inch screen and 512GB ssd.
Do you have an alternate?
Thanks again
Dear Sir, I have been using an Alienware M11x R2 for 4 years and really like the machine. Never a problem. It has a i7 chip (2617) 8 GB ram and I just put a 1 TB Samsung solid state drive. I would like to get a faster machine and have been watching the Alienware M11x R3 version on Ebay. what is your opinion of the Alienware and do you think anyone will be coming out with a faster 11.6 laptop. It is my only computer, and have used the facial recognition from the start and am hooked on it.Thank you for any suggestions. Sincerely, Bill Frenette
That 64 gigs of eMMC will definitely be a hold back though, that's why I went with the Acer Aspire R11 with the pentium n3700, but for people who only want to use the web, the Zlate 11 is definitely a viable option
I have an Alienware M11X Version R2, purchased July 2010. Has worked flawless, i7 chip 8 GB ram 1 TB SSD. Would like to upgrade to the R3 model, but need your input and advice. My machine still works great, I just want more speed, and no I do not use it for gaming, at all and never will.
thank you for any advice. Sincerely, Bill F.
Could you comment on the need for (Intel) hardware security features eg. vPro Technology and Trusted Execution Technology ?
It is not clear to me if it is worth paying for this if I am running Linux, or I could reframe the question and ask, does a MS Windows OS on hardware with vPro Technology and Trusted Execution Technology offer more security than Linux on some less costly processor?
vPro is in few words a technology that allows IT guys to control and update a computer remotely.
TPM can be useful, there's an article here: -chip-faq , but I'm not so sure it's worth paying extra for unless you're in a big company and have someone who can actually manage your software and set up the encription. Also, I don't really know how TPM works on Linux, I don't have any experience with this.
Love the review, one thing though, HP Pavillion X360s are strange, One I just bought was the 11.6 inch Purple model HP Pavilion 11-K137CL, it comes with 4gb thats sodered on the board (2 2gb DDR3) and a 500gb WD. I upgraded the HD to SSD and breaking in the battery on win 10 1607, battery life is about 4.5 hours currently surfing and posting on forums, but it still in break in mode. This model also a Core M3 processor.
I have no idea why the battery life is not better like 6 hours.