Acer Ferrari One 200 Netbooks Comparison and Guide
The Ferrari One 200 is another “notebook-netbook” from Acer. Just like the Acer Aspire One 751h, this netbook has an 11.6-inch display and a keyboard with full-size keys. Just like the Aspire One 751h, the Ferrari One 200 is for people who are tired of endless vertical scrolling and tiny screens.
The Ferrari: Acer’s Prestige Netbook Brand
Acer Ferrari One 200-1799
If you know your netbooks (specifically Acer netbooks), you know that Acer offers its US consumers two netbook lines. They are the following:
- Aspire One (e.g. Aspire One D250, Aspire One P531h, Aspire One 531h)
- Ferrari One (e.g. Ferrari One 200)
The Aspire One is Acer’s mainstream netbook brand. The Ferrari One, on the other hand, is Acer’s prestige netbook line. Yes, indeed. Aspire One is the timid sister and Ferrari One is Aspire One’s racy sister (or brother, if you insist).
The Ferrari One has a very distinctive style that any notebook connoisseur would immediately identify. I’m talking about the red (really red) netbook cover, some matching red highlights on the sides, the four rubber stands that look like miniature wheels, the little yellow shield decal (Scudetto Ferrari) on the cover and on the palm rest, the carbon fiber/checkered pattern on the palm rest, the Ferrari One branding on the touchpad buttons, the Ferrari wallpapers and screensavers, and the revving sound of a Ferrari engine that comes on when the system is booting up.
(More details on Ferrari One’s style on Acer Ferrari One: Some Things to Keep in Mind).
Everything about the Ferrari One 200 is screaming “Look at me! I’m a Ferrari!” This is the perfect netbook for people who:
- love cars (especially fast cars, especially a speedy Ferrari car)
- love the color red
- love being the center of attention
- want a netbook that doubles up as a fashion accessory
- some or all of the above
Acer Ferrari One 200: Beyond Prestige
All right, so I may be understating its merits a bit. The Ferrari One 200 is also actually for people who want a premium netbook product – and can afford to have it (stop with the cattiness already). The Ferrari One 200 is just so loud (both visually and auditorially) that it’s hard to get past its exterior and appreciate its powerhouse interior.
The Ferrari One 200 is actually great under the hood (pun definitely intended). It stands up to the promise of power and speed that the Ferrari automobile brand invokes. The following are some of the things that set it apart:
- Dual-core processor – yes, a first for Acer and a first for netbooks; the Ferrari One 200 is definitely a speedy little racer
- The Vision platform – this is first netbook from Acer with an AMD platform/processor
- Integrated ATI Radeon HD 3200 Graphics – better gaming experience than all other Aspire One netbooks
- HD Video playback – can really play HD videos, although there may be problems streaming HD video from some sites
- Sony Philips Digital Interface – great for transmitting uncompressed audio (digital audio out support, in other words)
- Dolby Home Theater audio enhancement – the works, including optimized Dolby headphone technology
- The ATI XGP port – another first for Acer; this facilitates a Ferrari One’s connection to an Acer DynaVivid Graphics Dock, which boosts the Ferrari’s graphics performance, extends its configuration options and lets you output display to multiple monitors.
Ferrari One 200: The Best from Acer… But
The Ferrari One 200 is definitely (IMHO) one of the best netbooks from Acer to date (at least in the US). If you want the best Acer netbook that money can buy, this is it.
There are a few things you should know, however. (Here come the cons; brace yourself!) The Ferrari One 200-1799 (currently the only Ferrari variant officially distributed by Acer in the US) lacks Bluetooth connectivity. This is not a deal-breaker, but still, you know how much greater it would be if it comes with Bluetooth already built-in.
Also, if you’re buying a netbook for its battery-life advantage, think again before you get a Ferrari One 200. The Ferrari One 200 may be fast and powerful, but it lacks endurance. Under normal operations (definitely no ATI XGP system in use), you’ll get only around 5 hours of life from its 6-cell Li-Ion battery. You’ll get much less battery juice at full throttle.
If you are a gamer and want the Ferrari One 200 for its superior graphics performance, remember that such superiority is relative. Among netbooks, yes, it beats most other netbooks (and will probably beat the rest with the DynaVivid Graphics Dock connected). However, among all gaming systems, it still provides far from the best gaming experience.
Once again, we come back to the fact that the battery life advantage is the main reason people get a netbook. Netbooks generally offer a longer battery life than notebooks; those who already have notebooks actually get a netbook so they will have a portable system that lasts longer on battery power. In the case of the Ferrari One, however, this advantage is sorely missing. Under heavy use, the Ferrari One can probably give you 2 hours (3.5 hours, tops) of battery life.
Therefore, if you’re in the market for a portable gaming system that would replace your notebook/desktop gaming station, there really is no point in getting a Ferrari One 200. The battery of the Ferrari One 200 will give you just about the same battery life as your gaming notebook. So why replace your gaming notebook at all?
Of course, it’s an entirely different proposition if you’re a gamer who wants a netbook, has cash to burn and has a great love for red, Ferrari and attention to satisfy as well.
The Ferrari One 200 Specifications
Currently, only one Ferrari One 200 variant is available to the US market. This is the Ferrari One 200-1799 (Acer FO200-1799), and it has the following specifications:
Display: 11.6″ CineCrystal HD (1366 x 768) high-brightness (200 nitere) TFT display
Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor L310 (1MB L2 cache 1.20GHz)
Storage: 250 GB SATA Hard Disk Drive
RAM: 4 GB DDR2 667 MHz SDRAM
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium
Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 3200 Graphics, with ATI XGP Connector for external graphics adapter
Web Camera: 1.3 MP integrated web camera
WLAN: 802.11b/g/n
LAN: Gigabit LAN
Features: Dolby Home Theater audio enhancement, Sony Philips Digital Interface support, BIOS passwords, integrated stereo speakers, digital mic, multi-gesture touchpad
Webcam: 0.3MP integrated web camera
USB Ports: 3 USB 2.0 ports
Card reader: 6-in-1 card reader
Jacks / Ports: Headphone/speaker/line-out jack, microphone jack, Ethernet LAN port, VGA port (video-out), ATI XGP connector port, Kensington lock slot
Battery: 5600 mAh 6-cell Li-ion battery with up to 5 hours battery life
Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.0 x 0.9/1.2 inches, 3.3 lb with a 6-cell battery pack
Remarks: The Acer Ferrari One 200-1799 is and looks thin, but it’s heavier than your typical Acer netbook.
Where to Buy the Ferrari One 200-1799
The Acer FO200-1799 is available for sale online at Amazon.com. It’s currently selling for $599.99.
Recommended Accessories
To get the best out of your Acer Ferrari One 200-1799, get an Acer DynaVivid Graphics Dock. I can’t find an online store that sells this product right now, but it’s rumored to be selling just under $200. Be sure to inquire with your local Acer dealer about it.
You should also properly kit out your Acer Ferrari One netbook by buying its matching Acer Accessory Kit. This accessory kit currently retails for $80.99 and comes with a netbook protective sleeve, a wireless mouse and an external 8x DVD+-RW Super-Multi double layer optical drive.
Related posts:
- 11.6″ Acer Ferrari One for Pre-Order at Amazon, $600
- Acer Aspire One P531h 10.1-Inch Netbooks Comparison and Guide
- Acer Aspire One D150 10.1-Inch Netbooks Comparison and Guide
- Acer Aspire One 531h 10.1-Inch Netbooks Comparison and Guide
- Acer Aspire One A110 8.9-Inch Netbooks Comparison and Guide
Filed under: Netbooks Comparison