Acer Revo AR3610-E9032 Review

The Acer Nettop computer system with an Atom 330 (Dual Core) processor, 160G HDD, Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit and 2G of RAM.

This was the first HTPC configured for a client.

The Acer set-up was as painful as ever - all the "trialware", toolbars and subsequent constant barking to register was the same as it was for the Aspire One Netbook - Apart from it taking an age to complete.

The plan is to swap out the HDD for 500G and do a clean install of Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit. This should then result in 490G of usable disc space (the Acer install on the 160G drive only gives you 131G before you add any programs of your own!) [Actually a 640G hard drive was installed]

The access to the hard drive and memory is not as straight-forward as its Netbook brothers but there is a You Tube video that shows you how to open the case (a pity about the comments on it though - it really does highlight the marginal value of "social media" - allow comments and you get input from those that have nothing to add about the subject and use the opportunity to post about the iPad and ask questions about Netbooks)

If you need instructions on how to upgrade this computer and/or how to perform a clean install of Windows 7 please drop me a line.

The Revo is now being used to access the BBC iPlayer and other Office uses.
revo ar3610 hulu San Jose 4 July 2010
acer revo vt-x bios - 7 Aug 2010 - The Intel Atom 330 does not feature VT-x - so there is no point in looking for a BIOS option to turn it on!

• Asus EeeBox PC EB1021 - the second HTPC configured for a client 
• My ITX HTPC

Windows 7 on an eeePC 900HD

This post is my original notes from 2009 when I attempted to install Windows 7 on a eeePC 900HD

UPDATE June 2010 - It is pretty certain if I tried it now then it would be successful.
I have installed Windows 7 on multiple Netbooks since the time that this post was first made.
The key is to ignore the Upgrade Adviser and install regardless. Windows 7 performs perfectly on a Netbook with the eeePC 900HD's processor and 1G of RAM

---

Original Post:
I tried, but the Win 7RC setup balked at the fact that it had a processor that was only 900MHz. There was another cryptic message about backup up and doing a custom install. I tried the install couple of ways - running the setup from a USB DVD drive and by booting from that drive.

I ran the Windows 7 upgrade Adviser and that told me what I already knew, the minimum processor speed was 1GHz.

There are posts on the Internet, mostly very blurry YouTube uploads (I am sure that you have seen them - if you are reading this!), claiming that it has been done. I don't doubt that, but all I can say it is not that easy - although there was quite a lengthy tutorial on how to install from a boot-able memory stick (most of which revolved around the preparation of the stick).

Still the 900HDB-BLK002X was only bought to see if could be done. It does support the 1024 by 768 resolution however, which is better than the competing models at the time.

There is talk of a Windows 7 specially optimised for Netbooks, but I guess we will have to wait until the O/S gets released on the 22nd of October - we might even see Windows 7 being sold on new Netbooks.

---

Update June 2012 - It is highly likely that the 900HD would have difficulty in displaying the full resolution as do some of the current (2012) Netbook and Notebook models with similar problems in obtaining the VGA drivers.

I also may have been incorrect in stating that the 900HD was capable of 1024 by 768 resolution as the WikiP page that all these earlier Asus eeePCs were only 1024 by 600. However, the WikiP page also states categorically that none of them will run Windows 7 (I don't believe this to be the case)

Links:

• All pages relating to Windows on The Technology Muse
• How to install the same copy of Windows 7 on multiple computers

This 2.5W light bulb is not as bright as this 90W one

Give me a break!!

What nonsense - comparing an Atom with a Quad Core!

I really do think that Morfanos and the other crew (shills) at FutureShop should keep their opinions to themselves.

And when was an Atom 230 on sale in a Netbook?

Netbook Setup?

Why would you pay $99 to have your $400 netbook configured at the store?

This is just another cash grab - preying on those that are unsure of what they need and feel that they need to be told!

Isn't the whole point of a netbook the fact that it is cheap and used for basic tasks such as accessing the Web? There shouldn't be any setup necessary (unless the manufacturers have really blown it!)

I also wonder if this service is available for Linux based netbooks?