netbooks - warning... maybe

[troypiggo]

I've had this Acer Aspire One netbook for just under a year, bought brand new. It has worked flawlessly as my planetarium/goto/imaging/guiding computer. Until recently...

A couple of months ago I decided I wanted to upgrade to a slightly gruntier notebook for image processing, stacking etc. Bought this MacBook Pro. Since then, then poor little Aspire One has been a little neglected.

I would estimate that I hadn't turned it on for maybe a month and it seems, or rather I assume, the battery has died. It still works fine plugged into mains power, but it just won't charge or recognise the battery. I have pulled out the battery, checked connections, plugged back in, made sure it is locked in place correctly. It just won't charge or recognise it.

I'm still trying to get to the bottom of the problem It should, just, be still under warrantly so I'm calling Acer today to find out the process. But if this happened in just a few more weeks, it would be out of warranty.

The solution may be as simple as just buying a new battery for it. I haven't looked at prices recently, but last time I looked they weren't cheap - like $100 compared to the cost of the whole netbook $500.

(Starting to look like computer printers these days. You can buy a cheap laser printer for just over $100 - hardly worth refilling the cartridge or attempting a repair, you just buy a whole new one.)

Anyway, thought I'd post this experience here to hopefully save someone else any potential grief. I'll update when I learn more.

If you've had similar experiences or have something to share, I'd appreciate it.

[dpastern]

Good luck Troy.

I simply don't believe that netbooks offer good value. Underpowered, and for a few hundred dollars more, you can get a fully fledged laptop. No small screen. No super small keys on a keyboard that is non standard.

Dave

[cfranks]

I know it sounds strange but there is a BIOS upgrade that will fix this. I have had an aspire 1 since it first came out and last Friday, I bought a 6-cell battery and it wouldn't take a charge. Acer sent me this:
"Please visit http://helpdesk.acer.com.au/aspire and click -download- and follow on screen steps.Before clicking on download, please ensure you read the detailed step by simply clicking on the -instructions- button found next to -download-" Actually, to get to 'Download' you have to Register but that shouldn't be a problem.It fixed my problem. HTH. Charles

[RB]

It's not a good idea to leave the battery (netbook) unused for prolonged periods.
It happened to mine too, but I was able to revive the battery by repeatedly putting it on to charge and finally the battery started to take the charge.

Maybe try a few more times to charge it while the netbook is off.

[troypiggo]

@cfranks - thanks. I'll look into that.

@Andrew - I've already tried that. It just won't, but hopefully cfrank's suggestion might help.

@Dave, no offense mate, but you haven't used one in the field. They're wonderfully compact, low power usage, and more than capable for guiding, image capture, goto as I mentioned above. I stand by that.

They aren't grunty enough for serious, number crunching processing unless you want to walk away for a few hours. But for the usage mentioned above they're fine.

As I said, I'm still getting to the bottom of what the cause is. I'll report back when I know more.

[Omaroo]

I absolutely agree. The whole point is to stay SMALL. "Value for money" or power have nothing to do with it.

The AspireOne, eeePC's or any other netbook form factor machines are fantastic in the field. I have my Aspire sitting directly on my mount on a specially-designed cradle. It looks after PHD guiding for me as well as CCDsoft data capture and also has enough left over to run Voyager and talk to my ArgoNavis. Where a normal laptop is far too big physically, the Aspire is perfect.

[Kal]

Batteries are so cheap off ebay out of Hong Kong and China that I readily consider them a consumable product.

[Octane]

Dave,

We've been through this before. :P

Netbooks are the win for the field. For image processing, forget it!

Regards,
Humayun

[toryglen-boy]

i myself have a modded Aspire One, with an extra 1Gb of RAM, 320Gb SATA drive, and a modded HSF with larger, slower fan.

its the best


:D

[dpastern]

Well, they don't suit my needs. I cannot justify paying 75% of the price of a low end laptop, for a netbook that is far weaker. That's just me. To each their own.

Dave

[troypiggo]

Update - spoke to Acer and they confirmed what Charles "cfranks" above said. Apparently it's not a hardware problem. For some reason the battery goes into a sleep or shutdown mode for one reason or other. A simple BIOS update will bring it out of this mode and all will be fine. I hope. Will be looking at it tonight.

[Rod66]

Dare I say it - iPHONE!!.. Thats all I use in the field nowadays. (I don't take photographs though - visual observer only)

[troypiggo]

You can buy 2 new netbooks for the price of one iPhone 3GS! :)

[Omaroo]

The iPhone can control GOTo scopes via Voyagers SkyFi 802.11g interface, but what I'd dearly love to do is have it guide. That would be wonderful.

[Octane]

Dave,

What's the point of lugging around a full notebook in the field with far hungrier power requirements? You have to understand, we're primarily discussing these bits of hardware for astrophotography. If it was a question of which would you prefer for general /all-purpose/ use, then, I'd side with a notebook.

Once you start imaging, and heading out to unpowered dark sites, you'll understand why you need one.

Regards,
Humayun

[troypiggo]

UPDATE 2: Installed the BIOS update and all works fine now.

[Satchmo]

An 8gb Ipod Touch new is $268 which is about half the price of a netbook. Runs same OS you just can't make calls with it :)

[troypiggo]

Same OS as the 3GS? Got GPS? All the same apps?

Edit: never mind, found out myself. Uses google maps and triangulates from mobile phone towers.

[toryglen-boy]

TBH, the Intel Atom isnt as weak as you would think ... and most people who have a net book, have a full size laptop, or PC also.

Can you imagine having a litle PC that handles guiding, and image capturing .. that fits in you jacket pocket !?!?!?!?

:D

[toryglen-boy]

+1

;)

[thunderchildobs]

Discovered I had the same problem today, after reading the post.
Solution worked for me as well.

Brendan

[troypiggo]

Sweet! That's why I made the post, mate.:thumbsup: Good one! The system works ;)

[dpastern]

Maybe that might be the case, but I severely doubt that the battery life on one of these netbooks is that much better than a laptop. The keys are small and fiddly and a nightmare in the daytime, let alone the dark imho. I'm a touch typist (I can do up to 80wpm or thereabouts if I really want to, most of the time I cruise around 50wpm) and I'm really *fussy* with the keyboards that I use. That's just one aspect that I look at it all from.

Dave

[Octane]

Dave,

I touch type 104 words per minute. I have no problem on the netbooks.

My Asus eeePC has a 9.5 hour battery life. I find it hard to believe that a standard 15" laptop has that sort of battery life.

Also, when doing imaging, you rarely ever use the keyboard. Most software is controled with a touchpad. I sometimes stick an external mouse in as I prefer using a mouse.

As mentioned, once you start doing marathon sessions, you'll see the benefits of one.

In my case, it is absolutely pointless lugging around the 17" when the 10" does everything I need, and, more.

Regards,
Humayun

[MrB]

Eeepc is high up there on my to-buy list.
They just make sense.

[dpastern]

Well, I guess I'll just have to see others using them in the field and see if they are as good as people say they are.

Dave

[Omaroo]

Not sure what the problem is as most people will have both. Big laptop for normal duty and netbook for astro. No reason for a debate really...