Simple And Cheap

Like all netbooks, the Acer Aspire One is a simple and cheap mini laptop, great for working and browsing the web on the go. They are so small and light that they literally beg to be carried and used outdoors! It is for that very reason that I prefer buying netbooks that use SSDs (solid state drive). With a solid state drive, I can literally drop the netbook and not worry about it dying on me.

The debate between solid state drives and hard disk drives aside, netbooks offer a really light and tight package at low prices to boot. It's little wonder why sales of netbooks are increasing even in these dire times. However, netbooks do have some disadvantages, one of which being the increased difficulty or even impossibility of upgrading it.

This is due to the highly integrated nature of the components, a necessity in keeping the size small and the price low. Some things just can't be upgraded, e.g. the addition of a DVD drive. Other components like the system memory and WiFi module can be upgraded, but with some difficulty.

This is why we came up with this guide. It shows you how to properly disassemble the Acer Aspire One netbook so that you can upgrade it. You will require some knowledge and experience working with computer hardware. If you are used to installing and troubleshooting your own PCs, then you should be in familiar territory.

What Do You Require?

First, you will need an Acer Aspire One netbook, of course. We used the Acer Aspire One A110 model which comes with an 8 GB solid state drive, but most Acer Aspire One netbook models have similar internal layouts even if they look quite different.

You will also need :

• A 2 mm Phillips head screwdriver
• A flat head screwdriver with a 3 mm tip.
• A bowl or container (to retain screws and other loose components)

If you wish, you can cover the screwdriver tip with a piece of cellophane tape so it won't scratch the netbook's paint job.

Be sure to prepare a container of some sort. A bowl works great. There will be plenty of screws later so you need a container to keep them safe or you risk losing them.

Although it is not necessary, prepare a digital camera if you have one handy. It is a good idea to take shots of every step you take so you do not forget the position of each screw / component that you remove. It will make reassembling the Aspire One netbook a much easier and safer process if your Acer Aspire One model has some minor differences internally with the model we are showing in this guide.

If you have everything ready, then let's get right down to it!

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