Previously foreshadowed but now with some photos and specs to back it up, it appears that Acer will indeed be shipping a 10.1-inch version of its Aspire One netbook this February.
Couple things to note: First, Acer loves the "don’t-show-the-front" product shots, so we can’t really ascertain if anything looks drastically different. The so-so keyboard from the current models will be the same on the new ones. The trackpad buttons, however, will be moved from either side of the trackpad to underneath it. I guess that’s good, although it’d be nice to see a bigger keyboard as well.
Second, it doesn’t appear that there’s been much done in the way of upgrades or improvements under the hood. The machine appears to be virtually identical, spec-wise, to the current models with the exception of a card reader replacing the storage expansion slot and a single memory slot that can take up to 2GB instead of two 1GB slots. Bluetooth and 3G will be optional, too, although the 3G thing’s already been done with that RadioShack promotion.
This all begs the question: why wait until February? This could have been pushed out months ago and sold alongside current models.
Also, and this isn’t aimed at just Acer, but it’s time for netbook manufacturers to either bump up the screen resolution or offer it as an upgrade on build-to-order machines. The 1024×600 thing isn’t doing it for anyone and the 8.9-inch HP Mini Note 2133 that came out a trillion years ago had a 1280×800 resolution, so we all know it can be done.