Acer Announces New Aspire One Netbooks

by Jerry Jackson

With so many 10-inch netbooks on the market it was only a matter of time until someone released a fresh spin on these budget-priced laptops. Today Acer announces the first 11.6-inch Aspire One netbook and a new 10.1-inch netbook that's thinner and lighter than ever before.

The Aspire One AO751h features a new 11.6-inch high-definition screen and full-sized keyboard. Despite having a larger screen than the original 8.9-inch Aspire One, the new AO751h is thinner than previous generation netbooks. The netbook’s larger 11.6-inch high-definition LED-backlit widescreen (16:9 ratio) display is large enough to have multiple windows open on the screen at the same time ... something that isn't too easy with smaller netbooks. Likewise, the full-size keyboard is easier to use and more comfortable than the keyboard on the original Aspire One.

For those road warriors and students who might think an 11.6-inch screen is too big, the new Acer Aspire One AOD250 features a 10.1-inch display and a thinner and lighter design than its predecessor. This new netbook is ideal for anyone on the go and anyone on a tight budget.

The new Acer Aspire One models provide continuous access to the Internet via Wi-Fi 802.11b/g and select Acer Aspire One models come with the option for 3G broadband wireless connectivity. Acer claims that the extended 6-cell battery for the AO751h can provide up to eight hours of battery life, while the 3-cell battery can provide four hours.  The AOD250’s standard 3-cell battery is rated for up to three hours and 15 minutes of battery life, while the 6-cell battery can provide up to six hours. Both of the new Aspire One netbooks use the Intel Atom processors (N270 on the AOD250 and N270 or Z520 on the AO751h) to help keep power consumption and prices low.

New Designs, New Colors, New Features

The new Acer Aspire One models feature a more streamlined design than their popular predecessors; they're not only thinner but showcase a new chassis design available in your choice of Diamond Black, Ruby Red, Sapphire Blue and Seashell White along with a metallic hinge with a colored accent. Both the AO751h and AOD250 models weigh less than three pounds (2.75 pounds for the AO751h and 2.44 pounds for the AOD250) for easy travel.

The Acer Aspire One AO751h uses a Multi-Gesture Touchpad that allows users to scroll, zoom in and out and flip through web pages, photos, spreadsheets and more. Both new netbooks feature a soft-touch palm rest to improve typing comfort.

Both models come equipped with 1GB of memory and a 160GB hard drive so users won't have to sacrifice Storage capacity when using a netbook. Select new models will feature up to 2GB of DDR2 memory and up to a 250GB internal hard drive, but it is likely that those configurations will include Windows Vista rather than Windows XP.

The built-in Acer "Crystal Eye" webcam makes online chats and business video conferences easier than ever while the built-in digital microphone provides superior voice quality by keeping background noise levels low and minimizing echoes.

The AO751h and AOD250 each include three USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet, VGA, as well as Bluetooth capabilities that can be activated with an easy launch Bluetooth key. Both new models also feature a multi-card digital card reader and the AO751h also features a second dedicated SD card slot.

Available Configurations, Pricing and Availability

The new Acer Aspire One AO751h and AOD250 are available in several configurations, but we've included two sample configurations below:

Acer Aspire One AO751h-1192 Specifications

• Intel Atom Processor Z520  (1.22GHz, 490MHz FSB, 512KB L2 Cache)
• Genuine Microsoft Windows XP Home (Service Pack 3)
• 11.6-inch WXGA 16:9 ratio Acer CrystalBrite High Definition LED back-lit TFT LCD (1364 x 768 resolution)
• Mobile Intel US15W Express Chipset
• 1024MB DDR2 533 MHz SDRAM Single Channel Memory
• Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
• 160GB SATA 5400RPM Hard Drive
• Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader and Dedicated SD Card
• Acer InviLink 802.11b/g Wi-Fi CERTIFIED
• Acer Crystal Eye Web Camera
• Two Built-in Stereo Speakers
• Three USB 2.0 Ports
• 6-cell Li-ion Battery (5200mAh)
• 11.18” (W) x 7.79” (D) x 1” (H)
• One-Year Standard Warranty
• Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: $379.99

Acer Aspire One AOD250-1042 Specifications

• Intel Atom Processor N270 (1.60GHz, 533MHz FSB, 512KB L2 Cache)
• Genuine Microsoft Windows XP Home (Service Pack 3)
• 10.1-inch WSVGA 16:9 ratio Acer CrystalBrite LED back-lit TFT LCD (1024x600 resolution)
• Mobile Intel 945GSE Express Chipset
• 1024MB DDR2 533 MHz SDRAM Single Channel Memory
• Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
• 160GB SATA 5400RPM Hard Drive
• Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader
• Acer InviLink 802.11b/g Wi-Fi CERTIFIED
• Acer Crystal Eye Web Camera
• Two Built-in Stereo Speakers
• Three USB 2.0 Ports
• 3-cell Li-ion Battery (2600 mAh)
• 10.17” (W) x 7.24” (D) x 1” (H)
• One-Year Standard Warranty
• Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: $298.00

The Acer Aspire One AO751h 11.6-inch netbook line has a starting manufacturers suggested retail price (MSRP) of $349.99. Several models are avaialble with an extended 6-cell battery at an MSRP starting at $379.99. The Acer Aspire One D250 10.1-inch netbook line has a starting MSRP of $298. Models in these lines are available now.

Keep checking NotebookReview.com for full reviews of these netbooks ... coming soon.

• Acer Aspire One First Look
• Acer Aspire One Review
• 10" Acer Aspire One on the way?