Today Acer announced some new additions and updates to the popular Aspire One line that feature better performance, long battery life, good looks, and attractive prices. The Aspire One AOD260 for the fashionista set and the AO533 for all-day mobility are powered by Intel's Atom CPU. The 11.6-inch Aspire One AO721 and the 10.1-inch AO521 run on AMD Athlon II Neo K125 processors and an HD pedigree.
Which one of these new netbooks will fill you with longing? Delve into their specs and features:
Acer Aspire One AOD260
This netbook's raison d'être is to appeal to consumers who care more about good looks than battery life. I dig the patterned lids and the overall slick look -- Acer keeps it under an inch -- and must admit the flush battery does pull the look together. There will be multiple batteries offered, though no word on the cell count. And this model will come in four colors: black, charcoal, pink and purple. Two snaps.
There's an Intel Atom N450 CPU inside and most likely the standard 1GB RAM/250GB hard drive. The most attractive aspect of the netbook is its price: $298. Sweet.
Acer Aspire One AO533
If you're looking for a blend of performance and long battery life, the AO533 is probably more up your alley. Acer promises 8 hours of life from the 6-cell battery and "energy-conscious" Intel Atom N475 processor. Plus, the speedy 1GB of DDR3 RAM should make for faster application open times. Other specs include a 250GB hard drive, wireless-N radio, and a built-in mic that promises to deliver great voice quality and minimize background noise during webcam chat sessions.
Of course, the AO533 is no slouch in the looks department. The battery is still flush with the system, and the glossy cover comes in red, black or white. All for just $329.
Both the AOD260 and the AO533 have larger keyboards -- 93 percent full size -- and multitouch touchpads with an anti-slip microbead texture.
Acer Aspire One AO721 and AO521
Not content to let Intel have all the fun, AMD is getting in on the netbook game. These two refreshed systems both sport AMD's Athlon II Neo K125 processor and ATI Radeon HD 4225 Graphics with 384MB of dedicated memory. Acer promises you'll be able to enjoy HD content, play games, and engage in serious multitasking all while enjoying long battery life.
The $429 11.6-inch AO721 features an HD, LED-backlit display, a full-sized keyboard, multitouch touchpad, and a matte, textured cover. Sliding in at less than one inch, there's nevertheless room for 2GB of DDR3 RAM, a 250GB hard drive. Plus, you'll get Windows 7 Home Premium instead of Starter.
The $349 AO521 is a 10.1-inch version of the same with proportionally shrunken specs. The keyboard is 93 percent of full size, you'll only 1GB of DDR3 RAM, and it comes with Windows 7 Starter. There's still a 250GB hard drive, though. As far as looks, the glossy cover on the AO521 comes in black or brown with patterns that look similar to the Intel models.
Both netbooks come with HDMI connectivity and wireless-N radios.
Acer didn't provide any battery life estimations, so we'll have to wait for our review units to determine that for ourselves. Considering past tests, we may not see something comparable to what the Intel Atom systems give, but you never know what Acer might pull out of the hat.
The Acer Aspire One AOD260 and AO533 will be available later this month, but the AO721 and AO521 are available today.
Check out the full Acer Aspire One gallery below.
