Acer has made good money on netbooks, and it’s not done pumping up the business, rolling out four new Aspire One netbooks today, with a focus on portability, battery life, connectivity, entertainment…and affordability. Two of the new systems are built around Intel Atom processors, while the other two are built on AMD processors and boast high-definition graphics capability.
First up, the Acer Aspire One AOD260 and AO533 netbooks feature 10.1-inch displays, with the AOD260 sporting an Atom N450 processor and the AO533 bumping up to an ATom N475 processor. Both units feature integrated webcams, Ethernet and Wi-Fi networking, and microphones, and top out at a mere 2.76 pounds. The AO533 sports 1 GB of RAM and a 250 GB hard drive, and Acer says the system should be able to get eight hours of battery life on a single charge. Both feature a multi-gesture touchpad and a keyboard that’s 93 percent of standard size. Expect to see both netbooks later this month at retailers, and the AED260 starting at $298, while the AO533 will start at $329.99.
Over on the AMD side of the fence, the Acer Aspire One AO521 and AO721 sport AMD Athlon II Neo K125 processors along with ATI Radeon HD 4225 graphics, which reserve 384MB of the systems’ memory. However, both system also sport HDMI output for pushing videos and media to a big-screen TV, giving these systems a bit of a media edge on their Intel-based brethren. The AO521 and AO721 sport Ethernet and Wi-Fi networking, integrated webcam and microphone, multi-gesture trackpads, and keyboards that are 93 percent of full size. The AO521 sports a 10.1-inch LED-backlit display and Bluetooth connectivity and 1 GB of RAM; the AO721 steps up to an 11.6-inch LED backlit display and 2 GB of RAM. Acer hasn’t announced pricing or availability for these new AMD-based Aspire Ones, but reports have the AO521 starting around $350, with the AO721 starting around $430.
