AcerAspireOne
Latest
Trip the light fantastic with Acer's 11.6-inch Aspire One 725 Netbook
Ivy Bridge might be the belle of the ball in laptop-land, but small and nimble will always be on the dance card, too. Despite its petite 11.6-inch 1366x768 screen and 2.6-pound frame, Acer's newly announced Aspire One 725 can still pirouette with a dual-core C-60 AMD processor, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, Radeon HD 6290 graphics, and choice of two colors. Along with the 320 or 500GB hard drives and HD output, those specs should allow you to edit the odd video while still doing the emailing and surfing it was made for. Acer's confirmed the unit will land in Europe in July for 359 euros, but stateside dates and price are still unknown. It's not as flashy as those ingénues, but it should be a cheap, light date.
Acer launches Ultrabook-like Aspire V5 series, we go hands-on (video)
After trotting out some mobile fare at MWC, Acer hasn't pulled in the reigns on its new product horse, announcing its new V5 notebook this morning at CeBIT. Yes, notebook. At 30 percent slimmer than the class it replaces, these are still trim machines. The 11.6-inch model is only 15mm thick, which is way into Ultrabook territory, while the 14- and 15-inch models land at 21 and sub-23mm respectively. It's Intel on the inside, including Core i3 and Core i5 processors, with NVIDIA GeForce GT series on-board to handle graphics. Release is penciled in for Q2, and pricing is expected to range from €499 to €699 (about $650 to $920). If you're in the market for something a bit less expensive but you're into the V5's design, you might take notice of the Aspire One netbook, which is set to use the same chassis but will ship with Intel Pentium and Celeron processors instead, with pricing estimated between €399 and €449 (about $525 to $590).We went hands-on with a dummy model of the V5 at CeBIT, though the prototype we saw today may not be the exact design you'll find in stores later this month. The 15.6-inch sample was very thin and relatively light, with a full-size chiclet keyboard and numberpad on the side. There's a USB 3.0 port on the left-hand side, along with two standard USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI connector and proprietary Ethernet port. There's also a pop-out optical drive on the right, though there's no SD slot in sight. Overall, it's a very nice design, but we'll need to wait for the company to demo functional versions before we can pass judgement on performance. As always, you'll find our video overview just past the break.%Gallery-149649%
Acer Aspire One D270 netbook up for pre-order
Still not convinced by the whole Ultrabook thing? Well neither's Acer it seems, as it refuses to pull the tubes from its netbook division. The latest such offering for your pre-order delight? The Aspire One D270. Sure, there's no HSPA+ like the recently revamped Aspire One 722 -- a fact reflected in the rather friendly $279 price tag -- but you do get 1.6GHz of Cedar Trail, a 10.1 inch 1024 x 600 display, HDMI, 3 USB 2.0 ports, 1GB of RAM, and a 320GB hard disk drive. If this sounds like just the trick for you, point and click at the source links below for the goodness.
Acer's Aspire One 722 kitted with HSPA+, sold by AT&T
Sleek and svelte Ultrabooks and tablets might have stolen the limelight from ye old netbook, but that doesn't mean the less glamorous category is completely bereft of all signs of life. Take for example, Acer's Aspire One 722. Sure, the 1GHz AMD C-50 powered, Radeon HD 6250 wielding netbook's internals got more pizzazz in an updated Europe-only edition, but that didn't stop AT&T from taking the original and giving it a new beginning thanks to shiny new internal WWAN module. Up-to-date silicon it is not, but it could be yours for just $40 a month -- provided you sign your life away on a two-year, 3GB per month, contract. Or alternatively, the HSPA+ redux can be had for the unsubsidized price of $450. Decisions, decisions. Pull the trigger at the source link below.
Acer Aspire One 522 and 722 hit the gym with faster processors and beefier graphics
Acer's Aspire One 522 and 722 were among the first netbooks to pack AMD's Fusion Ontario APU, debuting with the 1GHz C-50 model and its built-in Radeon HD 6250 graphics inside. However, Acer wanted to outfit both with some new silicon on the sly, and now each can be had with a 1GHz (with turbo boost up to 1.33GHz) C-60 APU packing upgraded Radeon 6290 graphics. The catch? Those aspiring for one with the upgraded internals must cross the pond to grand Europa, as the powered-up pair isn't available in the US. What gives, Acer?
Acer announces Aspire One Happy 2 netbook for the US market, shows its commitment to pastels
Given that it's not 2008 and all, it's not every week that we tell you about a new Atom-powered-netbook -- not that any of the usual suspects seem likely to throw in the towel anytime soon. Acer just announced availability for the Acer Aspire Happy 2, that rippled, Easter Egg-colored number that reared its head back in April. As you'd expect, it runs on a dual-core Atom N570 CPU -- a small upgrade over the N450 the last generation offered. And while it still has the usual 10.1-inch display, 250GB hard drive, and WiFi radio, it steps down to 1GB of RAM from 2GB. Aside from the predictable specs, Acer is clearly trying to make dented laptops happen, in case that wasn't already obvious. That and pastels. "Banana Cream," "Blueberry Shake," "Strawberry Yogurt," and "Papaya Milk" sound like your tall glass of crushed fruit? She's available as you read this for $269.99.
Acer Aspire One 722 caught in the wild (video)
If that offbeat Acer Aspire One 722 we told you about last month caught your fancy, well, we still don't know when you'll be able to buy it or how many pretty pennies it'll cost. In the meantime, the folks at NewGadgets, at least, got to spend some time with one and gave it the full hands-on treatment, including a video (embedded below for your viewing pleasure) and gallery of close-up shots. So if you like your netbooks blue, dented, and loaded with AMD innards, head on past the break to get your eyeful. Now if only this had a release date to go with it...
Acer releases Aspire One 722 netbook, tries to make molded plastic happen
It looks like that funky Acer netbook with the dented lid that we spied at MWC wasn't a one-off. The company just released the Aspire One 722, an 11-inch mini with the same aesthetic (and a likely successor to the 721). Like the D257 we saw in Barcelona, its lid is made of molded plastic, sculpted to resemble a series of ripples. Spec-wise, it has the same innards as the more staid-looking Aspire One 522, pairing AMD's netbook-class 1GHz C-50 Ontario processor with Radeon HD 6250 graphics. But the 722 improves on the 10-inch 522 with higher 1366 x 768 resolution, two speakers instead of one, and rated battery life of up to seven hours -- a boost over the 522's six-hour max. No word yet on pricing or availability, but for now you can content yourself with some official press shots.
The iPad's effect on rival companies' CEOs
Apple's iPad and iPhone are shaking up the netbook and smartphone market, producing a chain reaction of events that has led to the resignation of chief executives from three major electronics manufacturers. This past Thursday, Acer Corp. CEO Gianfranco Lanci became third in the line when he announced his resignation from the Taiwanese company. A report from Digitimes suggests the success of the Apple iPad had a major impact on Acer's netbook business, which in turn led to Lanci's departure. Acer climbed to the top of the netbook market when it introduced the Aspire One netbook back in 2008. Since the launch of the iPad in 2010, netbook manufacturers have struggled to compete with Apple's tablet device. The past year was particularly hard for Acer, which saw its netbook sales go flat, while the Apple iPad took off among consumers. Acer is reportedly working on an iPad competitor, but the tablet device is said to be underpowered and "outmatched by the iPad in terms of both hardware and software."According to the report, Acer's focus on affordable consumer devices makes it incapable of producing a device to compete with Apple. Acer is not alone in sacrificing its CEO as a result of Apple's success. In this last year, both Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo and LG CEO Nam Young left their respective positions due to increasing competition from Apple's mobile products. Both LG and Nokia are struggling in the smartphone market and have yet to produce a blockbuster handset to compete with the iPhone. LG's latest offering, the dual core Optimus 2X, features a dual-core processor, 4-inch display and an 8-megapixel camera, but the Android handset has not caught on as well as the Apple iPhone. [Via AppleInsider]
Acer debuts education-minded Aspire One E100 with Android and Windows
Acer's been doing the dual-boot, Android / Windows thing on some of its netbooks for a little while now, but it looks to be branching out into a bit of new territory with its new Aspire One E100 model. It's more or less the same as the D255, but Acer is pitching this one directly at the education market, and it's added some things like a special rubber coating and the potential for school branding -- not to mention a slew of pre-installed education software -- to make it a bit more attractive to schools and students alike. Otherwise, you can expect the usual 10.1-inch display, an unspecified Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, and a promised eight hours of battery life.
Acer Aspire One 522 with AMD Ontario shows up on Amazon
Sure, we had known a few bits and pieces about Acer's forthcoming AMD Fusion-powered netbook but you can always count on Amazon to dish out the spec and pricing details we've been waiting for. Unlike the Fusion HP Pavilion dm1 we just reviewed, which packs a higher-end AMD Zacate E-350 APU, the Aspire One 522 is powered by AMD's netbook-class 1GHz C-50 Ontario processor. The 10.1-inch laptop still melds that CPU with Radeon HD 6250 graphics so it should be able to handle full HD video and some light gaming, and for $330 we're certainly expecting it to trounce Atom netbooks in both price and graphics prowess. Other than that, the 2.8-pound Aspire One 522 seems to be a lot like the previous AMD Neo-powered Aspire One 521 -- it looks to have a similar chassis and has 1GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, HDMI port, Windows 7 Starter, and a 4400mAh battery, which apparently provides six hours of battery life. No word on when the 522 will actually come out of the pre-order stage and start shipping, but our guess is that it shouldn't be too long of a wait.
Acer: netbooks will not be phased out, Sandy Bridge tablets not coming any time soon
Stop ordering the caskets! Clearing up yesterday's somewhat shady reports, Acer's PR team has issued an official press release stating that company has no intentions to halt production on its Aspire One line of netbooks. Instead it claims that its new array of Android tablets "will find their space next to netbooks and notebooks." In addition to that, Acer's taking on the Sandy Bridge tablet rumor that also spouted up, and clarifying that tablets based on Intel's new laptop / desktop platform "are not yet foreseen." That syncs up with what we had heard yesterday -- that Acer's announced 4.8-, 7-, 10-inch Android tablets will launch in April in the US and that it would likely wait for the forthcoming ultra-low voltage (ULV) Sandy Bridge parts if it were in fact going to put Intel's next generation Core processors into tablets. That certainly clears up a lot -- hit the break for Acer's official statement.
Acer rolls out new Aspire 5750, 5750G, and 7750G laptops with Intel's latest processors
Acer's just outed several of its latest laptop offerings, including the new Aspire 5750, 5750G and 7750G, and all three have Intel's 2nd gen Core i7 2630QM CPUs. The Aspire 5750 and 7750 boast up to 6GB of memory, while the 5750 is upgradeable to 8GB via two 4GB modules. Likewise the 7750G has a hard drive capacity of up to 750GB, while the 5750 has an up to 640GB HDD. All three have a host of graphics options, and the 5750G comes with NVIDIA's brand new GeForece GT 540M graphics, which the 7750G comes with ATI Mobility Radeon HD 6550 or 6650 graphics standard. All three models have LED, backlit displays, with the Aspire 5750 and 5750G measuring in at 15.6-inches, while the 7750G is a 17.3-incher with a resolution of 1600 x 900. All three laptops have Dolby Advanced Audio v2 virtual surround sound and HDMI ports, and the 7750G has an optional BluRay drive. All three Aspire models will be available on January 9th, and the 5750 and 5750G will have a starting price of $899.99, while the 7750G will start at $1029.99. Full press release is after the break.
Acer Aspire One 522 falls from the clouds, sporting dual-core 1GHz Ontario APU?
AMD Fusion's taken its sweet, sweet time getting here, but we're hearing you'll be able to get your hands on some Atom-beating netbook chips soon -- for instance, in this Acer Aspire One 522, which will reportedly drive its oh-so-glossy 10.1-inch, 720p screen with a 1GHz AMD C-50 Ontario APU. In case you need a brief refresher, Ontario's the chip rated at just nine watts, meaning we should expect some fairly decent battery life here, though possibly not the heroic performance of its 1.6GHz Zacate cousin. Aside from those specs, the Acer's mostly your standard netbook -- three USB ports, VGA-out, a webcam and 802.11 b/g/n WiFi -- though it does have HDMI out, something you won't find on the otherwise similar Aspire One D255. It's hard to say what it'll cost stateside, but a Thai e-tailer's ringing up a version right now with 2GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive for 12,829 baht (about $425). Wonder if it runs Android?
Acer planning to dual-boot all of its dual-core netbooks, we're dual-unimpressed
We haven't seen any reason to love anything that's attempted to combine the comfort of Windows 7 with the sheer unpreparedness of Android in a dual-boot netbook form factor, Acer's Aspire One D255 included. Still, word is that Acer is planning to make dual-booting standard on its dual-core netbooks going forward. Right now the D255 only does Android overseas, but we're going to perceive this as a threat until we hear otherwise. Sure, adding Android to a netbook doesn't hurt anything (which is the majority of Acer's excellent argument for its inclusion), but we can only hope that this fascination with Android quickly switches to Chrome OS when it's ready.
Acer Aspire One D255 with dual-core Atom hits at $330
It was only a matter of time before Acer let out the pricing / availability details on its dual-core Atom netbook, and as we could have predicted, the Taiwanese company's smacked an extremely enticing pricetag on this one. Ringing up at an aggressive $329.99, the 2.2-pound D255 looks almost identical to the D260 -- yes, even those with the worst of cataracts could tell it's an Aspire One from afar -- but in terms of specs it's got that notable difference of a brand new dual-core Atom N550 processor. But not to worry, even though it's now the cheapest dual-core netbook around, it's still got the netbook standards -- including 1GB of RAM, 250GB hard drive and six-cell battery. The single-core version will go for $269.99, but we do have to say that shelling out that additional $50 for that extra core does buy you slightly faster performance (see our HP Mini 5103 review for some Atom N550 performance results). Sounds mighty tempting to us, but it still doesn't make us forget about that Chrome OS netbook Acer's been promising.
Android-booting Acer Aspire One D255 extensively demoed, yet far from loved on video
Acer's just told us that it has "no imminent plans" to bring the dual-booting Android and Windows XP Aspire One D255 stateside, and after seeing an in-depth video (no, really it's 14 minutes long!) of the 10-inch netbook in action we can't say we're all that upset about the news. Yep, the NetbookNews team snatched up a light blue version of the new netbook in Taipei, and though they were impressed with the thin design and included case, they had less positive things to say on the software end. Not only is the Windows XP desktop ridden with crapware, but the Android implementation is still half baked. Similar to the first generation Acer Aspire One D250, the Android 2.1 interface is really only good for searching the web and checking e-mail since it doesn't have access to the Market. Of course, we urge you to sit back and watch the lengthy hands-on video after the break to make your own call on this $299 lappie, but ultimately, we're assuming you'll have the same question as us: Acer, how's that Chrome OS netbook coming along?
Acer Aspire One D255 netbook dual boots Android and XP for about $375
Attending the Taipei Computer Applications Show today? Lucky you. Then be sure to pick up your specially priced Acer Aspire One D255 netbook with dual booting Android and XP operating systems before leaving the venue. Otherwise, the NT$9,500 (about $300) 10.1-inch netbook configured with an Atom N450 processor, 1GB of DDR2 memory, 160GB hard disk, and 3-cell battery (with optional 6-cell) will cost you NT$11,900 (about $375) when it hits traditional retail channels sometime in the days ahead.
Acer Aspire One D255 netbook packs Atom N550 processor, subdued appearance
It's been less than a month since Acer rolled out its Aspire One D260 netbook at Computex, but it looks like the company already has a followup (of sorts) lined up in the form of the Aspire One D255. That netbook is apparently mostly identical to the D260 in terms of specs, with the notable exception of a brand new dual-core Atom N550 processor -- a first for an Acer netbook. About the only other changes are some minor design tweaks that ditch the chrome accents and flake paint options found on the D260 -- but don't worry, that impossible to miss Aspire One logo on the lid is still there. No word on availability just yet, but we're working to get that information out of Acer.
Acer Aspire One 521 and 721 review
On the surface Acer's 10.1-inch Aspire One 521 and 11.6-inch Aspire One 721 appear to be fairly run-of-the-mill netbooks -- or ultraportables for those that are morally opposed to calling a laptop with a 11.6-inch display a netbook. They're rather small machines, measure just about an inch thick, and ring up at under $430. But there's a lot more than meets the eye with this Aspire One duo – instead of Intel Atom or ULV processors, both are powered by a new AMD 1.7GHz Athlon II Neo K125 processor and promise 1080p playback thanks to ATI Radeon HD 4225 graphics. We've certainly been pumped about these two systems since their French debut, but fear of AMD's usually poor battery life and scorching temperatures have been holding us back from all-out excitement. Do we have nothing to fear but fear itself? We've spent the last few days with these two systems, and will reveal all in our full review after the break. %Gallery-96636%
