14 DAY TRIAL // When they saw that, while still on the rise, the netbook market was not growing as quickly as they had hoped, PC suppliers decided it was time to make some more noticeable changes to the base configurations. Fortunately, Intel came forth with CPUs that support faster memory (DDR3) and also have better clocks. These chips provided the possibility of raising the performance bar without affecting the overall pricing scheme overmuch, if at all.
Acer, as one of, if not the main advocate of the entry-level laptop market is, naturally, bound to exploit every opportunity that arises. Among the results were the Acer Aspire One D260 and the Aspire One 533, both made official, in Europe at least, last week. All that remained was for availability to expand in order to boost sales and, sure enough, reports have appeared stating that availability in the United States is imminent, slated for this month, in fact.
The D260 and Aspire One 533 are only one-inch thick and have the Intel Atom N450 and N455 (1.66GHz) as options when it comes to choosing the CPU (the 533 can also boast the Atom N475). The selected processor is backed up by 1GB of RAM, the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 3150 integrated graphics and a 250GB hard disk drive. Other specifications include LED-backlit 1024 x 600 displays, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and a 3-cell or 6-cell battery. As for design advantages, the netbooks come with 93% standard-size keyboards, for easier typing.
The D260 is available in multiple color options, namely black, charcoal, purple and pink, making it appealing to a wider variety of consumers. If it is completely identical to its UK counterpart, it is also a dual-boot (Windows 7/Android) machine. The 533, on the other hand, is pre-loaded with only Windows 7 and lacks the color variety of its sibling.