Acer Releases Dual-Core Aspire One D255 Netbook, AMD-Powered AO521 and AO721

Though the product has been on sale abroad and we've even reviewed it, Acer had yet to release U.S pricing and availability for the Aspire One D255 netbook. However, this week, the company announced that its first dual-core netbook will be arriving on North American shores later this month for a $329 suggested retail price. A single-core version will go for just $269.99. The system will be available in red, black, brown, and aquamarine colors.

We posted our review of the Aspire One D255 a couple of weeks ago and, even though it has long battery life and offers a little more performance than most single core systems, we have a hard time recommending it, because its touchpad is extremely jumpy, its keyboard is smaller than competitors, and its webcam produces dark, washed-out images. Despite the dual-core CPU, it is still unable to handle gaming or high-definition QuickTime videos.

In addition to the D255, Acer also announced pricing and availability for the 10.1-inch Acer Aspire One 521 (AO521) and 11.6-inch Acer Apire One 721 (AO721), both of which will be powered by 1.7-GHz AMD Athlon II Neo K125 CPUs with Radoen 4225 graphics and have HDMI out-ports. Landing later this month like the Aspire One 721 will have an MSRP of $429.99 and the Aspire One 521 will go for $349.99.

Avram Piltch
Online Editorial Director
The official Geeks Geek, as his weekly column is titled, Avram Piltch has guided the editorial and production of Laptopmag.com since 2007. With his technical knowledge and passion for testing, Avram programmed several of LAPTOP's real-world benchmarks, including the LAPTOP Battery Test. He holds a master's degree in English from NYU.