Acer Aspire One AOD255-1203

Acer Aspire One AOD255-1203

Sometimes you have to wonder if Acer is even remotely concerned about profit margins, given how aggressively priced its laptops are. The Aspire One AOD255-1203 ($329.99 street), for instance, is the company's latest netbook, which sports Intel's newest dual-core Atom - the N550 (1.5GHz). Among the handful that have already been launched with this processor - the Asus EeePC 1015PEM ($370 street, 4 stars) and HP Mini 5103 ($650 direct, 4 stars) - the AOD255-1203 is undoubtedly the most inexpensive. But, you still get a full-size keyboard and over 7 hours of battery life. Less than an inch thick (10.2 by 7.5 by 0.8-inches), the AOD255 is Acer's thinnest netbook available, and at 2.5 pounds, it's the lightest too. Its color selection, though, boils down to taste, but Aquamarine blue is one of those colors that will either be swiped off the shelf or left there to rot. Thankfully, it's available in other colors like Ruby Red, Sandstone, and Diamond Black. The maroon colored Asus 1015PEM, on the other hand, takes a more neutral approach to design. If fancy is what you're after, the HP 5103 uses aluminum in its lid design.