Acer Ships Powerful AMD-Based Aspire One AO721 And AO521 Netbooks
During a recent analyst report, it was suggested that sales of tablet
PCs would overtake sales of netbooks by 2015, but we aren't so sure. We
suspect that the netbook as we know it will transform quite a lot in the
next five years, and there's some proof of that coming from Acer
already. The company, which is no stranger to producing netbooks, has
just refreshed, revamped and refaced two of their main netbooks: the
Aspire One AO721 and Aspire One AO521.
These two netbooks look sharper than ever, and they're also two of the most powerful netbooks to ever see production. Both of these are sporting new looks and new AMD Athlon II Neo processors, which is a chip that we have had great success with in prior reviews. The AO721 is an 11.6" machine, while the AO521 is a bit smaller at 10.1". Both are designed to provide HD video playback, and the great news for U.S. consumers is that they're both available today.
Both utilize AMD Athlon II Neo K125 processors, the ATI Radeon HD 4225 GPU, 384MB of memory (for the GPU), and Windows 7 Home Premium. The AO721 has a CrystalBrite LED backlit display, and it offers the largest screen on any Acer netbook; there's a black matte, mesh-textured cover to reject fingerprints, and it's less than an inch thick and weighs around 3lbs. It also has a full-size keyboard, which is rare on a netbook. Finally, it's equipped with 2GB of RAM, a 250GB HDD and a usual assortment of ports around the sides.
The AO521 doesn't sacrifice too much; it has a 93% full-size keyboard, 1GB of DDR3 RAM, up to a 250GB hard drive and comes in either black or brown colors. It ships with Bluetooth and Windows 7 Starter, too. Both units have HDMI outputs, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Ethernet LAN and a built-in digital microphone and webcam, not to mention a multi-gesture trackpad that should be on all machines these days (so kudos, Acer!). As you might expect from such powerful netbooks, the price tags on these aren't low; the AO721 will cost $429.99, and the AO521 will cost $349.99.
These two netbooks look sharper than ever, and they're also two of the most powerful netbooks to ever see production. Both of these are sporting new looks and new AMD Athlon II Neo processors, which is a chip that we have had great success with in prior reviews. The AO721 is an 11.6" machine, while the AO521 is a bit smaller at 10.1". Both are designed to provide HD video playback, and the great news for U.S. consumers is that they're both available today.
Both utilize AMD Athlon II Neo K125 processors, the ATI Radeon HD 4225 GPU, 384MB of memory (for the GPU), and Windows 7 Home Premium. The AO721 has a CrystalBrite LED backlit display, and it offers the largest screen on any Acer netbook; there's a black matte, mesh-textured cover to reject fingerprints, and it's less than an inch thick and weighs around 3lbs. It also has a full-size keyboard, which is rare on a netbook. Finally, it's equipped with 2GB of RAM, a 250GB HDD and a usual assortment of ports around the sides.
The AO521 doesn't sacrifice too much; it has a 93% full-size keyboard, 1GB of DDR3 RAM, up to a 250GB hard drive and comes in either black or brown colors. It ships with Bluetooth and Windows 7 Starter, too. Both units have HDMI outputs, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Ethernet LAN and a built-in digital microphone and webcam, not to mention a multi-gesture trackpad that should be on all machines these days (so kudos, Acer!). As you might expect from such powerful netbooks, the price tags on these aren't low; the AO721 will cost $429.99, and the AO521 will cost $349.99.
Acer Expands Its Best-Selling Aspire One Netbook Line with AMD High-Definition, High Performance Processors
New Aspire One AO721 and Aspire One AO521 Netbooks Get Updated with Fresh, New Looks and AMD Athlon™ II Neo Processors
SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Acer America today announced two new versions of its popular Aspire One netbooks, including AMD-based high-definition capabilities. Updated with fresh new ID treatments and powerful AMD Athlon™ II Neo processors, the 11.6-inch Aspire One AO721 and the 10.1-inch Aspire One AO521 are designed for ultra-portability and usability, delivering high-definition graphics and video playback, and smooth communications. Available for U.S. customers today, the Aspire One AO721 and AO521 are available at retail and e-tail outlets nationwide with prices beginning at $429.99 and $349.99, respectively.
The Aspire One AO721 and Aspire One AO521 utilize AMD Athlon II Neo K125 processors, optimized for improved energy efficiency and designed to deliver balanced performance needed to enjoy multiple applications and features. With the powerful AMD Athlon II Neo processor and ATI Radeon™ HD 4225 Graphics with 384MB of dedicated system memory, Aspire One users are well-equipped for mobile performance. Users can vigorously multitask, even with visually-intense, high-def applications, while freely exploring the Internet, sending and receiving emails, watching videos and playing games – all on the go and untethered from a power source.
New Eye-Catching Designs with High Performance and Portability
Like its predecessors, the Aspire One AO721 and Aspire One AO521 come with ample memory and a large internal hard drive to store plenty of photo albums, music and documents.
The Aspire One AO721 has a high-definition 11.6-inch CrystalBrite™ LED backlit display, offering the largest viewing area on an Acer netbook. Housed in a black matte, mesh-textured cover which limits fingerprints and smudging, the Aspire One AO721 is sleek and portable at less than one-inch thin and about three pounds in weight. The Aspire One AO721 boasts a full-sized keyboard, enabling users more accurate and comfortable typing, in a footprint smaller than a magazine. The Aspire One AO721 is equipped with a full 2GB of DDR3 memory and up to a 250GB internal hard drive, providing plenty of storage space for mobile enthusiasts. The netbook also comes with Windows® 7 Home Premium on board for easy productivity.
The ultra-mobile Aspire One AO521 netbook features a HD 10.1-inch CrystalBrite LED backlit display, offering a broad viewing area for web navigation and entertainment enjoyment. Just shy of one-inch thin and about 2.75 pounds, the Aspire One AO521 features a 93%-sized keyboard for fast-paced, accurate data input while on the move, 1GB of DDR3 memory and up to 250GB internal hard drive for plenty of media storage. Available in two fashionable, patterned designs in black and brown, the Aspire One AO521 netbooks feature a smooth, glossy exterior. The Aspire One AO521 comes equipped with Bluetooth for seamless connectivity to a variety of devices and Windows 7 Starter.
The Aspire One AO721 and AO521 netbooks feature HDMI™ connectivity for enjoying high-definition entertainment on large external displays. To remain connected wirelessly, the Aspire One netbooks features 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi and fast Ethernet LAN connectivity. The netbooks also come equipped with a built-in webcam, delivering smooth video streaming and high quality images for online chats and video conferences. A built-in digital microphone conveys superior voice quality, keeping background noise levels low and minimizing echoes.
Both the Aspire One AO721 and AO521 netbooks feature a Multi-Gesture Touchpad, allowing users to pinch, flick and swirl their fingers across the touchpad for intuitive navigation. It also allows users to scroll, zoom in and out, and flip through web pages, photos, spreadsheets and more.
The new Acer Aspire One models come with a standard one-year parts and labor warranty, which can be extended to three years with the Acer Advantage service. All Acer netbooks are backed by toll-free service and support.
