Acer Aspire AO521-3530 10.1-Inch Netbook (Onyx Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is the first 10" netbook I've come across with some real horsepower. The ATI graphics and the dedicated 384mb of graphics memory not only let it slice through HD video like butter, but play a fair game of Portal as well. 3D games will want to run at 800x600 because of the vertical screen resolution, but the two (albeit older) games I tried, Portal and Tron2.0 ran perfectly fluidly at full settings. The Wifi radio is quite good, getting 2 bars where my phone and MacBook barely get any. I haven't run off of battery for very long, so I can't confirm the battery life, and it wasn't a concern for me at purchase.
One of the first things I did was wipe the bloatware-infested Windows 7 Starter in favor of a clean Windows 7 Pro. I also upgraded the RAM to 2GB. The removable panel on the bottom grants access to the hard drive, RAM and WiFi card. I initially tried a Patriot 2GB DDR3-1333 module from Frys, and it wouldn't even POST. A replacement module also failed. A Crucial module of the same spec DID work flawlessly, however. The machine comes with no disks, so be sure to use the Acer restore/drivers disk burner software it comes pre-installed with to make them on an external drive before wiping.
I love this little laptop and plan to use it as an auxiliary work machine to shuttle home instead of my bulky MacBook, and also save the trouble of dual-booting.


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Aspire One AO521: Ultra Mobile Power and Productivity
Optimized for improved energy efficiency and designed to deliver balanced performance needed to enjoy multiple applications and features, the Aspire One 521 features a powerful AMD Athlon II Neo processor, a big keyboard for fast-paced, accurate data input, and up to 5.5 hours of battery life. Browse the Web, check e-mail, share photos, keep up with social networks, listen to music, and enjoy a wide variety of entertainment on the 10.1-inch LED-backlit display.
The powerful Acer Aspire One 521 netbook with AMD Athlon II Neo processor and 10.1-inch LED backlit display.

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