Acer Intros Netbook With Dual Core Intel ProcessorAcer Intros Netbook With Dual Core Intel Processor

Acer Aspire One AOD255

Acer has added to the Aspire One line of netbooks the company's first mini-laptop running a dual-core Atom processor from Intel.

With the new Atom N550 processor and integrated Intel graphics, the AOD255 netbook is more responsive when surfing the web than single-core models. In addition, Acer is making the AOD255 available with a single-core Atom N450 for people unwilling to pay more for the power boost.

"With the new Aspire One AOD255, users are able to multitask, explore the Internet, connect with friends, and enjoy entertainment applications, without worrying about battery life or being tethered to an electrical outlet," Pete Dailey, senior product marketing manager for Acer netbooks, said in a statement.

Other features of the AOD255 include eight hours of battery life, integrated Wi-Fi, and a 10.1-inch LED-backlit display. The system is an inch thick, weighs 2.5 pounds, and has a keyboard that's 93% of standard size.

The AOD255 has a built-in, 1.3-megapixel webcam, 1 GB of DDR3 memory, and a large 250-GB internal hard drive. It also includes Windows 7 Starter edition and Microsoft Office Starter 2010. The case is available in red, black, brown, or aquamarine.

The AOD255 is scheduled to be available this month at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $330 for the model with a dual-core Atom, and $270 with the single-core Atom N450.

Acer also introduced on Monday two Aspire One netbooks powered by Athlon II Neo K125 processors from Advanced Micro Devices. The AO721 and AO521 also feature AMD's ATI Radeon HD 4225 graphics with 384 MB of dedicated system memory. Both have integrated Wi-Fi and built-in webcams.

The A0721 has an 11.6-inch LED-backlit display and weighs about three pounds. The inch-thick netbook has a full-size keyboard, 2 GB of DDR3 memory, and a 260-GB hard drive. The AO721 comes with Windows 7 Home Premium.

The AO521 has a 10.1-inch LED-backlit display and is also an inch thick, but weighs only 2.75 pounds. The smaller system has 1 GB of DDR3 memory and a 160-GB hard drive. It comes with Windows 7 Starter.

The AO721 and AO521 are also scheduled to be available this month at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $430 and $350, respectively.

The latest announcements follow about a week after Acer unveiled an 11.6-inch laptop powered by Intel's 1.46-GHz Core i7 680UM processor. The Aspire TimelineX includes integrated Bluetooth, 4 GB of DDR3 memory, and up to a 500-GB hard drive. The MSRP is $900.