Acer D255 Free Laptop Review

Great Value, Top Netbook

 

- The Acer AOD 255 is the latest in the long line of very successful Acer Aspire One netbooks. It follows the classic netbook specification of 10.1” screen, 1gb RAM, 250gb hard drive and 1.66 GHz processor meaning that it is a small and light, compact device great for portability, web browsing, document editing and music and photos but not so good for power hungry applications like serious PC gaming, video editing or lots of multi tasking. It is also the cheapest free laptop available with mobile broadband right now and a real bargain with a mobile broadband contract from as little as £25 a month.

Top Deal on Acer AOD 255 with 1gb mobile broadband just £25 a month.

Weighing in at just 1.25kg and with an 88% standard size keyboard the Acer AOD 255 is perfect for use on the go. It’s got built in WiFi for hooking up to hotspots which along with the included mobile broadband dongle means you’ll have no problems getting online when out and about. The 1.3 megapixel web cam produces a clear, sharp image which is great for VOIP services like Skype and it’s also got a multi card memory card slot so you can quickly and easily take files directly off your camera or other device.

So far, so expected, this is the typical netbook set up and the Acer AOD 2655 delivers well on it but what is it actually like to use? Well one of the first things to strike you about this mini laptop is the build quality. Acer have got plenty of experience in netbook design now and it really shows on this model. The brushed metal finish stands out from the crowd and the large trackpad is very responsive and feels a level of quality above much of the netbook competition. Performance wise it runs OK, as with any netbook the slower processor you get compared to a full size laptop means that it will never be the quickest but start up time is fast and as long as you don’t try to use too many applications at once it’ll run just fine.

Windows Seven adds a nice gloss to the user experience and is a very noticeable step up for anyone still used to Windows XP or Vista whilst the 250gb hard drive is plenty big enough for storing most people’s music, video and photo collections. If there’s a bit of a letdown compared to other netbooks it’s in the battery life department. The AOD 255 will still run for a good five or six hours when fully charged but other netbooks like the Samsung N150 offer nearly double this so you should consider how long you will be using your netbook for without access to power. Assuming that isn’t a serious barrier to you though the Acer AOD is an excellent netbook choice offering great design, solid performance and excellent value for money.

 

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Summary and rating:

Very sleek and stylish
Superb value for money
Solid netbook performance
Not the best battery life in a netbook

Overall Rating 8/10

Specification:

Screen: 10.1” HD LED
Operating System: Windows 7 Starter
Processor: Intel Atom N450 (1.66 GHz)
RAM: 1gb
Hard Drive: 250gb
Battery: 6 hours
WiFi: Yes
Weight: 1.25kg
Size: 25.9 x 18.5 x 2.4cm
Other: SD card reader, 3x USB ports, 1.3mp web cam