Netbook Review: Acer Aspire One D255

Is there still a place for netbooks in what's starting to seem like a tablet-mad world? Acer thinks so. At a time when the Apple iPad is at the top of so many shopping lists and product after product is being evaluated as a potential "iPad-killer," Acer is betting on enough prospective buyers still looking for the more notebook-like experience, but with the smaller size and price tag, that a netbook offers. And so it's kept right on refreshing its netbook line, with a recent example being the unit we're looking at today: the Aspire One D255.

With the D255, Acer has upped the ante by going with the Intel Atom N550, a dual-core processor that is clocked at 1.5GHz. And with a price tag of $329, it's still priced around where units sporting single-core processors had recently been. But do more cores translate into more performance and better value? Let's take a look and find out.

Getting the Aspire One up and running takes little more than moments. Just plug the system in to get that battery charging, start it up, and go through the basic Windows setup screens. Just be careful that you don't misplace the type A plug that clips onto the AC adapter.

Like other 10.1-inch netbooks, the D255 is nice and light, weighing just 2.8 pounds with the included 6-cell battery. That battery, according to Acer, will power the netbook for up to eight hours. And while we never managed to hit that mark, we did get an impressive five hours of mixed use, alternating between running benchmarks, streaming video, installing software and browsing the Web.

Perhaps the hardest part for those of us used to desktop and laptop PCs is getting used to the Acer's 93-percent-full-sized keyboard -- the A through apostrophe keys that span eight inches on a desktop cover 7.5 inches on the D255. Obviously, however, it's an easier adjustment than typing on a phone, tablet or other diminutive device.

Under the Hood

As mentioned above, the D255 is powered by the 1.5GHz Intel Atom N550, a dual-core processor that comes with 1MB of L2 cache. A rarity among 10.1-inch netbooks, this would seem to offer a distinct advantage over competing models. But while the D255's CPU does indeed perform admirably in comparison to single-core Atoms, the difference isn't enough to knock anyone's socks off. In PCMark Vantage, the D255 posted a score of 1,603, while in Cinebench 11.5's CPU test, it was able to render the sample scene in 14 minutes and 23 seconds.

Other than the N550 processor, the D255's specs are about the same as you'd find in just about any other Acer netbook. For starters, it comes equipped with 1GB of either DDR2 or DDR3 SDRAM in its only memory slot (the unit we reviewed came with DDR3) -- something we'd love to see increase in future entry-level and mid-range netbooks.

With 2GB modules available for about $30 to $40, it just seems like it should be a no-brainer. It would be an inexpensive way for manufacturers to boost the capabilities of computers that, unlike some tablets, actually are capable of multitasking. But this, of course, isn't an Acer-specific issue, given that all but the highest-end netbooks still seem to be stuck on that skimpy 1GB amount.

As far as storage goes, the D255 comes with a 250GB, 5,400-rpm hard drive -- a pretty generous amount for a netbook and likely more than enough for the typical user. An optical drive, needless to say, is not included, though USB models are readily available for those who need to have one handy.

Moving to the Acer's display, the LED-backlit screen is nice and bright, with text, video and images alike appearing clearly at the native resolution of 1,024 by 600. In streaming films from Netflix and other sites, video ran smoothly and looked good, despite the aspect ratio that is pretty much specific to 10.1-inch netbooks. And in using productivity applications, the resolution was certainly sufficient.

The D255's 3D graphics capabilities, meanwhile, were more limited, something that should come as no surprise. With the Intel GMA 3150 driving the action, the system managed a score of only 153 in 3DMark06. But hopefully no one's buying a $320 netbook expecting it to be a gameworthy system when a decent desktop graphics adapter can cost as much as that.

Rounding out its multimedia capabilities are the integrated speakers and microphone, along with a 1.3-megapixel webcam. And while neither the audio capabilities nor the webcam offer a level of performance that's likely to impress any enthusiasts, they'll come in handy for home and small business users who just want a way to videoconference with friends, family, and business associates, whether it's from the road or in the dorm.

Connections-wise, the D255 offers about what you'd expect from a netbook, with three USB 2.0 ports, a VGA port, a 10/100 Ethernet port, audio inputs for a headphone and a microphone and a memory card reader that supports SD and MMC cards. Wireless connectivity, meanwhile, is handled by the integrated 802.11b/g/n adapter.

Moving, finally, to the included software, it was something of a mixed bag. Beyond the operating system (the 32-bit version of Windows 7 Starter Edition that most netbooks come with), Acer threw in some of its own utilities, along with the requisite Microsoft Office Starter, Norton Online Backup, Skype, and a trial version of McAfee Internet Security Suite. Also included were reader programs from Barnes & Noble and The New York Times and a few Internet shortcuts to eBay and Netflix. None of these took up much of the D255's disk space, which is good. But the constant and seemingly unavoidable nagging from the McAfee and Norton programs quickly led us to remove both.

Final Thoughts

While not without its limitations, the Acer Aspire One D255 is a capable system that will meet the needs of many users at a fraction of the cost, size, and weight of a full-sized laptop PC. But do its price and capabilities keep it competitive against tablets?

With more tablets being released weekly, it's anybody's call what the future holds. But for now, and for many users, netbooks like the D255 still serve the needs of enough users to make them worth the consideration of business travelers, students, and other users who just want a decent PC that they can bring along without breaking the bank -- or their backs.