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Automobile Tech Cameras Devices Laptops & Tablets Mobile Phones & Apps Podcast TVs iPad 2 guide All Categories Acer Aspire One 533, £270
Most netbooks offer very similar performance, and will break into an uncomfortable sweat if you even so much as point an HD video in their direction. But the 533 is made of sterner stuff.
Design and usability
This is a sleek, sensual little PC and no mistake. A dark grey, glossy finish across the lid complements the matte coating on the keyboard surround. The screen hinge has a curved, elongated appearance, which looks neat and also makes the netbook feel quite sturdy. At only 27mm thick,
Windows 7 64bit, it's one of the best-looking netbooks around.
The keyboard slants slightly towards you,
Office 2007 Pro Key, due to the protruding battery that pushes the 533 up at the back. The trackpad sits flush with the wrist rest and is distinguished only by a grid pattern. It looks quite cool, and it's larger than most netbook trackpads too. Both click buttons are built into one single rocker button, which feels responsive.
Connectivity
The 533 offers a 250GB hard drive,
Microsoft Office Standard 2007, plus three USB ports, VGA out, an Ethernet socket and a multi-format card reader. That's pretty much in line with every other netbook out there at the moment. The only thing we really miss is the lack of an HDMI port.
Performance and battery life
The lack of an HDMI port is all the more disappointing because the 533 can play high-definition video. Indeed, it's surprisingly capable when it comes to performance, playing 720p videos without so much as a whimper. The 533 flexes its muscles courtesy of a 1.83GHz Intel Atom N475 CPU and 1GB of DDR3 RAM.
The netbook's graphics performance is still pretty rubbish, though. But,
Microsoft Office Home And Business 2010, if you watch plenty of video or want a netbook that's relatively snappy when it comes to general multitasking, bear the 533 in mind.
The netbook's battery life is alright,
Windows 7 Home Premium Key, but it's not as impressive as that of some other machines in this list. With its CPU running at a constant 100 per cent, the 533's battery managed to last for 4 hours and 11 minutes before conking out. You can expect longer battery life if you're not putting the netbook through the computational wringer like we did.
Should I buy it?
The 533 is a good-looking machine that offers above-average performance without being more expensive than most of its rivals. Despite the fact that some competitors offer better battery life, the 533 is a great machine in just about every respect.
Read our full Acer Aspire One 533 review.
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