Acer Aspire One D250 review

If Acer's D150 is too chunky and lacking in sex appeal, then take a peek at its slimline Aspire One D250. Weighing in at just 1.06kg, it even rivals Asus' 1008HA Seashell in the weight stakes.

It doesn't, however, give the Seashell much to worry about when it comes to looks. It's not ugly, but there's a definite lack of spark. Off-white wraps around above and below, contrasting nicely against a black interior. But the mixture of gloss, matte and glittery black plastic looks a little odd.

The light weight also costs the D250 a little in solidity: the chassis creaks under duress and those hinges look decidedly delicate. And if you're thinking of taking the D250 on your travels you'll need to factor in the cost of an extended battery.

The 2,200mAh battery at the D250's rear lasted for a mere 2hrs 44mins while doing very little, and that's a figure that you can expect to shrink drastically under heavier use. Performance is a little more heartening, thanks to the Intel Atom N280 processor at its core: a result of 0.43 in our benchmarks puts the D250 near the top of the pile of the current crop of netbooks.

But its ergonomics bring it back to earth with a bump. Insubstantial-feeling keys and a small touchpad conspire to drag the D250 down the rankings, and the screen isn't the best, either. It's bright enough, and entirely free from any grain and mottling, but the panel has a tendency to lose detail in bright areas.

Acer's D250 is a solid, well-designed netbook, but its poor battery life puts it out of the running. With others able to achieve so much more, there's just not enough of a reason to choose this.

Author: Sasha Muller