Acer Review, Asus Review – Netbook 10

The Aspire One D260 (simply known as the AOD260) is another 10.1-inch netbook from Acer. This Acer netbook is for you if you’re looking for a 10.1-inch Aspire One that looks different from other Aspire Ones.

The AOD260: If Looks Matter

In the looks department, the Aspire One D260 is a standout (but only relative to other Aspire Ones; Ferrari One netbooks still have the best looks in the Acer netbook brood).

The AOD260 has a flake pattern on the cover, on the rear (what we’d normally call the base), on the palm rest, and on the touchpad. Actually, the flake pattern is everywhere on the inside of the netbook (except the keyboard). It’s even on the mirror strip on the base.

Oh, and did I mention it has a mirror strip? Perhaps Acer thought the world could use a netbook that doubles up as a vanity mirror. It could also be that the Acer design team wanted a netbook that will surely catch the eye. The AOD260 definitely does that. Just turn the mirror strip towards the light and wait for the eyes of whoever’s looking go blind. :-P

Acer AOD260 pink netbook

The Aspire One D260 also has a soft matte coating instead of the typical glossy coating found in other Aspire Ones. The AOD260, therefore, has a soft gleam rather than a high gloss. Of course, the AOD260 still shines; remember the rear mirror strip? ;-)

Yes, indeed, the Aspire One has a unique style that sets it apart from other Aspire One netbooks. If netbook looks are your priority, then you’d love the Aspire One D260.

Caveat: Although Acer went out of its way to ensure that the AOD260 not look like a standard Aspire One, this doesn’t mean it’s not recognizable as such. In fact, the opposite is true; anybody looking at an AOD260 netbook won’t even have to guess the netbook’s make and manufacturer. The large Aspire One and Acer logos on the cover ensure that no one could mistake the AOD260 for, say, an Asus netbook. :)

The Aspire One D260: More than Skin Deep?

Underneath the glitz and the glam of the AOD260 beats the heart of a rather ordinary Aspire One netbook. The Aspire One D260’s specifications don’t really stand out among the rest of the Aspire One netbooks.

AOD260 versus AOD250: The AOD260 is much like an AOD250 with a bigger keyboard, a longer battery life (relatively speaking), improved portability (slightly thinner and lighter plus the smaller adapter), and an upgraded processor.

The AOD260 is a Pineview netbook (a.k.a. Pine Trail netbook), and in that respect, it is better than the AOD250. Nevertheless, it loses out to the AOD250 when it comes to Bluetooth connectivity; while the Aspire One D250 has built-in Bluetooth, the Aspire One D260 (at least the versions available in the US) has no Bluetooth onboard.

Of course, the newer AOD260 beats the older AOD250 when it comes to WLAN connectivity; the AOD250 has the basic 802.11 b/g WLAN (a few versions have 802.11 b/g/Draft-N), while all AOD260 netbooks have 802.11 b/g/n WLAN.

AOD260 versus AO532h: The Aspire One 532h and the Aspire One D260 are both Pineview netbooks. Consequently, the AOD260 and the AO532h have pretty much the same battery life – around 4 hours with a 3-cell battery and around 8 hours with a 6-cell battery.

The Aspire One D260 is like an Aspire One 532h with better webcam resolution. However, it lacks the AO532h’s high-definition audio support.

AOD260 versus AOD533: An Aspire One 533 netbook could have either an Intel Atom N455 or an Intel Atom N475 processor, whereas the Aspire One D260 has the Aspire One N450 processor (except one version that has the N475 Atom processor). Both netbook models are on the Pineview platform; thus, they have basically the same battery life.

The AOD260 is like an AO533 without the built-in Bluetooth connectivity (Bluetooth v3.0 HS is on select versions of the AO533), the DDR3 SDRAM (only the N475 AOD260 netbook version has DDR3 SDRAM) and the anti-slip touchpad.

AOD260 versus AO521: At first glance, the Aspire One D260 also looks like a doppelganger of the Aspire One 521. Although these two netbooks have different specifications (the AO521 is on the AMD platform, for one), they both have a (similar but not identical) flake pattern on the cover. Admittedly, though, the AOD260 looks much more stylish than the AO521.

The Verdict: How the Aspire One D260 Measures Up with other Aspire Ones

All of above comparisons just prove one thing. The Aspire One D260 looks special but has more or less the same specs as the rest of the Aspire Ones. It does have the improvements found in the newer Aspire One models. That is to say, it is thin, it is light, and it comes with the conveniently small Acer MiniGo Adapter. It also has a nearly full-size keyboard, a Kensington lock slot, BIOS password protection, and Energy Star Certification.

Nevertheless, the AOD260 doesn’t have the advanced features found in other newer Acer netbooks. If you want extras like HD video capability, HDMI video outputting, the newest Bluetooth version, and Gigabit LAN, there are much better Aspire One netbooks out there.

If you want smooth HD video streaming, HDMI outputting to HD-capable displays and Gigabit LAN connectivity, get an AO521 or an AO721. If you want high-speed Bluetooth v3.0, get an AO521 or an AO533 (select versions only).

The Aspire One D260 Netbooks Guide and Comparison Chart

If you’re set on an Aspire One D260 but are unsure about which AOD260 version to buy, read on. This AOD260 netbooks comparison section will help you choose the best netbook version from amongst those available in the US.

On using this AOD260 netbooks comparison guide:

1. Use Section I to familiarize yourself with all Aspire One D260 netbook versions in the US.
2. Use Section II to verify that the AOD260 netbook model does have all of the specifications you want in a netbook.
3. Use Section III to learn the differences among the AOD260 netbook versions and to identify your preferred specs.

On a blank piece of paper, write down the specifications on which the AOD260 versions vary (e.g. color, processor, RAM type, storage capacity, etc.) according to your preferred order. For instance, if the processor is your main deciding factor, put processor on top of the list.

Beside each specification, write down your preferred option. For instance, the AOD260 netbook is available in 4 colors: black, charcoal, pink, aquamarine, and purple. If you want a pink netbook, write “pink” beside the specification, “color.”

This step will make choosing a netbook much easier. All you have to do is browse through the following section (the netbooks comparison chart) and pick the netbook with your preferred specifications. To use the earlier example, if you really want a pink netbook, all you’ll have to do is choose among all the pink netbooks in the netbooks comparison chart. You can then disregard other netbook versions that don’t have your preferred color.

4. Use Section IV to make your final version selection. All you have to do at this point is choose the netbook that has all or most of your preferred specifications (as indicated in the list you made in step 3).

I. The Different Acer Aspire One D260 Netbook Versions

At the time of writing and as per the US Acer website, there are 13 versions of the Aspire One D260 netbook. They are the following:

• AOD260-2028
• AOD260-2203
• AOD260-2207
• AOD260-2344
• AOD260-2365
• AOD260-2380
• AOD260-2440
• AOD260-2455
• AOD260-2571
• AOD260-2576
• AOD260-2680
• AOD260-2919
• AOD260-23797

II. Summary of Similarities among Acer Aspire One D260 Netbook Versions

The following are the standard specifications of the Acer Aspire One D260 netbook:

Display: 10.1-inch (1024 x 600) 200-nitere TFT LCD
Chipset: Mobile Intel NM10 Express
Graphics: Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150
WLAN: 802.11 b/g/n
LAN: 10/100 Mb
Bluetooth:None onboard (note: in other countries, AOD260 netbooks have integrated high-speed Bluetooth v3.0 support)
Webcam: 1.3 MP
Features: BIOS password, dual display support, MiniGo AC Adapter, integrated stereo speakers, integrated digital mic, multi-gesture touchpad, Energy Star certification
USB Ports: 3 USB 2.0 ports
Card Reader: 6-in-1 card reader
Other Jacks / Ports: VGA port, headphone/speaker/line-out jack, microphone jack, Ethernet LAN port, Kensington lock slot
Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches, 2.8 lb. with 6-cell battery
Acer warranty: 1-year limited warranty

III. Summary of Differences among Acer Aspire One D260 Netbook Versions

The following are the specifications on which the 13 versions of the AOD260 vary:

Processor: An AOD260 can have the Intel Atom N450 processor or the Intel Atom N475 processor. Among the 13 Aspire One D260 versions, 12 have the Intel Atom N450 (512KB L2 cache, 1.66GHz) processor. Only 1 has the Intel Atom N475 (512KB L2 cache, 1.83GHz) processor.
Operating System: An AOD260 ships with either a Windows 7 Starter or a Windows XP Home Edition operating system. Among the 13 AOD260 netbook versions, 12 have the Windows 7 Starter operating system. Only 1 has the Windows XP Home Edition OS.
RAM: All Aspire One D260 netbooks in the US have 1GB RAM capacity. Among the 13 AOD260 versions, 12 have DDR2 667 SDRAM, while 1 has DDR3 SDRAM.
Storage: An Acer Aspire One D260 netbook can have either a 160GB or a 250GB hard drive. Seven of the 13 versions have a 160GB hard drive, while the remaining 6 have a 250GB hard drive.
Battery: The AOD260 can have a 3-cell battery or a 6-cell battery. The 3-cell (4400mAh) battery provides an estimated unplugged life of 4 hours. The 6-cell (4400mAh) battery provides an estimated unplugged life of 8 hours. Among the 13 AOD260 versions, 6 have the 3-cell battery, while 7 have the 6-cell battery.
Color: There are 5 color options in the US: Pink, Aquamarine, Black, Charcoal, and Purple.

*Important note on RAM upgrades: In the Acer Support website, Acer makes the following statement:

While the Aspire One AOD260 series supports a total of 2GB of DDR2 or DDR3 RAM (depending on system CPU and configuration), due to the design of the netbook the RAM on the Aspire One AOD260 series is not replaceable and Acer does not support upgrading or replacing the RAM.

In other words, if you want to upgrade your AOD260 netbook’s RAM to its full capacity of 2GB, you can’t expect any form of assistance from Acer. You’re pretty much on your own, and you’ll have to do the RAM upgrading yourself – at the risk, of course, of potentially nullifying your warranty.

IV. Acer Aspire One D260 Netbooks Comparison Chart

Important note: Netbook prices often change. The prices listed herein are the netbooks’ list prices at the time of writing. Please follow the link to the online store specified to see the most recent prices.

[*] This is the cost of the netbook ($309.99) plus the cost of shipping ($8.25) at the time of writing.

Related posts:

1. Acer Aspire One 521 10.1-Inch Netbooks Comparison and Guide
2. Acer Aspire One 533 10.1-Inch Netbooks Comparison and Guide
3. Acer Aspire One 531h 10.1-Inch Netbooks Comparison and Guide
4. Acer Aspire One P531h 10.1-Inch Netbooks Comparison and Guide
5. Acer Aspire One D150 10.1-Inch Netbooks Comparison and Guide

Filed under: Acer Aspire One Netbooks, Netbooks Comparison