Netbook Review - Acer Aspire One 522
We present to your attention a multimedia 10-inch netbook - Acer Aspire One 522. This device is built on the latest platform - AMD Brazos, is equipped with a screen with HD-resolution and is equipped with an HDMI-connector.
Appearance and ergonomics
The top cover of the netbook is finished in glossy green plastic, and in the center there is a large logo applied under a transparent layer of silver paint. The base of the case is made entirely of practical matte plastic. The test configuration is equipped with a compact 3-cell battery with a capacity of 25 Wh for a total netbook weight of 1.7 kg. As for the interfaces, here on the left side of the case, in addition to the usual 3x USB, Ethernet (LAN) and D-Sub (VGA), there is also an HDMI output, which is a rarity for such laptops. The display bezel is glossy, the entire keyboard and the upper part of the working area are finished with matte plastic, and the surface under the palm is made of slightly rough green plastic. The netbook is designed in the style typical of this line, while outwardly, it most of all resembles the model - Aspire One D255, the only noticeable difference is the touchpad key, in the Aspire One 522 it is made of slightly embossed plastic (versus the glossy one in the D255), which is much more convenient to use. It should be noted that the package includes a compact power supply. Also, in addition to the presented green, a black version of the case design is also available.
Functionality
As we already said, the netbook is based on the hardware platform - AMD Brazos, which has hardware support for HD video and relatively good energy efficiency. The test model is equipped with a dual-core processor - Ontario C-50 with an operating frequency of 1.0 GHz, as well as an integrated video adapter - AMD Radeon HD 6250 (256 MB). The overall system performance of this solution is comparable to dual-core netbooks based on processors - Atom N550, but in 3D applications the results are noticeably higher. Despite the fact that the maximum level of heat dissipation of the netbook is only 9 W, in full load mode it was able to work only 1.5 hours, and in reading mode - less than three hours. In such low indicators of autonomy, first of all, it is worth blaming - the battery is cut down (in volume) by half.
The glossy 10-inch screen has an unusually high resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, which is exactly the same as HD 720p content. The image quality is average, the glossy finish of the screen spoils the impression a little. The ergonomics of the matte keyboard and compact touchpad are typical of the Aspire One line. The cooling system is practically silent. There were no critical remarks about the netbook during operation.
conclusions
The Acer Aspire One 522 is a 10-inch netbook based on the AMD Brazos platform, which will be a very good choice for the role of a compact multimedia center. Its advantages: high (as for this class of netbooks) performance in 3D, a screen with HD-resolution and HDMI-out. The only noticeable drawback is not the highest autonomy from a 3-cell battery.
