Acer Aspire One 751h

Processor: 1.33GHz Intel Atom Z520
Memory: 1GB RAM
Storage: 160GB hard drive
Optical Drive: None
Screen: 11.6 inches (1,366x768 native resolution)
Graphics: Integrated Intel GMA 500
Weight: 3 pounds
Dimensions (HWD): 1x11.2x7.8 inches
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition

The appeal of the new Aspire One 751h is not so much what this netbook adds to Acer's netbook line, although we do like its roomy 11.6-inch screen and new slim design. Rather, the most significant update is what it does away with. Gone is the trademark cramped Aspire One 89-percent-wide keyboard, replaced by a full-width model that's a pleasure to type on.

The Aspire One 751h ($449 in our test configuration) actually feels less bulky than its smaller-screen predecessors, thanks to its slim, inch-thick design. The 10.1-inch-screened Aspire One AOD150, by comparison, is 1.3 inches thick. And the Aspire One 751h is just a tenth of a pound heavier than the AOD150, at three pounds with Acer's six-cell battery. (The unit comes standard with a three-cell battery; the six-cell is an optional upgrade that was factored into the $449 cost of our test unit.) The new case has a slick, two-tone design, with a glossy black exterior and gunmetal silver surrounding the keyboard. White, blue, and red models are available as well. The removable six-cell battery on the unit we reviewed juts out the back of the notebook at a slight downward angle; the standard three-cell battery inserts flush with the case.

The standout design feature on the Aspire One 751h is its bright, colorful 11.6-inch LED-backlit screen. With its 1,366x768 native resolution, this 16-to-9-aspect-ratio screen offers significantly more screen space than the 1,024x576 and 1,024x600 screens found on 10.1-inch netbooks. This equates to more horizontal room for toolbars or multiple windows, and even better, less vertical scrolling. Its expansiveness makes the netbook experience feel much less like a compromise. The only downside of the screen is its glossy surface, which is very reflective.

Also welcome is the full-size keyboard. At just over 10.5 inches wide, and outfitted with full-size Shift, Enter, and Backspace keys and no layout peculiarities, it's a pleasure to type on. The keys are large and flat—a Chiclet design, but with barely any space between the keys—but we found them as comfortable to type on as traditional sculpted keys. Below the keyboard you'll find a touch pad that's small but that supports a wide range of multitouch features.