Acer Aspire 751 11.6-inch netbook revealed

After just one year the netbook market is already overcrowded, with a bewildering array of models available. If existing 7-inch machines are too small, 12-inch netbooks too big, and 8.9, 10.1 and 10.2-inch models too in the middle, then Acer believes it’s Aspire One 751 netbook is the perfect choice for you.

The Aspire One 751 is the first netbook to feature an 11.6-inch screen, further diminishing the sublime portability seen on the earliest machines, but once again raising the bar when it comes to usability.

It’s not all bad on the size front, as the large bezel often found surrounding the screen on rivals has been replaced by suave, thin strips of plastic, with the display filling most of the width. The 11.6-inch LED panel also has a key advantage over smaller rivals – a WXGA resolution – offering more real estate on screen and the possibility of viewing websites without loads of scrolling.

The keyboard also looks a lot bigger than rivals, although it remains to be seen what sort of usability is on offer. Our main concern is the thin-looking touchpad and narrow strip of a mouse button – similar in style to HP’s Compaq Mini 703EA and Dell’s Mini 10 – which on both machines proved slightly too shallow for comfortable use.

Other features are standard netbook fair, including an Intel Atom processor, although the standard 6-cell battery should at least offer a decent working life and good mobility.

Whether there’s a market for yet another, larger netbook remains to be seen, but the design of the Aspire One 751 certainly looks well executed, and a price of around £349 (inc. VAT) puts it firmly in the middle of the pack for affordability.

Available towards the end of May, visit Acer for more information.