Laptops Arena

The Atom processor is probably one of the weakest types of processors on the market. When we think about Atom notebook reviews, the first thing that should come to mind is definitely netbooks. Netbooks are the most common mini notebooks that use Atom processor because since the unit is so small, it must have weak components inside as better and more powerful components generate a lot of heat which is unacceptable in the cramped space of a netbook’s unit.

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In order to better explain this issue, we have looked though some Atom notebook reviews and chosen the Acer Aspire One netbook for better understanding. This 8.9 inch laptop is based on a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 processor and 1 GB of RAM. It has a hard drive with a storage capacity of 120 GB. When it comes to the performance of this mini notebook, you can never expect too much from notebook that have Intel Atom processors.



The unit is basically useful for the regular tasks like surfing the internet, working on documents and even watching a couple of movies. Netbooks were generally built for portability reasons as they are small and lightweight, permitting the user to carry it around without being disturbed about the weight or size of the unit.

Using integrated and low quality graphics card, it’s pretty common for these mini notebook not have any gaming performances. But what is the advantage of having an Intel Atom processor and other weak components for that matter. Well, we have already established that there is no way we can put dual core processors and nVidia graphics card inside a small unit as proper ventilation would become almost impossible and the heat output would lead to severe and quick damage of all the part inside.

Another huge advantage about having weak components is that you get much better performance out of the battery life. It is but a logical deduction that more powerful components will really stress out the battery while weaker components are automatically less demanding. The Acer Aspire One is not the best example of a netbook with great battery life but other models, like the Dell Mini 10 will almost be able to get you through a day’s work without having to connect the power adapter to the unit. In the case of the Acer Aspire One, the battery manages to survive only 2 hours and 25 with the display brightness adjusted to 60% and while surfing the internet with the wireless card enabled.



There is one logical explanation for the weak battery performance: this is a 3 cell battery. You can always pay an extra fee and go with the 6 cell battery which is bound to give you about 4 hours of netbook usage. The main advantage that the Acer Aspire One offers compared to all other similar laptops is that it has to be the cheapest Atom notebook on the market. The starting price of the unit is somewhere around $399 but it will add up depending on the extra features that you choose for your particular unit.