Apple's MacBook Air is known as being one of the thinnest laptops in the world. As it turns out, this title is not really for MacBook Air as Acer Aspire S5 takes the crown for this title.

The Acer Aspire S5 was first introduced to the public at CES 2012 and its dimensions reveal that it is certainly one of thinnest netbooks around. It has dimensions of 12.77 x 8.95 x 0.59 and weighs around 2.65 lbs while the MacBook Air has dimensions of of 11.8 x 7.56 x 0.68 and weighs around 2.38 lbs. This leads to the inevitablet yet important question: Which is the better netbook between the two?

In order to answer this question, it would be best to take a look at the technical specifications and features of each netbook:

Acer Aspire S5

Display: 13.3 inch LED backlight with 1366 x 768 (HD) maximum resolution

Processor: 1.9GHz Intel Core i7-3517U

Memory: 4GB, 1333MHz DDR3

Operating Software: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)

Wireless: 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.0

Battery: 35 - 50 WHr lithium-polymer battery

Selling Price: Starts at US$1,399

MacBook Air

Display: 11.6-inch or 13.3-inch (diagonal) high-resolution LED-backlit glossy widescreen

Processor: 1.7GHz - 1.8GHz dual-core Intel Core i5

Memory: 4GB of 1600MHz DDR3L onboard memory

Operating Software: OS X Lion (Upgradeable to OS X Mountain Lion)

Wireless: 802.11n Wi-Fi wireless networking3; IEEE 802.11a/b/g compatibleBluetooth 4.0 wireless technology

Battery: 35 - 50 WHr lithium-polymer battery

Selling Price: Starts at AU$1,099

The Verdict

The Acer Aspire S5 is certainly one of the thinnest netbooks in the market and the reason for this is that it hides its ports in order to maintain a sleek design. This port door is called the "MagicFlip I/O Port" and it hides the a ports-and-connections block, including HDMI and Thunderbolt. This is a great idea provided that it does not backfire because one it does, it could be a potential problem. There is also the problem with the keyboard as it is not backlit and the battery life is not that sustainable. Despite these flaws, the Acer Aspire S5 is a solid netbook that can perform well and quickly.If compared to MacBook Air, the Acer Aspire S5 can stand on its own in terms of performance and speed. In terms of battery life, MacBook Air still takes the crown as it is capable for up to 30 days of standby time. Having a backlit keyboard also helps a lot in scoring a point against Acer Aspire S5.

Another thing that should be considered is the selling price. The Acer Aspire S5 has a selling price of US$1,099 which is a little bit higher as compared to the selling price of MacBook Air in the U.S. which starts at around US$999 to US$1,499.00. If you are not really a fan of MacBook Air, then purchasing the Aspire S5 would be a good option. However, if comparing the technical specifications and features of both, the best best would be purchasing a MacBook Air.