What’s the next step for the netbook? If these sneaked pictures are to be believed, the tiny machines are going slimline, making them even more purse-friendly.

This is the new Acer Aspire One, spotted by a reader of the German news site Netbook News. Thankfully, the anonymous tipster broke the cardinal rule for leaked product shots — he actually managed to keep the camera still and take sharp pictures.

The specs are all netbook-standard, from the N270 1.6 GHz Atom chip to the 160GB hard drive. But the difference is the thickness, at 2.4cm (0.94”). That’s not exactly MacBook Air thin, but it’s pretty decent for a netbook. Looks-wise, we’re reminded of nothing so much as the pre-metal PowerBooks, a delightfully retro touch.

Being a leak, there are no launch dates but curiously the anonymous tipster has furnished us with a full set of specifications, which you’ll find machine translated below along with some more snaps of the skinny new shell.

Acer Aspire One ‘Slimline’ BA01 - Technical data, photos & first impressions [NetBook News via Slashgear]