Acer Intros Thin, Long-Lasting Timeline Laptops
Hailed as "featherweight notebooks that can give you an entire day of computing on a single charge," the Aspire Timeline series has re-engineered the way power is used in a laptop, basically making the entire system more efficient, lighter and less harmful to the environment. In fact, users can supposedly squeeze up to eight hours of life from a full charge, though we suspect that's under "ideal circumstances." The new line also comes equipped with Acer's Smart Power key, described as "the gateway to power on-demand."
The new series starts with 13.3", 14.1" and 15.6" versions, all of which include LED-backlit widescreen displays (1366 x 768 resolution), 1" thick (maximum) enclosures, multi-touch trackpads, HDMI outputs and processors from Intel's ULV (ultra low voltage) line. Timelines are also blessed with Dolby Sound Room technology to extract faux surround sound from any pair of speakers or headphones, and there's also a glossy FineTip keyboard with keys that are larger and spaced farther apart than the usual cramped layout.
Acer really stepped up the game with the periperhal touches here, noting that it worked hand-in-hand with Intel to produce a new cooling system that keeps the system from melting your lap. There are also a line of touch-sensitive hot keys strewn across the top, room for an optional SSD and even built-in Wi-Fi and WiMAX wireless modules. Acer isn't spilling details on pricing nor availability, but we speak for pretty much everyone in wishing that would change. Soon.