Having a laptop is convenient. Lugging it around isn’t, though. Sometimes these portable machines can be as heavy as a brick. Would you carry a brick around, even in the name of work? A tablet can do a lot of the functions of a PC — just not enough of them. Acer America is combining the superpowers of both products into the Aspire S7 series.
According to Acer, the Aspire S7 is the world’s thinnest touch ultrabook. And who are we to judge? The unit has a tablet-like design, measuring about .47 inches thin and weighing in at just 2.29 pounds. However, it’s also a lot more durable than a tablet, thanks to an all-aluminum unibody design.
Besides the good looks, the Aspire S7 has a lot of must-have features, including a high-def IPS 10-point touchscreen with a 1920 x 1080 resolution, as well as the new Windows 8 operating system, Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, 4GB of RAM, and two 64GB SSDs. Of course, there are plenty of tweaks to be had, including the actual screen size. Acer will offer two options, with the 13.3-inch model packing in a glossy white Gorilla Glass 2 cover. The 11.6-incher features an all-aluminum unibody and aluminum cover, with an elegant cross direction brushed finish.
Other features on both models include 178-degree viewing angles, the new “TwinAir” cooling system, and a redesigned light-sensing backlit keyboard. Each one also comes with an embedded Li-Polymer battery for up to 6 hours of use or you can add the optional second battery to double the fun.
The Aspire S7 is also quite the hub, with two USB 3.0 ports, a micro-HDMI out with HDCP support, one headphone/microphone-in jack, and a DC-in jack for your AC adapter for power.
“Acer took a fresh approach to the design and development of the Aspire S7, using premium construction methods and materials,” said Sumit Agnihotry, Acer’s vice president of product marketing. “We also used cutting-edge manufacturing processes that are not typically used in the PC industry, but were necessary to achieve the high-level of engineering and design quality we set for the S7.”
According to Acer, the Aspire S7 begins shipping October 26, 2012. The 11.6-inch model starts at $1,199, with the 13.3-incher starting at $1,399.
