Acer Timelines Notebooks Promise Long Life, Cool Laps

Acer's new flagship Timeline notebooks aim to revolutionize notebook computing with long run times...and cooling technology that makes them usable on (gasp!) laps.

Computer maker Acer has taken the wraps off its new line of Timeline notebook computers that the company claims will revolutionize mobile computing through extended battery life—as much as 8 hours, or 10 hours with an SSD drive—ultra low-power processors, and cooling technology that makes the systems actually comfortable to use (gasp!) on a lap. And the systems will offer a WiMax mobile broadband option for folks who need to have high-speed mobile Internet wherever they go…or, at least, wherever they go in Portland and Baltimore, at the moment.

“Acer has always focused on bringing leading-edge technology to its customers regardless of market conditions” said Acer president and CEO Gianfranco Lanci, in a statement. “As a result, our customers expect longer battery life, thin and light form factors and great processing technology at an affordable price. With the Aspire Timeline series and our partnership with Intel and their ultra low voltage Intel Core 2 Duo solutions, we are confident we have exceeded our customers’ expectations once again.”

The Timeline series will be available with 13.3, 14, and 15.6-inch 1,366 by 768-pixel LCD displays driven by Intel integrated graphics; under the hood, the systems will sport ulta-low pwer Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400 or Intel Core 2 Solo SU3500 processors, support for up to 4 GB of RAM, hard disks up to 500 GB or an 80 GB SSD, a 5-in-1 media card reader, an 8× SuperMulti DVD burner (except for the 13.3-inch model), and 802.11/b/g/n Wi-Fi. The systems will sport gigabit Ethernet and be available with mobile broadband options, including UMTS/HSDPA and GSM/GPRS/EDGE connectivity or WiMax, for folks lucky enough to be in areas where WiMax service has already lit up. The notebooks also offer a Webcam, HDMI and VGA video output, three USB 2.0 ports, S/PDIFG support, and autio line in/out. The Timelines’ trackpads support touch controls like pinch-action zoom and circular motion scrolling… but the best part might be the dimensions, coming in at just 24mm at its thinnest point—and the heaviest of the bunch is just 5.3 pounds.

Although Acer hasn’t announced availability details, it has unveiled pricing information: Timeline notebooks are expected to start between $699 and $899.