Acer Moves Forward in Time
by Dustin Sklavos on June 9, 2011 11:50 AM ESTAcer Moves Forward in Time
Acer's popular TimelineX line of notebooks has undergone a refresh to Sandy Bridge and brought a healthy number of upgrades to the hardware with them, including a major (and much appreciated) change to the keyboard. With models topping out at just 1.15" thick and 5.6 pounds in the case of the 15.6" model, these notebooks are made for performance in a thin-and-light form factor. So what is Acer bringing to the table today?
Their TimelineX line of thin-and-light notebooks is being released in 13.1", 14", and 15.6" models. Acer's press release is a bit cagey on details for the specific models (except to cite model numbers and weight), but there's some impressive engineering at work here. The 13.1" 3830T tips the scales at 4.12 pounds, while the 14" 4830T weighs in at 4.88 pounds and the "big daddy" 5830T remains a relatively svelte 5.6 pounds. Each of the notebooks comes equipped with an HD webcam with a 1280x1024 resolution, Intel 2nd Gen Core i3 or i5 processors, gigabit Ethernet, and 802.11b/g/n wireless networking. The 14" and 15.6" models also include integrated optical drives.
What's most appreciated (at least to me) is the change to a chiclet-style keyboard instead of the dire floating island keyboards that have plagued older Acer notebooks, but what may be most interesting to the rest of you is the inclusion of NVIDIA dedicated graphics. While we wouldn't expect the 13.1" model to sport anything other than the IGP, Acer has announced that the GeForce GT 520M and GT 540M would both be available in the new TimelineX notebooks.
Acer expects the notebooks to be available in retailers starting today with an MSRP starting at just $599.
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TrackSmart - Thursday, June 9, 2011 - link
I had an 11.6" Acer. It was netbook-sized, but with a full sized keyboard and a much higher resolution screen (1366x768). Sure the keyboard may have been a little flat, but after a short period of adjustment I had no problem with it. I don't think most of the MacBook style island keyboard are any better. And I'd prefer a ThinkPad-like keyboard to any of these. Dustin clearly has a special hatred for the former acer-style keyboard. I'd recommend everyone try before you buy, if possible.Roland00 - Thursday, June 9, 2011 - link
The problem is not typing on it itself, but the keyboard is extremely easy to break, bend, and get dirt/other objects under the keys. It does all this while at the same time giving an inferior to average typing experience. It has little redeeming featuresVivekGowri - Thursday, June 9, 2011 - link
I had two of the 11.6" Acers, plus a couple of the netbooks, in for review. Seriously, awful keyboard. Granted, a Core 2-based ultraportable for $399 was unheard of two years ago, so it made sense that they would have to make some cuts. The keyboard was probably the worst, but Acer has a rep for making terrible keyboards...it wasn't surprising.TrackSmart - Friday, June 10, 2011 - link
Vivek, I don't argue that the keyboard was good, as it certainly wasn't. Just that I've been similarly displeased with the competition's normal island-style keyboards. Mostly, I'm highly amused by the great vitriol that Dustin uses to describe the Acer keyboards!MonkeyPaw - Thursday, June 9, 2011 - link
Yeah, we have a first edition timeline with a single core penryn. I like the build quality, but I am not as big a fan of the screen. I would still buy one again though. Maybe Acer should build one with an e350. I would be all over it.aldiswilson - Saturday, June 25, 2011 - link
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tynopik - Thursday, June 9, 2011 - link
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