Acer announces Aspire M3 and Aspire V5 laptops with touchscreens (update: hands-on photos)
Acer announces Aspire M3 and Aspire V5 laptops with touchscreens (update: hands-on photos)
In case you haven't noticed, there are two kinds of Windows 8 devices on display at IFA this week: laptop / tablet hybrids, and already-announced laptops, refreshed to include touchscreens. Acer's newest two Ultrabooks fall into that second category: the company just announced touch-enabled versions of its Aspire M3 Ultrabook and Aspire V5 thin-and-light. For now, Acer isn't saying a word about price or availability, so for now you'll have to be content with a few spec details, all embedded after the break.
Update: We've added some more pictures of Acer's new touch-friendly Ultrabooks in the flesh.
Acer Aspire M3 Touch Ultrabook hands-on
Starting with the Aspire M3 Touch, it has a frameless, 15.6-inch screen, and the same aluminum design as the older M3. Thanks to that touchscreen, though, its chassis has widened to 22mm thick (the weight is now 2.3kg, or 5.07 pounds). On the inside, though, not much has changed: it will still be offered with Ivy Bridge processors and discrete NVIDIA graphics -- in this case, a GeForce GT640M GPU.Acer Aspire V5 Touch hands-on
It's a similar story with the Aspire V5 Touch laptops, which wi ll be sold with 14- and 15-inch screens. Here, too, the design resembles already-available V5 laptops, except these have a little extra heft due to touchscreen. Also, the touchpads are said to be larger this time around. Now, they measure a little under 23mm thick, and weigh 2.1kg and 2.4kg, respectively. Though the V5 has always been low-end compared to the M3, it offers potentially similar horsepower, with Ivy Bridge CPUs and discrete NVIDIA graphics.
Mat Smith and Joseph Volpe contributed to this report.
Show full PR text Acer Aspire M3 touch Series
Excellent touch experience in a powerful Ultrabook®
Berlin, Germany (August 31, 2012) –Improving on a device that is already ultra-thin, ultra-light, powerful and rich with features designed to enhance the user experience is quite a challenge. A challenge that Acer took on. The Acer Aspire M3 sports a 10-point touch display that provides a brilliant navigation exp erience and is ready to support Windows 8.
In an extremely thin and light package - just 22 mm thin for a mere 2.3 kg of weight – the Aspire M3 packs a beautiful, frameless 15.6-inch display offering a larger viewing area for a full web browsing experience and greater multimedia enjoyment.
The Aspire M3's smart, yet stylish design is an ideal fit whether inside a meeting room or a café, while the latest Intel® Core™ processor and dedicated graphics make it an excellent choice for gaming enthusiasts. The Aspire M3 is the first Acer Ultrabook® to pack a next-generation NVIDIA® GeForce® GT640M GPU to enjoy the latest graphics-intensive games with ultimate detail, smooth curves, and life-like animation. Not to mention the flawless streaming of Internet video and movies.
A nimble and swift machine, the Aspire M3 lets you easily handle your daily tasks as well as relax with a movie or a game. To add to the overa ll experience, the M3 flaunts Dolby® Home Theater® v4 audio enhancement and premium speakers.
In the Acer Timeline notebook series long battery life is standard and the M3 is no exception, offering a full day of productivity and entertainment on a single charge. What's more, it keeps up with your pace, thanks to Acer Green Instant-On, which springs to life and resumes from sleep mode in just 1.5 seconds. In addition, Acer Instant Connect reconnects to favorite access points in 2.5 seconds.
Encased in an elegant dark chassis made of aluminum alloy to increase durability, the Aspire M3 houses a responsive chiclet keyboard with a numeric keypad for a fast and comfortable typing experience, while the oversized touchpad offers more precise control. The built-in battery seamlessly integrates in the design enhancing its minimalist, modern look.
Acer Aspire V5 touch Series
Slender and light with 10-point touch display
Berlin, Germany (August 31, 2012) –Acer Aspire V5 Series presents added user-friendliness with 10-point touch display and a larger trackpad, designed to enhance multi-gesture content consumption and to take advantage of the features offered by Windows 8. This new range of thin and light notebooks suits users looking for impressive performance, thermal comfort, cool style, and more convenient mobile usability.
The current trend is towards thinner and lighter notebooks that allow users to enjoy both entertainment and content creation anytime, anywhere. The V5 Series notebooks are all 30% slimmer than the same class in 2-spindle design with DVD and ergonomic thermal so they're extremely easy to handle on the go. The 14-inch model includes an optical drive and still is less than 21 mm thin and weights 2.1 kg; the 15.6-inch model, also with an optical drive, is thinner than 23 mm, and weighs 2.4 kg.
Powerful Intel® Core™ family proces sors and renowned NVIDIA® GeForce® GT Series graphics deliver excellent performance for impressive daily multitasking and content creation, while the HD ready 10-point touch display offers multimedia enjoyment and optimizes the touch experience.
A smart power management and component layout optimizes acoustics and thermal comfort without compromising performance. These notebooks can be used quietly and comfortably on the lap whether you are working or enjoying your favorite entertainment. ENERGY STAR® qualified, the V5 Series conserves power to help you be environment-friendly.
Easy to use on the go, the V5 Series features Acer Instant Connect, which automatically scans and registers most-visited access points, letting users connect to the Internet in just 2.5 seconds, which is four times faster than conventional methods.
Users can enjoy all-round mobility with LAN/VGA combo port to easily extend connectivity online and exte rnal display from one cable. Sharing files among other digital devices is also quick and easy via USB 3.0 ports.
The cool, fluid design has smooth surfaces that make this notebook comfortable to the touch. The full-size chiclet keyboard and large click-pad are well-placed and ergonomic for easy navigation and enhanced productivity. The new range of Aspire V5 is ultra-slim and modern with a cool design, available in a selection of appealing colors.
Users can enjoy all-round mobility with LAN/VGA combo port to easily extend connectivity online and external display from one cable. Sharing files among other digital devices is also quick and easy via USB 3.0 ports.
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