New Acer Aspire TimelineX Laptops
by Balraj Sandhu on September 27, 2010 12:01 AM ESTNew Acer Aspire TimelineX Laptops
Acer is launching a series of new notebooks in their Aspire TimelineX range boasting mobile form factors, Intel Arrandale processors, and up to 8 hours of battery life. These new models come in a variety of sizes, starting with an ultra low voltage 11.6" model. 13.3", 14" and 15.6" models with full voltage processors are also available.
All models feature Acer's CineCrystal 16:9 LED-backlit displays with a 1366x768 resolution, a claimed 8 hours of battery life, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit. Connectivity wise, all models have an HDMI port, VGA port, up to four USB 2.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, and WiFi 802.11b/g/n. They all feature 1.3MP webcams with integrated microphones, a multi-format card reader and trackpads with gesture support.
The most interesting model is the Acer Aspire 1830T, which features an 11.6" display and Intel's recently announced ultra low voltage Core i7-680UM running at 1.46GHz, but turbo boosting itself to a nippy 2.53GHz. Like all the mobile dual-core parts, it also includes Hyper-Threading and integrated graphics with a TDP of 18W.
The 1830T weighs in at 3.09lbs with an 11.22" x 8.03" x 1.10" footprint and features a "full size" keyboard. Included in the compact chassis is 4GB DDR3 SDRAM, a 500GB HDD and integrated Bluetooth, but there's no space for an optical drive. Unfortunately, all this doesn't come cheaply, with this specification carrying a suggested retail price of $900. Fortunately, cheaper configurations with ultra low voltage Intel Core i3 or i5 processors start at a more reasonable $600.
Acer has also updated the rest of the TimelineX range. The 3820T features a 13.3" display and Intel Core i3 or i5 processors in a chassis weighing in at 3.97lbs. It comes with 3GB or 4GB DDR3 SDRAM (upgradeable to 8GB) and up to 320GB HDD storage.
Acer's larger models feature a more complete computing experience with integrated DVD drives, Intel Core i3 or i5 processors, up to 4GB DDR3 SDRAM (upgradeable to 8GB) and up to 500GB HDD storage. The TimelineX 4820T packs these features into a 4.65lbs chassis with a 14" display, while the TimelineX 5820T has identical features but in a 5.5lbs chassis with a 15.6" display and an integrated numeric pad. Both start at $700.
Acer is also offering additional models based on the 14" 4820T called 4820TG, with the "G" presumably standing for Graphics, as they pair an AMD Mobility Radeon HD5650 GPU with an Intel Core i5-460M for those looking to do some gaming on the move. These models will allow users to switch back to the integrated GPU to save on battery life when required, and will start at $800. While the 11.6" ultra low voltage Core i7 model grabs the interest, the capable midrange models with DirectX 11 support will probably be most relevant to consumers and seem to offer a decent level of performance without any major sacrifices.
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chrnochime - Tuesday, September 28, 2010 - link
If it's so important do it on the PC at home. And if it's really that important RAID should be used already. Software RAID doesn't count, so where the RAID on your laptop??AnnonymousCoward - Tuesday, September 28, 2010 - link
"if it's so important, do it at home!"--that is such a weak and stupid argument.RAID? Who's talking about hard drives?
narayanagame - Tuesday, September 28, 2010 - link
yes pixel count is important.1366x768 has obviously more pixel density that 1280x800 which u want.moreover 16:9 is the way to go for mutimedia content watching.use common sense when i said mutlimedia savvy ppl.that extra 38 pixels is of no use at all if u consider the advantages of widescreen display nowadays especially
AnnonymousCoward - Monday, September 27, 2010 - link
...and 87% more 4:3 area (there's a lot of 4:3 content out there)...and 45% more vertical web browser content space
narayanagame - Tuesday, September 28, 2010 - link
90% of the content of videos is in 16:9 ratio now,4:3 ratio is outdated.tell me one movie,tv show or any video that is coming out 4:3 from last 2yrsyes web browsing ll obviously be more better in normal 4:3 laptops but u get extra width than 4:3.
anyway those are not the real world uses i can think of with non 16:9 displays.that work can be done without a prob on 16:9 displays
AnnonymousCoward - Tuesday, September 28, 2010 - link
>tell me one movie,tv show or any video that is coming out 4:3 from last 2yrsLast 2 years: how about all digital pictures and a significant chunk of youtube videos. Then add Family Guy, all TV prior to a couple years ago, video game emulators, and Diablo 2.
Aren't movies 1.85, anyway? How many people actually watch movies on laptops? And why would that mean that everyone should have to settle with 16:9? I never watch movies. As for 4:3 vs 16:10, at 14" that changed 1400x1050 to 1440x900--gaining 40 pixels wide for a loss of 150 vertical. Bad deal. 16:9 sucks even worse. So would you rather have 1.85 instead of 16:9 since it fits movies better? What about 2.39?
narayanagame - Thursday, October 28, 2010 - link
ha good reasoning but what the reasons you are using the laptop is not everyone uses for.u complaining about not watching movies on laptop??
thats the most absurd thing i have heard of,everybody watches movies infact 90% do watch movies on their laptops.may be u dont watch but that doesnt mean other wont watch,this laptop isn't made specifically for you and it targets wide audience.
even apple who use 16:10 displays came with 16:9 display for 11.6inch air,that itself is an indication where the future is going.
the things u said about youtube videos,family guy are nothing compared to the content that is available in widescreen resolution.
would somebody choose a laptop thats does 10% of the work in day to day life rather than 90% of work??
chrnochime - Tuesday, September 28, 2010 - link
And we're supposed to take your word as the definitive truth because you actually work for one of these Laptop company? Or do you actually work for one of the reputable site or independent firm that isn't sponsored by one of the companies? If none of the above, WTH??nbjknk - Thursday, November 25, 2010 - link
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Thursday, 21 October 2010 at 9:48 PM
xSauronx - Tuesday, September 28, 2010 - link
Im typing this on the 1830T with an i3 @ 1.2ghz that i bought at the end of August.its snappier than the eee netbook i had before, from time to time if im doing a number of things itll take a second to catch up, but thats not often.
This will get 6 hours with moderate/light usage, I could see 8 if you turned off wifi, dimmed the display and just let it hang around...isnt that how they usually come up with the max runtime anyway? 5 hours is easy to come by for me. Its not unusual for me to just charge it when i get home at night.
Build quality isnt awesome, The EEE 1000HA definitely is sturdier with a thick hard plastic body. I like the keyboard though some people complain about it. The glossy screen is....well its glossy. A meh, but oh well. I dont use this outside, and I do watch movies on it from time to time so its not entirely a bad thing.
The touchpad though...the model i have uses an ALPS pad. Its poor compared to the synaptics pad in the the EEE 1000ha i had. Synaptics seems to support more features and multitouch gestures...id kill to have double-tapping for a middle click work on this damn thing. This is also a touchpad that is seamless with the body and has a slight texturing, that may be part of why i dont like it.
Other than the touchpad i pretty much love this thing. Long battery life, small form factor, very lightweight and quick enough to do the moderate amount of homework and a couple of light or older games. im a student with a part time job and i take it everywhere in my bag.