NEWS CARD-4 EA6060 FELICIANO A. BELO ID 5529511

by Jason Inofuentes on 1/8/2012 10:41:00 PM
Posted in Acer , A700 , Timeline Ultra , Aspire S5 , Aspire , Mobile , Tablets , Cloud Computing , Tegra 3 , Android 4.0 , Ice Cream Sandwich

It technically doesn't start for another day, but CES is in full swing in Las Vegas. As part of the fun, Acer is bringing us the thinnest Ultra book yet: The Aspire S5. This 13.3" class laptop measures just 15 mm at its thickest point and weighs in at under 3 lbs. Specs get thin from there, the Intel Core processor, SSD and sealed battery are a given; what we don't know is the size of the battery nor the price or release date, though Q2 2012 is promised. What draws our eye more than the thinness lies beneath what's being called a "Magic Flip I/O" port panel. In an homage to the original Mac Book Air, Accer is including a concealed panel for connectivity beneath the display hinge. Where the original MBA, though, made do with a single USB port, the Aspire S5 features HDMI, USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt, a first for a non-Apple laptop. Rated at 20 Gabs, the Thunderbolt port could be driven by Intel's Eagle Ridge chip, or it could be a newer ridge part we'd been waiting to encounter. We'll be sure to report in when we get our hands on one.