Acer Intros Timeline Notebooks

Acer has just introduced its latest line of notebooks, the Timeline series. Designed to be thin, light, power efficient, and affordable, Acer is trying a new approach with Timeline. All models are less than one inch thick and feature LED-backlit 16:9 aspect ratio screens with a 1366x768 resolution. Models will be available in 13.3", 14", and 15.6" screen sizes, and feature Intel Core 2 Duo Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) processors. Built-in WiMax, DDR3 memory, up to a 500GB hard drive or 64GB SSD, and a choice of integrated or dedicated graphics (no word on which chips) round out the specifications.

Other features of the Timeline series includes a multi-gesture touchpad, chiclet-style keyboard, "Laminar Wall Jet" cooling technology, and a claimed eight hours of battery life.
The reported price range is $699 - $899.

Acer Timeline Product Page
Acer Press Release
Via (Engadget.com)

 

Nice move Acer! But it seems you've missed the dvd drive. That's what i use the most when gaming and ripping music, etc..

 

Can't find information about a dedicated gfx card...

From Acer Webstie: Graphics
Mobile Intel® GS45 Express Chipset with integrated 3D graphics, featuring Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD (Intel® GMA 4500MHD) with up to 1759 MB of Intel® Dynamic Video Memory Technology 5.0 (64 MB of dedicated video memory, Microsoft® DirectX® 10

 

If thats really the pricing, it sounds like a good deal. Ultrathin and light, but priced like a normal laptop. For the cost, the specs sound right, the design is not bad although the colors look a little bland to me.

Just like we had a bunch of challengers to the iPhone, looks like we are starting to get more challengers to the MacBook, slim and stylish laptops.

Yes it's missing a DVD drive but that is not a huge deal to myself, connecting an external wouldnt be a problem since I probably use my ext HDD more than my optical drive. It's also missing eSATA but the rest of the specs sound good. My girlfriend might want one later.

 

Im 95% sure it will not have a dedicated card. Its thickness pretty much prevents that, especially since we know it will only use low voltage processors. Not gonna be meant for gaming, more for portability.

 

Only the 13" Timeline notebook is missing a DVD drive. The Aspire Timeline series is available in three formats, 13.3”, 14” and 15.6" ... and the 14" and 15.6" Timeline notebooks have DVD drives.

 

Looking forward to seeing how the laminar jet cooling works out. From what I understand it doesn't cool the components but cools the laptop surface to make it easier to handle.

 

A 15.6 incher with a C2D ULV?? Sure, its efficient .. but, who buys a 15.6 inch laptop for CPU efficiency.

 

Someone who wants "8 hours of battery life"?

 

Looks like they're trying to compete with the HP dv2.

 

Here are some sections from the specs page on the website (emphasis added) http://www.acer.com/timeline/spec/spec.html :

Processor and chipset
Intel® Centrino® 2 / Centrino® processor technology
- Intel® Core™2 Duo ultra low voltage processor SU9400 or Intel® Core™2 Solo ultra low voltage processor SU3500
- Mobile Intel® GS45 Express Chipset
- Intel® Wireless WiFi Link 5100 (dual-band quad-mode 802.11a/b/g/ Draft-N) Wi-Fi CERTIFIED® network connection, or
- Intel® Wireless WiFi Link 5150 Wi-Fi®/WiMAX™ dual-mode module,

Memory
Dual-channel DDR3 SDRAM support, Up to 4 GB of DDR3 1066 MHz memory, upgradeable to 8 GB using two soDIMM modules (requires 64 bit Operating System)

Optical Media driver
8X DVD-Super Multi double-layer drive (except model 3810T)

Graphics
Mobile Intel® GS45 Express Chipset with integrated 3D graphics, featuring Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD ( Intel® GMA 4500MHD) with up to 1759 MB of Intel® Dynamic Video Memory Technology 5.0 ( 64 MB of dedicated video memory, Microsoft® DirectX® 10

Audio
Optimized 2nd Generation Dolby Sound Room® audio enhancement, featuring Dolby® Headphone, Dolby® Natural Bass and Dolby® Sound Space Expander, S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface) support for digital speakers, MS-Sound compatible, built-in microphone

Dimensions and weight
- 322 (W) x 228 (D) x 23.4/28.9 (H) mm - 1.6 kg ( 3.5 lbs.) with 6-cell battery pack (model 3810T)
- 338.4 (W) x 240 (D) x 24/28.9 (H) mm - 1.9 kg ( 4.2 lbs.) with 6-cell battery pack (model 4810T)
- 378 (W) x 259 (D) x 24.8/29.7 (H) mm - 2.4 kg ( 5.3 lbs.) with 6-cell battery pack (model 5810T)

I/O ports
5-in-1 card reader (SD™, MMC, MS, MS PRO, xD), Three (Four on AS5810T) USB 2.0 ports, HDMI™ port with HDCP support, External display (VGA) port, Headphone/speaker/line-out jack with S/PDIF support, Microphone-in jack

 

This should make a great laptop for road warriors!!

 

Wow this looks amazing! I think I'll hold off buying a new laptop for this series to be released. Finally, the line between netbooks and notebooks is starting to blend.

 

I'm not sure if the Timeline notebooks are based on Intel's Consumer Ultra Low Voltage (CULV) platform or not; the pricing suggests it though. Intel's lineup is supposed to look like this:
Netbooks >> CULV Notebooks >> High-end ULV notebooks

One way or another, I really like this concept. I will definitely have to check out the smaller versions; I like the 15.6" screen size but the 1366x768 resolution kills that for me. On a 13.3"/14" screen that is fine though.

Very interesting indeed; that is probably what they meant by 'dedicated'.

 

If it comes in at the specified price/weight/battery life, it'll blow away the dv2. Even the ULV Core 2 Duos are significantly faster than the MV40 in the dv2, not to mention 8 hours of battery life is more than double what reviews of the dv2 have been getting (3ish).

I really doubt it's the normal ULV chips from Intel. Their price list shows the SU9400 to be $289 each in thousand unit lots (although OEM pricing is typically much lower). I don't think Acer's going to put up 25% of their MSRP in CPUs alone.

 

This does look nice. Anyone know of the release dates? Can't seem to find that anywhere. Was originally looking at the Samsung NC20, then HP DV2 and now this. Like to know if we are talking weeks or months away.

 

I love the direction Acer is heading but come on, backlit keyboard anyone?

 

Hmn... that would be useful. It goes against their goal of having the battery last a long time. But it would be cool if they did have a backlit keyboard, it would match perfectly with it's slogan: " Light as your time can be"

 

I'd like to know this as well. I went through the same exact situation, hhah. I think this laptop is the one... Hopefully it's closer to the $699 estimation.

Maybe they'll release a Timeline "Pro." That would be pretty cool.

 

Look at the last pic. It seems they managed to get it in.

 

Wow, this have got to be the best looking notebook I've seen in years. Finally, a new notebook that isn't a smudge/scratch magnet.

Please Acer, give the Timeline a dedicated graphics option. A Radeon HD 4330 would be great for something as thin as this.

 

If you can get the 13" out the door with the 64GB SSD for $800, that'd be a heck of a deal. 3.5 pounds, less than an inch thin, good battery life, and still packing core duo power? A good looking thin and light at a great price.

 

Acer is starting to bring great new stuff out, looks sharp.

 

nice looking

 

I hope so too but knowing Acer probably not going to happen. The price is one of their main weapons and adding a HD4330 is probably going to increase it at least 50 bucks.

 

i wish their 11.6" device was also CULV.

these new notebooks are nice, but they are too big for me, and Atom is too gutless to power a real notebook.

the cheaper CULV platform would be magnificent in a 11.6" netbook chassis.

 

Another slick looking notebook for sure, am glad to see some good style really saturate the consumer side of the market (will keep my E6400 though )

 

LoL

Looks like something really nice from Acer. Glad they've been improving the aesthetics of their notebooks

 

Didn't they start doing that with the introduction of the Gemstone series?

 

Dell and HP are making 11.6" notebooks based on the CULV platform.

 

I heard about that Acer has developed completely a CULV-based 11.6" Timeline notebook and plans to release in a couple of months, to avoid the confuse of market especially when its Atom-based 11.6" netbook just releases.

 

I think these notebooks will be really, really popular. I, for one, hate having to be plugged in. I am looking for a new laptop but might wait to grab a 14" acer timeline as I like having an optical drive so someone else stated, a nice combining of netbooks and notebooks. Hope the prices stay low as indicated.

 

Greetings all. The 4810T is coming out in a couple of days and i'm wondering...

I was orgiinally interested in the Aspire 4935G, but the weight kind of threw me off. Now this latest timeline might be a good bet for me.

Question is, can i use the timeline as a multimedia station (movies, music, non-hardcore games) or are the specs too meagre? I hear the 4900 series packs pretty good hardware. If i save weight on the Timeline model, will i be losing a lot of graphic power? (they are more or less in the same price range)

Any thoughts?

 

An integrated graphics card is fine for just about everything except modern 3D games; if the "non-hardcore" games you refer to are more than a few years old (pre-2005) then integrated graphics will be fine. For movies, music, and similar integrated graphics will work without issues.

 

I'm glad thin and light notebooks w/ bigger screens are starting to become more mainstream. Asus' U/UX, MSI's X-slim, Acer's Timeline, Dell Latitude Z and Lenovo 400s (maybe, hopefully?!)... hopefully good competition

 

Thanks for the info
Games aren't really an issue for me, as i have my PS at home, but the real thing i want is to be able to use my laptop with a HD TV or a computer screen to play movies etc.

I might just wait for the timeline after all

 

Any information on what dedicated GPUs will be added on those notebooks?

 

Either GMA X4500 or ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 with 512MB dedicated memory.

Link

 

And hopefully one day soon, HD 4860 GDDR5 Should have same thermals as the 9600M GT, which LG fit into their 13", just need some innovative heatsink designs.

 

A 4860 with a 1.6Ghz ULV.....

 

Nvidia 9400 with 1.6GHz Atom? ATI 3410 with 1.6GHz AMD Neo?

Why not?

 

Because it's too much card for the processor and even with the 40nm die shrink the 4860 will still draw a good chunk of power.

Even the dedicated Mobility 3410 is more than the Neo needs while the 9400M chipset with the Atom is for video playback and HDMI support more than anything.


Pairing the Neo with a M780G/HD3200 chipset(Congo) and the Intel CULV with the 9400M chipset is fitting enough for these platforms.

 

And switchable graphics FTW

 

If you could put rocket fuel in a diesel truck engine and get it to run it still wouldn't shoot you into space.

Same thing with a 4860 and a ULV. ;þ

 

The Timeline is supposed to be value series remember? The most I can see is a HD 4570, and that's even pushing it.

 

I'm pretty sure the current generation of thin/light notebooks won't have the HD 4860, but hopefully some company will put a higher end line w/ a similar level GPU in it.

 

Notebookjournal has published a lot of info:
http://www.notebookjournal.de/tests/hands-on-acer-aspire-timeline-3810t-901

European prices translate roughly 1:1 to US prices in $. A laptop costing 500 euros usually costs $525 in US.

 

looks pretty good for a budget series. btw, if the Timeline is acer's budget series, whats their premium one? the aspire doesnt look as thin, light and nice as this one.