Acer says it has “reached a delicate equilibrium between computer lightness and battery life” today with the introduction of its new Timeline series. This new range comprises a collection of 13.3, 14.1 and 15.6-inch models with LED backlit 16:9 displays and Intel's ultra-low voltage Core 2 Duo chips. The pitch is that the new machines will offer some 8 hours of battery life, at no performance compromise, while featuring a slim and eye-catching design along with mainstream prices.


Timeline laptops have a thickness of less than 1 inch and are nicely styled with a brushed-metal top lid. Base models start at $699-$899 depending on screen size and can be equipped with up to 4GB DDR3 memory and either a 500GB hard disk drive or 64GB solid state drive. Other features include an HDMI and D-Sub connector, Mobile Intel GS45 Express Chipset with integrated graphics, multi touch trackpad with gesture support, Dolby sound, webcam, 802.11n wireless connectivity and an optical drive on the two larger models.