Acer has unveiled its third-generation Timeline X notebooks in Taiwan today, including 13.3 (3830TG), 14.4 (4830TG) and 15.6-inch (5830TG) iterations. According to Engadget, all of the notebooks on display are equipped with a 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5-2410M processor, an Nvidia GT540M with 2GB of DDR3 VRAM, 2GB of DDR3 RAM, a 640GB hard drive, USB 3.0 connectivity, and a 1366x768 display.
The 13.3-incher will also be available with a 2.3GHz Core i3-2310 while the larger systems come standard with a DVD drive. We'd expect to see more CPU, RAM, and HDD options as the notebooks become widely available. All models also carry Kenwood-branded Dolby Home Theater speakers which sound pretty solid compared to most notebook speakers according to a review by InsideHW.
We haven't seen an official runtime from Acer but InsideHW's review unit fetched more than 12 hours when operating in "ultra-saving mode." Gaming with an active wireless connection drained the juice in just over two hours, so you can expect typical usage to fall between those figures. The maximum autonomy represents a substantial increase over the eight hours cited by earlier models.
While we're on that subject, it's worth noting that the battery is no longer removable. Besides Sandy Bridge's added horsepower and efficiency, the revamped Timeline X series has received a chiclet-style keyboard, an extra mouse button, and slightly refined aesthetics such as straight edges around the chassis instead of tapered ones. Pricing starts at roughly $1,133 and US availability is unknown.