Acer is currently winning the War on Thickness with the Aspire S5, the most fat-free Laptop ever produced. But how many features can you cram into a slender Ultrabook shell?
Acer was first at the Windows Ultrabook table with the impressive Aspire S3, and it’s really got its premium range onto the cross-trainers. Cresting just 15mm at its thickest point, this slimline laptop is a full 2mm thinner than the MacBook Air, and its sleek black magnesium alloy shell keeps it light.
Intel has specific requirements for ‘Ultrabook’ status – a powerful, low- voltage chip with Sandy Bridge or Ivy Bridge architecture and a solid state drive provide the right mixture of performance and battery life. Thanks to them, the Aspire S5 should come alive in a second and a half. Graphics are handled by Intel’s decent (though uninspiring) integrated HD3000 hardware.
Along with the free AcerCloud data storage service, the Aspire uses a new service called Always Connect, which allows you to access files remotely even while the S5 is asleep, and updates any social media accounts you’ve left open. That means your Twitter and Face book feeds will be up to speed the minute you open the lid.
You might think that such a low profile would mean that the S5 had no space for such niceties as decent sound, but the S5 is equipped with Dolby Home Theater v4 speakers. And if the speakers don’t come up to scratch, the S5 Leaves plenty of room in your laptop bag for a nice pair of headphones.
Acer was first at the Windows Ultrabook table with the impressive Aspire S3, and it’s really got its premium range onto the cross-trainers. Cresting just 15mm at its thickest point, this slimline laptop is a full 2mm thinner than the MacBook Air, and its sleek black magnesium alloy shell keeps it light.
Intel has specific requirements for ‘Ultrabook’ status – a powerful, low- voltage chip with Sandy Bridge or Ivy Bridge architecture and a solid state drive provide the right mixture of performance and battery life. Thanks to them, the Aspire S5 should come alive in a second and a half. Graphics are handled by Intel’s decent (though uninspiring) integrated HD3000 hardware.
Along with the free AcerCloud data storage service, the Aspire uses a new service called Always Connect, which allows you to access files remotely even while the S5 is asleep, and updates any social media accounts you’ve left open. That means your Twitter and Face book feeds will be up to speed the minute you open the lid.
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| TECH SPECIFICATIONS DISPLAY: 13.3in IPS LCD OS: Windows 7 64-bit Cpu: Intel Core I mobile (spec tba) STORAGE: SSD (size tba) GRAPHICS: Intel HD3000 CONNECTIVITY: HDMI, Thunderbolt, USB 3.0 (x2), Wi-Fi (b/g/n) WEIGHT: 1.4kg |
The S5’s chassis seems undisturbed by anything resembling a port, until you press the MagicFlip button to the right of the keyboard. The S5’s back panel opens to reveal an HDMI port, two USB3.0 sockets and, finally, a Thunderbolt port.