During a press event in New York City, Acer introduced a number of new products spanning mainstream notebooks to tablets to a convertible Ultrabook. The latter device was actually previously teased in a Star Trek: Into Darkness promo which showed the device transforming into an Enterprise-like shape. That's actually called the Aspire R7, and its "Ezel Hinge" allows the screen to flip, reverse, lie flat and float.
"The Acer R7 was made for the new computing lifestyle, which increasingly combines touching and typing," the company said. "With a repositioned keyboard and a revolutionary "Ezel Hinge" that moves the display forward and into different positions, the R7 makes the combination of touching the screen and using the keyboard more intuitive and natural."
Acer said Best Buy will be the exclusive retail partner for the Aspire R7 (R7-571-6858), selling the $999.99 USD laptop in local stores and online for shipping on May 17. Pre-orders can be placed now with Best Buy online, and those who do so between May 3 and May 16, 2013 will also receive a free download of Star Trek: The Video Game for PC.
According to the specs, the laptop features a 15.6-inch Full HD touch screen, 6 GB of RAM, a 500 GB HDD, a 24 GB SSD, a full-size backlit keyboard, and Dolby Home Theater v4 with four 8-watt speakers. The laptop also includes a volume control button, an HDMI port, an SD card reader, audio jacks, three USB ports, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, a webcam, dual microphones mounted on the front, and a convenient converter port supporting VGA, RJ45 and USB. The four positional modes include Ezel mode, Notebook mode, Display mode and Pad mode.
"The Aspire R7 includes a unibody aluminum chassis, a beautiful brushed metal hinge, and an arched cover with very subtle curves and lines," the company said. "The bottom features a soft touch finish for a secure grip, making it easy to grasp and carry."
Next up is Acer's Aspire P3, a new Ultrabook form factor "powerful enough to be their primary PC". It delivers all the benefits of an Ultrabook in a unique design that easily transforms into tablet-mode, weighing only 3.06 pounds and measuring just 0.77-inches thin. It's available immediately at local and online retailers starting at $799.99 USD.
The Ultrabook's specs include Intel Core i3 and i5 processors, depending on the model, and 60 GB or 120 GB SSDs. It also has an 11.6-inch HD IPS touch display with wide 170-degree viewing angles, a built-in Acer Crystal Eye HD webcam that captures video in 720p, and a 5MP camera on the back. Also included is a full-sized USB 3.0 port, a full-sized Chiclet keyboard built into the cover, a battery supporting up to six hours on a single charge, HDMI output, and Dolby Home Theater that boosts the sound for headphones as well as built-in speakers.
"The Acer Aspire P3 provides true Ultrabook performance, so customers can use it as their main PC for handling everything from everyday computing tasks to more demanding ones such as creating presentations and sharing multimedia content," the company said. "The new mobile powerhouse can also run multiple apps, such as video conferencing while reviewing spreadsheets and documents, further boosting productivity."
Acer said the Aspire P3 makes for an excellent option for Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiatives that are becoming more popular at businesses and schools.
