Acer unveil the world’s thinnest laptop

At a time when we Brits are still holding in our stomachs after too much Christmas turkey it almost feels like we’re being taunted by news that Acer have unveiled the world’s skinniest laptop – the Aspire S5.

The first of a wave of Ultrabooks set to be released this year, the new piece of kit has a 13.3 inch screen, weighs 1.35kg and is 15mm thick (about the same as a slice of Hovis) making it 2mm slimmer than Apple’s MacBook Air. Nevertheless, while on paper it look like a fragile bit of kit, what it seemingly lacks in brawn it more than makes up for in brains.

The Ultrabook Revolution

Ultrabooks – a term coined by processor giants Intel – are a brand new category of PC which takes the best features of notebook computers and combines them with the usability of tablets. At their core they include everything you’d expect in a notebook computer, including a keyboard, but within a thinner and lighter frame.

While the reduced size is particularly welcome, the real benefits lie in the increased functionality. The Quick Resume technology allows users to boot their UItrabook in the blink of an eye, while the Smart Connect feature constantly updates applications, emails and RSS feeds saving even more time.

As a further signal of intent the Aspire S5 includes a Thunderbolt port alongside regulation USB 3.0 and HDMI connections as it looks to match the high speed data transfer of Apple’s high-end products.

A big step forward

For PC users, Acer’s Ultrabook is a welcome step forward five years after Apple decided to implement their own radical makeover of the ‘laptop’ market. Quite how long it’ll lead the market remains to be seen.

No price or release date has yet been set for the release of the Acer Aspire S5 although rumours suggest that the Taiwanese brand will put it on the market soon after March.

If you’re thinking about buying a new computer make sure you check out Quidco for the latest cashback voucher deals.

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