San Jose, Calif. – Acer
today introduced its Aspire Ethos multimedia notebooks.
The two-unit Ethos
features the AS8951G and the AS5951G with the former sporting an 18.4-inch
screen and the latter centered on a 15.5-inch display.
The AS8951G will carry a
$1,599 suggested retail, and the AS5951G will be $1,399. The units will be in
stores this week.
The models will be
available in several configurations and will be powered by either a second-generation
Intel Core i5 dual-core or i7 quad-core processor with up to 16GB of memory,
and an Nvidia GeForce GT 555M graphics with 2GB of dedicated DDR3 video RAM.
They will also have an optional Blu-ray or DVD drive. Hard drive sizes will
range from 500GB to 1.5TB.
The AS8951G comes with
Acer’s CineSurround, which has five Dolby-tuned speakers and an Acer Tuba
CineBass subwoofer. The AS5951G has two speakers and a subwoofer.
The Ethos models also
have a detachable touchpad that can function as a remote control. It can be
used horizontally or vertically and has a backlit, “chiclet”-style keyboard.
The laptops have Acer’s
InstantOn Arcade key that will quickly boot up the unit’s multimedia functions
for quick play, while leaving off the computing functionality.
