Aspire S7 Series - The thinnest and lightest “touch & type” ultrabooks
First previewed at Computex Taipei, the Acer Aspire S7 Series, the thinnest and lightest Ultrabooks, has been hailed as one of the most exciting Windows 8-based touch Ultrabooks to launch. It was also featured prominently in Microsoft's launch event in New York and highlighted as one of the best PCs ever made. The positive reviews have been unparalleled.
As thin as a smartphone, the S7 is an iconic combination of power and beauty. The use of straight lines, glossy white glass, electroluminescent lighting and anodized aluminum have culminated in an Ultrabook that champions cutting-edge technology and innovative design. The dual torque hinge and Acer Green Instant On / Always Connect features ensure the ultimate in control and seamless usability.
“Acer took a fresh approach to the design and development of the Aspire S7, using premium construction methods and materials,” said Jim Wong, corporate president of Acer. “The high level of engineering and design quality we set for the S7 was achieved by placing the user experience as our top design priority, and by our ongoing commitment to introducing technologies into our products that truly complement human behavior, and stimulate curious and progressive thought and action.”
Green Unibody and Glass Construction
All models in the Aspire S7 Series feature a unibody design made from a single block of aluminum with a process that saves energy and material; the result is an ultra-thin chassis that is super tough and excellent for the road. They also feature Full HD IPS 10-point displays with 1920 x 1080 resolution, putting touch control at users’ fingertips. In addition, wide-viewing angle technology provides consistent and accurate color from viewing angles up to 178 degrees.
One of the most striking design elements of the Aspire S7 is the elegant white color of the 13.3-inch model with a touchscreen display. The screen is surrounded by a glossy white Gorilla Glass 2 lid that is smooth to the touch, beautiful to the eye, and measures only 11.9 mm thin, yet is super strong, scratch resistant and easy to wipe clean. With the S7, Acer is the first to use Gorilla Glass 2 for notebook construction; others have only used it for decorative finish. Not only is the glass visually striking, it also provides structural strength, yet is flexible enough to handle the impact of daily use. Furthering its durability, a thin, soft cushioning is included between the aluminum frame and the glass, so if the S7 is dropped, the shock will mainly be absorbed by the chassis and not the glass. This greatly reduces the chance of significant damage.
The smaller and lighter 11.6-inch model, also with a Full HD touchscreen, features an all-aluminum unibody and aluminum cover with an elegant cross-direction brushed finish. The result is a high-end pattern, with the surface resembling a classy textured fabric. It feels smooth to the touch, but also adds to the machine's durability and repels fingerprints and smudges.
Dual Torque Hinge and Flexible Screen
Taking advantage of the touch benefits associated with Windows 8, the touch-enabled screen on the 13.3” S7 can be laid back flat 180 degrees, and the image orientation reverses for easy touch-and-show sharing.
One of the cutting-edge manufacturing processes used in the production of the S7 was the development of a dual torque hinge on the lid, necessary to create the ideal amount of resistance for touch control. When the lid is pushed between 100 and 120 degrees, the torque increases 1.6 times to keep it upright and stable for touch control. The sturdiness is achieved by attaching the hinge structure directly to the forged display frame so the frame is actually part of the hinge, and affixes both the panel and glass as well.
Cool with Acer TwinAir Thermal Solution
To ensure the Aspire S7 runs cool, Acer created a new thermal solution called “TwinAir” cooling, an innovative thermal design that extends battery life and keeps the Ultrabook cool and comfortable to use. Two small high-speed (10,000 rpm) thermal fans are used; one to pull in cool air, while another releases warm air. The placement of the fans also ensures that the warmest components are kept away from the user’s fingertips and lap.
Auto-adjusting Backlit Keyboard
Acer incorporated an electroluminescent (EL) backlit keyboard that automatically turns on/off and adjusts its brightness level based on the ambient lighting. This light-sensing backlit keyboard is one of the thinnest backlit solutions currently available, and is optimized for visual comfort and easy visibility in dim environments. The electroluminescent lighting offers a gentler and more comfortable glow than LED backlit keyboards.
Thin but Powerful
Despite its ultra-thin design, the Aspire S7 packs powerful technologies, including 3rd generation Intel Core i5-3317UB or i7-3517U processors and solid state drives in a RAID 0 configuration for extremely fast read/write times and quietness. An embedded Li-Polymer battery provides up to 6 hours of battery life, and an optional second battery doubles computing time up to 12 hours.
In addition, the S7 ships with a micro HDMI to VGA cable for use with projectors for presentations, and a USB to RJ45 port for connecting to a wired network.
Instant Connectivity and Content Sharing
The Aspire S7 Ultrabooks include Acer Green Instant On technology for fast boot and resume, and Acer Always Connect, which lets users manage their multimedia and data on all their devices at anytime, anywhere, even from sleep. It also ships with AcerCloud to provide customers with remote access to the digital data residing on their Ultrabook via their tablet or smartphone, and share it among their other PCs and mobile devices wherever, whenever. That is, customers can take photos on a smartphone, and then view them on their S7 at home or in the office.
Price and Availability
The Aspire S7 began shipping from October 26th. To find out about availability, product specifications and price in specific markets, visit acer.com.
