Acer unveils new Timeline laptops and business netbook

The new TravelMate models are designed to be ultra-thin and stylish

Acer has unveiled a handful of new business client systems, including three TravelMate Timeline laptops boasting all-day battery life, a business-focused netbook, and a low-cost nettop for entry-level tasks.

The new TravelMate Timeline series are slimline laptops designed to offer high performance in an ultra-thin package and in a stylish black format, according to Acer. They complement the Aspire Timeline models launched in April.

The line-up consists of three basic models, the 8571, 8471 and 8371, which feature 15.6in, 14in and 13.3in displays respectively. An ATI Mobility Radeon graphics accelerator is optional.

All are based on Intel ultra-low voltage processors up to the 1.6GHz Core 2 Duo SU9600, with up to 4GB of DDR3 memory and hard drive options up to 500GB, or an 80GB Intel solid state drive.

"Timeline is ultra-thin, but with all-day battery power with an LED screen and PowerSmart technology. These are attractive products that anyone would be happy to carry with them," said Paul Dutton, Acer's UK business manager for professional compute products.

Acer's PowerSmart technology uses software to optimise the system for longer battery life, upwards of eight hours in the case of the TravelMate Timeline models.

Starting prices are £609 for the TravelMate 8571, £599 for the 8471, and £579 for the 8371, all with 3GB of memory and a 250GB hard drive. The TravelMates will also be available with 3G wireless as an option in the near future.

Acer's latest netbook, the Aspire One Pro 531, has similar styling to the TravelMates and is also aimed at business buyers.

While consumer netbooks come with Windows XP Home, the Pro 531 ships with XP Professional and has a reinforced screen hinge as it is likely to be carried on flights and thrown in the back of taxis, according to Acer.

It has a 10.1in 1,024 x 600 screen and a claimed battery life up 7.5 hours. Prices start from £299 for a model with 1GB memory and 160GB hard drive. A 3G modem option will also be available in the near future.

The Veriton N260G, meanwhile, is a compact nettop computer that can be mounted behind a monitor and is perfect for schools, call centres or public libraries, according to Acer.

Like a netbook, it is based on an Intel Atom processor, and comes with integrated Wi-Fi. It is priced from £199 to £289.

For schools, Acer can ship the Veriton with LANDesk Classroom Manager, which enables central control over access to USB ports and gives teachers remote access to students' machines.