Acer Aspire V5 notebooks get Ivy Bridge treatment, shipping by end of June for $630 and up

While many laptop makers held off on product refreshes -- not to mention new notebook lines -- till Intel's Ivy Bridge CPUs were ready, Acer went ahead and released its Aspire V5 series back in March. Still, that doesn't mean the company can't squeeze in some new models a few months later, and indeed it just trotted out two Ivy Bridge Aspire V5 notebooks. The 14-inch version measures 0.79 inches thick and weighs 4.6 pounds, while the 15-incher measures 0.83 inches and tips in at five pounds. Both laptops have optical drives and 500GB of storage, and like the V5s announced in March they feature Acer Instant Connect for finding and saving frequently used WiFi networks. Both machines have Intel HD Graphics 4000 and 500GB of storage space. You get your choice of Core i3 or Core i5 processors, with pricing starting at $630. Acer says the notebooks will be available by the end of June. As always, you can check out the full press release below.

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Light in the Hand and Feature-Rich,
Acer Introduces New Aspire V5 Series Notebooks for U.S. Customers

New Full-Featured Notebooks Ideal for
Students and Value-Seeking Mobile Users

Editor's Summary:
Slender and light full-featured Aspire V5 notebooks outfitted with latest "Ivy Bridge" 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i3 or Core i5 processors.
Perfect notebooks for students and consumers looking for impressive performance, style and full-featured mobility.
New Aspire V5 packs cool features like Acer Instant Connect, Acer clear.fi™ and a DVD drive in a slimmer footprint, 30 percent trimmer than previous value-based notebooks.

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 6, 2012 – Acer America today announced the Aspire V5 series, a new range of thin and light notebooks for students and budget-conscious consumers looking for impressive performance, style and full-featured mobility.

The Aspire V5 Series are 30 percent slimmer than previous value-based notebooks, making them extremely easy to handle on the go. Available in two display sizes, the 14-inch Aspire V5 model is just .79 inches thin and weighs a mere 4.6 pounds, while the 15.6-inch version is .83 inches thin and weighs just 5 pounds. The notebook's chassis has a soft and smooth surface making it comfortable to carry, with an elegant slim design available in four colors including purple, blue, silver and black.

"As we enter the back-to-school buying season, Acer's new Aspire V5 notebook series has the right combination of style, mobility and performance that students and consumers need," said Eric Ackerson, senior product marketing manager, Acer America. "This series is yet another example of Acer's commitment to delivering high-quality PCs with the latest mobile technology and enhanced industrial design at an excellent value."

Outfitted with the latest 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i3 or Core i5 processors, the Aspire V5 notebooks deliver the performance that savvy consumers and students have come to expect for the most demanding tasks, whether running HD, 3D multimedia or multitasking. On Core i5 versions of the Aspire V5, Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 is built into the processor, improving the system's performance by increasing the notebook's CPU clock speed for demanding applications. This provides users with a better experience for enjoying movies, gaming and photo or video editing.

The Aspire V5 notebooks also offer a DVD drive for backing up data and burning music CDs along with a generous 500GB hard disk drive for plenty of storage space for large files and applications.

Enjoy HD Widescreen Entertainment

Perfect for enjoying all forms of entertainment, the Aspire V5 Series notebooks offer cinematic display quality with HD CineCrystal™ widescreen LED-backlit displays. Featuring true 16:9 aspect ratio and integrated Intel® HD Graphics 4000, the V5 notebooks deliver crystal-clear images and brilliant color for digital entertainment. In addition, High-Definition audio support with Dolby® Advanced Audio® v2 delivers crisp and clear sound through the notebook's two built-in speakers or when connected to an external monitor, projector or TV using HDMI® for big-screen enjoyment.

The Aspire V5 notebooks make it easy for users to enjoy their existing media library utilizing Acer clear.fi™, a simple digital entertainment solution to manage, store, share, and enjoy media among any clear.fi-enabled devices, in any room throughout the home.

The Aspire V5 notebooks feature an advanced 1.3 megapixel HD webcam perfect for crystal-clear video chats with friends and family or to capture still photos. The high pixel density webcam delivers outstanding video image quality at 24 frames per second. The built-in digital microphone supports the webcam to convey excellent voice quality, while minimizing background noise and echoes.

Connectivity is "Instant" with the Aspire V5

Easy to use on the go, the Aspire V5 notebooks feature Acer Instant Connect, which automatically scans and registers most-visited Wi-Fi access points, letting users connect to the Internet in just 2.5 seconds , which is four times faster than conventional methods. Bluetooth® 4.0+ HS technology also lets users wirelessly connect their notebook to other Bluetooth-enabled devices such as phones, printers and hand-held organizers.

Featuring a USB 3.0 port, users can transfer files and movies with ease, including a 250GB movie in about 70 seconds. Users can charge external devices when the notebook is in sleep, hibernation or even when it's turned off. Transfer speeds will be up to 10 to 400 times faster than older generations of USB.

The Aspire V5 notebooks are quiet and comfortable on the lap while in use. ENERGY STAR® certified, the Aspire V5 Series conserves power, provides up to five hours of battery life and is environmentally-friendly.

Pricing and Availability
The Acer Aspire V5 series notebooks with 3rd Generation Intel processors will be available at leading retailers across the U.S. beginning at the end of June with prices beginning at $629.99. Additional Aspire V5 series notebooks with 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i3 or Core i5 processors will be available with prices beginning at $449.99.