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Timeline posts

Acer's 11.6-inch Timeline 1810T gets ceremonious christening, Oct. 22nd launch date

by Ross Miller posted Oct 14th 2009 at 4:30AM

We swear we've seen this before at least a couple of times, but ask Acer and the 11.6-inch Timeline AS1810TZ is a brand new, LED-backlit and Windows 7-packing ultraportable with a full-sized keyboard, eight hours of battery, multi-gesture touchpad, and a dual-core Intel CULV processor. All the amenities are here, as well, including 802.11b/g Draft-N, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, webcam, mic, and a handful of color options. Care to guess the official release date? October 22nd it is, alongside Windows 7 and a plethora of other newly-minted machines. Prices start at a penny under $550. Full press release after the break.

Gallery: Acer Timeline 11.6-inch AS1810TZ

Continue reading Acer's 11.6-inch Timeline 1810T gets ceremonious christening, Oct. 22nd launch date

Acer issues recall for some Aspire laptops

by Laura June posted Oct 10th 2009 at 3:32PM

Acer's issued a voluntary recall for some of its Aspire laptops -- all of which were manufactured before September 15th of this year. It seems that some of them are experiencing an overheat of the microphone cable after "repeated" and "extreme" pressure is applied to the left palm rest. The affected models include the AS3410, AS3810T, AS3810TG, AS3810TZ and AS3810TZG. Acer's set up a website where you can enter the serial number of your device to see if yours might be one of the affected.

Acer Aspire 1410 ULV, America's 1810T, now in stock stateside

by Ross Miller posted Aug 23rd 2009 at 9:24PM

Peculiar name change or no, Acer's 11.6-inch Aspire 1410, the ULV known in Europe as 1810T, is now available in the US. Price tag is $460.33 from Cost Central and that nets you a 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Solo SU3500, 2GB RAM, a 250GB HDD, and Windows Vista. There's quite a few Sapphire Blue models in stock, while Diamond Black are only available in limited quantities. Waiting for Ruby Red, you say? Sorry, no such luck yet, but keep checking.

[Via Liliputing; thanks, knifex4]

Read - 1410-8414 (Sapphire Blue)
Read - 1410-8804 (Diamond Black)
Read - 1410-8913 (Ruby Red)

Gateway's 11.6-inch EC1803h CULV ultraportable surfaces in Canada

by Paul Miller posted Aug 23rd 2009 at 12:02AM

All the cool kids are building CULV-powered 11.6-inch miniature wonders, and Acer-owned Gateway is no exception. This new EC1803h unit (a rebadge of sorts of Acer's Timeline 1810T) just popped up in Canada, and has a lot in common with Gateway's LT2000 netbooks -- though somehow knowing there's a "real" processor underneath makes it seem just a bit more sexy. Unfortunately, the $600 Canadian (about $550 US) pricetag isn't quite as grand as the $400ish CULV laptops that Acer and Dell have been showing, but it's hard to fault the 3GB of RAM, 6 cell standard battery and 250GB hard drive. No word on when this will head to the States.

Acer Timeline 1810T gets renamed and reviewed ahead of imminent US release

by Vladislav Savov posted Aug 16th 2009 at 10:16PM

With a 1.4GHz Intel SU3500 chip, up to 4GB of memory and a 1366 x 768 display, Acer's 11.6-inch Timeline 1810T threatens to bridge the usability gap between netbooks and workhorse laptops. And now that the first review has come in, we can say that the verdict is... well, ambivalent. Multitasking, battery life and general build quality scored the thumbs up, but the glossy screen and casing weren't so well received, and 1080p and Flash video playback were hit-and-miss. Set to be known as the Aspire 1410 in the US, this grown-up netbook is expected to arrive pretty soon, with some online retailers already offering pre-orders at $450. The video review is after the break, or hit the read link to check out the unboxing and more extensive thoughts on the laptop.

[Via Netbooked]

Read - 1810T to be sold as 1410 in US
Read - 1810T / 1410 unboxing and review

Continue reading Acer Timeline 1810T gets renamed and reviewed ahead of imminent US release

Acer Timeline 8000 series arrives at Office Depot

by Nilay Patel posted Aug 1st 2009 at 9:55PM

Well, that didn't take long. Less than a day after Acer announced the new Timeline 8000 series, the 14-inch AS4810T-8480 has popped up on an Office Depot shelf for $699. It's not bad for the money -- you're getting a 1.4GHz Core Solo SU3500, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB disk, and eight hours of battery life -- but we'd wait to buy until next week, when our tipster says it'll be on sale for $549. Anyone planning to pick one up?

[Thanks, Mike]

Acer further bolsters Timeline lineup with new 8000 Series

by Donald Melanson posted Jul 30th 2009 at 3:31PM

It may seem like only yesterday (or a couple of months ago) that Acer was rolling out its very first Timeline laptops to much fanfare, but it's now already turned things around and kicked out a whole new addition to the line-up: the 8000 series. Apparently aimed at both business users and average folk, this one will be available in 13.3-, 14- and 15.6-inch variations, and pack the usual Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Solo ULV processors, 4GB or 8GB of RAM, a 160GB or 500GB hard drive (or even an 80GB Intel X25-M SSD, for those looking to go all out), and either some basic Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics or a ATI's 4330 dedicated GPU -- not to mention some bonuses like a multitouch trackpad and optional 3G (at a later date, it seems). No word on pricing or availability just yet, but it seems safe to bet that at least the entry-level models will be sub-$1000, if the current Timelines are any indication.

Acer's Aspire Timeline 1810T gets a price, release window

by Joshua Topolsky posted Jul 27th 2009 at 10:47AM

If you're in Europe and you love Acer laptops, today is your lucky day. The company has gotten totally official with its Aspire Timeline 1810T notebook, at least according to ComputerBase in Germany. If you'll recall, the laptop boasts an 11.6-inch, 1366 x 768 display, a 1.4GHz ULV CPU, can support up to 4GB of RAM, and sports a GMA 4500MHD graphics chipset. The base model includes a 250GB hard drive, and all the systems come with an HDMI out, Bluetooth 2.1, a 3G option, and are preloaded with Vista -- just in case you were worried. For the low-ish starting price of €499 (or about $708) you can take one of these puppies back to your flat soon (they're on preorder now and should be available in two or three weeks). Hit the read link for all the nasty details... if you dare.

[Via Engadget Spanish]

Acer's 11.6-inch Aspire Timeline 1810T: a netbook we can finally embrace?

by Darren Murph posted Jul 7th 2009 at 9:01AM

We're doing our darnedest to keep our expectations in check, but it looks like the long, painful wait for a halfway potent netbook may be drawing to a close. With Windows 7 just months away, laptop makers are finally able to skirt around Microsoft's Windows XP-netbook limitations in preparation for a better, more refined OS. The just-leaked Aspire Timeline 1810T, for example, shares the same chassis as the underpowered Aspire One 751, though the innards are similar to those found in the Timeline series. We're talking an 11.6-inch display (1,366 x 768 resolution), Intel's 1.4GHz ULV SU3500 processor, GMA 4500MHD graphics, hardware accelerated decoding of HD video, up to 4GB of RAM, an HDMI socket, gigabit Ethernet, WiFi, optional 3G / Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and an 8-hour battery. Naturally, this one is slated to ship with Vista Home Premium, but that free upgrade to Win7 makes said pill entirely easier to swallow. C'mon Acer -- dish out the price and release date, won'tcha?

Continue reading Acer's 11.6-inch Aspire Timeline 1810T: a netbook we can finally embrace?

Acer poised to beat Dell, become number two PC maker

by Nilay Patel posted Jun 28th 2009 at 11:03PM

Interesting piece in the New York Times today about Acer -- the company is about to ride the tidal wave of netbooks and other el-cheapo computers straight to the number two spot on the PC sales chart. That's a big deal -- no non-US company has ever made it so high -- and it's interesting that the strategies Acer took to get there are the same things Dell's been trying to do lately: it's heavy on low-cost, stylish laptops and netbooks, it keeps inventory extremely lean, and it relies on an extensive set of retail partnerships in Europe. What's more, the Aspire One has been the best-selling netbook for a while now, and we'd say Acer's way out in front of the CULV thin-and-light race with the Timeline -- in fact, we'd say the only open question here is whether the company can take all this computing success and translate it to something worthwhile in the smartphone space. Based on what we've seen so far, we've got our doubts, but we'll see what those super-secret Android sets look like before we place our bets.

Acer Aspire Timeline review roundup

by Darren Murph posted Jun 5th 2009 at 4:20PM

Acer's range of CULV-based Timeline machines should be trickling out to US stores any moment now, and if you're wondering if any of these are right for you, we've rounded up a trio of reviews that are guaranteed to be relevant to your interests. If you're looking to get the long and short of it, here it is: those seeking great battery life in a relatively affordable package need look no further, but performance junkies should definitely hunt elsewhere. All told, Acer managed to concoct a few machines that'll go eight hours or so under the right conditions, but none of 'em will set any records in the benchmarking department. It's called compromise people -- are you willing to make it? Check the links below to help answer that.

Read - PCPro ("Nondescript looks and plodding performance are elevated by absolutely stunning battery life")
Read - Laptop ("Lightweight design. Eight hours of battery life. Good-enough performance")
Read - ComputerShopper ("Delivers great battery life in a lightweight chassis; however, comes up short in terms of features and performance")

Acer Aspire Timeline thin-and-lights priced for the US: $600 to $900

by Nilay Patel posted Jun 2nd 2009 at 7:01AM

Acer's Aspire Timeline inexpensive thin-and-lights have been popping up here and there around the world since we first laid eyes on 'em in April, and now the CULV machines are ready to hit the States. Pricing is actually a little lower than we initially heard, with the base 15.6-inch 1.3GHz Pentium SU2700 machine coming in at $598, but you're more interested in the two smaller machines: the 14-inch, 4.2-pound 1.4GHz SU3500 Core Solo unit is $699, while the 13.3-inch, 3.5-pound 1.4GHz SU9400 Core 2 Duo pictured above is $899. All three machines feature 16:9 1366 x 768 LED-backlit displays driven by Intel 4500MHD graphics, and battery life exceeds eight hours, aided by a PowerSmart energy-saving switch. So -- anyone still thinking about an Adamo? Full press release and two more pics after the break.

Gallery: Acer Aspire Timeline thin-and-lights hands-on

Continue reading Acer Aspire Timeline thin-and-lights priced for the US: $600 to $900

Acer Aspire Timeline out of the box and loving life

by Paul Miller posted May 26th 2009 at 2:25PM

While it's always a fun rush to see an unopened box in a Canadian store room, we're much more excited about what's inside the box, and friendly tipster James somehow managed to buy himself an Acer Aspire Timeline 5810TZ-4657 in Iowa about a week ago. For a scant $598 he got a 15-inch display, DVD drive, Intel U2700 1.3GHz processor and 3GB of RAM -- which makes most similarly specced "thin and lights" seem a little silly in comparison. He says he's gotten around 7 hours of battery on max power saving mode, and about 4-5 hours on max use, finds the 720p webcam comparable to a Flip camera, enjoys the keyboard and multitouch trackpad, and overall finds the system to be very quick and responsive running Vista. Acer still hasn't confirmed an official lineup, price or availability for these things, but we've gotta think it's gonna be soon -- if this is right, it's almost too good not to share.

Gallery: Acer Aspire Timeline out of the box and loving life

Acer Aspire Timeline found in the wild, chilling in Canada and up for pre-order in UK

by Ross Miller posted May 25th 2009 at 6:59PM

Acer's been largely mum about its new Aspire Timeline laptop since its initial unveiling back in early April, but now it looks like the company's getting ready to roll out the portable to the customer base at large, if these spy shots from a from a Canadian-based Future Shop store are any indication. The list of specs is a bit hard to read, but from what we gather, the 14-inch Aspire 4810TZ-4129 is packing a 1.3GHz Intel Pentium SU2700, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD, a DVD drive, WiFi, WAN, a touted 8 hour battery life, and Windows Vista Home Premium. No indication on the price or official street date, however, but if they're being sent to retail, we can't imagine we'll be waiting too much longer. Feast your own eyes on the specs sheet in the image after the break.

Update: Reader Oleg has written in to let us know it's also up for pre-order at UK retail site PC World -- 14-inch for £550 and 15.6-inch for £600.

[Thanks, waterboy99troop]

Continue reading Acer Aspire Timeline found in the wild, chilling in Canada and up for pre-order in UK

Engadget Podcast 141 - 04.10.2009

by Trent Wolbe posted Apr 10th 2009 at 2:16PM

That's right everyone -- it's the Engadget Podcast. If you're down with gadgets, chatting, and just kicking it ill, you're in the right place. Hear your friends Josh, Paul, and Nilay discuss the week in technology, and expound on their belief that the P.U.M.A. is a dangerous rickshaw, Acer has stepped up to the netbook plate in a big way, and Microsoft might not be totally on the level with its new ads. Ready to get the blood boiling? Dip your toes into the jacuzzi of chat that is the podcast, and enjoy!

Note: There appears to be some very weird timing issues going on with our audio in this installment. If it seems like we're talking over each other more than normal, don't be too alarmed. We're looking into it now.

Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Song: Back In Black

01:40 - Engadget's wild ride in the P.U.M.A.
15:35 - Peapod the friendly Neighborhood Electric Vehicle in the flesh
24:40 - Acer launches first NVIDIA Ion-based nettop: AspireRevo
35:15 - Acer announces Aspire Timeline thin'n'lights -- $699 to $899
46:15 - Microsoft's second Laptop Hunters commercial: Giampaulo buys an HP HDX

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