First impressions of the Acer Aspire S7 Ultrabook with Windows 8

Acer announces its new Windows 8 ultrabook, the Aspire S7, and we have a first look at the premium new toys.

As the official launch of Windows 8 approaches, computer manufacturers are working hard to unveil a new line of desktop, laptops, and tablets which will be compatible with the brand new edition of the classic operating system. Today, Acer announces the Aspire S7 Ultrabook, the manufacturer’s latest, thinnest, and lightest laptop yet that’s “nearly as thin as a tablet.”

We got a sneak peak at the Aspire S7 last month and we must say, this thing looks good. The white or all-aluminum body features your choice of an 11.6-inch or 13.3-inch screen with a capacitive touch 1920 x 1080 resolution — all under a solid layer of Gorilla Glass 2. The colors were vivid, bright, and definitely ready for the splash of hues the Windows 8 interface has to offer. On the 13-inch model, the top half of the screen also tilts back 180 degree for optimal viewing angles, so you can lay it flat on a desk and use in a tablet-like manner. Not that this is common, but perhaps that’s because most people would never imagine to do this with their laptops.

Acer claims the battery life lasts approximately five to six hours, which is extendable to 12 with an additional battery pack. To preserve the battery’s performance, Acer has also added a patent-pending “TwinAir” cooling system to continually blow hot air out and cool air in. The 13-inch S7 will feature two USB 3.0 ports, a SD card reader, a headphone jack, and a Micro HDMI port; the 11-inch model will only contain the USB ports and headphone jack. The shiny new Ultrabook will also come in your choice of an Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processors, 4GB of RAM, and two 64GB solid state drives – all this at the overall weight of 2.83 pounds.

Of course, the specs are nothing if not built to enhance the Windows 8 Metro UI experience, which allows users to navigate the main page with just hovering the motion of swipes and taps in front the screen. Acer representatives tell me that the built-in front-facing camera and 10-point touch capacitive display are designed to handle whatever Windows 8 may throw in the future. The design is partially modeled after the current Xbox Kinect touch interface, and the computer should be ready to handle more touch-based gestures should Windows add them in before the official OS launches.

Both versions of the Aspire S7 will be available on October 26, with the 11-inch model starting at $1,200 and 13-inch at $1,400. Pricey, but if we say so ourselves, the quality is definitely there.