The Acer Aspire S5 is a premium ultrabook with a premium price tag of $1400. For that price you get a laptop with a 13.3 inch display, an Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge processor and a 256GB solid state disk.
Acer also says the S5 is the thinnest ultrabook around, measuring about 0.6 inches thick and weighs about 2.65 pounds.
The laptop is expected to go on sale in the US by the last week in June.
In order to keep the case thin, Acer built the Aspire S5 with a magnesium alloy and burshed metal case and included a motorized MagicFlip I/O Port which hides the HDMI, USB 3.0, and Thunderbolt ports when you don’t need them.
When you want to connect a peripheral, just hit a button and the I/O panel on the back of the laptop flips around to reveal the ports.
The laptop has a 1366 x 768 pixel display.
Aside from the unusual port arrangement, I suppose Acer is hoping to justify the price of the Aspire S5 with the Core i7 processor, large solid state disk, and ultrathin case. But $1400 still seems like a lot of money to spend on an ultrabook when cheaper options are available.
Fortunately Acer offers some of those as well. The company is updating its Aspire S3 line of ultrabooks with Ivy Bridge processors and offering them for $648 and up starting next week.
Interestingly, Acer is also offering a cheaper version of the Aspire S5… in Canada. Our neighbors to the north will be able to pick up a $1000 model with a Core i5 processor and 128GB solid state disk by the end of June.
Neat! The flip thing is cool…but what happens when the motor breaks or crumbs from the coffee shop get in there? Maybe, that scenario of a jam is very unlikely, but it will happen to someone I’m sure.