Acer has unveiled its third-generation Timeline X notebooks in Taiwan today, including 13.3 (3830TG), 14.4 (4830TG) and 15.6-inch (5830TG) iterations. According to Engadget, all of the notebooks on display are equipped with a 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5-2410M processor, an Nvidia GT540M with 2GB of DDR3 VRAM, 2GB of DDR3 RAM, a 640GB hard drive, USB 3.0 connectivity, and a 1366x768 display.
The 13.3-incher will also be available with a 2.3GHz Core i3-2310 while the larger systems come standard with a DVD drive. We'd expect to see more CPU, RAM, and HDD options as the notebooks become widely available. All models also carry Kenwood-branded Dolby Home Theater speakers which sound pretty solid compared to most notebook speakers according to a review by InsideHW.
We haven't seen an official runtime from Acer but InsideHW's review unit fetched more than 12 hours when operating in "ultra-saving mode." Gaming with an active wireless connection drained the juice in just over two hours, so you can expect typical usage to fall between those figures. The maximum autonomy represents a substantial increase over the eight hours cited by earlier models.
While we're on that subject, it's worth noting that the battery is no longer removable. Besides Sandy Bridge's added horsepower and efficiency, the revamped Timeline X series has received a chiclet-style keyboard, an extra mouse button, and slightly refined aesthetics such as straight edges around the chassis instead of tapered ones. Pricing starts at roughly $1,133 and US availability is unknown.
Dell has launched a new desktop for small and medium businesses looking to adopt Intel's new Sandy Bridge platform. Despite its starting price of $599, the lowest-specced Vostro 460 Mini Tower packs the new 3.1GHz Core i5-2400, which e-tails for $195 alone. Another $110 or $210 gets you an upgraded 3.3GHz i5-2500 or 3.4GHz i7-2600.
All the CPUs are paired with Intel's H67 chipset, which utilizes Sandy Bridge's on-die graphics core. We imagine Intel's new HD Graphics 2000 IGP is plenty sufficient for standard office use, but the Vostro 460 can be outfitted with a 1GB Radeon HD 5450 ($60), 1GB GeForce GT 420 ($145), or a 1GB Radeon HD 5670 ($195) if you need a little more horsepower.
The default $599 configuration is only equipped with a gig of RAM, but you can add up to 16GB if that isn't sufficient. Hard drive capacities range from 320GB to 1.5TB, and although a secondary drive is available, it maxes out at 1TB. A DVD reader comes standard, while a Blu-ray burner tops out the optical drive category with an added expense of $235. Besides the standard ports and connectors, you can add a 19-in-1 media card reader, a USB 3.0 PCIe card, and an IEEE 1394a adapter. OS options include Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate. Systems ordered today have a preliminary ship date of February 2 and come with a basic keyboard/mouse as well as a one-year warranty.
