First Ultrabook Arrives from Acer October 16 for $900

Monday various reports pointed to an Amazon listing that revealed the 13.3-inch Acer Aspire S3-951 as the first ultrabook to land in the States. According to the listing, the super-slim device will officially arrive on October 16 just under Intel's sub-$1000 target price point, costing $899.99 USD. Acer later backed up the listing with an official press release on Monday, announcing the ultrabook's arrival.

"This featherweight Ultrabook powers on instantly, connects to the Web in seconds and provides up to 50 days of stand-by time, or 6 hours of continuous usage," the company said Monday. "As slim and easy to carry as a magazine, it includes a powerful Intel Core i5 Processor, speedy solid state drive for quickly booting the operating system, roomy hard drive, and essential USB and HDMI ports."

According to the specs, the device sports a 13.3-inch HD widescreen CineClear LED-backlit display with a 1366 x 768 resolution, Intel's second-generation Core i5-2467M CPU clocked at 1.6 GHz, integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000 with 128 MB of dedicated system memory and 4 GB of RAM. Windows 7 Home Premium is installed on a 20 GB SSD while an additional 320 GB 5200RPM hard drive is available for media and other file storage.

As for other features, the ultrabook provides a 2-in-1 card reader, 802.11 b/g/n connectivity, Bluetooth 4.0 + HS, a 1.3MP HD webcam (1280 x 1084), two USB 2.0 ports, one HDMI port with HDCP support, and a 3-cell Lithium polymer battery promising up to 8 hours. The device measures just half-an-inch at its thinnest and weighs a mere 2.98 pounds (depending on the configuration), and its overall dimensions are 12.59 inches by 8.52-inches by .51 to.68-inches, making it "one of the thinnest notebooks available on the market."

"The Acer Aspire Ultrabook also includes numerous design elements that keep the system running cool and efficiently," the company said. "All the heat generating components have been placed away from the palm rest and touchpad area, and warm air is funneled away from the user through the back of the Ultrabook.  Venting throughout the keyboard also helps the system stay cool, and its vent-free bottom allows it to be used comfortably on a lap or pillow, without fear of obstructing air flow and overheating.  In addition, airflow is optimized to enhance efficiency and lower power consumption to help increase system battery life."