It's no secret that I've been planning my next laptop purchase for a while now.  Up until today I was stuck deciding between the HP HDX 16 and the Dell Studio XPS 16.  Now Acer had to come along and throw a monkey wrench into my plans!  I was lucky to have narrowed it down that far!

Acer announced a new line of very interesting notebooks at their event in New York today.  The new line is branded "Aspire Timeline," and they basically amount to machines with the portability of a MacBook or Dell Adamo with a much more attractive price.  There are three models (13.3", 14.1" and 15.6") and all three are only an inch thick.  The prices range from $699 - $899.  They also have incredible battery life; eight hours stock and up to ten with a solid state drive.

Acer Aspire Timeline notebooks

Since I'm looking for a machine with a screen that's larger than my current MacBook's the 15.6-incher is my most likely candidate.  Of course details are sketchy right now and if the laptops don't perform in the end then I'll have to pass.  Still, in the documentation Acer says that these are for "knowledgeable users who understand performance" so there's hope.

Originally found on Engadget: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/07/acer-announces-aspire-timeline-ultralights-699-to-899/