India gets its first Ultrabook - the Acer Aspire S3

Acer first unveiled the Aspire S3 Ultrabook, last month at IFA 2011, and just a month later, it has landed on our shores. With prices starting at Rs. 49,999 for the base model, it’s not the cheapest on the block, but then again, no new tech ever is. The appeal of the Ultrabook comes from combining the raw power of standard notebook internals, but with the flexibility and ease of use of tablets. The Aspire S3 will be available across all major electronic stores like Croma across the country.

MacBook Air, beware!

Starting from the exterior, the Aspire S3 is built using an aluminium/magnesium alloy chassis, which puts the entire weight of the notebook at just 1.4kg. Add to that the super slim 1.3cm depth and we have a strong contender to rival the MacBook Air. The 13.3-inch screen is good enough for little work and play on the move. Processors range from Intel’s Core i3 to Core i7 and a choice between a 250GB SSD or 320/500GB hard drive with an embedded SSD is available. Connectivity wise, we have HDMI, SD card reader, Wi-Fi ‘n’ and Bluetooth 4.0 + HSR technology, suffice to say the S3 is dripping with the latest tech currently available. Its tablet likeness comes in the form of Acer’s two sleep modes. The first one lets you switch it on within 1.5 seconds and 6 seconds from ‘Deep sleep’ mode. Acer states that the S3 can stay in this state for 50 days before needing a recharge. Under regular use, it should be able to deliver 7hrs of battery life.

We have a feeling this new segment of ultra thin notebooks or Ultrabooks would do really well, since till now, if you wanted something ridiculously portable, the MacBook Air was your only real option. Acer has certainly got the ball rolling with the S3 and as more manufacturers jump on the bandwagon, prices are only going to go south, which is a win-win situation for us.