14 DAY TRIAL // The new TravelMate Timeline business laptop series from Acer is aimed at providing a secure but strong computing platform for those employees or business holders who frequently travel and need to carry their data and, perhaps, trade secrets along with them. As such, the new laptops are ultra-thin devices that pack up to 4GB of memory and use a Core 2 Duo CPU, all the while preventing access to the 250GB or 320GB of data unless the built-in fingerprint reader confirms the identity of the owner.
The various models differ from each other mainly through their selected central processing unit, available storage space, amount of memory and the actual size of the screen. Besides these distinctions, all business units make use of the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD, an integrated Super-Multi drive, a five-in-one digital media card reader and an Acer Crystal Eye webcam.
In addition, the TravelMate Timeline models also boast similar connectivity and output capabilities. These are represented by an HDMI port and the 802.11a/b/g/Draft-N WLAN, Bluetooth and Gigabit LAN. All products are built with multi-gesture touchpads.
The TravelMate Timeline TM8471-8818 makes use of a 14.1-inch display and employs the 1.30 GHz Core 2 Duo SU7300. The storage capacity of its SATA hard drive is 250GB and the total memory of the configuration is 3GB DDR3 at 1066MHz, which means that the product uses both a 2GB and one 1GB memory module. The laptop costs $899.
The TM8571-8537 is also priced at $899 and the only difference from the TM8471-8818 is its screen size, specifically 15.6 inches.
Going up in price, the $919 TravelMate Timeline TM8371-6457 makes use of the more capable Core 2 Duo SU9400 processor, which has a clock speed of 1.40GHz, and has both a larger amount of memory (4GB SDRAM at 1066) and a larger storage space, specifically 320GB SATA. Its screen size, however, is slightly smaller than that of the aforementioned models, measuring only 13.3 inches.
The two more expensive models are the TravelMate Timeline TM8571-6465 and TM8471-6306, which have price tags of $999. Both these systems use the same amount of 4GB memory, have similar storage capabilities (320GB SATA) and are powered by the same 1.40 GHz Core 2 Duo SU9400 processor. What differentiates these models from each other are their screen sizes of 15.6 inches and 14.1 inches, respectively.
All the products in the line are capable of a maximum resolution of 1,366 x 768 pixels and come pre-loaded with Windows 7 Professional 32bit. Full information on the line may be found on the company's official site.