Acer Aspire S7 Windows 8 touchscreen Ultrabook release detailed

Acer Aspire S7
Acer is beating the IFA 2012 rush by revealing this now

It's only been two months since Acer revealed the Aspire S7 Ultrabook at Computex 2012, and the Taiwanese manufacturer has already revealed pricing and release info for the new device.

The Aspire S7's release date has been confirmed as the end of September, and the ultrabook will drop for $1,465 (£1,149.99).

That means the initial runs will be equipped with Windows 7, as Windows 8 will release on October 26, three to four weeks after the Aspire S7 launch.

The thin S7 should get a Windows 8 reboot after the OS hits the public market.

The specs

Acer's Aspire S7 Ultrabook by default sports an Intel Core i5 Ivy Bridge processor, 128GB of SSD storage, 4GB RAM, and HDMI, USB and memory card reader ports.

A 12-hour battery cycle and backlit keyboard also serve to sweeten the deal.

The Aspire A7 comes in 11.6- and 13.3-inch flavors, but the thin machine can be beefed up significantly with a number of upgrades, including more RAM and SSD space and the option for a Core i7 chip.

In addition, it turns out the Aspire S7's much-hyped touchscreen could be an optional add-on, though there's no word yet on how much extra it might cost.

But an Acer spokesperson has revealed to TechRadar that while details haven't yet been announced, it's believed the touchscreen will come standard, though hardware configurations could differ by region.

Aspire S7 stands out

Acer is going to some lengths to ensure that the Aspire S7 stands out.

Its attractive "white glass" coating helps differentiate it from the current reigning king of ultra-thins, Apple's MacBook Air.

TechRadar predicted that Acer would reveal the pricing and release date for the Acer Aspire S7 at Berlin's IFA 2012 consumer electronics mega-show at the end of August.

But the company may have dropped the news now to ensure it wouldn't be lost in the inevitable rush of news from the convention.

The fold-back touchscreen is an addition that will no doubt impress Apple fans, but without Windows 8 the Aspire S7's initial runs may lag as would-be buyers wait for Microsoft's OS upgrade.

Via Slashgear

Michael Rougeau

Michael Rougeau is a former freelance news writer for TechRadar. Studying at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Northeastern University, Michael has bylines at Kotaku, 1UP, G4, Complex Magazine, Digital Trends, GamesRadar, GameSpot, IFC, Animal New York, @Gamer, Inside the Magic, Comic Book Resources, Zap2It, TabTimes, GameZone, Cheat Code Central, Gameshark, Gameranx, The Industry, Debonair Mag, Kombo, and others.

Micheal also spent time as the Games Editor for Playboy.com, and was the managing editor at GameSpot before becoming an Animal Care Manager for Wags and Walks.

Latest in Windows Laptops
Asus Vivobook S laptop on yellow background with price cut text overlay
I've looked through hundreds of laptop deals in the Spring sales - this $599 Asus Vivobook has them all beat
The Surface Laptop 7 on a cyan background with a TechRadar deals badge.
This Windows laptop is 31% off in Amazon's Spring Sale and we scored it 5 stars – so why is Amazon putting a warning label on it?
The Microsoft Surface Laptop on a blue background with text saying Lowest price next to it.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop is our best-rated model and right now it's close to half price with this massive $700 discount
Dell XPS 13 Laptop in graphite on yellow background with big savings sign
Save $400 on the top-rated Dell XPS 13 - one of the best laptops money can buy
The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro on a blue background next to text saying Don't Miss.
This half-price Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro is easily the best Presidents' Day laptop deal
Microsoft Surface Pro on a blue background
Best Buy has a huge $350 discount on this excellent high-end Surface Pro bundle
Latest in News
Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con up-close from app store
Nintendo's new app gave us another look at the Switch 2, and there's something different with the Joy-Con
cheap Nintendo Switch game deals sales
Nintendo didn't anticipate that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was 'going to be the juggernaut' for the Nintendo Switch when it was ported to the console, according to former employees
Three angles of the Apple MacBook Air 15-inch M4 laptop above a desk
Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) review roundup – should you buy Apple's new lightweight laptop?
Witchbrook
Witchbrook, the life-sim I've been waiting years for, finally has a release window and it's sooner than you think
Amazon Echo Smart Speaker
Amazon is experimenting with renaming Echo speakers to Alexa speakers, and it's about time
Shigeru Miyamoto presents Nintendo Today app
Nintendo Today smartphone app is out now on iOS and Android devices – and here's what it does