At a press event held Friday in New York, Acer unveiled the Aspire R7, a 15.6-inch notebook that features a “Full HD” 1920×1080 touch screen, a re-positioned keyboard, and an innovative “Ezel Hinge” that moves the display forward and into different positions.
The R7 runs Windows 8 on an Intel Core i5 processor, 6GB of memory, a 500GB hard drive, and a 24GB SSD. Standard high-end features include a full-size backlit keyboard, volume control button, HDMI port, SD card reader, audio jacks, three USB ports, WiFi, Bluetooth and a converter port supporting VGA, RJ45 and USB.
With four modes of operation, the R7 can be used as a traditional notebook, a table top pad, a display, or switched into “Ezel” mode. Ezel mode allows the screen to float over the keyboard at various angles, and eliminates the need to reach across the palm rest and keyboard to use the touch screen. The Ezel Hinge makes it easy to switch the display around, to touch or type while creating, browsing or sharing content. The dual hinge allows for single-hand switching between modes and keeps the display steady when touched.
To use the notebook as a tabletop pad, you pull down the touchscreen and lay it on top of the keyboard with the face up. In display mode, you just flip the screen over you can watch a movie, show photos, or give a presentation without the keyboard in the way. The screen flips easily yet remains rigid when touched.
The Aspire R7 is housed in a unibody aluminum chassis with a nice-looking brushed metal hinge and an arched cover with subtle curves and lines. The bottom features a soft touch finish for a secure grip. Even the keyboard placement was reconsidered in the new design: re-positioning it closer to the body in front of the chassis makes typing more comfortable and as efficient and as fluid as possible. The R7 recently won a Red Dot design excellence award, which are given out annually by a jury of 37 design experts for the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen of Germany.
Acer’s R7-571-6858 will be available in Best Buy stores and online for shipping on May 17 for a retail price of US $1,000. Additional models and specifications will be announced in the following weeks.
The Acer Aspire R7 was introduced along with other new products, including the Acer Aspire P3 Ultrabook, Acer Aspire V Series touch notebooks and Acer Iconia Android tablets.
