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Acer set to unleash 15in fibreglass MONSTER

Taiwanese hardware maker to expand Ultrabook range

Taiwanese hardware giant Acer is set to continue with its plans to target Intel’s super-skinny laptop segment with the launch of a new 15in fibreglass Ultrabook in the next couple of months.

Unnamed Taiwanese supply chain makers revealed to Digitimes that ODM Pegatron has been producing the machines since mid-March, and is working towards an expected launch date of April or May.

That time frame would see them coincide with the launch of Intel’s Ivy Bridge processors, which are set to propel a second wave of Ultrabooks at a cheaper price point than those seen so far, however there was no confirmation whether this model would sport the new chips.

Acer obviously thinks the new 15-incher will be a hit as Pegatron has reportedly been given orders to churn out 100,000 units a month, far larger than average monthly shipments for Ultrabooks of 30,000-50,000, according to the report.

Acer has made no secret in the past of its love for all things Ultra, claiming that anything from a quarter to 35 per cent of its notebook shipments this year will be of the super skinny variety.

In fact, the firm has already unveiled a 15-incher in the Ultrabook category, the Aspire Timeline Ultra M3, which it claimed to be the first of its kind to feature an optical drive.

Offering more choice at the larger end of the Ultrabook range may even be a ploy to appeal to the consumer on a budget, with some doom-mongers predicting the category may struggle as Europe enters a new age of austerity.

Whatever it is, Acer will be hoping its plans in the Ultrabook space help it to continue the turnaround in fortunes since some rather unfortunate inventory problems cast a shadow over much of 2011.

Acer didn’t immediately reply to a request for confirmation of the report. ®

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