SAN JOSE, CA--(Marketwire - Aug 24, 2011) - For ultimate road warriors and savvy business professionals seeking a combination of style, mobility and professional-grade security and manageability, Acer America today debuts the new TravelMate Timeline 8481T notebook PC for U.S. and Canadian customers. The lightweight TravelMate Timeline 8481T delivers outstanding performance, all-day battery life⁽¹⁾ and sports a unique 14-inch screen in an ultra-thin 13-inch form factor.

"True road warriors and professionals need a thin and light mobile PC that is capable of running heavy business applications and presentations," said Gregg Prendergast, vice president of commercial sales and marketing for Acer America. "The TravelMate Timeline 8481T notebook is an important addition to our commercial notebook portfolio, as it combines everything a business professional requires on the road or in the office, including exceptional performance, enterprise-level security and manageability and long battery life in a small form factor for a best-in-class mobile experience."

Sleek Mobility in a Mainstream Form Factor
At just 3.7 pounds with a super slim 0.87-inch profile, the TravelMate Timeline 8481T features an innovative new display technology to allow an ultra-compact, frameless 14-inch LCD to fit into a 13.3-inch footprint. The sophisticated industrial design trims the bezel by a third and allows 15 percent more display area so users can conduct business and boost productivity while enjoying the portability of a traditional 13-inch notebook.

The TravelMate Timeline 8481T notebook is housed in a unique dual-tone resilient magnesium-aluminum case that evenly distributes external forces and can withstand extreme pressure. The notebook also features a new metal-alloy hinge design for maximum hold strength when the cover is open, and Autolock to ensure the notebook lid is tightly secured for LCD protection.

Serious Notebook Performance for Serious Business
Ensuring mobile performance required for business users, the new TravelMate Timeline 8481T notebooks are powered by second-generation Intel^® Core^™ i5 processors with Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2 that encrypts files and folders for critical data security. The TravelMate Timeline 8481T notebooks enable professionals to run business productivity applications 60 percent faster than previous generation processors, with up to two times faster multitasking. Users can create more compelling sales presentations and run power hungry business applications up to 70 percent faster and perform complex financial calculations up to 80 percent quicker, resulting in increased productivity.

The TravelMate Timeline 8481T delivers superb business presentations with rich color and crisp images via the notebook's 14-inch Acer ComfyView LCD LED backlit display with HD (1366x768) resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio. With Intel^® HD Graphics 3000 with 128MB of dedicated system memory and Wireless Display (WiDi) technology, users can connect the notebook to an HD display with a compatible adaptor, and easily setup and wirelessly share presentations and HD videos with great image clarity and sound.

Long-lasting battery life is another extremely important requirement for professional users. The TravelMate Timeline 8481T notebook's eight-cell lithium ion battery provides up to 13 hours PC performance depending upon usage⁽²⁾, to ensure users are productive for an entire working day without a power source. Additionally, the notebooks feature Acer PowerSmart long cycle batteries, which provide up to three times longer battery life cycles than traditional batteries (1,000 vs. 300 cycles). These batteries also maintain 80 percent capacity after the 1,000 cycle count, which means the battery will last longer, reducing the need to replace it. ⁽³⁾

The TravelMate Timeline 8481T packs 4GB of DDR3 memory and is upgradeable to 8GB, providing plenty of space to store and manage important files and folders of any size thanks to a spacious SATA hard disk with up to 320GB of capacity at 7200 rpm. To ensure the physical integrity of the PC's data, the TravelMate Timeline 8481T notebooks feature next-generation DASP (Disk Anti-Shock Protection) technology that insulates the hard disk, providing added on-the-go protection if the notebook is accidently dropped, knocked or bumped. The hard disk drive is also soft-mounted onto the system to provide extra cushioning. The result is a significant improvement in preventing hard disk drive failure and higher MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure).

The TravelMate Timeline 8481T notebooks offer a full range of advanced connectivity solutions including Gigabit Ethernet, WiFi and Bluetooth. The Acer Video Conference solution, including high-def webcam and built-in microphone, enables high-quality video conferences so that users can easily keep in touch with business contacts.

Premium Security & Manageability
When booting up the system, the TravelMate Timeline 8481T utilizes the multi-level Acer ProShield Security with BioProtection Fingerprint solution, preventing unauthorized access while safeguarding the notebooks valuable assets and data integrity with one swipe of a fingerprint.

TravelMate Timeline 8481T users can easily manage and transfer data to and from external devices ten times faster than before with the notebook's USB 3.0 port. The TravelMate Timeline 8481T flaunts the Power-Off USB Charging technology, allowing users to charge a smartphone or other USB device without turning the computer on. The TravelMate Timeline 8481T easily becomes a charging station, allowing road warriors to travel without extra power adapters for mobile phones and other gadgets.

Pricing, Eco-Compliance and Warranty
The Acer TravelMate Timeline 8481T notebooks are available in the U.S. and Canada in early September at authorized Acer resellers. Prices for the TravelMate Timeline 8481T begin at $999.99 US/CAN.

Acer professional notebooks are submitted to a series of reliability tests and are compliant with the most stringent industry criteria. The elimination of hazardous substances throughout the TravelMate Timeline notebook's supply chain results in Acer's greenest notebook to date.⁽⁴⁾ These TravelMate Timeline series models are Energy Star^® qualified, ensuring energy savings and longer battery life and are registered EPEAT^® Silver, having less environmental impact than products that do not meet the EPEAT criteria.⁽⁵⁾

The new Acer TravelMate Timeline Series comes with a standard one-year parts and labor warranty, which can be extended to three years with the Acer Advantage service.⁽⁶⁾ Additionally, some models have longer warranties offered through specific channel partners. All Acer notebooks and netbooks are backed by toll-free service and support.⁽⁷⁾

About Acer
Since its founding in 1976, Acer has achieved the goal of breaking the barriers between people and technology. Globally, Acer ranks No. 2 for total PCs and notebooks.⁽⁸⁾ A profitable and sustainable Channel Business Model is instrumental to the company's continuing growth, while its multi-brand approach effectively integrates Acer, Gateway, Packard Bell, and eMachines brands in worldwide markets. Acer strives to design environmentally friendly products and establish a green supply chain through collaboration with suppliers. Acer is proud to be a Worldwide Partner of the Olympic Movement, including the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games and London 2012 Olympic Games. The Acer Group employs 8,000 people worldwide. Revenues for 2010 reached US$19.9 billion. See www.acer-group.com for more information.

© 2011 Acer America Corp. All rights reserved. Acer and the Acer logo are registered trademarks of Acer Inc. Other trademarks, registered trademarks, and/or service marks, indicated or otherwise, are the property of their respective owners. All offers subject to change without notice or obligation and may not be available through all sales channels. Prices listed are manufacturer suggested retail prices and may vary by location. Applicable sales tax extra.

⁽¹⁾ All-day battery life refers to at least eight hours performance, depending on computer settings and applications or features launched.
⁽²⁾ The listed battery life is based on MobileMark 2007® productivity mode testing with wireless on.
⁽³⁾ Battery life varies depending on product specifications, computer settings and applications or features launched. All batteries' maximum capacity diminishes with time and use.
⁽⁴⁾ Acer's Hazardous Substance Free (HSF) Program continually seeks out alternatives to potentially harmful chemicals in products. For more information on the HSF program and Acer's Restricted Substances Management, visit http://www.acer-group.com/public/Sustainability/sustainability04.htm.
⁽⁵⁾ EPEAT ratings may vary by location -- see www.epeat.net for registration status by country.
⁽⁶⁾ Limited warranties and service agreements apply. May not be available in all locations. Availability varies. Other conditions apply.
⁽⁷⁾ Service methods subject to change without notice or obligation.
⁽⁸⁾ Source: Gartner data, FY2010