Unless you’re shopping for a new computer, laptops are generally boring pieces of gadgets to look at. Because, you know, they all do the same things. So even a small innovation like the Acer Aspire Ethos’ detachable trackpad can make it very, very interesting.
Why would you want to remove the trackpad? In this “premium multimedia” notebook’s case, it’s because the navigational control doubles as a media remote. That way, you can load a movie on the Blu-ray drive, sit back and control the viewing experience without having to reach over for the keyboard.
The Acer Aspire Ethos’ trackpad comes with embedded LEDs that turn it into a full-fledged remote. Not only do you get touch-sensitive media buttons, it also displays track information and even has an accelerometer for automatically adjusting the layout based on how you hold it. And like all remotes, there’s a good chance you will fall asleep and lose it somewhere around the house, so make sure to always keep a mouse in the laptop bag (or a ring mouse on your finger) just in case.
As for the laptop itself, Acer will be offering it in two sizes — a 15.6-incher and an 18.4-inch behemoth. Intended as self-contained multimedia theaters, both pack in some serious hardware, including 1920 x 1080 resolution displays with Gorilla Glass screens, second-gen Intel Core CPUs, DDR3 memory, beefy GT500 graphics cards, Blu-ray drives, surround sound speakers (with built-in boosters and woofers), USB 3.0, HDMI outputs and more.
Availability for the two Acer Aspire Ethos models will begin mid-June, with prices starting at $1,499.99.
[Acer]