Showing the motorised port access, the ports and a quick look around the device. The lighting quality was terrible at the launch event but we did what we could. Enjoy the video and look out for a better hands-on from the floor at CES over the next week.
This is the new Acer Aspire S5 Ultrabook. Looking a lot nicer than the original S3 in my opinion. There’s a good range of ports including, for the first time on an Ultrabook, Thunderbolt. All the ports are hidden behind an electrically driven raised panel.
I think it’s going to take me a while to work out the reason why this rather akward and cumbersome looking docking solution port is being considered for Ultrabooks. A common docking standard could be a good move though.
We know already that the 2012 Ultrabook platform will include support for Thunderbolt and that it is going to make a great single-plug docking system given a Thunderbolt station or hub. Ok, the price of the Thunderbolt hub/station or a Thunderbolt monitor is going to be expensive to start with but that price will come down if it is well adopted which it look like it could be. In the meantime we’ll have HDMI to carry the digital a/v and if you want a mouse, the usb port making a maximum of two connectors.
The new solution shown via VR-Zone is a single package, dual connector solution for Thunderbolt and additional ports.
I think it’s going to take me a while to work out the reason why this rather akward and cumbersome looking docking solution port is being considered for Ultrabooks. A common docking standard could be a good move though.
