If you’re looking for a new 11” Ultrabook, the Acer Aspire S7 is probably on your list, especially if you’re interested in driving Windows 8 with a little bit of touch. We’re expecting the Acer Aspire S7 to be in the premium pricing category (i.e. not at the $799 that the Samsung Series 5 Touch could start at) but it will be much thinner and lighter than that.  The Verge have taken it for a spin and are extremely impressed by the build and style. Unanswered questions remain though…

Pricing, battery size and availability are specifications we’re working on adding to the database as soon as possible.

The video (which we couldn’t get to embedd here below) is in the complete article at The Verge.

Via Tweaktown

Update: The Series 7 and Series 5 Slates have been officially launched as the ATIV Smart PC and ATIV  Smart PC Pro. [Engadget]

The detachable style ‘Ultraslate’ is going to be popular. The design has already been proven by ASUS with their Transformer range and many of us are already excited about the ASUS Transformer Book. The Samsung options – a Series 7 Slate with dock, is going to go head to head. We just spotted this video on Laptopmag’s YouTube channel and we’re expecting an article and official info to follow soon.

A version with Core i5 will sit alongside a slightly lighter version, the Series 5 slate, with an Atom CPU inside allowing you to choose between power and battery life/weight.

Take note that the keyboard is said to have quite a bit of travel, a result of most of the electronics being behing the screen.

Pricing – $1199. $749 for the Series 5 (Intel Atom) version.

We’re on the lookout for official info.

Via Laptopmag

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Starting at $799 with a Core i3 Samsung have just set the a very competitive lower benchmark for touchscreen Ultrabooks. Based on the existing industrial design it’s going to be a really solid offering.

Laptopmag don’t have an article about this yet but we’re expecting one soon. We might even hear details in the Samsung event that’s just kicking off in Berlin right now.

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Via Newgadgetsde

Revealing the optical track pointer and a design that’s slimmer than I expected, the port locations, backlight on the keyboard and lots more. As a tablet it’s ‘pretty thin and light’ says Johannes. It still weighs 1.2KG though so as a pure tablet, it’s a complete bloater!

Full specs, price and other info available here.

My thoughts – Why aren’t we seeing news about HSDPA/4G for the Vaio DUO? This is clearly an ultra mobile PC but without 3G, it’s missing something in my opinion. Still, enough people have Android phones that can help out with a little hotspot love. I love the look of that track pointer! Personally, I’m more of a fan of detachable screens which is why I’ve got my eye on the ASUS Transformer Book. I’ll bet it’s going to be cheaper than 1200 Euros for a Core i3 too!

Video below…

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Via TLBHD on YouTube a hands-on with the ASUS UX21 Touch

This 11.6” Ultrabook based on the Ivy-Bridge powered UX21A is obviously going to be more expensive than the UX21A which itself isnt the cheapest Ultrabook out there. $100-$150 premium over the UX21A price is to be expected. As for availability, expect end of October, when Win 8 is available. Video below.

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Toshiba will be showing their new convertible Ultrabook, the Satellite U920T, at IFA this week. This hybrid device isn’t official yet but Mobilegeeks have some early specs and this image below is coming via Nomobile.ru, both at IFA.

Update: Some more info at ABCNews.

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As well as learning a lot about Ultrabook sensors and features this week I also  learnt a new word. Spelunking might sound like a fetish but apparently it’s about exploring caves! Let’s do a bit of spelunking right now in the cave known as the Ultimate Coder Ultrabook Challenge. In week3 we’re getting down to serious detail.

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You’ll see this touchscreen Ultrabook used extensively over the next month or so as I explore and demonstrate software and operating system elements. In this video I want to answer one of the most often asked questions – why have a touchscreen on a laptop when your hands need to be near the mouse and keyboard?

I’ve been using touchscreen devices since 2007. For over 1 year I used a touchscreen netbook as my only laptop, It was running Windows XP (not tablet edition) and had a resistive touchscreen. Even with all those limitations there were scenarios where I found using touch to be an advantage. Sometimes it’s not natural but sometimes it’s worth it.

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