Acer rolls out $400 Windows 8 TravelMate

Acer has introduced a Windows 8-powered  ultraportable PC lineup targeted at students and budget-conscious users.

Dubbed the Acer TravelMate B113, the ultra-portable system is available in both the US and Canada and can be loaded with either Windows 8 Pro or the older Windows 7 OS.

Machines in the series are about an inch thick and weigh only 3 pounds, making them rather easy to take with you in a backpack or carry-on bag. Despite the thin profile and lightweight, the machines are fitted with the latest Intel Ivy Bridge Core i3 processors operating at a cool 1.4 GHz.

The notebook series uses six-cell battery packs, promising over seven hours of battery life per charge. The B113 can be fitted with up to 4 GB of RAM and up to 500 GB of storage via hard drive. The thin ultraportable also boasts an 11.6-inch screen with a resolution of 1366 x 768 and uses an anti-glare matte surface finish to help to reduce glare and reflections.

Additional specs include integrated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a gigabit Ethernet port. The ultra-portable is ready for video conferencing, as it is equipped with an integrated high-definition web cam and microphone.

Base pricing begins at $399 in the US in $369 and Canada.