Acer on Tuesday introduced its new TravelMate Timeline series of ultra-thin notebooks intended for business customers.

The three versions of the device - the 8571, 8471, and 8371 - include 6-cell batteries that promise up to eight hours of power when the Acer PowerSmart Manager enabled.

The main difference between the three notebooks is screen size - users can select a 13.3- inch, 14.1-inch, or 15.6-inch screen. There is also the option to select 3GB or 4GB of RAM, a 1.3GHz or 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, and a 320GB or 250GB hard drive.

All the machines come with 32-bit Windows 7 Professional pre-installed, though Acer will also include a Windows XP Professional CD as well.

They also include an Acer Crystal Eye webcam; three USB 2.0 ports; an HDMI port; a 5-in-1 card reader; a multi-gesture touchpad pointing device supporting circular-motion scrolling, pinch-action zoom, and page flip; and 802.11a/b/g/Draft-N WLAN, Bluetooth, gigabit LAN. They all weigh in at 3.5 lbs.

The 15.6-inch and 14.1-inch laptops with a 1.4GHz processor and a 320GB SATA hard drive will run you $999, while the 13.3-inch 8371 with a 320GB hard drive costs $919. The 15.6-inch and 14.1-inch versions with a 250GB hard drive are retailing for $899.