Revamp of the Aspire proves fashion laptops don't have to be more expensive Acer worked with a design subsidiary of BMW on its latest revamp of the Aspire, its mass market consumer notebook PC, in an effort to win users over to the idea that fashion laptops don’t have to be more expensive.The curvy design of the sleek black casing is reminiscent of the curves automobiles have taken on in recent years. But extra effort on the exterior doesn’t mean Acer has skimped under the hood.The new Aspire design will launch globally in June using Intel’s latest Santa Rosa set of chips, which includes upgrades of its notebook microprocessors and wireless technology. It’s also packed with multimedia features, including Dolby surround sound, an HDMI slot, and more. The company plans to offer as many as 40 different models for different market segments, and based on customer specifications, including mainstream and value models, with a range of Intel and Advanced Micro Devices microprocessors and a variety of features including some with built in HD DVD players and 17-inch screens. Officials said pricing would be competitive, and it would add no premium for the extra design work that has gone into the machines.“End users won’t see a difference in price,” said J.T. Wang, chairman of Acer, in an interview. The company plans to spread the roughly $10 million to $20 million in design and marketing costs across the next few years and into millions of laptop PCs.Acer will sell 10 million of the Aspire consumer laptop PCs next year, Wang predicted, though he declined a forecast for this year because the product hasn’t launched yet. The last major design Acer put out was its Ferrari line of laptops, which sell around 200,000 to 300,000 units per year. It’s a specialty laptop aimed at the premium price segment. But the new design for the Aspire is different: it’s aimed at the average user.“We welcome design competition from our rivals. It will be good for users,” said Wang.The last time Acer launched a major design upgrade on the Aspire was three years ago, when its Folio design was released. The design spurred strong sales of the model, but some customers complained that it was too similar to Acer’s business laptop, the TravelMate. The new line of Aspire notebooks, called “Gemstone,” is far different from the TravelMate, which has also had a design refresh. The new ProFile TravelMate laptops come in gray magnesium-alloy casings, far strong and lighter than plastic, Acer says. They will also be based on Intel’s Santa Rosa chips at the launch in June. One unique feature of the TravelMate is its Xpress Bluetooth VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol) handset, which fits into a slot on the side of the laptop and can be used for Internet phone calls and conference calls. Technology Industry