Acer is a brand closely associated with budget workhorse machines — the company largely manufactures laptops for entry-level gamers, students and office workers. It’s an admirable (and tough) niche to fill at a time when RAMageddon is inflating hardware component prices and even sub-$700 laptops feel like a dying breed.

The half-inch thin laptop is joined by a new, much larger Swift Air 16 — both with Intel Wildcat Lake.