IT takes just over 40 seconds to zoom past the finishing line.

The Acer Ferrari 1100 laptop. The launch price is still to be announced, but don't worry, it won't cost as much as an actual Ferrari. Picture: ACER
That's how fast this laptop cranks up Windows Vista and boots the operating system into full swing.

Indeed, it even lets out a distinctive roar of the powerful Ferrari Formula One car at the end of it, to signal that the laptop is ready for some action.

Although Ferrari's F1 car may only race down Singapore's roads in September, fans can already get a taste of its speed down the cyber highway in a few weeks' time when Acer's Ferrari 1100 laptop makes its debut here.

Acer fans who are familiar with this range of laptops have come to expect the same perfection in design that is found in Ferrari sports cars.

The 1100 is certainly no different.

Unlike its predecessors which came in bright red chassis, the 1100 is packaged in a more subdued matt black carbon fibre casing this time.

When you flip over the cover which bears the signature Ferrari emblem, you will find designs commonly associated with cars.

These include the brightly-lit 'keyless ignition' start key and the cool 'dashboard' that shows the laptop function icons in white back-light.

To move the cursor, you can either slide on its touch pad, which comes in a chequered flag design, or zoom around with its Ferrari bluetooth mouse.

And yes, this speed demon also comes with a pair of Dolby speakers in front, which is meant to give your favourite movie, music or game a much-needed boost.

Like a sports car, this laptop is also powered by high-end components, which include a dual-core AMD Turion 64X2 processor and ATI Radeon X1270 graphics card.

NET SURFING A BREEZE

While this machine may not be built for serious hardcore gaming, it is certainly made to speed up most applications and Internet surfing.

For instance, watching YouTube video clips was a breeze on this machine as I did not encounter any lag time during the wireless download.

As it is compactly built with a 12-inch screen, it means you can do this comfortably even while you are slouched on the sofa.

With most of its ports conveniently placed at the front of the machine, you can also easily plug in your headphones to get better sound.

Its compact size also means that professionals wouldn't mind lugging this laptop, which weighs just under 2kg, when they move around.

Indeed, this laptop is both mobile and agile - it even shuts down in 30seconds flat.

While the distributor here is still trying to work out its launch price, the good news is, it is unlikely to cost a bomb like its sports car namesake.

Rating: 4/5

This story was first published in The New Paper on 11 April 2008.