The world's third-largest PC maker plans to spend 20 million baht over three months to promote its first ultrabook in the country. The lightweight and ultra-thin notebook combines the instant startup features of a tablet with computing performance of a notebook.

Though the Aspire's design resembles the MacBook Air, it uses the popular Windows operating system, which could help it maintain its market share against fierce competition from tablets.

Boonchai Ngouvisitkul, associate director of Acer Computer, said Thailand was the second country in Southeast Asia where it had rolled out the ultrabook, the first product of its kind in the kingdom.

The Acer Aspire S3 has a 13.3-inch display and is 13 millimetres thin, weighing 1.33 kg. Features include "Green Instant On" for immediate startup.

Its price starts from 27,900 baht for an Intel Core i3 processor, compared with 32,000 baht for a MacBook. Other models featuring an Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors cost 29,900 and 49,900 baht, respectively.

Nitipat Piaweenwongwuthi, senior marketing manager of Acer Computer, said the new ultrabook is expected to help Acer regain its notebook market share.

"We expect the ultrabook to contribute up to 20% of our notebook sale revenue this year," he said.

By 2012, the ultrabook market in Thailand is expected to have a 15% share of total notebook sales of 2.8 million units.

Competition in the segment is expected to intensify thanks to a parade of new products.

Later this month Asustek Computer will introduce the UX 31 ultrabook with a 13.3-inch screen priced at 34,900 baht while Lenovo will launch its new "U series" ultrabook.