Acer AspireRevo

The “nettop” (short for Internet desktop) is the latest computer gadget that has been on the top of the list among netizens who want to have a fast-performing PC without the clunky space.  A nettop is designed for performing basic computations tasks like surfing the Internet, accessing web-based applications, as well as document processing, media playback among others.  Not only they are lighter and smaller, nettops cost much less and even consume much less power.

Acer has jumped the bandwagon of developing its own nettop and they are proud to present the Acer AspireRevo, which is the first NVDIA ion-powered nettop.  Setting up may require a bit of a know-how especially if you are planning to do a webcast within your wifi connection.  You can also connect the AspireRevo with the a TV and see for yourself the rich images it processes. Read the rest of this entry »

Acer America launches a new notebook solution in the Acer Aspire Aspire 3935-6504. This new notebook a thin-and-light notebook series which combines distinctive style with cutting-edge technologies, and the Aspire 8935, the next generation in the highly-touted series of large-screen Gemstone notebook PCs.

The full-featured notebook PC is less than one-inch thick and is housed in a rich, golden brown brushed metal chassis that weighs only 4.18 pounds. The Aspire 3935-6504 utilizes unique design elements including the Acer FineTip full-size keyboard with large key caps and increased key gaps for an effortless typing experience, along with touch-sensitive hotkeys for easy access to frequently used functions.

Users can conveniently back-up important data in one touch via the Back-up Button, while a single touch to the Acer SmartPower Button will save power to extend battery life.

Acer Aspire 3935-6504 Specifications

• Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T7350 (2.0GHz, 3MB L2 Cache, 1066MHz FSB)
• Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1
• 13.3-inch HD Acer CineCrystal LED Display
• Mobile Intel GM45 Express Chipset
• 3072MB DDR2 1066MHz Memory
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
• 250GB SATA Hard Drive
• 8X DVD-Super Multi Double-Layer Drive
• Acer Crystal Eye Web Camera
• 5-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader
• Intel WiFi Link 5100 802.11a/g/Draft-N Wireless LAN
• Acer Bio-Protection Fingerprint Solution
• 3 – USB 2.0 Ports
• Acer Touch-Sensitive Hotkeys
• Convenience Buttons
• 4-cell Li-ion Battery
• 4.18 lbs.
• 12.8” (W) x 1.0” (H) x 9.3” (D)
• MSRP $899.99

(Source) Press

The first market the Aspire One D250 will likely be available in is Europe, as the system now has its own product page on Acer’s European website. The 10.1-inch netbook was first spotted in February, and passed through the FCC earlier this month. The page reveals official specs for the sub-2.5lb, one-inch thick netbook, which uses Atom N270 or N280 processors and supports 3G broadband. Standard RAM is 2GB, while permanent storage consists of a 160GB hard drive preloaded with Windows XP Home. The display handles resolutions up to 1024×600; other specs include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a multiformat card reader and a 0.3-megapixel webcam, plus three USB 2.0 ports, VGA output, an Ethernet port and audio in/out jacks. The touchpad supports multi-touch inputs, while the keyboard is 89 percent the size of a standard PC’s.

The standard battery is a 2,200mAh three-cell rated at 3.15 hours of life, but can be supplanted by a 4400mAh six-cell unit rated at 6 hours, or a 5200mAh six-cell option capable of 7.5 hours. With the six-cell battery, weight rises to just under 2.8lbs. The D250 should be available in red, blue or black, but despite the product page, pricing and a release date have not been announced.

Internal sources at Acer have reportedly claimed today that the company is planning four systems based on Intel’s CULV platform and could pose a significant threat to Apple. CENS hears that systems will launch as soon as April with 11.6-inch, 13-inch, 14-inch and 15-inch models appearing as part of the early lineup. Their technical details aren’t known, though the 13-inch versions would use magnesium alloys to give them strength without impacting weight.

Although the claim is potentially suspect as it contradicts reports that the affordable ultra low-voltage processors won’t be in notebooks until the summer, it backs claims that Dell, HP and other “large-sized international” computer companies are planning systems of their own that could arrive in May.

Regardless, the systems are already thought to likely dent sales of higher-end ultraportables from companies like Apple and Sony. Intel is known to be targeting systems between $599 and $1,299 with CULV and hopes to give both performance and size between slower, Atom-based netbooks and full-speed notebooks without the traditional $1,500 or higher prices of true ultraportables.

Apple has itself said it has “some ideas” for computers in the netbook class but has resisted their slow speeds and small sizes. It has also publicly resisted offering systems below $500 over quality concerns.

Here is another flashy netbook option for people who want mobile solutions within their grasps. Offered by Acer, the Acer Aspire One AOD150 is not too flashy and not too dull. It has a good number of features, and it also has the best screen we have ever seen in a netbook, so it gets by on much more than just its good looks.

It’s a 10.2in netbook with a fully featured keyboard. The keys are smaller keys than the ones found on the ASUS Eee PC S101, which means that the Acer is not as wide as the Eee PC. This makes it uncomfortable to type on for long periods of time, but eventually you get used to it. Touch-typists will have no problem using the keyboard as it has a regular QWERTY layout and large shift keys on both the left and right sides.

The Acer Aspire One AOD150 differs a little in layout to the 8.9in Aspire One ZG5, but it’s not a complete overhaul of the original design; it still retains much of the original’s look and feel. The touchpad’s left- and right-click buttons are now located at the bottom of the touchpad, rather than either side of it; it has a teardrop-shaped hinge detail, rather than a circle; and it only has one SD slot, rather than two. In the original Linux-based Aspire One, the second SD slot was used to supplement the solid-state drive in the unit.

There is a 160GB, 4200rpm hard drive in the Acer Aspire One AOD150, which is a massive step up from the 8GB solid-state drive found in the original Aspire One. The configuration of the Acer Aspire One AOD150 also includes a 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM and Intel GMA950 graphics.

The unit looks great and feels good. It doesn’t get overly warm, so it probably won’t be uncomfortable after long periods of use on your lap. The touchpad feels smooth and is accurate, but we wish there was a physical distinction between the two buttons.

Good idea: making your own smartphone no matter if it runs on Windows Mobile. Bad idea: planning an independent App Store for that Windows Mobile smartphone.

Acer is ready to follow in Apple’s steps with its own app store. Is it really the best thing to invest in? Unless Acer comes up with a totally unique smartphone OS the supposed app store might not have the success Acer wants. And it had to be a cool enough OS to determine developers to make applications for it. Apple and Microsoft have their own app stores. So do Google and RIM. Nokia is working on its OVI store. What do they all have in common? Unique operating systems!

Acer’s senior corporate vice president, Aymar de Lencquesaing, said that Acer “is examining the viability of an app store.” So far Acer will bring us Windows Mobile phones for now although Android handsets are supposed to arrive soon.

Just a little while ago we heard that Acer’s smartphones will come for free when purchased with a plan and now we hear that the company plans to sell it’s brand new handsets for only 49 Euros or about $62.

The models in question are the entry-level Acer C1 and Acer E1 and they will both come with Windows Mobile 6.5 on board. The phones will arrive in Q3 2009 so by then we should have some hot details about them for you. Stick around!

After this unit was tested and reviewed, Acer informed us that our configuration will not be available. Instead, you can currently get the TravelMate 6293 with a 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5870 versus the 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8400, which we tested. Also our tested configuration came with a 250GB, 7,200-rpm hard drive, but Acer is offering only a 160GB, 5,400 hard drive. In mid-January, 2009, the P8400 processor will be available, but the 250GB hard drive will not. The $999 list price applies to the current and upcoming configurations.

Acer may not dominate the boardroom, but maybe it should. The TravelMate 6293, available only for business users (at CDW, www.bestbuybusiness.com, and authorized Acer resellers) for $999 (MSRP), delivers just about everything you could ask for in an ultraportable—and packs in business features to boot.

Acer hasn’t messed too much with its design on this system. It’s basic black, but there’s nothing wrong with that. You will find a bright, 12.1-inch display that handles horizontal viewing angles like a champ. Vertical viewing angles are less forgiving. The full-size keyboard is comfortable, albeit a tad shallow. Some of the right-hand ancillary keys are a little narrow, but touch typists should get along on them just fine.

A Crystal Eye Webcam and dual-array microphone are located along the top of the bezel. The 1.3-megapixel VGA Webcam is optimized for low light, and it worked very well on our tests in dim conditions. We wish the speakers were louder, though—definitely plan on using headphones if you’re going to listen to music or watch movies on this system.

Above the keyboard, you’ll find six buttons that launch password management, a backup utility, NTI Sync (for syncing your data), button configuration, e-mail, and a Web browser. Three status lights are on the left, indicating hard drive status, Num Lock, and Caps Lock.

Around the outside of the system, you’ll find an Ethernet port, two USB ports, and an old-school PC Card slot on the left; Bluetooth and Wi-Fi switches adorn the front, along with mic and headphone jacks and an infrared sensor. On the right is one more USB port, a 5-in-1 memory-card slot, the DVD burner, a modem, and a Kensington lock. We do wish Acer would include an HDMI port, however, for some extra versatility and because they’re so inexpensive to add.

Performance on this $999 machine is impressive. Equipped with a 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 processor, 2GB of RAM, and Intel GMA 4500MHD integrated graphics, it scored 3,263 on Futuremark PCMark Vantage, a level usually reserved for mainstream notebooks or desktop replacements. The same is true with its scores on our Windows Media Encoder test (5 minutes and 25 seconds) and our iTunes test (3 minutes and 57 seconds). We were also blown away by its Cinebench 10 score of 4,653. All these numbers knock the socks off of other ultraportables and even thin-and-lights and some mainstream machines. We just don’t see scores like these for notebooks of this size in this price range.

This ultraportable starts to act like one when it comes to graphics, though the scores are still solid. We saw a healthy 1,037 on Futuremark 3DMark06, which is good for integrated graphics. Most impressive, however, is that all this performance doesn’t come at the expense of battery life. On our demanding DVD rundown test, we saw an impressive 4 hours and 23 minutes of life. And we saw all-day performance under more normal circumstances (working and surfing the Web).

The 6293 also packs a handful of business goodies that put it a notch or two above the competition. For example, the fingerprint reader is paired with Acer’s Bio-Protection, including preboot authentication, ProfileLaunch, FingerLaunch, FingerNav, and password protection. You can also password-protect the BIOS and the hard drive. In addition to 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Acer throws in its Video Conference solution. As an option, you can also add a Bluetooth VoIP phone with Acer PureZone technology.

Overall, Acer’s TravelMate 6293 has a lot to like. Our biggest complaint is that our tested configuration is tough to come by—we had an easier time finding the 6293 with a T5870 processor. Nonetheless, if you’re a business owner or IT manager looking to buy notebooks for your employees or colleagues, we highly recommend the 6293 for its speed, business and security features, and portability.

Specifications:

• Product Description: Acer TravelMate 6293-6280, Core 2 Duo T5870 2 GHz, 12.1″ TFT
• Dimensions (WxDxH): 12 in x 8.9 in x 1.4 in
• Weight: 4.6 lbs
• Localization: United States
• System Type: Notebook
• Built-in Devices: Stereo speakers, wireless LAN antenna, Bluetooth antenna
• Embedded Security: Trusted Platform Module (TPM 1.2) Security Chip , fingerprint reader
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T5870 / 2 GHz ( Dual-Core )
• Cache Memory: 2 MB, L2 cache
• RAM: 2 GB (installed) / 4 GB (max), DDR3 SDRAM, 1066 MHz ( 2 x 1 GB )
• Card Reader: 5 in 1
• Hard Drive: 160 GB, Serial ATA-150
• Optical Storage: DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM, integrated

• Display: 12.1″ TFT 1280 x 800 ( WXGA ), 24-bit (16.7 million colors)
• Graphics Controller: Intel GMA 4500MHD
• Memory Allocation Technology: Dynamic Video Memory Technology 5.0
• Audio Output: Sound card
• Telecom: Fax / modem, 56 Kbps
• Networking: Network adapter, Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n (draft), Bluetooth 2.0 EDR
• Notebook Camera: Integrated
• Input Device: Keyboard, touchpad, 4-way scroll button
• Power: AC 120/230 V ( 50/60 Hz )
• Battery: Lithium ion
• Run Time (Up To): 7 hour(s)
• Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Business
• Manufacturer Warranty: 1 year warranty