Hasta La Gadget!

Here’s some double-edged news, the significance of which depends on whether you just bought an Acer Iconia W3 or were holding off for something with better components. Acer spokeswoman Sterre Swank, quoted by Tweakers.net, has revealed that a successor to the pioneering eight-inch Windows 8 tablet will be out in September with a thinner, lighter build and possibly an upgraded IPS display. In other words, the existing model could be made obsolete within a few months of being on the market, and we’re seeking confirmation of this directly from Acer.

Switching the display would certainly solve one the most serious gripes we raised in our review, but we don’t know yet if there’ll be an impact on the price tag, which stands at $380 for the W3. Also, as we get closer to the end of this year, it makes more sense to wait for Windows 8 tablets with next-gen Atom processors (known as Bay Trail), as the current Clover Trail chips are already straining under the weight of existing desktop applications.

Filed under: Tablets, Acer

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Source: Tweakers.net

Acer has announced the availability of its 23-inch Z3-605 All-in-One desktop computer, bringing with it a couple of Harman Kardon speakers, something the computer maker referred to as an “important milestone” for the company. The desktop computer is now shipping to customers in the United States in both touchscreen and non-touchscreen varieties.

Acer has put a bit of focus on audio with the Z3-605, placing two 3 watt speakers in the AiO and utilizing Dolby Home Theater version 4 for the output. With this, it is capable of “dynamic surround sound,” also signifying a first in the market with the inclusion of the Harmon Kardon speakers, something the company speaks at length about.

Said Acer’s Director of Desktop Product Management Frank Chang: “Acer is the first in the market to bring Harman Kardon premium sound to a mainstream all-in-one desktop, setting a new standard. The Aspire Z3-605 delivers a dynamic, high-quality audio experience for music and movie lovers and furthers convenience and comfort with an ergonomic and adjustable frame and webcam.”

Inside, users will find an Intel Core i5 processor with up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, depending on user configuration. There’s a 1TB hard drive for ample storage space, as well as two USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 slots for an additional drive and other peripherals. Video output comes in the form of HDMI, and there’s an integrated SuperMulti optical drive with disc burning.

Other specifications include an SD card reader, a 2-in-1 audio jack, and an on-screen display button, all of which are located within a “capsule-shaped” bay on the front of the device. This design is aimed at making it easy to access certain frequently-used slots and ports. Connectivity includes 802.11 a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0.

The non-touchscreen version is priced at $699, with the touch variety being $799.

SOURCE: Maximum PC

Acer Z3-605 AiO unveiled with Harman Kardon speakers is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Acer has ditched plans to push Thunderbolt on its Windows PCs, turning instead to USB 3.0 despite being the first PC manufacturer to support Intel’s high-speed connection. According to Acer, which first included Thunderbolt on the Aspire S5 ultrabook in early 2012, it’s a matter of cost, USB 3.0 offering comparable speed among other advantages, and the continuing shortage of peripherals actually using Thunderbolt technology that have soured it on the port.

“We’re really focusing on USB 3.0 – it’s an excellent alternative to Thunderbolt,” Acer spokesperson Ruth Rosene told CNET. “It’s less expensive, offers comparable bandwidth, charging for devices such as mobile phones, and has a large installed base of accessories and peripherals.”

Acer was one of a trio of PC manufacturers said to be shifting interconnect attention to Thunderbolt back in 2012, including ASUS and Lenovo. Since then, Dell, HP, and Gigabyte have all released laptops or desktops with the port, which offers 10 Gbps in each direction simultaneously.

Apple is the company most associated with Thunderbolt, however, including the port on all of its current MacBook notebooks, and most of its Mac desktops. The new Mac Pro 2013 will even debut Intel’s second-gen version, Thunderbolt 2, with even greater bandwidth.

Whereas the current Mac Pro is a sizable tower, the new version is a far smaller cylinder. Instead of offering multiple internal bays for expansion, Apple expects Thunderbolt 2 to be used, with six ports in total, each offering daisy-chaining support for up to six devices, for a total of 36.

Exactly what devices will be hooked up is perhaps Acer’s lingering concern. The market for Thunderbolt peripherals remains small, with high-speed external storage often using SSDs the most common application. They’re expensive, however, and target a niche audience; even the new Mac Pro includes USB 3.0 ports, recognizing the connectivity standard’s ubiquity.

Acer abandons Thunderbolt in favor of cheaper USB 3.0 is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The Acer Aspire S7 has started to ship with the Intel Haswell chip.

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If you were looking for a bounce-back in the PC market after a sobering first quarter… well, keep looking. Both Gartner and IDC estimate that shipments fell about 11 percent year-over-year in the second quarter. The two analyst groups blame the decline on sluggish uptake in a few regions, most notably China and Europe, as well as a market that favors tablets over low-end computers. It’s easy to agree after seeing the numbers. Taiwanese PC makers like Acer and ASUS faced steep yearly declines as they switched their attention toward tablets and Ultrabooks, while even top-seated Lenovo took a small bruising.

There’s a silver lining to this cloud, however. Dell, HP and Lenovo all fared much better in the US than they have in recent quarters. Gartner and IDC attribute the resurgence to the corporate world, where the end of Windows XP support in 2014 may be pushing some upgrades to PCs running at least Windows 7. It’s not quite the broader recovery that vendors are hoping for, but it may have to suffice when any help from Windows 8.1 and OS X Mavericks is months away.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Apple, ASUS, HP, Dell, Acer, Lenovo

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Source: Gartner, IDC