Jun 03
Jun 03
Acer has joined the Windows RT naysayers, with the company’s chairman, J.T. Wang, criticizing the Windows-on-ARM platform for lacking influence in the market. The Taiwanese company hasn’t been slow to jump on board the Windows 8 bandwagon – being the first company to launch an 8-inch Windows 8 tablet, in fact, earlier today at Computex – but Wang told the WSJ that his confidence didn’t extend to the sibling OS.
According to the chairman, Windows RT is unlikely to be “so influential anymore” and that has left Acer uncertain whether it will launch an ARM-based RT model. “We would like to be realistic,” Wang explained. “We have not decided if we want to launch that, to start mass production.”
Windows RT was Microsoft’s attempt to broaden Windows’ appeal among tablet users, taking on iOS on the iPad and the cavalcade of Android slates with a version intended to use low-power ARM-based chips rather than x86 processors from Intel and AMD. Loaded onto the original Microsoft Surface, Windows RT looks ostensibly like the regular version of Windows 8, with the same Metro-style interface.
However, under the hood architectural changes mean most existing Windows apps won’t run on Windows RT, and only new Metro apps are supported. RT has a traditional desktop view, but that’s only for the special version of Office Home & Student 2013 RT; other apps can’t be installed.
Microsoft is yet to announce sales figures for Surface, but the general response has been cold. It’s also seen third-party OEMs step back from their own Windows RT plans. Samsung dropped its RT tablet, while Dell said that it had been underwhelmed by the “pretty negative” response to its RT slate, which it cut the price of last month. HTC was believed to be working on a 12-inch RT model, since dropped amid middling consumer interest, though is believed to still have a roughly 7-inch version in the pipeline for later this year.
It’s not the first time Acer has been publicly pessimistic about Windows RT. Back in May, Acer president Jimmy Wong told reporters that “there’s no value doing the current version of RT,” with plans for a model to be released sometime this current quarter apparently put on hold.
Acer dismisses Windows RT as not “influential” is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jun 03
Acer Orbe Wireless Storage Hub
Posted in: Today's Chili
Jun 02
Acer Aspire S3 Ultrabook Announced
Posted in: Today's Chili
Jun 02
This week the folks at Acer have revealed several new Haswell-toting computers and a surprise entry in the mobile world: a brand new “phablet”. This Acer Liquid S1 delivers what Acer itself refers to as a phablet form-factor, bringing a 5.7-inch display with HD 1280 x 720 pixel resolution. Inside is a near-vanilla (but not quite) Android 4.2 Jelly Bean experience with a quad-core Mediatek processor and 1GB of RAM. This machine is meant to embody Acer’s aim to reach the cloud with a rather unique entry into the handheld mobile environment.
This device is being pushed with AcerCloud Docs, allowing documents and files of many different formats to be sent to, viewed, and edited from the smartphone itself. This device also works with wireless display an print features that’ll be ready to roll with 4th generation Intel Core (Haswell) features – WiDi being one of them.
One of the more unique features in this phone on top of Android is a “Float User Interface”. This feature has the user press a key that brings up a “Float Apps” shortcut – from there they’ll be seeing apps on a transparent screen floating above whatever app is open. With this function you’ll be able to work with a limited number of apps that can be open an used above your main app in a sort of “ghost” mode: maps, calculator, notes, and your main camera.
There’s also a Float Caller notification that allows a mini-window to appear. From this mini-window, the user is able to take the call, dismiss it, or reply to it with a quick message.
This device works with a front-facing camera with an 88-degree wide viewing angle, a 24mm lens, and button-less shooting – saying “cheese” will take a snap. Entertainment features include Studio Sound with DTS technology, live sharing with Acer’s 2-way Live Screen app, and HD streaming and playback for video and photo display.
This machine works with 8GB of internal storage but has a microSD card slot for 32GB storage expansion, and the whole device is right around the size of the Samsung Galaxy Note II.
This machine is currently appearing with Bluetooth, Wifi, and 3G connectivity, which means it’s not necessarily going to be hitting the USA any time soon. The functions, on the other hand – we can dream! You’ll be seeing this machine in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Ukraine, and Russia for right around 329 Euro, or $430 converted USD.
Acer Liquid S1 brings 5.7-inch self-proclaimed “phablet” to market is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jun 02
Acer Aspire Z3 Series All-In-One PC
Posted in: Today's Chili
Jun 02
While Acer is pushing forth several machines this week that take on the mantel of an entirely new design in and of themselves at Computex, the Acer Aspire S7 looks, on the surface, to be the same machine as it was earlier this year. Under the surface though is a reboot that means more than just accepting the 4th generation of Intel Core (Haswell) processors. Included in this reboot of the Aspire S7 is 2nd generation Acer TwinAir cooling, new electroluminescent (EL) backlit keyboard technology, and a new option for a display sharper than its already-1080p-wielding predecessor.
Though it seemed almost over-the-top seeing 1920 x 1080 resolution on this notebook earlier this year – see our Acer Aspire S7 review to see what we mean – this new iteration of the machine will have a 2560 x 1440 pixel option. That’s WQHD on a 13.3-inch display, using IPS LCD technology on what’s also the first display to be both WQHD and 10-finger touch for Acer.
This notebook – this Ultrabook, rather – works with an ever-so-slightly thicker body at 12.9mm (where the original was 12.5mm) and remains light enough to compete at 1.3kg. Both sides of the lid (the top and the display) are covered with Gorilla Glass 2 while the bottom bit is made with a single block of aluminum.
NOTE: Above and below you’re seeing the original Acer Aspire S7 – the reboot appears in the gallery below, and is essentially identical save its optional WQHD display.
Acer employs dual-array microphones with this machine with Acer’s own PurifiedVoice technology. This aims directly at making the computer understand, transmit, and record – where necessary – your voice for voice recognition (hello Google) and VOIP applications in as “crystal clear” a manner as Acer is able.
The display’s ability to pull back 180 degrees – flat, that is – allows for more multi-user capabilities as well. “Touch-and-show sharing” they call it, with a hotkey combination flipping the orientation of the display at will. Aside this machine’s 4th gen Intel Core processor is a RAID 0 solid state drive for silent operation and quick read/write times and wakeup from sleep.
Intel’s Haswell generation of Core processors work here to bring on Intel WiDi technology so that this machine can extend or mirror its display to a TV or otherwise big screen monitor wirelessly. Intel’s technology is also implemented here to improve battery life, coming in at 7 hours according to Acer, that ending up bringing a 33% improvement over the original.
At the moment Acer notes that this update to the Acer Aspire S7 will be available in the third quarter of 2013. Pricing and more specific release information will be appearing soon.
Acer Aspire S7 Ultrabook gets Haswell reboot with optional WQHD is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jun 02
This week Acer has appeared at Computex with several next-generation computers, the largest of which is a 23-inch display-toting all-in-one PC with ultra HD resolution, this machine called the Aspire Z3. This PC’s 23-inch screen works with 1080p Full HD LED-backlit LCD technology and 10-point touch, made for families and multi-person working environments with its 178-degree viewing angles. Inside users will find an Intel Core processor (which generation we’ll find out soon) as well as Intel HD graphics.
This machine is the first All-in-one made by Acer to work with Harmon Kardon speakers – these speakers work with Dolby Home Theater v4 technology to delivery “world class” sound while the Aspire Z3 interacts with a variety of machines via its many ports.
Around this computer you’ll find inspiration from the original Acer M5 desktop machine, here grouping “frequently used” I/O ports in what Acer calls a “capsule-shaped” area up front: onscreen display buttons, USB 3.0, an SD card reader, and a 2-in-1 combo audio jack can be found here. Elsewhere on this machine can be found two more USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI input, and of course a power-in port.
Acer notes specifically that the HDMI input “turns the Z3 into a brilliant display for game consoles.” This along with the machine’s adjustable webcam up top make for a unique combination that allows the unit to serve more purposes than the average all-in-one.
As it is with the Ultrabooks announced today, pricing and sale information will be announced at a later date – at the moment it would seem that this all-in-one machine will be available by the end of the month, but final word at the moment is not entirely solid. We’ll know soon!
Acer Aspire Z3 All-in-one PC tunes up touch with Full HD is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jun 02
Today at Computex Acer has revealed several products in the Windows 8 arena, coming in with a tablet that’s made for a single hand, as they say, with the Acer Iconic W3. This machine is the first 8-inch tablet to have been introduced with full Windows 8 aboard, also working with an Intel Atom Z2760 processor to assure proper processing power for the full Windows 8 experience. This machine was also introduced with the 2013 Microsoft Office Home & Student suite installed out of the box, this bringing on apps such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.
The Acer Iconia W3 works with an 8.1-inch display to be precise, this working with LED-backlighting technology and 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, able to deliver 720p videos on the go. Though the tablet is presented as a stand-alone unit, there’s also a unique full-size Bluetooth keyboard that holds the tablet upright and “docks to the tablet” for screen-protected travel. There’s also, of course, an on-screen keyboard as comes standard with any Windows 8 device.
Acer suggests that this machine works with up to 8 hours of battery life, at the moment says they’ll offer a wi-fi-only iteration of the unit with 802.11b/g/n, and of course assures us there’s Bluetooth technology onboard as well. This device will be offered in two storage size options, either 32GB or 64GB (internal), with a microSD card slot included with both that’ll allow 32GB more with your own microSD card.
This 8-inch tablet works with a micro-HDMI port, microUSB port, and two cameras – one on the front, the other on the back, both of them coming in at 2 megapixels. This device will be available for MSRP $379 USD, but as pre-sales begin, final pricing may be different (possibly even lower).
It’ll be interesting to see this machine work with the Office family now that the whole bunch is updated for touch – especially since this will likely be the smallest display they’ve been used on thus far. Acer is also bringing on a collection of other devices like the Liquid S1 phablet, Aspire S7 and S3 Ultrabooks, and more – all of them working with touch, all of them appearing at Computex this week.
Acer Iconia W3 is industry’s first 8-inch Windows 8 tablet is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jun 02
This week at Computex, Acer has revealed a set of notebooks and desktop machines that bring on 4th generation Intel Core (Haswell) processor technology along with upgraded features to their units. Here with the Acer Aspire S3 Ultrabook line, a bit of an aesthetic change has been made to the industrial design of the machine. Deriving from the successful bits and pieces seen in the Acer Aspire S7, the Acer Aspire S3 now takes on a look that’s a bit more “today”.
Here at SlashGear we’ve done an Acer Aspire S3 review as it existed back in February of 2012, packed with its own Intel Core i7 processor. Back then it was nothing to joke about when it came to entertainment abilities and general comfort in use, but here in 2013, things have changed a bit.
The Aspire S3 now uses Windows 8 and employs touchscreen abilities, working with a dual-torque hinge like the S7 for flat-lying multi-user functionality. This device now employs a light-sensing keyboard with auto-adjusting backlit keys, an aluminum cover sprayed “Sparkling White” with a “mirror-polish” finish to evoke “the family design and visual purity of the S7′s gorilla glass cover”, and the operation area throughout the machine is made from anodized aluminum – smooth and tough, that is.
Inside the Acer Aspire S3 alongside a 4th generation Intel Core processor will be NVIDIA GeForce GT 735M graphics – architecture introduced in April of this year for what was up until this past week NVIDIA’s top-notch graphics processing offering for the laptop form factor.
The Acer Aspire S3 Ultrabook will be available with a 7.2mm 1 TB hard disk for storage and will come standard with features like WiDi (Wireless Display) courtesy of Intel’s newest generation of processors. This machine’s 1080p Full HD display works with 170 degrees of viewability with IPS LCD technology and the whole system is able to wake from Sleep mode “in just 1 second” according to Acer with Acer Fast Resume, this and basic booting from complete shut down turning the display on when the display is opened. No more need for a power button!
This 17.8mm thin machine will be available in the third quarter of 2013, while final pricing and exact dates will be available sooner than later.
Acer Aspire S3 2013 reboot nabs design tips from S7 flagship is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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