Acer will soon release an Intel Haswell 3GHz, Core-i5-powered all-in-one that cuts Windows out of the PC picture altogether by running Android, according to an un-sourced rumor from CNET. The PC maker has already dipped its toes into the Android AiO waters with the 21.5-inch ARM-powered Smart Display DA220HQL (shown above), but if the rumor pans out, it would mark the first Intel powered AiO we’ve seen from anyone packing Google’s mobile OS. The lack of a license fee to Microsoft means the unit would cost around $400, and thanks to Android’s lower hardware needs, would come with a mere 1GB RAM and 8GB ROM at a minimum. If true — and that’s a huge “if” — it makes some sense considering Acer’s desire to avoid Microsoft’s Windows RT OS at all costs, but we’re not sure how an Android-based tablet with pricier Intel underpinnings would go down with the public.
Acer is set to drop their latest Windows 8 tablet, the Iconia W700-2. Running on Windows 8 OS, the tablet sports an 11.6-inch 1920 x 1080 Full HD 10-point multi-touch display, a 1.90GHz Intel Core i3-3227U dual-core processor, an Intel HD 4000 Graphics, a 4GB DDR3 RAM, a 128GB SSD, WiFi, a USB 3.0 port and a 4850mAh Li-polymer battery. The Iconia W700-2 will start shipping from May 31st for 90,000 Yen (about $880). [Acer]
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If you told us Acer was coming out with an innovative new take on the Windows 8 convertible, we’d probably laugh in your face. After so many months of evaluating slidable, twistable, bendable and detachable machines, we’d (hopefully) be forgiven for believing we’d seen every possible form factor. The Aspire R7 proves that we were wrong, and we’re actually kind of glad. With a 15.6-inch display sitting in a unique, flexible “Ezel” hinge, this device lets you switch between four modes, and the panel can even lie nearly flat above the keyboard like an all-in-one desktop. Oh, and Acer switched the positions of the keyboard and touchpad, a setup that definitely takes some getting used to.
Though the R7’s form factor sets it apart, it offers the same specs as many Windows 8 convertibles: you get a 1080p screen, a Core i5 processor and 6GB of RAM for $1,000. So does the R7’s appeal hinge on its distinctive design? Follow us past the break to find out — we promise the bad jokes stop here.
Back when Acer unveiled the Iconia A1 tablet, it slipped out an upgrade to its starter Iconia B1 series, the B1-710. That refresh has at last surfaced in the US — through the FCC, anyway. The 7-inch, WiFi-toting slate has cleared the FCC’s approval process with its subtle design tweaks and doubled 1GB of RAM in tow. Unfortunately, Americans aren’t much closer to actually buying one. While Canadians may get a turn when we’ve spotted a (currently unconfirmed) $230 Acer Canada listing, the new B1 is primarily bound for Europe. It should cost £110 / €129 (about $166) for the WiFi model’s June release, and £129 / €179 (between $195 and $230) for a 3G-equipped B1-711 edition arriving in July.
Update: The Canadian listing now appears to be an A1, not the B1 we saw earlier.
This week SlashGear is having a peek at the Acer Aspire R7 notebook – that rather unique piece of machinery you saw advertised last month aside teasers for the newest Star Trek movie. It’s no surprise that this device was chosen to take on that role as its mysterious – and here we find rather enticing – abilities allow it to look like a rather familiar starship. With Acer’s “Ezel” hinge, the Aspire R7 can take on several shapes – including that of the Kirk-captained Enterprise.
Up in front the user will be working with a 15-inch display at 1080p resolution, this run by an 3rd generation Intel Ivy Bridge processor – we’ve got i5 but you’ll have the option of i7 as well, depending on when you check the device out. Inside is Windows 8 right out of the box, and the display has 10-finger touch sensitivity.
Also inside you’ll find 6GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive, not to mention a 24GB solid state drive as well. The whole machine weighs in at approximately 5.5 pounds, which is right there on the edge of “this is kind of heavy” and “oh this isn’t as heavy as it looks”.
Under the machine you’ll notice some rather sizable bumpers. These pieces of rubbery material hold the notebook hybrid in place while you’re swiveling your display around and offer a bit of a bump so your speakers can blast out the bottom and the sides. You’re also working with some Dolby technology there for sound – and we’re already sure it’s loud.
As it was with the Star Trek Into Darkness film, so too was this machine available starting on the 17th of May. It’ll run a prospective owner $999 USD, and we’ll be letting you know if it’s all worth it soon – stay tuned for SlashGear’s full review!
Acer’s C7 Chromebook is the cheapest way to get in on Google’s cloud-OS party. But, it still ships a 320GB 5,400RPM drive. Truth be told, such a large amount of local storage is counter to the whole idea of Chrome OS — not to mention that the slow spin introduces a certain amount of unwelcome lag. Thankfully the bargain-basement $199 laptop is about to get an SSD makeover, according to a listing at Best Buy. The official specs at the Google Play store still list the standard hard drive, but the big box shop has a model featuring 16GB of solid state storage. The updated C7 keeps the same affordable price point, though we have no idea when it might start shipping. Best Buy lists the Chromebook simply as “coming soon,” with no estimated delivery date. From what we can see there are no other changes to the machine, so if you weren’t a fan of the cheap construction before, don’t expect that to change.
The announcement of the Acer Aspire R7 was the best example of the company’s assertion that it was moving from computers designed with touch to computers designed for touch. But if having a fancy, even unprecedented, hinge is what defines a touch-optimized notebook, Acer is a bit late to the party.
Last October, Switched On discussed the role that laptop-tablet hybrids — namely convertibles and detachables — would play in the differentiation of Windows 8 devices. Both types have seen their share of support. Detachables have included HP’s Envy x2, ASUS’ Transformer-inspired VivoTab and Microsoft’s Surface. (Dell’s XPS 10 is available only with Windows RT.)
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