Acer updates Aspire R7 with active pen and Haswell, brings touchscreens to the Aspire E Series

DNP  Acer updates Aspire R7 with active pen and Haswell, brings touchscreens to the Aspire E Series

Acer’s announcing a slew of new products today at IFA, but it’s also updating a few existing models with a greater emphasis on touch. In addition to getting the mandatory upgrade to Intel’s Haswell processors, the Aspire R7 will now come bundled with an Acer active pen for use on the 15.6-inch, 1080p touchscreen. Given that the notebook offers four usage modes (including an “Ezel mode” and tablet mode), having this additional input option certainly makes sense. To help you take advantage of the digitizer, the company is adding several apps to its pre-load: MemoryBinder for drawing on top of your photos, ScreenGrasp for capturing images with the pen and Scrapboard for collecting images and ideas, much like Evernote. There’s also AccuFinger, which Acer says helps you select tiny items on-screen when you’re using fingers rather than the pen. As for availability, the new R7 will hit Europe, the Middle East and Africa in late 2013, with the base price set at €999, though we’re not sure when to expect it stateside just yet.

The Aspire E notebook series is also stepping up to Intel’s fourth-gen processors, and Acer’s adding in new AMD options as well. The biggest update, though, is the addition of 10-point multi-touch displays to upcoming models — you’ll appreciate having the option to navigate Windows 8.1 with your fingers, after all. Finally, the Aspire E will be offered in additional colors; you’ll have your choice of Keyboard White, Misty Silver or Piano Black for the 14-inch model, while the 15.6-inch version comes in Cherry Red, Clarinet Black and Steel Grey. (Piano and Clarinet Black options, oh my!) The Aspire E1 will be available in mid-October with a starting price of €399 — no word on US pricing just yet.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Acer Defines Touch and Type Experience with New Aspire R7

TAcer Defines Touch and Type Experience with New Aspire R7

At a press event held today in New York, Acer unveiled the Aspire R7, a revolutionary 15.6-inch notebook that will redefine the touch and type computing experience. Featuring a Full HD 1920×1080 touch screen, the Acer R7 was made for the new computing lifestyle, which increasingly combines touching and typing. With a repositioned keyboard and a revolutionary “Ezel Hinge” that moves the display forward and into different positions, the R7 makes the combination of touching the screen and using the keyboard more intuitive and natural. Its ergonomic design allows users to explore and determine their own preferred way to interact with technology.

he Acer Aspire R7 was introduced today with other new products, including the Acer Aspire P3 Ultrabook, Acer Aspire V Series touch notebooks and Acer Iconia Android tablets. The new line of Acer mobile products highlights the company’s focus on redefining the computing experience through progressive design.

As Acer’s Exclusive Retail Partner, Best Buy Customers who Pre-Order Will Receive the new STAR TREK: THE VIDEO GAME for PC for Free
Available May 17th, consumers who place pre-orders with Best Buy between May 3 and May 16, 2013 will also receive a free download of STAR TREK: THE VIDEO GAME for PC as part of Acer’s marketing partnership campaign with Paramount for the upcoming film, “Star Trek Into Darkness,” opening on May 17, 2013.

The Acer Aspire R7 lets consumers transform their notebook into the shape that best delivers an immersive content experience based on their usage needs. With four modes of operation, the R7 can easily be used as a traditional notebook, a table top pad, a display, or switched into “Ezel” mode, allowing the screen to float over the keyboard at various angles. This allows users to work where they want and how they want — seated or standing, at a desk or with it on their lap. The Ezel Hinge makes it easy to switch the display around, to touch or type while creating, browsing or sharing content. Dual hinge technology allows for single-hand switching between modes and keeps the display rock-steady when touched.

1. Ezel Mode – Reach out and pull the display closer, eliminating the need to reach across the palm rest and keyboard to use the touch screen. Just pull it up and out where it can be positioned in front of the keyboard, or float over it. By pulling the display close, switching between touchscreen, keyboard and touchpad is seamless.
2. Notebook mode – Slide the display back behind the keyboard, and you have a powerful, full featured Windows 8 notebook computer with a 15.6-inch Full HD(1) 1920×1080 touchscreen display, an Intel Core i5 processor, 6GB of memory, a 500GB hard drive(2), a 24GB SSD(3) and a full-size backlit keyboard. It also includes a volume control button, HDMI port, SD card reader, audio jacks, three USB ports, WiFi, Bluetooth and a convenient converter port supporting VGA, RJ45 and USB.
3. Display Mode – Flip the screen over and it’s positioned perfectly for watching a movie, showing photos or giving a presentation. Sharing and collaborating is simple, enjoyable and straightforward. With Acer’s proven dual-torque design, the screen flips easily yet remains rigid when touched.
4. Pad Mode – Simply pull down the touchscreen and lay it on top of the keyboard with the face up, and the Aspire R7 morphs into a pad, without giving up the robust performance of a notebook. The ergonomic 4-degree tilting angle makes it perfect for browsing, writing or drawing. It’s ideal for pure touch interactions like casual gaming, browsing, drawing, annotating and more.

Premium Sound
Offering a superior audio visual experience, the R7’s powerful features and high-definition display are complemented by a premium sound system with Dolby Home Theater v4 and four 8 watt speakers. Because of its transformative design, the audio channels automatically reverse when switching modes, so sound is always perfect.

In addition, Acer also relocated the placement of the dual microphones from the traditional notebook layout. Instead of positioning them on the LCD bezel near the webcam, they are placed along the front of the notebook, just under the spacebar. This provides for the best voice sound quality, and enhances the aesthetics of the touchscreen by eliminating the need for holes in the bezel.

Premium Design
In a manner befitting its revolutionary design, the Aspire R7 includes a unibody aluminum chassis, a beautiful brushed metal hinge, and an arched cover with very subtle curves and lines. The bottom features a soft touch finish for a secure grip, making it easy to grasp and carry.
Even the keyboard placement was reconsidered in the new design. Repositioning it closer to the body in front of the chassis makes typing more comfortable and as efficient and as fluid as possible. The keys fall naturally under the fingers, eliminating the need to hold the arms out and over the palm rest and touch pad in order to type. The travel of the keys was also considered in the design, ensuring it is deep enough to provide a perceptible tactile response when typing, so that using the keyboard is just as enjoyable as touching the screen.

Availability and Pricing
Best Buy is Acer’s exclusive retail partner. The R7-571-6858 has a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of of $999.99 USD(4). It will be available in stores and online for shipping on May 17th. Pre-orders can be placed now at www.bestbuy.com. Additional models and specifications will be announced in the following weeks.

Acer intros Aspire R7, a laptop with an adjustable display like an all-in-one (update: video)

Acer intros Aspire R7, a laptop with an adjustable display like an all-in-one (update: video)

When Acer plans a global press event, asking journalists to fly in from twelve time zones away, you know it’s going to announce more than just some back-to-school PCs. The company just announced the Aspire R7, a 15-inch laptop whose display sits on a flexible “Ezel” hinge, allowing it to be pushed up and back so that it lies nearly flat — yep, just like an all-in-one desktop. Similar to the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga line, too, you can flip the screen all the way back so that it faces away from the keyboard, a feature that seems especially well-suited for giving presentations.

In terms of specs, Acer is being a little cagey, but we have learned the R7 has a 15.6-inch, 1080p display with a choice of Core i5 and i7 processors. The whole thing weighs in the neighborhood of five and a half pounds. Also confirmed: it’s up for pre-order now for $999, available exclusively at Best Buy in the US. We’re told it will ship May 17th. In the meantime, we’ve got hands-on photos below, and we’ll very shortly be adding some first impressions after the break.

Filed under: ,

Comments