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Nov 30

Acer confirms plans for Windows Phone 7

Posted in: operating system, OperatingSystem, os, Today's Chili, windows phone, windows phone 7, WindowsPhone, WindowsPhone7

We saw the briefest whisper of an indication a couple months ago, but now Acer CEO Gianfranco Lanci has come out and said it: Acer’s working on Windows Phone 7. In an interview with Ina Fried, Gianfranco touched briefly on the company’s plans for Microsoft’s new OS, after an ill-fated stint with Windows Mobile not so long ago. Naturally, the addition of Windows Phone 7 won’t be coming at the expense of Acer’s newfound love of Android, but Lanci oddly says he sees for WP7 “the same opportunity you can see on Android in terms of customization.” We don’t know what sort of customization he could be referring to, but we’re trembling in anticipation. So, let’s just tally them up: MeeGo, Chrome OS, Windows Phone 7, Android, and, of course, Windows itself… pretty nice collection you’ve got for yourself, Acer. What’s next, BeOS?

Acer confirms plans for Windows Phone 7 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 15:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 28

Switched On: Acer’s Iconic Keyboard

Posted in: column, switched on, SwitchedOn, Today's Chili

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

When Acer announced a slate of new devices at a New York press conference last week, the overarching message was simple — keyboards are as done as a Thanksgiving turkey. The company introduced an array of tablets, most of which were running Android, with sizes ranging from five- to ten-inches each. That’s almost as broad a lineup as Archos, which has dipped down to what most would consider digital audio player turf with a three-inch tablet (tablette?) and a precursor to what is sure to be a merciless barrage of tablets on the slate for CES. The single manifestation of a physical QWERTY text entry device was a keyboard dock designed for a 10-inch tablet running Windows.

But as much as Acer’s tablet lineup seems poised to flounder in the coming sea of similarity, its Iconia laptop stood out, eschewing a keyboard for a second 14-inch touchscreen to match the main display. Unlike the dual 14-inch hinged Kno device discussed in columns prior, this one is clearly designed to be used in a landscape orientation, and unlike the 7-inch Toshiba Libretto, the Iconia is not being positioned as some kind of limited-edition experiment. If anything, Acer signaled that it would be the first in a series of products that would unfold over the next several years.

Continue reading Switched On: Acer’s Iconic Keyboard

Switched On: Acer’s Iconic Keyboard originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Nov 2010 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 27

Gateway stuffs Core i5-470UM, Bluetooth 3.0 into 11.6-inch EC19C-A52C/S laptop

Posted in: CoreI5, laptop, notebook, thin and light, Today's Chili, ultraportable

Don’t call it a netbook, capiche? Gateway has just outed a new 11.6-incher over in Japan, with the EC19C-A52C/S boasting some of the most impressive specifications we’ve seen in a unit this compact. A 1.33GHz dual-core Core i5-470UM processor sits at the heart of this here lappie, and it’s accompanied by a 320GB hard drive, 1366 x 768 resolution display, 2GB of RAM, HDMI / VGA outputs, an inbuilt Ethernet port and a six-cell battery that should last half a dozen hours (on a good day). As expected, you’ll also find a 1.3 megapixel webcam, 4-in-1 card reader, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) and Bluetooth 3.0 (a nice touch, we’ll confess), with sales expected to start right about now in the Land of the Rising Sun. As for pricing? Try ¥65,000, or right around $775. Told you it didn’t quite fit the netbook category.

Gateway stuffs Core i5-470UM, Bluetooth 3.0 into 11.6-inch EC19C-A52C/S laptop originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Nov 2010 20:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 27

Acer seduces with slim, trim AZ3750-A34D all-in-one PC

Posted in: desktop, Japan, japanese, PC, Today's Chili

Go ‘head Acer! Get down with your bad self! After introducing a bevy of tablets at a press event earlier this week, it seems as if the company has at least one more trick up its sleeve: this. The AZ3750-A34D all-in-one PC is easily one of the sexiest AIO units we’ve seen in quite some time, boasting a 21.5-inch LCD, a 3.2GHz Core i3-550 processor, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, a 500GB (7200RPM) SATA hard drive, multi-format card reader, DVD burner and 802.11b/g/n WiFi. You’ll also get a gigabit Ethernet port, a 1920 x 1080 screen resolution, Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit), eight USB 2.0 ports and a bundled mouse / keyboard. The hardware alone will go for ¥69,800 ($832) — thankfully, the titillation factor is thrown in gratis.

Acer seduces with slim, trim AZ3750-A34D all-in-one PC originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Nov 2010 10:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 25

Acer’s 10.1-inch tablet reportedly uses AMD C-50 APU, Tegra 2-based model said to be on tap

Posted in: AMD, processor, tablet, tegra 2, Tegra2, Today's Chili, windows 7, Windows7

Acer’s already confirmed that it’s forthcoming 10.1-inch Windows 7 tablet will be AMD-powered, but it unfortunately didn’t get any more specific on the matter than that. If a new DigiTimes report is to be believed, however, it looks like the tablet will use AMD’s dual-core C-50 Ontario APU (or accelerated processing unit), which itself consumes just 9W of power and packs a built-in Radeon HD 6250 graphics chip. What’s more, DigiTimes is also reporting that Acer has a 10.1-inch, Tegra 2-based model on track for a release in April 2011, which wasn’t mentioned at the company’s big reveal earlier this week.

Acer’s 10.1-inch tablet reportedly uses AMD C-50 APU, Tegra 2-based model said to be on tap originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Nov 2010 19:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 25

Acer’s 10.1-inch tablet reportedly uses AMD C-50 APU

Posted in: AMD, processor, tablet, tegra 2, Tegra2, Today's Chili, windows 7, Windows7

Acer’s already confirmed that its forthcoming 10.1-inch Windows 7 tablet will be AMD-powered, but it unfortunately didn’t get any more specific on the matter than that. If a new DigiTimes report is to be believed, however, it looks like the tablet will use AMD’s dual-core C-50 Ontario APU (or accelerated processing unit), which itself consumes just 9W of power and packs a built-in Radeon HD 6250 graphics chip. What’s more, DigiTimes is also reporting that Acer’s 10.1-inch Android slate rocks Tegra 2 and will, in fact, support WiFi and 3G. Wait and see.

Acer’s 10.1-inch tablet reportedly uses AMD C-50 APU originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Nov 2010 19:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 24

Acer Jumps on Android Tablets Bandwagon

Posted in: Android, Tablets and E-Readers, Today's Chili

Acer, Europe’s favorite budget computer maker, has jumped into the tablet game. Introduced yesterday, and available in April, the 7 and 10-inch tablets will both run the Android OS, and both have the slim body and foolishly long widescreen display we have come to expect since the Galaxy Tab arrived.

The ten-incher has a capacitive multi-touch 1080p screen, Wi-Fi and 3G, HDMI-out, a 5MP rear-facing camera plus a front-facing webcam. This all runs on a dual-core 1GHz processor, and is tucked inside a thin, 13.3mm shell (just over a half-inch). There’s also a gyroscope for gaming.

The 7-inch tablet has a 1280×800 screen but is otherwise the same.

Acer hasn’t said which version of Android the tablets will use, but the assumption is that it will be the made-for-cellphones v2.2 Froyo rather than a purpose-designed tablet Android OS. The most important factor in this race is price, and while nothing is yet confirmed, Acer’s senior vice president Jim Wong said that the tablets will be between $300 and $700. That’s a big “between”: $300 spells success, $700 disaster.

It’s funny that the brand-new tablet market has already turned into a commodity race to the bottom. It’s netbooks 2.0, only with Android instead of Windows XP, and with touch-screens instead of keyboards. If we have learned anything from the iPad it’s that the operating system is the most important part, something that seems to have slipped by Acer and Samsung. When the proper, vertical hardware/software devices from HP (WebOS) and RIM (PlayBook) show up, then the tablet market will heat up.

Live and interact in total mobility [Acer Press Release]

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Nov 23

Acer announces new 3D monitor, AS5745DG 3D laptop availability

Posted in: laptop, Today's Chili

Acer announces new 3D laptop, monitor, prices could make you go all crosseyed

More 3D choices for your 3D lifestyle. Acer is launching a pair of products that’ll give you another excuse to wear fancy active-shutter glasses at all times, starting with the HS244HQ, a 1080p monitor that measures 23.6-inches across, has the requisite 120Hz refresh rate and manages a 12,000,000:1 contrast ratio thanks to its LED backlighting. We’re also learning more about the AS5745DG laptop, a “high cost-performance model” 15.6-inch laptop with NVIDIA GeForce GT425M graphics, 2.53GHz Intel Core i5-460M processor, 4GB of RAM, 640GB of storage, and a 120Hz display with a pair of 3D Vision glasses to match. It’s a bit meatier than the company’s 5738DG from last year, and rather pricier too, with an MSRP set to fall just under 100,000 yen — about $1,200 when it ships next month. No word on the monitor’s cost yet, but don’t expect a bargain.

Acer announces new 3D monitor, AS5745DG 3D laptop availability originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 17:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 23

Acer Iconia first hands-on! (update: video!)

Posted in: hands-on, tablet, Today's Chili, video

Acer’s dual-screen Iconia laptop is bold, for sure — eschewing a physical keyboard for another display — but its LCD panels are also mighty glossy. If you’ve got a light in the vicinity above you, there’s gonna be glare — we saw it on stage, and we just saw it now in person. That said, the screen is clear and the touch functionality is pretty clever (five fingers open up a widget where you can scroll through other touch-friendly apps). The keyboard, on the other hand, is pretty hard to use — even the rep admitted there’s a learning curve. You can’t rest your fingers down without hitting something, of course. We managed to browse to Engadget, but it took several tries. Check out the photos below!

Update: Now with video! It’s after the break.

Gallery: Acer Iconia first hands-on!

Continue reading Acer Iconia first hands-on! (update: video!)

Acer Iconia first hands-on! (update: video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 14:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nov 23

Acer’s Android tablets hands-on!

Posted in: Android, Google, hands-on, honeycomb, tablet, tablets, Today's Chili, video

We wish we had better news about our hands-on success here at the Acer global press conference, but because all of the company’s Android tablets will run Honeycomb / 3.0 or Google’s “tablet OS” most of the units just weren’t functioning. The 10.1-inch, dual-core Tegra-powered version was the only unit that would power on, and though we did get to see it blaze through some HD video, for the most part it was very sluggish and clearly acting like a pre-production unit. As far as the hardware goes, the display was bright and surprisingly had decent viewing angles. Acer’s been notorious for using terrible LCDs, so this is quite a nice change! Oh, and as you already knew, it does have two cameras.

We eventually convinced a very nice Acer rep on hand to bring out the 4.8- and 7-inch devices for a hardware demo — both of them were also very early units, but they did look nice from afar with glossy black screens and brushed metal backs. The phonlet’s 4.8-inch, 1024 x 480-resolution screen (it has a 21:9 aspect ratio!) makes it much wider than a Streak, and reminded us a lot of the LG GW900 (may it rest in peace). We told you we didn’t have much in the way of impressions, but hit the gallery below for some more hands-on shots and the break for a quick video of the 10-incher in action. April can’t come soon enough, can it?

Gallery: Acer 10-inch Android tablet hands-on