Acer is previewing a refreshed lineup of mobile and desktop PCs that includes a new 11.6-inch netbook that tips the scales at just over one kilogram and is just one inch thick.
Like its 8.9- and 10.1-inch counterparts, Acer’s substantially larger Aspire One model integrates an Atom processor and mobile chipset from Intel. However, the new machine will integrate a 160GB internal hard drive, a multi-card reader, and a six-cell 5200-mAh battery that offers up to eight hours of operation from a single charge versus the 5.5- to 6.5-hour maximum of Acer’s older netbooks.
Featuring a high-definition (WXGA) back-lit LCD screen, the new netbook offers Dolby Pro Logic sound together with Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), Bluetooth and 3G wireless options. And the new machine’s touchpad is now multi-gesture, which means that users can zoom Web pages at a single touch or leaf through multiple Web pages in a manner similar to how people read newspapers, Acer said.
Multimedia Desktops
Acer’s said its AspireRevo — which combines a Intel Atom 230 processor with a Nvidia Ion graphics processor — is capable of delivering 10 times faster graphics performance than other small desktop PCs. Sporting a mini-PCI Express slot and an HDMI port for high-definition video, Acer’s book-size “nettop” — a low-cost, space-saving desktop PC — can play 1080p HD movies and DirectX 10 games as well as deliver 3-D capabilities when running Windows Vista Premium.
AspireRevo options include the user’s choice of a serial ATA hard disk or a solid-state drive, gigabit Ethernet or 802.11b/g networking, and up to 4GB of DDR3 memory. Selected models also will offer a high-speed draft-n Wi-Fi option.
Additionally, Acer said it is developing a new Aspire Z5600 desktop PC that will offer touchscreen capabilities at an affordable price. The main design point that sets this machine apart from…