Posts Tagged ‘Acer’
Acer shows off Aspire R7 Star Trek edition, we go eyes-on at Computex
Author: Markus Smith
No, we’re not making this up. We’ve always thought the Aspire R7 bore an uncanny resemblance to the USS Enterprise, and now it appears that Acer’s officially in on the fun, too. Our friends at Engadget Chinese stumbled upon a new version of the starship-esque convertible at Acer’s Computex booth today — the company manufactured just 25 of these special-edition notebooks, one of which it plans to offer up on eBay from June 14th through the 24th, with all proceeds going to charity. This variant is unique enough for us to look past the device’s shortcomings, and perhaps place a bid of our own. Star Trek (and industrial design) fans can get their fix in the eyes-on gallery just below.
Source: Engadget Chinese
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Acer upgrades its PCs with Haswell, new models include the Aspire V7 Ultrabook
Author: Buck Howard
This is hardly the biggest Acer news of the week (that would be this, this and this), but it’s worth a PSA nonetheless. Now that Intel’s formally unveiled Haswell, Acer announced it’ll be refreshing much of its PC lineup with those fourth-generation chips — 23 notebooks and six desktops, to be exact. Obviously, that includes too many models and configurations for us to discuss today, but Acer did say the updates will span the S7, M, V3, V5, V7 and E Series laptop lines, with prices ranging from $ 600 to $ 1,600. On the desktop side, the changes are limited to AT3-605 series and the Predator AG3-605 series, with prices running the gamut from $ 700 to $ 1,500.
If there’s one model that caught our eye, though, it would be an Ultrabook from Acer’s recently announced Aspire V7 series. The V7-482PG-9884-U (how’s that for a name?) has 14-inch IPS display, a Core i7-4500U processor, a 4GB NVIDIA GeForce GT750M GPU, 12GB of RAM and a 1TB HDD. That’ll be available this month for $ 1,300, putting it squarely at the high end of what Acer has to offer.
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Acer announces the Liquid S1: a 5.7-inch smartphone with a near-stock Android experience (hands-on)
Author: Margo Tipton
Acer keeps the product announcements coming here at Computex, adding a new (and big) Android phone to its new Ultrabooks and Windows tablets. The Liquid S1 arrives with a 720p 5.7-inch display, matching ZTE’s Grand Memo in screen size, and marking Acer’s first contribution to the five-inches-and-over smartphone club. The phone is bound for Asia and Europe (no US release is planned for now), and it comes appropriately equipped with twin SIM-card slots. There is, however, no LTE radios, something that Acer admits will be arriving in its smaller Android devices first.
Other notable specs include a Mediatek quad-core 1.5GHz processor and 1GB of memory to aid Android 4.2. It’s worth noting that the UI here, like we’ve seen from Acer in recent years, is largely a stock one, both in functionality (the two-finger drag-down menu for settings toggles is here, take that HTC One!) and looks, although there’s some additions to the software that we’ll outline later. We’ve managed to get some playtime with the device ahead of its big reveal at Acer’s press event, so check out our (literally) earth-shaking first impressions and hands-on video after the break.
Gallery: Acer Liquid S1 hands-on
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Acer
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Tags: 5.7inch, Acer, Android, announces, experience', handson, Liquid, nearstock, SmartPhone | 
No Comments »Acer Aspire R7 review: a flexible form factor at a reasonable price
Author: Tiffany Shoman
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.
Gallery: Acer Aspire R7 review
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Tablets, Acer
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Slickdeals’ best in tech for May 29th: Acer Iconia Tab A210 and Sony NEX-F3
Author: Antonio Pierce
Looking to save some coin on your tech purchases? Of course you are! In this roundup, we’ll run down a list of the freshest frugal buys, hand-picked with the help of the folks at Slickdeals. You’ll want to act fast, though, as many of these offerings won’t stick around long.
Our regular roundup of discounted tech makes its return with another handful of enticing selections for you to consider. Sony’s NEX-F3 mirrorless camera and Acer’s Iconia Tab A210 may garner an immediate look, but there’s plenty more to peruse on the other side of the break.
Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Cameras, Tablets, Storage
Source: Slickdeals
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Acer CEO optimistic about Windows 8.1, claims Microsoft is back ‘down to Earth’
Author: Natalie Wood
While Microsoft executives have been hinting at the arrival of a Windows 8 update, codenamed Blue, two Acer execs have been voicing their approval of planned changes for the OS. Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Acer president Jim Wong explained that Microsoft is making alterations “at a high percentage” rate thanks to OEM input. Arguing that the world is not going 100 percent touch in the next five years, he says “touch makes a lot of possibilities for PCs,” but that “you need to take care of the rest of the world that doesn’t need touch” too.
Windows chief Julie Larson-Green dropped big hints about changes for non-touch use of Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system recently. Speaking at the Wired Business Conference earlier this…
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Acer president sees ‘no value’ in building a Windows RT tablet right now
Author: Jon Mitchell
Ever since Acer’s Linxian Lang said that Microsoft would eat “hard rice” for building its own Windows RT hardware, the company has treated the operating system with something bordering on contempt. When asked about Acer’s long-gestating RT device, Acer president Jim Wong said “to be honest, there’s no value doing [hardware for] the current version of RT.” Given the underwhelming interest in RT gear that other companies have reported, we’re not sure if Wong’s comments qualify as a sick burn or merely kicking an adolescent piece of software when it’s down.
Filed under: Tablets, Microsoft, Acer
Source: AllThingsD
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Acer still planning Windows RT tablets, but sees ‘no value’ in current version
Author: Christen Arquette
Acer is clearly and closely aligned with Windows, but there’s one part of Microsoft’s strategy it’s not buying into just yet. At an event on Friday in New York — in the middle of a sea of newly-announced Windows products — company President Jim Wong told PCWorld that Acer won’t build a Windows RT tablet until Windows RT 8.1 comes out. “To be honest, there’s no value doing the current version of RT,” he said. We may not have to wait long, though: Wong also alluded to Windows RT 8.1 coming in the second half of this year.
Acer has a fairly turbulent history with Windows RT, but has repeatedly said it’s committed to building products with Microsoft’s low-powered OS. And with Windows RT 8.1, which promises to bring a number of…
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Acer Goes To A Whole New Level Of Crazy With The Aspire R7
Author: Jack Schmidt
Acer just announced the Aspire R7, a strange hybrid of a desktop all-in-one, laptop, and a tablet that was previously teased in some promotional Star Trek commercials. It’s honestly really, really weird.
We always expected that Windows 8 would lead to some really strange convertible touchscreen devices, but the Aspire R7 is a whole new kind of crazy. The first thing you’ll notice about the Aspire R7 is that Acer seems to have forgotten how laptops are made. The trackpad sits behind the keyboard, which is a bit perplexing until you realize that Acer doesn’t really want you to use the trackpad at all.
That’s because the Aspire R7 has something called an Ezel hinge that gives the 15.6 touchscreen display an amazing degree of flexibility. You can lie the 15-inch, 1080p touchscreen display completely flat with the device, turning the Aspire R7 into an oversized tablet. You can also angle the display so that it sits flush with the keyboard and covers the trackpad completely. I’m honestly not sure why the trackpad is there in the first place.
As a whole, the Aspire R7 seems to be incredibly well built. It’s made of some type of aluminum-like material, and there’s virtually no flex to the device. On the other hand, it’s very large and very heavy, which means that it won’t be very portable. It’s probably one of the nicest pieces of hardware Acer has ever built. But I don’t know who would use something as crazy as this.
Other key specs for the R7 include:
- Intel Core i5 1.8GHz processor, with Turbo Boost to 2.7GHz
- 6GB Of DDR3 RAM
- 500GB SATA HD, paired with a 24GB SSD
- Intel HD Graphics 4000
- HD webcam with dual mics
- 2 USB 3, 1 USB 2 ports
- 5.3 lbs and 1.1-inches thin
Acer also announced the Aspire P3, an ultra book convertible with a detachable display, and the Iconia A1, a 7.9 inch Android tablet. But it’s the Aspire R7 that stole the show here. It’ll be available for sale exclusively at Best Buy retail locations starting May 17th, and can be pre-ordered now at the Best Buy online store for $ 999.
(and a friendly shout out to Stefan over at LaptopMemo, who was kind enough to let me borrow his camera for these shots)
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Everyone! Look! Acer!
Author: Jesus Sargent
When was the last time you talked about Acer? Never? Me too. The company, which is the fourth largest PC maker in the world by the way, announced the Acer Aspire R7 this morning. It’s a mighty morphing Windows 8 portable. Like the Lenovo Yoga, it features versatile hinges that allow the computer to take different forms.
The Aspire R7 is not the next big thing. No one is going to buy this thing. But that’s probably just fine.
The Acer Aspire R7 is a halo device. It’s an attention grabber. It’s advertising in the form of product. It’s Acer’s proof to the other big players and startups alike that the company can still hang. It’s designed to sit pretty in the showroom window and entice buyers to come inside to the dealership. It is, in automotive terms, the Chevy Corvette of Acer’s lineup.
Dealerships prominently position the Corvette outside their doors. It’s not around back with the Chevy Econoboxes. It’s right out front. It draws attention. It gets buyers near the door and talking about the brand. It will never outsell the Impala. In fact it’s designed to help sell the Impala.
Expect to see the Acer Aspire R7 on electronic store retailers’ end-caps and nowhere else. Just maybe, with this hot portable occupying prime real estate in Best Buy, more buyers will view Acer as a serious computer company rather than a list of competitive specs available at good price.
Every company produces these high-end products to get the blood moving again. Remember the Dell Adamo XPS? That $ 2,200 netbook was once displayed at CES on a turntable protected by a bulletproof cube of glass. It was “technically” available for sale, but Dell didn’t expect it to sell en masse. Sony had the uber-high end Qualia line from 2003 to 2005. With prices ranging from $ 1,400 (MiniDisc player) to $ 25,000 (SXRD video projector), these products were more of a design exercise than legitimate push into the upper echelon of consumer electronics.
Back to Acer.
The company’s Wikipedia page says it best: Acer sells “inexpensively-targeted” computer electronics. The products are available from nearly every retailer. Acer is, in short, the Lee Jeans of computer: They’re perfectly acceptable, available at Walmart but not a brand that generates excitement.
Now there’s the Acer Aspire R7. The Internet is excited about this computer. Gizmodo says they’re not ready for its level of crazy. But crazy is good. Crazy gets attention. And crazy sells.
Acer is losing marketshare. The company was the second most prolific computer maker in 2009, second to only HP in global sales. It ended 2012 in fourth place, after HP, Lenovo, and Dell. Worse yet, sales and shipments are still trending down.
The consumer marketplace has changed a lot since Acer was near the top. Like Giz said, we’re not ready for the R7′s radical design. But I for one can’t wait to see what else the firm is capable of producing. I would be totally on board with a similar Windows 8 computer albeit one that’s a touch less crazy. And now I’m looking to Acer to provide that where I wouldn’t have even considered the company before.
Oh, and Acer did announce new lower-end notebooks today. Engadget covered them. They’re good, but nothing exciting — which is just about right for Acer.
