The new chip features AMD’s new “Graphics Core Next” architecture, and it’s quite a big jump up from the company’s HD 8800M series. The 8970M features 1,280 stream processors, and a clock speed of 850MHz with a memory speed of 1.2GHz. The new chip should be able to handle pretty much any new game you throw at it on your laptop.

As for the first laptop to get the new 8970M, it’ll be the MSI GX70, which will come with an AMD A10 quad-core processor, Eyefinity support, Killer gaming network card, and will have a 17.3-inch display with a 1920×1080 resolution. However, we should be seeing more laptops with the new graphics chip later this year, possibly next month at Computex.

Of course, you’ll be paying a pretty penny for any machine that will run AMD’s latest graphics chip, with the GX70 most likely exceeding well over $1,000, but they also have slower 8000M series chips that the company unveiled in January, including the 8500M, 8600M, and the 8700M. Of course, the 8500M may not live up to AMD’s 8970M chip, but the 384 stream processors along with the 650MHz clock speed and 1,125MHz memory speed should keep you humming along with most games while on the go.

There was also a rise in the use of single and dual-core systems. Systems that use DirectX 11 and DirectX 10 GPUs rose ever so slighly (both by less than one percent), but the number of systems using DirectX 9 rose by 1.5%, meaning that DirectX 9 systems are now used by almost 20% of Steam’s user base. Also of note are the most common resolutions: 25% of participants in the poll are using 1920×1080, 18% are using 1366×768, 10% are using 1680×1050, and finally, 1600×900 comes in with 7%.

PCGamesN points out that this rise in older hardware could mean that more users are installing Steam on their laptops. There’s also the fact that indie games are all the rage at the moment, and those don’t usually require high-end hardware to run. Indeed, you can enjoy a lot of Steam’s game without having a beast of a rig, and considering that indie games are generally much cheaper than major releases by big publishers, it seems like that may be one of the reasons why we’re seeing more middling PCs accessing Steam.

It’s also worth pointing out that a bug in the system recently discovered by Steam prevented new computers from being included in the monthly surveys. While the bug was present, only computers that had participated in the poll before were polled again in recent hardware surveys, meaning if you recently installed Steam on a new PC, it may not have been included in the results. The bug has since been fixed, but it’s causing all of this data to appear all at once instead of over time as it would have normally. Still, despite the bug, this is an interesting development, and it will be exciting to see where the data goes in future hardware surveys.

The new card that has surfaced from PowerColor has a pair of the ATI 68xx/Barts GPUs shoehorned into a single video card. That should be plenty of oomph to give the dual GPU NVIDIA GF114 video card a serious run for its money. The use of a pair of the 6870 GPUs should make this one of the more affordable dual GPU cards we have seen recently. Two of the older GPUs should not be a match for a single 6990 video card; we will wait to see some benchmarks to verify that though.

The card has no official name at this point and will have 1GB of GDDR5 RAM on the card. The full details on the new card are expected to come at Computex. What we can see on the card is a pair of 8-pin PCIe power connectors so you can bet it has the power needed for overclocking too. The success of this card will depend greatly on the price, if PowerColor can keep it affordable this will be a winner with gamers and enthusiasts.

[via Semiaccurate]

You can do a three-screen configuration OR a SIX-screen configuration if you wish, the six screen configuration giving you 5760 x 2160 resolution. That’s one big gigantic freaking monitor setup. And you can buy it in either three or six screen configurations. That’s absolute madness. What kind of person would be able to use such a gigantic setup? You? What would you do with it? Take a look at the video of Vince checking the situation out at PEPCOM.

Connectivity, meanwhile, includes two DVI ports, two Mini DisplayPorts, and an HDMI port. That makes for more options than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580, while TDP is also tipped to be lower than the NVIDIA card.

However, it seems we may have to wait a little longer for the Radeon HD 6970 to arrive. According to Expreview. AMD initially planned to release the new card on November 22, but delays in developing the new BIOS and drivers means the HD 6970 will likely miss that date.

The latest overclocked card using ATI/AMD hardware inside has been unveiled from Club 3D. The card is a Radeon HD 6850 Overclocked edition (PDF). The card comes out of the box with better performance than the stock part. The notable changes for the overclocked card are a GPU clock of 820MHz and memory clock of 4400MHz.

Other than the overclocked RAM and GPU the card is the same as other 6850′s on the market. It has HDMI output, DisplayPort output, and two DVI-D outputs. The cooling solution has fans and the card is a two-slot unit. Pricing and availability are unknown.

Hardware & Design

You can’t accuse Acer of stinting on the core specifications. The Aspire 8943G packs Intel’s 1.73GHz quad-core Core i7-740QM, paired with 8GB of DDR3 memory and Radeon HD 5850 graphics with 2GB of dedicated memory. Storage is a single 500GB 5,400rpm hard-drive, and the display is an 18.4-inch LCD running at 1920 x 1080. Acer quote 220-nit brightness and 8ms contrast ratio, and the screen is certainly bright and clear, with sharpness that puts other notebooks to shame. A webcam is embedded in the bezel, and there’s a combo Blu-ray player and DVD burner.

Connectivity, meanwhile, includes WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR as standard, along with gigabit ethernet, HDMI, VGA, FireWire, eSATA, five USB 2.0 ports, audio in/out, S/PDIF and a 5-in-1 multiformat memory card reader. Acer has found space for five separate speakers and a subwoofer in the Aspire 8943G’s chassis, for surround sound, and there’s 5.1-channel output for those wanting to use an external speaker setup. The built-in set outperform the HP Beats Edition speakers found in some of HP’s high-end notebooks.

So far so good, but it’s the quality and design of Acer’s chassis that really impresses. Swathes of high-quality brushed aluminum cover help with a truly premium feel, and the full-size, 103-key keyboard (with separate numeric keypad) is one of the best we’ve used on a notebook. There’s no flex whatsoever in the keyboard tray, leading to a really solid typing experience.

Underneath is a decent sized, glossy trackpad supporting multitouch gestures like two-finger scrolling, pinch-zoom, rotate and flip. It’s crisp and responsive. However it also doubles as a media console panel, with backlit buttons for movie and music app shortcuts, play/pause, stop, previous and next. Considering the Aspire 8943G’s multimedia aspirations, it’s a useful addition and works surprisingly well.

Software

The Aspire 8943G runs Windows 7 Home Premium, but Acer seem intent on weighing the notebook down with as many add-ons, trials and general bloatware as possible. There are a full nine Acer apps – ranging from webcam tools, update managers and remote-support – then add-ons from Google, Adobe and Windows Live Essentials. Microsoft’s Works, Silverlight and a 60-day Office trial, a trial of McAfee Internet Security, North Online Backup, NTI Media Maker, Skype and eSobi round out the rest.

We’ve no doubt that the Core i7 processor and sizeable chunk of RAM can handle the bloat, but it adds up to a poor user experience and a machine that feels cluttered even on first boot. Acer obviously make some money from preloading the trials and other apps, which we can accept somewhat when it deals with the budget end of the company’s range, but on what’s meant to be a premium machine we’re less forgiving.

Performance

We began our benchmarking with Geekbench, a synthetic test of processor and memory performance. The Acer Aspire 8943G scored 5850, with particularly strong processor scores. That’s around 500 points less than the mid-2010 2.66GHz Core i7 MacBook Pro we reviewed in April 2010, which had half the RAM of the Acer but a faster processor.

We then turned to PCMark Vantage, which looks at various categories of PC use and rates system performance in each. Overall, the Aspire 8943G scored 6053, with particularly strengths in gaming (6000), music (4831) and productivity (4752).

The Acer’s strength is in its multitasking abilities. Since it has a quad-core processor (unlike the dual-core MacBook Pro CPU) any multi-threaded tasks will run faster on the Aspire 8943G. That means it’s particularly adept when it comes to video processing, especially with the capable ATI GPU on board. Still, it can be a loud system: the Blu-ray drive itself is quiet, but the system fan kicked in periodically throughout movie playback, and it’s a noticeable hum. Similarly, the fan was running continuously – and loudly – during graphics-intensive gaming.

Battery Life

Acer’s eight-cell lithium-ion battery may add considerably to the Aspire 8943G’s 10.1 pound weight, but with the high-performance components the runtime estimates are modest. Acer suggest up to 3 hours from a full charge; in practice, we managed 2.5 hours consisting of an hour of Blu-ray playback, 30 minutes of gaming and the remainder browsing over WiFi.

The Core i7 MacBook Pro is rated by Apple for over twice the runtime as the Acer, though we found that with reasonable use it could manage around four hours. In short, if you’re looking to take advantage of the high-end specifications of the Aspire 8943G, you should probably find an AC socket first.

Verdict

With an RRP of $1,599 (and a street price roughly $100 less) you’re getting plenty of laptop for your money with the Acer Aspire 8943G. Yes, the Core i7 MacBook Pro edges ahead in raw benchmarks, but it’s also significantly more expensive; the review unit we tested in April cost $2,199. Video editing and gaming should make better use of the Acer’s quad-core processor, too.

There are a few disappointing omissions – the lack of USB 3.0 ports being one of them – and we wish Acer had used a 7,200rpm hard-drive rather than the 5,400rpm model that’s fitted as standard, but it’s hard to pick holes otherwise. Stylish, solidly-constructed and powerful, if you’re in the market for a Windows-based desktop replacement then the Acer Aspire 8943G should be near the top of your shortlist.

Gallery

The new video cards both support stereoscopic 3D and Eyefinity multiple displays. The cards also use the exclusive MSI Afterburner software for adjusting the speed of the fans and setting saved profiles. All of the capacitors on the cards are solid state and the video cards are designed for performance and power.

MSI puts DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 1.4a ports on the cards and they both support 7.1 channel sound. The 6850 has a special 9cm fan and direct heat pipe tech for heat dissipation and better thermal performance. Pricing is unannounced at this time.

Both of the cards are DirectX 11 compliant and has 1GB of GDDR5 RAM onboard. The core speed of the 6850 is 775MHz and the core of the 6870 runs at 900MHz. The shaders in the cards are clocked at 800MHz in the 6850 and 960MHz in the 6870 card for better performance.

Both of the new video cards support 3D Blu-ray movies and have AMD EyeSpeed video acceleration tech for better video quality and performance no matter the source. The new cards also support AMD CrossFireX technology and have AMD parallel processing technology.

Acer’s Predator range has been through a few iterations now, each putting high-end hardware into an eye-catching case and promising a generally budget-friendly alternative to rival machines from Alienware and others. The AG5900-U3092 is a little less eye-searing in its color scheme – previous Predators have been all-orange, with shifting drive bay panels and odd mechanical flaps – but it’s still solidly made and has a little theater in its design. The DVD burner, for instance, opens up like a Predator’s mouth.

Inside, Acer has paired Intel’s 2.93GHz Core i7-870 processor with 8GB of DDR3 1333 memory, a 1.5TB 7,200rpm hard-drive and ATI Radeon HD 5850 video card with 1GB of its own memory. There’s also a 16x DVD burner, integrated audio and gigabit ethernet, and two spare PCI-E x1 slots and a single PCI slot. Connectivity includes four USB 2.0 ports on the front, eight on the back, two PS/2, three audio ports and a multi-format memory card reader. No integrated WiFi, but Acer do throw in a USB keyboard and optical mouse, while the OS is Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

Considering it’s a reasonably large chassis, there’s understandably a decent amount of upgrade potential in the Predator. Two hard-drives slot in at the front on simple tray-style bays, though while it’s easy to access the trays, they’re not hot-swappable. Open the left-hand panel, meanwhile, and there are another two 3.5-inch drive bays, this time facing out toward the side. The molded plastic top section of the chassis angles the USB and audio in/out ports up, useful considering the PC will mostly likely be sat on the floor under a desk, and also has a tray which can hold your iPod or other gadget while it charges.

Power on, and one thing is clear: Acer has sold a fair chunk of its soul to the bloatware devil. As well as the usual McAfee and Office 2010 trials, Netflix, eSobi and WildTangent have got their claws into the Predator, and then there’s Adobe and Acer’s own tools. Yes, some users might find them useful, but we’ve a feeling most will, like us, consider them pointless annoyances and have to spend a not-insignificant length of time uninstalling them.

When we’d done that, we turned to benchmarking. Our first step was Geekbench, a synthetic test of process and memory performance we run on all desktop and notebook systems. The Predator AG5900 scored 9,315, with particularly strong CPU performance as you’d expect.

That puts it certainly higher than most desktops, though it falls short of some of the more spec-heavy gaming models we’ve tested in recent times. iBUYPOWER’s beastly Paladin F Series – which we reviewed all the way back in March – scores more than 50-percent more, at 15,710, with its hexacore Core i7-980 Extreme CPU; it’s also more than twice the price of the Acer, however. It’s worth noting that the Predator’s fans are reasonably quiet, even when the system is under full load.

We then looked to PCMark Vantage for some more in-depth testing. Overall, the Acer scored 8,986 PCMarks, with unsurprisingly high scores in the gaming (9,766) category. Again, that’s well under half what the iBUYPOWER system managed, but it’s also worth noting that in the test games we looked at, we had no problems running the most recent titles at maximum resolution. Yes, the Predator isn’t the fastest machine out there, but right now it doesn’t have to be in order to make it comfortably equipped for what owners might be throwing at it.

In the end, it’s the balance between price and performance that makes the Acer Predator AG5900-U3092 a strong contender. There are undoubtedly more powerful gaming PCs on the market, but they generally can’t match Acer’s pricing; at $1,349.99, it’s a few hundred dollars cheaper than a similarly specified Alienware desktop. We’d liked to have seen USB 3.0 as standard, and hot-swappable drive bays, though the Predator isn’t a server and the latter probably isn’t something most owners would miss. Acer’s Predator-series chassis designs might be pretty crazy, but the AG5900 is actually a reasonably sensible buy.

Like most gaming rigs, the Lesance GSN801GAW is a powerhouse. Featuring an 18.4-inch display, with a resolution of 1920 x 1080, and Windows 7 Home Premium under the hood, you’ll get to enjoy your video games in glorious HD. Inside, you’ll be able to take advantage of the quad-core 1.73GHz Intel Core i7 940XM Extreme Edition CPU, as well as 8GB of DDR3-1333 memory. If you aren’t happy with the choice of NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 480M (2GB) for your graphics needs, then you can also choose to have two ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870s in CrossFire.

Lesance also went with 160GB of SSD, a multicard reader, HDMI and DVI output, integrated WiFi, a gigabit Ethernet port, and a webcam built-in. There’s even a Blu-ray burner, too. The battery won’t last you very long off the charger, though, as it’s clocked at 1.5 hours. It also weighs just over 12 pounds. It’s expected to land in Japan here shortly, with a price tag of 439,800 yen, or about $5,420.

[via Akihabara News]

The 3D system uses HP’s active shutter glasses, which – like with some 3D HDTVs – rapidly cycle the transparency of the lenses according to an emitter in the bezel of the notebook.  Graphics are courtesy of an ATI Mobility Radeon 5850 GPU, and there’s Beats Audio for sound with power to match.

It’s not a machine we’d like to carry around with us daily – it’s 7.15lbs of desktop replacement, after all – but the 3D effect works well and the various apps we loaded all opened instantly.  The backlit chiclet keyboard feels solid and, despite the relative slenderness of the chassis, the whole thing is flex-free.  We’re waiting to hear back on official pricing (“from £1,599″ is the HP line, but this particular machine is spec’d up considerably) but it should drop around the end of this month.

Stream computing is something we’ve seen both NVIDIA and ATI experiment with, with GPU models from both companies capable of turning their processor-packed chips to speeding up video crunching.  We’re guessing lawyers all over will be poring over the exact reach of Microsoft’s new patent to see exactly what’s covered, what the company might be chasing them for royalties on, and how much they may need to rely on the DirectX Compute API in Windows 7.

[via ConceivablyTech]

The ThinkCentre M75e is Lenovo’s latest workstation – in fact it’s so new you won’t find a product listing on the company’s site yet – with a range of AMD Semprom, Athlon II and Phenom II dual, triple and quadcore processors along with up to 16GB of DDR3 memory.  As standard there are VGA and DVI outputs, but you can also specify an optional Radeon HD 5450 graphics card which will add a further two outputs, all of which can be used simultaneously.

There are two cases to choose from, a regular tower and a SFF, with the former having two internal 3.5-inch HDD bays and the latter just one.  Both have a 5.25-inch optical drive bay, for either DVD or DVD burners.  Inside there are four SATA connectors, and several PCI Express slots – full height in the regular tower, and half-height in the SFF.

Up front there are two USB 2.0 ports and audio in/out, while on the back there are four further USB 2.0 ports, a serial port, PS/2, VGA, gigabit ethernet, audio in/out/headphones, and FireWire on select models.  Best news, though, is the price: the range will kick off at $299.

We’re not sure on the specs of our review unit yet, since it’s not expected to drop until early October.  Until then, make sure to enter our You Rock Guitar and iPad case giveaways, and standby for all the Lenovo details just as soon as we have them!

Both share the distinctive Predator orange and black casing design cues and oversized vents, with the AG7750-U3222 also having a moving front panel.  It can be specified with up to four 2TB hard-drives, while the AG5900-U3092 has a 1.5TB HDD as standard and three extra empty bays.

Elsewhere there are plenty of USB 2.0 ports, HDMI, gigabit ethernet (two on the more expensive machine), eSATA and FireWire.  Full specs in the press release below; the Acer Aspire Predator AG5900-U3092 is priced at $1,349.99 and the Acer Aspire AG7750-U3222 at $1,999.99.

Press Release:

ACER FIRES UP A WIDER RANGE OF GAMERS WITH EXPANSION OF ASPIRE PREDATOR SERIES

Gaming arsenal now includes slick mainstream model in addition to radical powerhouse

SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 28, 2010 – To suit a new tier of combatants, Acer, the world’s second largest vendor in the PC market,(1) rounded out its Acer Aspire “Predator” gaming desktop PC line-up with a new mainstream model. Now gamers can choose from the high-end Aspire Predator AG7750-U3222, a monster machine built to thrill hard core enthusiasts or the Aspire Predator AG5900-U3092, engineered to excite mainstream gamers with its powerful, yet affordable configuration.

Both models are strong in style and specs, which include Intel® Core™ i7 quad-core processors and 1.5TB(2) hard drives. They’re also highly scalable, allowing the integration of many advanced components and gaming peripherals for battle.

“We’re now offering two killer Predator models with the goal of satisfying a wider range of gamers,” said Steve Smith, senior business manager of consumer desktops for Acer America. “Not everyone needs the most extreme gaming rig, so we designed the AG5900, a more mainstream alternative to our premium AG7750. The AG5900 boasts excellent core features, such as a high- speed processor, excellent graphics and tons of memory to hobble the competition at an affordable price.”

Aspire Predator AG5900: A Sharp Shooter – Mainstream Price/Performance
The newest model in the Predator line, the Predator AG5900-U3092 sports a clean and sophisticated exterior that shrouds a powerful set of features. A modern black chassis features dramatic orange accents and an eye-catching vent design. For easy access, the power button, four USB ports as well as headphone and microphone jacks are conveniently angled on the top of the system along with a storage tray for storing and charging smart phones, digital cameras and other devices. Handy cable management is provided via intuitive grooves in the storage tray that allow different sizes of cable to snap in between, which prevents tangling and having to fumble around to find loose cables. It also has four hard drive bays, two of which are easy-swap, enabling extra hard drives to be inserted without opening the box. Users just push on the protective door and the hard drive slides out on a tray.

The AG5900 is ready for battle with 8GB DDR3 SDRAM and an Intel® Core™ i7 870 processor with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology, which heightens performance and increases energy efficiency by allowing near-zero power consumption for inactive cores. A huge 1.5TB(2) SATA hard drive can store a gigantic library of the most graphic intensive games and multimedia available. ATI Radeon™ HD 5850 graphics with 1GB of dedicated memory, ATI Eyefinity Technology and full support for Microsoft DirectX® 11 delivers rich, realistic visuals for explosive HD gaming. Also, dynamic high-def 5.1-channel audio infuses games with heart-pumping sound.

This system is outfitted with a multi-in-one card reader and a combo/DVD super-multi optical drive for enjoying the most cutting-edge HD games. For those wanting to invest in future upgrades, the AG5900 is easily expandable with an available 5.25-inch optical drive bay, three open 3.5-inch HDD bays as well as two open PCI Express x1 slots and a standard PCI. There is a host of connectivity options including 12 total USB 2.0 ports (four on top, eight in back), an HDMI port, three audio jacks, an Ethernet port, display port and two DVI ports. To simplify transport, the system comes with a handle.

Aspire Predator AG7750: Tricked Out From the Top Down
The Predator AG7750-U3222, Acer’s premium gaming system is cutting edge from the inside out, featuring a bold design and advanced performance features. Boasting a NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX470 with NVIDIA® SLI™ technology, this dynamic system can scale performance by combining multiple NVIDIA graphics solutions in a 3-way SLI-certified motherboard, which can run up to three GPUs simultaneously for the ultimate in realistic visuals. NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX470 also enables the system for 3D gaming. Users can add an Acer GD245HQ/GD235HZ 3D monitor for a fully immersive experience with NVIDIA® 3D Vision™ wireless glasses and advanced software, which transforms hundreds of PC games into stereoscopic 3D. Combine these benefits with high-definition 7.1-channel audio with EAX (Environmental Audio Extensions) 5.0 for immersive surround sound and it’s gaming nirvana.

A force to be reckoned with, the Predator AG7750 is packed with an Intel® Core™ i7 930 quad-core processor with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and 12GB SDRAM. The two-part liquid cooling system keeps the system cool even during intense gaming sessions.

Three additional easy-swap hard disk drive (HDD) cages allow up to a total of four Serial ATA 3 G/bs high-capacity hard disks to be added with up to a 2TB(2) capacity per single drive for a total storage capacity of up to 8GB(2). Users can save games, movies, music and more on the local disks, which can be easily swapped or removed for transport.

The dramatic orange and black desktop boasts a mechanized front cover that can be raised up and over the front of the chassis to provide convenient access to a multi-card reader, USB and audio ports.

The Predator AG7750 has an optical drive and is easily expandable with an available 5.25-inch optical drive bay and a variety of open PCI Express slots, including two PCI Express x16, two PCI Express x1, one PCI Express x8 and a standard PCI. The AG7750 also offers a host of connectivity options including 11 USB 2.0 ports (five in front, six in back), IEEE 1394, two eSATA ports, two Ethernet ports, two DVI-D ports (up to six with three graphics cards), five audio jacks and various others.

Pricing, Availability and Warranty
The new Acer Aspire Predator models are available now at leading technology and electronic retailers and come with a one year parts and labor limited warranty and toll-free technical support. The Acer Aspire Predator AG5900-U3092 has a MSRP of $1,349.99 and the Acer Aspire AG7750-U3222 a MSRP of $1,999.99.

The AMD processor is paired with NVIDIA GeForce 9200 graphics and a Full HD 1080p resolution panel, while the Intel processor is matched up with Intel HD graphics.  The latter also supports multitouch, has a TV tuner and an IR blaster, and both have 5.1 audio, HDMI and six USB 2.0 ports.

Windows 7, WiFi b/g/n, gigabit ethernet and a wireless keyboard and mouse set are standard, and both machines are available now.  The Acer Aspire AZ3100-U3072 is priced at $599, while the Acer Aspire AZ5700-U3112 is $1,099.

Press Release:

ACER UNVEILS NEW ALL-IN-ONE DESKTOP – A PICTURE-PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT

Acer now offers two svelte AIO models; newest boasts a compact modern design and 21.5-inch HD display

SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 28, 2010 – Acer is aiming to top holiday `wish lists with the expansion of its sleek and stylish all-in-one desktop line. Its newest model, the Acer Aspire Z3100 features a 21.5-inch HD display and contemporary aesthetics. Acer has also pumped up the performance on its stylish, state-of-the-art Aspire AZ5700 with an intuitive 23-inch HD multi-touch display.

The new all-in-one desktops flaunt a refined design and the speed needed for efficient multitasking, social networking and high-def entertainment, including the enjoyment of HD movies and immersive audio. Both models are designed for users who appreciate clean aesthetics and want a PC that will eliminate clutter and maximize limited desktop real estate.

“The elegance and convenience of the all-in-one desktop is becoming increasingly popular with consumers,” said Steve Smith, senior business manager of consumer desktops for Acer America. “We’re pleased to offer our customers more choices for this practical form factor, which is appealing for its unique blend of features and modern architecture. In addition to our premium system with a 23-inch HD display, touch panel and TV tuner, we also offer a smaller, budget-friendly version with a host of features and ample power, ideal for dorm rooms, office nooks and lofts.”

Acer Aspire AZ3100-U3072 – Space Maximizer, High-Def Fun
The Acer Aspire AZ3100-U3072 with an integrated 21.5-inch LCD display provides solid performance in a simple design that’s ideal for areas where space is a premium. The contemporary look and feel encompasses a gray and black bezel and an illuminated blue accent strip with four brightness settings for lighting the wireless keyboard. Contributing to the crisp aesthetics is a compartment on the side of the chassis for managing cables and ample room under the elevated chassis for hiding the keyboard when not in use.

Created for multimedia enjoyment, the combination of the HD display’s true 1080p resolution and NVIDIA® GeForce® 9200 graphics enrich entertainment with sharp, lifelike images, smooth video transitions and vibrant colors. It’s a beautiful screen for viewing movies, streaming video and digital photography.

An AMD Athlon™ II 170u (2.0GHz) processor and 3GB DDR3 SDRAM provide plenty of power for surfing the web, email and casual games. A large 500GB hard drive(1) is big enough to store a vast library of digital media, personal files and software applications. The system has 5.1 channel audio and two built-in speakers for dynamic sound quality as well as an optical drive for enjoying CD music and DVD movies. It provides an integrated webcam and microphone, HDMI and 6 USB 2.0 ports for connecting to an array of peripherals and digital devices.

The AZ3100 also comes with Windows® 7 Home Premium, 802.11 b/g/n, Gigabit LAN and a wireless keyboard and mouse. The Aspire AZ3100-U3072 is available at leading retailers with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $599.

Acer Aspire AZ5700-U3112 – Striking Design, Intuitive Entertainment
The Acer Aspire AZ5700 all-in-one with a stunning 23-inch HD display is a beautiful blend of visual elegance, best-of-breed technology and superb performance. A seamless integration of a desktop PC with the usability of a multi-touch LCD display and a TV tuner makes it an appealing choice for those wanting an easy-to-use entertainment hub for the home.

The AZ5700 boasts chic styling. The sleek, chrome structure accented with a black strip will enhance any room or office. Designed to streamline the workspace, tidy cable management and keyboard storage eliminate clutter.

At the heart of the feature-rich functionality is multi-touch technology, which enables users to intuitively interact with the PC using multiple fingers as they would a mouse. They can open and close programs, browse online newspapers, flick through photo albums and shuffle files and folders, using nothing but their hands.

Fueled by Intel® Core™ i5 650 processors (3.2GHz), 4GB DDR3 SDRAM and Intel® HD graphics, this desktop has enough power for speedy multitasking and realistic imagery for movies, digital video, social networking and casual games. Digital media lovers will appreciate the dynamic high-def 5.1 channel audio, optical drive and 1TB SATA hard drive(1) that can accommodate a huge collection of movies, music, photos and more. In addition to a wireless keyboard and mouse, the system provides HDMI, an IR blaster port and 6 USB 2.0 ports.

In addition to Windows® Home 7 Premium, the Aspire Z5700 comes with the Acer TouchPortal, a suite of applications designed to synchronize life, the PC and Internet with all-in-one touch control. These applications include TouchMusic, TouchPhoto, TouchVideo, TouchBrowse, TouchCam, TouchMemo, TimeGadget, WeatherGadget and TouchFriends.

The Acer Aspire Z5700-U3112 is available at leading retailers with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $1099.

The AS5745DG has a Core i5 CPU as standard, along with a 15.6-inch 1366 x 768 display capable of 120Hz refresh rate.  There’s also a pair of NVIDIA active shutter glasses in the box.  Acer also preloads software to convert 2D visuals to 3D, and there’ WiFi a/b/g/n, an HDMI port, 1.3-megapixel webcam, four USB 2.0 ports and a 9-cell battery.

The Acer Aspire AS5745DG will arrive in late October, priced at $999.99.  As for the updated machines, they kick off at $749.99 for the Aspire 5742G, $649.99 for the Aspire AS5745 and $799.99 for the AS7745.

Press Release:

ACER UNVEILS NEW ASPIRE NOTEBOOK PCs PACKED WITH ENTERTAINMENT FEATURES INCLUDING ADVANCED NVIDIA 3D CAPABILTIES AND OPTIMUS™ TECHNOLOGY

SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 27, 2010 – Acer America today announced its new lineup of entertainment-driven notebooks, offering advanced performance features including the latest in 3D viewing technology, Blu-ray and branded discrete graphics. Geared for consumers who want to enjoy multimedia and mobility, the updated Aspire AS5742G, AS5745 and Aspire AS7745 notebooks series are available for U.S. customers at retail and e-tail outlets with prices beginning at MSRP $749.99 for the 15.6-inch Aspire 5742G, $649.99 for the Aspire AS5745 and $799.99 for the 17.3-inch AS7745.

“Consumers desire the best of both worlds when buying a new notebook PC, including advanced productivity and outstanding entertainment capabilities that may be enjoyed anywhere, anytime,” said Preeta Anil, senior manager of product marketing for Acer America. “The new Aspire AS5742G, AS5745 and AS7745 notebook series upholds Acer’s strong tradition of combining innovation with value by delivering leading-edge technology at a price that’s accessible to many consumers.”

Mobile Performance for Work and Advanced 3D for Play

Bringing entertainment to a new dimension, the Aspire AS5745DG offers the latest in 3D viewing and display technology, allowing images and games to literally pop from the screen. The AS5745DG brings 3D movies and games to life with stunning realism thanks to the superb combination of the most advanced 3D technology, fast Intel® Core™ i5 processors, and powerful NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 420M graphics, which accelerates applications to make visual effects more realistic.

Utilizing NVIDIA® 3D Vision™ technology, the AS5745DG notebook features true 120Hz LCD technology to deliver a full-resolution 3D experience. The notebook’s 15.6-inch Acer CineCrystal™ HD widescreen display (1366 x 768 resolution) paired with advanced active 3D shutter glasses with a built-in IR receiver, deliver left and right images on alternating frames to the user, while each eye continues to see a full 60Hz signal. This allows each eye to receive the full resolution of the display with wide viewing angles, rendering premium 3D optics with added depth to on-screen visuals, text and objects.

A complete 3D entertainment center, the AS5745DG features Acer Arcade™ Deluxe to convert 2D to 3D images with a single click. Customers can enjoy the latest 3D movies with Dolby® Home Theater® v3 surround sound or engage in action-packed gaming, with many PC games easily transformed into stereoscopic 3D right out of the box. Customers can also use the notebook’s HDMI port to connect to HD displays and TVs to create cinema-quality entertainment in the living room.

Beyond 3D enjoyment, the Aspire 5745DG provides multi-purpose computing performance along with plenty of ways to access, store, share and enjoy their digital files and applications. The spacious 500GB hard drive can store a vast library of music, video, photos, spreadsheets, documents and email. An integrated multi-in-one media reader enables a convenient connection to peripherals and electronic devices, while the four USB 2.0 ports provide ample connections to peripherals and consumer electronics.
The Aspire AS5745DG notebook’s integrated 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi CERTIFIED wireless technology and Gigabit Ethernet facilitates smooth and trouble-free emailing and web browsing. The Acer Crystal Eye 1.3 megapixel HD webcam enables high-quality video chats and VoIP with friends, family and work associates. The notebook’s ample 9-cell battery also keeps users untethered to a power source for hours of mobile entertainment enjoyment.

The new Acer Aspire AS5745DG will be available at select online retailers beginning in late October with prices being at MSRP $999.99.

New HD Notebook Tech Features for Better Cinematic Playback and Productivity
In addition to the 3D model, the Aspire AS5742G, AS5745 and AS7745 lines offer an attractive range of features including NVIDIA® Optimus™ technology, Blu-ray drives and quad-core processing on select models.

For serious multitaskers, content creators or multimedia enthusiasts, the Aspire AS5742G features NVIDIA’s Optimus™ technology, a hybrid graphics engine which intelligently optimizes a notebook to provide outstanding graphics performance, all while extending battery life for longer enjoyment. Completely automatic and performed behind the scenes, NVIDIA® Optimus™ technology seamlessly selects either UMA or discrete graphics, based on the application. Users will not detect or have any interruption while continuing to enjoy applications and games.

The Aspire 5742G notebooks are housed in textured mesh black covers, while the Aspire AS5745 and AS7745 notebook lines come in a handsome, thin-and-light industrial design with a glossy black cover. With LED-backlit display options to suit entertainment needs and provide outstanding visual experiences, the AS5742G and AS5745 Series sports a 15.6-inch high-definition (HD) widescreen display (1366 x 768 resolution), while the AS7745 Series touts a 17.3-inch HD+ widescreen display (1600 x 900 resolution).

The Aspire AS5742G and AS5745 Series offer up to a 500GB(1) hard drive for storing a vast library of music, video, images, movies and games. The notebooks are powered by the latest Intel® Core™ i3, Core™ i5 and Core™ i7 processors, which enable even the most demanding users to multitask quickly and easily. Notebooks with Intel® Core™ i5 or Core™ i7 processors boast Intel® Turbo Boost Technology, which automatically speeds up the processor when the PC requires extra performance.

The Aspire AS7745 Series also touts discrete ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 5650 graphics option, which infuses videos, movies and games with dramatic detail, vivid color and realism. Powered by Intel® Core™ i7 quad-core processors offer four instead of two memory slots, the AS7745 allows users to economically configure 8GB of system memory via four 2GB memory modules or maximum system memory with 16GB via four 4GB memory modules. The notebook also packs a giant 500GB(1,3) hard drive and support for a second hard drive, giving ample room for a huge library of movies, music and more with up to 1TB of storage capacity.

There’s also HDMI, eSATA, WiFi b/g/n, gigabit ethernet and a 1.3-megapixel webcam, together with a 500GB HDD as standard and room for a second internal hard-drive.  Blu-ray and a FireWire port round out the media-friendly features, and Acer’s unusual dual-mode touchpad changes between a regular multitouch trackpad and shortcuts for playback.

Unsurprisingly, the only thing that hasn’t changed is the high price; the AS8943G series is still at the expensive end of Acer’s spectrum.  Kicking off at at $1,499.99, the Acer Aspire AS8943G-9319 and the Acer Aspire AS8943G-9429 are each available now.

Press Release:

New Acer Aspire AS8943G Notebook Computers Offer ATI Radeon 5850 Graphics with 2GB of Memory

Acer’s newest high-performance notebook PCs deliver unparalleled gaming and personal theater experience

SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 27, 2010 – Acer America, part of the world’s second largest manufacturer of notebook PCs (1), today announced two new models in its Aspire AS8943G notebook line now offer the ATI Mobility Radeon 5850 graphics processor with 2GB of dedicated video memory.

The Acer Aspire AS8943G Series of notebooks are first-class multimedia centers that deliver an unparalleled high-definition personal theater experience, and are designed for the most discriminating computing enthusiast. Featuring top-of-the line technologies and usability features, the Aspire Series is designed for creating multimedia content, watching movies or dominating the latest PC games.

Already renowned for their phenomenal gaming performance and spectacular HD video and audio entertainment capabilities, Acer Aspire notebooks featuring the new ATI GPU are capable of running demanding DirectX® 11 games in full HD at maximum settings. Enthusiasts will appreciate its phenomenal performance and ability to deliver an enhanced home theatre audio experience, high-quality surround sound and advanced display quality.

“For gamers and other computing enthusiasts, a holiday gift couldn’t get much better than this,” said Preeta Anil, Acer product marketing. “The Acer Aspire notebooks featuring ATI’s newest and fastest GPUwill allow them to get the best possible experience out of their PC, surrounding and immersing themselves in the most graphic- intensive games or the latest Blu-ray action adventure movie.”

Acer Aspire AS8943G notebooks are powered by an Intel® Core™ i7 Quad Core Processor (i7-740QM) and 4GB or 8GB of memory (upgradeable to 16GB) and feature a brilliant CineCrystal™ 18.4-inch edge-to-edge glass LED back-lit display with full high-definition (1080p) resolution. For movie buffs, an HDMI port allows for quick and easy hook up to an even bigger high-definition TV. And combined with its Dolby® optimized Acer CineSurround sound system with five built-in speakers and a dedicated subwoofer, consumers can lose themselves in realistic high-definition visuals, enjoying a full-throttle immersive computing experience like never before.

Complimenting its top-notch performance, graphics, display and audio capabilities, other high-end features found on Aspire AS8943G series notebooks include a 500GB(3) SATA hard drive, support for dual hard drives, a firewire port for moving videos quickly from a digital camcorder, and an eSATA port for fast data transfer.

Its unique dual-mode touchpad enables switching between multi-gesture mode and media console mode, and the flick of a finger launches favorite movies or music. A convenient scrolling volume wheel directly under the touchpad makes it easy to control volume levels.

Connecting to the Internet is fast and easy, with 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ wireless for the road and Gigabit Ethernet for fast connection at home.

A 1.3 megapixel HD webcam and digital microphone provides clear high-quality online chat sessions, and can also take still pictures and videos for sharing with friends. The notebooks also include a bio-protection fingerprint reader, preventing unauthorized use of the PC.

Configurations, Pricing and Availability
With prices starting at $1,499.99, the Acer Aspire AS8943G-9319 and the Acer Aspire AS8943G-9429 are available now at leading retailers.

While the V9800 is based on the same Cyprus GPU as AMD used in the V8800 professional card, here it’s capable of 2.72 terraflops versus 2.64 terraflops in its predecessor.  Despite that – and despite having double the memory and more ports – it uses less power, down to 199W.

We’re yet to see the first reviews come in, but AMD’s own benchmarks suggest the FirePro V9800 slightly exceeds the V8800 in Viewperf 10 testing, but manages more than double what an NVIDIA Quadro 5000 could manage.  MRSP for the two-slot card is a hefty $3,499.

[via Phoronix]

It has become blatantly clear over the past few years that the “speeds and feeds” marketing by manufacturers of personal computers was becoming less relevant to the decision making process of mainstream consumers. This is why both AMD and Intel are taking very different approaches with their partners on how to position and market to consumers.

In my briefing with AMD about this brand transition they explained that they were very sensitive to the ATI brand and the loyalty to the brand that has been established through the years. For this reason they performed extensive market research before making this decision. They explained to me that their research yielded the following results:

- The AMD preferences triples with awareness of ATI + AMD merger
- The AMD brand is stronger than ATI vs. graphics competitors
- Radeon and FirePro brand awareness and consideration is very high

This move fits what AMD is trying to accomplish by simplifying the branding schemes for consumers hopefully making the purchasing decision easier. Eliminating logo overload and focusing more on what the product can do is the right approach for the mainstream consumer segment.  That is in essence what their VISION campaign is all about.

This move is also important as AMD rolls out their Fusion Architecture where they will be integrating the GPU onto the CPU. This new architecture combines the best of ATI and AMD into a single architecture. The consolidated branding of the ATI Radeon and FirePro brands under AMD will hopefully create a much cleaner consumer brand as it relates to their Fusion architecture.

The bottom line is consumers purchasing decisions are evolving and have become more focused on what they want their computer to do for them. Of course the components accomplish this, however consumers are more aware of what they want the computer to do than what the computer has inside.

The HYDRALOGIX 200 real time distributed processor tech will allow any NVIDIA or ATI GPU to be combined by vendors to create an affordable multi-GPU ready graphics card. The new processor allows the user to keep the video card they have now and buy any brand of GPU card in the future and still get the benefits of multiple GPU gaming.

Traditionally for SLI or Crossfire to work, you have to have the same exact brand and model of GPU in the machine. The processor will allow this to happen on any motherboard as long as the user plugs in a video card that is using the UNITY graphics board architecture. This is actually very cool and good news for the gamer. Consumer video cards using the new HYDRALOGIX 200 processor are expected in time for holiday shopping at under $199.

Meanwhile the Radeon and Fire Pro brands are also apparently highly-considered among consumers, and overall AMD felt like graphics card aficionados were giving them “permission” to do away with the double-branding.  Finally, the fact that the graphics side of AMD’s business is doing particularly well in the market right now doesn’t hurt either.

Four sets of logos – shown above – will be used, the bottom two hiding the AMD branding so that manufacturers using Intel CPUs won’t have a confusing array of stickers.  The company doesn’t plan to rebrand existing models, but will start using the new nomenclature later on this year.

There’s also WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, three USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI, VGA, gigabit ethernet and a spill-proof keyboard, while battery life is rated at up to 3hrs.  It’s not entirely clear whether that’s when using the external graphics or the internal chip; in contrast, Fujitsu say the regular AH530 can manage up to 4hrs.

The end result is a 15.6-inch notebook that weighs 2.5kg and yet offers reasonably potent graphics crunching potential, as long as you have the external card with you.  That last point, though, may be the biggest stumbling block for buyers: while optional external graphics make sense for an 11.6-inch ultraportable, there’s plenty of choice when it comes to 15.6-inch mainstream notebooks with discrete GPUs.  We’ll have to see how Fujitsu price the AH530 GFX in order to figure out how competitive it will be when it drops at the end of the month.

Press Release:

Fujitsu’s LIFEBOOK AH530 GFX Model Provides High Graphic Performance

New notebook with external graphics and fast processor provides high performance at a competitive price

Munich, August 27, 2010 —
Fujitsu today introduces a new model of the LIFEBOOK AH530 featuring an external graphics card with dedicated 1GB video memory. This completes Fujitsu’s line-up for the all-round notebook segment, with a choice of models to meet every need. The LIFEBOOK AH530 GFX is designed for users working with demanding graphics, pictures and video applications, combining high performance and a slim and stylish notebook package at a competitive price.

LIFEBOOK AH530 GFX model users will experience the power of external graphics for demanding graphics applications and video, thanks to the on-board ATI Mobility Radeon HD550v graphics with a dedicated 1GB video memory. Users can choose between a Blu-ray Disc™ drive or a DVD-drive, and LIFEBOOK AH530 GFX models are equipped with the new Intel® Core™ processors that deliver smart performance adapted to user needs, for a faster and more responsive user experience.

Most notebook users will agree that the viewing experience is just as important as the speed of the processors. Just like the standard LIFEBOOK AH530, the GFX model features a 15.6-inch (39.6cm) high definition glossy LCD in widescreen format, and an HDMI output for viewing content on an external display.

The LIFEBOOK AH530 GFX model has a slim design in two stylish colors: glossy black and ink blue. Designed for function as well as style, the keyboard is resistant to spills for extra reliability and offers a full numeric keypad for high usability.

The new LIFEBOOK AH530 GFX model is available for pre-order now across the EMEA region, with the first shipments planned for end of August.

The new card has 4GB of RAM and comes in what may be the most awesome box ever. That awesome box is shaped like a P90 assault rifle and comes in a carry case. The card has six mini display port outputs and comes with a number of adapters that let the gamer adapt those six ports to different output options.

XFX claims that the card is the fastest dual GPU video card on the market and it has a dual slot heat sink to keep it running nice and cool. The special edition video card will be sold exclusively through Newegg and the faint of heart and thin of wallet need not apply. The card will set you back $1199.99.

The display is 17.3-inches, for the record. But, you have plenty of options to choose from here. You can go with the GTX 480M Fermi GPU, or with NVIDIA’s Quadro 5000M. You can even ratchet up the CPU speeds all the way up to 3.33GHz (or more, if you really need to), thanks to the Intel Core i7-980X CPU. And, you need RAM, right? How does upwards of 24GB sound to you? Because you can make that happen, too.

If that doesn’t sound good to you, and you’re more of a fan of ATI’s way of doing things, you can choose Mobility Radeon HD 5870 GPUs. The press release is ridiculously informative, so take a gander at that below for the full detail breakdown. However, there’s no word on pricing, but we’ll go ahead and assume that this is going to cost a bit more than a pretty penny.

Press Release

Eurocom launches Panther 2.0 – the World’s First Notebook with NVIDIA’s SLI GeForce GTX 480M Fermi and ATi CrossFireX Radeon Mobility HD5870, 6-core Intel i7 980X Extreme and Xeon Processors, 3TB of storage with RAID 0,1,5, 10 for On-the-Go Workstation, Gaming or Server use.

Eurocom, the world’s leading developer of highly personalized, high-performance notebook PCs and energy efficient All-in-One PCs, introduced the EUROCOM Panther 2.0 super notebook for Gaming, Workstation or Server use powered by NVIDIA SLI Fermi GPUs and Intel’s line of 6-core i7-980x and Xeon 5600 series LGA1366 processors.

EUROCOM Panther 2.0 provides workstation and server-calibre capabilities with up to 3TB (Terabytes!) of storage with four internal physical hard drives and RAID 0/1/5/10, super-powerful 3.33 GHz Intel Core i7 Processor Extreme Edition i7-980X; or 3.33 GHz XEON X5680 processors running at 6.4GT/sec bus speed, Gigabit Ethernet port on-board (quad port optional), HDMI in and out ports, eSATA, DVi ports, with a 17.3″ Full HD 1920×1080 LED backlit display and full size keyboard.

Featuring workstation-class or server-class Intel Core i7 Extreme or Xeon Processor and up to 24GB of DDR3-1600 memory, the EUROCOM Panther 2.0 also features the largest storage capacity on the market today – a whopping 3 TB with RAID 0/1/5/10 with four physical hard drives – making it the perfect mobile workstation or server laptop for users who demand extra-large capacity storage and reliability for a true portable server / workstation experience.

EUROCOM Panther 2.0 supports most of 64-bit operating systems available on the market from Microsoft Windows 7 or Server 2008 up to Red Hat; VMware or Solaris.

KEY SPECIFICATIONS:
- 17.3-inch Full HD; 1920-by-1080 pixels; LED Backlit; Glossy Surface
- Upgradeable Processor: Intel i7-980X Extreme or Xeon 5500/5600; 4 and 6-cores; LGA1366; 32nm technology; 65W-130W
- Supports Intel’s XTU (eXtreme Tuning Utility) and XMP (eXtreme Memory Profile) functions
- Upgradeable Graphics: MXM 3.0b; up to 100W per card; supports both single or dual GPU operation, and both CrossfireX and SLI; NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480M (Fermi); Quadro FX 2800M/FX 3800M/FX 5000M; ATi Radeon Mobility HD5870
- Storage: up to 4 physical drives (mechanical or SSD); RAID 0/1/5/10; over 3TB of storage
- Optical Drive: Choice of DVD Burner, Blu Ray Reader for Blu Ray Burner
- Card Reader: MS/MS Pro/MS Duo/SD/Mini-SD/SDHC/SDXC compatible/MMC/RSMMC
- Built in TouchPad with multi-gesture and scrolling function
- Five instant buttons: Volume Up/Down, Mute, WiFi On/Off, Bluetooth On/Off
- Sound System: High Definition Audio, S/PDIF output; Microphone; 5 speakers; subwoofer; Dolby Home Theater
- Ports: 2x USB 3.0; 3x USB 2.0; HDMI-in 1.4; HDMI-out; DVI-DL; eSata; IEEE1394b; S/PDIF; Headphone; Microphone; Audio Line-in; RJ-45; CATV-in
- Power: Auto Switching 300 Watts AC Adapter 100-240V; DC 20V 15A; Smart Li-Ion Battery 88.8WH; Battery time approx 1 hour
- Dimensions: WxDxH 419x286x56.5-60.7mm/16.76×11.44×2.26-2.43inch
- Weight: 5.3kg/11.66lbs including battery and ODD

Driving the system is the 6-core Intel 3.33GHz Extreme Edition i7-980X processor with bus speeds of up to 6.4GT/sec and 8MB of L3 cache, which delivers exceptional multi-tasking and multi-threaded performance. It also supports the newest line of Intel Core i7 Xeon 6-cores processors X5600 series.

The following Processors are supported:
- 2.80 GHz; i7-930 Intel Core i7 Processor; 4-Cores 8-Threads; 8MB cache; 4.8GT/s; LGA1366; 32nm; 130W
- 3.20 GHz; i7-970 Intel Core i7 Processor; 6-cores 12-threads; 12MB cache; 4.8GT/s; LGA1366; 32nm; 130W
- 3.20 GHz; i7-960 Intel Core i7 Processor; 4-cores 8-threads; 8MB cache; 4.8GT/s; LGA1366; 45nm; 130W
- 3.33 GHz i7-980X Intel Core i7 Extreme; 6-cores; 8MB L3; 6.4GT/s; LGA1366; 32nm; 130W
- 2.66 GHz Intel Xeon X5650 Processor; 6-cores; 12MB L3; 6.4GT/s; LGA1366; 32nm; 95W
- 2.80 GHz Intel Xeon X5660 Processor; 6-cores; 12MB L3; 6.4GT/s; LGA1366; 32nm; 95W
- 2.93 GHz Intel Xeon X5670 Processor; 6-cores; 12MB L3; 6.4GT/s; LGA1366; 32nm; 95W
- 3.33 GHz Intel Xeon Processor X5680; 6-cores; 12MB L3 cache; 6.4GT/s; QPI=2; LGA1366; 32nm; 130W
- 3.33 GHz Intel Xeon Processor W3680; 6-cores; 12MB L3; 6.4GT/s; QPI=1; LGA1366; 32nm; 130W

The EUROCOM Panther 2.0, which measures 15.8″ x 11.9″ x 2.05″ and weights under 12lbs, also supplies tremendous SATA-300 storage (up to 3TB using four drives). Customers may also choose between RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5 and RAID 10 for the ultimate transfer rates and application load times or redundancy.

“It’s a server or workstation-calibre computer complete with built-in Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) in a 12 pound notebook form factor,” said Mark Bialic, President of Eurocom. “This is one extremely fast notebook that offers server or workstation calibre capabilities. It is designed to replace traditional desktop based workstations. It offers incredibly high ROI by allowing companies to be more productive and offer new “on the go” CAD/CAM services while greatly reducing overall IT management costs”.

EUROCOM WORKSTATION-CLASS NOTEBOOKS
Mobile Workstation is a new category of workstation-class notebooks designed to replace a desktop-based workstation for a professional user. With unrivalled power, unsurpassed features and portability, the Mobile Workstation is the ultimate evolution of the Desktop Replacement notebook.

With the release of mobile workstations, Eurocom has taken the next step in the evolution of the desktop replacement by combining workstation like features, power and flexibility with desktop replacement technology.

Mobile Workstation is the most powerful notebook on the market. Featuring the most innovative computer technologies; they are engineered for the highest quality, best performance, long-term stability and serviceability. As a single computing solution, mobile workstation provides a perfect alternative to a traditional workstation class desktop computer system.

EUROCOM mobile workstations are designed specifically for high-end professional and graphics users demanding maximum performance and power when running professional applications such as CAD/CAM/CAE, 3D animation, 3D simulation, engineering, financial simulations, math, forensic, 3D imaging, mapping and charting, satellite image processing, GIS, or medical software, or graphics work.

Key Benefits of Mobile Workstations
- Reduced IT Management costs (one piece of equipment to move around)
- Improved Productivity (anytime, anywhere)
- Increased Revenue Growth (allows introduction of new services, i.e. CAD/CAM/CAE consulting/training on-the-go)
- Improved reliability of data (internal battery = built-in UPS)
- Reduced equipment cost (single computer solution)
- Reduced litigation costs due to intellectual properties rights (out-of-the office consulting)

Specific Vertical Markets:
- Aerospace (CAM/CAE/CAD)
- Manufacturing
- Architecture
- Education (Departments of Architecture, Engineering, Geography, Animation, Video Production; GIS)
- Financial sector
- Forensic (i.e. FBI Criminal Labs)
- Governments (Department of Fisheries and Oceans; Army; Navy; Public Works/Engineering; GIS)
- Military (Mapping, Charting, Imaging, Navigation)
- Medical (Imaging)
- Software Development (Databases, CRM, Operating)
- Training

Mobile workstations feature the most advanced computer technology, such as:
- High-performance Processors: Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition or XEON processors
- 64-bit hardware and multiple operating systems support (Windows Pro 64, Vista64, Server2008, Red Hat)
- 24 GB of high performance memory,
- up to 3TB of storage with multiple high performance SATA-300 hard drives
- RAID 0/1/5/10 for extra performance, data redundancy or automatic backups
- High performance VGA graphics including NVIDIA’s SLI GTX 480M, Quadro FX 3800M and FX 5000M or ATi’s CrossfireX HD5870
- Up to 4GB of video and the fastest graphics SLI
- Large displays (17.3″ or 18.4″) in a portable form factor
- Blu Ray and DVD Burning-on the-Go
- High Performance 1 Gigabit LAN on-board and support for 2nd 1Gigabit LAN interface
- 102-key desktop-like full size keyboards with separate numeric keypad
- Multiple I/O Ports: USB 2.0/3.0 ports, FireWire ports, HDMI in/out ports; DVI Dual Link ports for multiple external monitors, S-Video In ports for digital video cameras, media card readers, Optical digital and analog audio I/O, built-in microphone and stereo speakers
- Excellent Wireless: internal up to 450Mbps WLAN 802.11a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.0
- Internal battery allows uninterrupted operation in case of power failure.
- Excellent Surround Sound System with SRS WOW technology
- Optional internal TV Tuner for Digital and/or Analog Video Input

EUROCOM MOBILE SERVER NOTEBOOK TECHNOLOGY
Mobile Server is a new category of notebooks designed with a professional user in mind. Software and/or database developers, training centers, military personnel, emergency relief organizations and service organizations who must frequently travel, yet need access to powerful computing, are the core target for Mobile Servers.

With unrivaled power, unsurpassed features and unmatched style, the Mobile Servers are the ultimate extension of the Eurocom Mobile Workstation notebook technology.

With the release of mobile servers, Eurocom has taken the next step in the evolution of the desktop replacement and workstation by combining server like features, power, reliability and flexibility with desktop replacement technology. Mobile Server is the most powerful notebook on the market. It is engineered for the highest quality, best performance, long-term stability and latest computing technology.

Mobile Server features the most innovative and stable computer technologies available on the market such as the fastest processors, x64 Operating Systems, the most advanced VGA technology, multiple optical drives and multiple Hard Drives offering RAID 0/1/5/10, large displays and full size 102-key keyboards Eurocom Mobile Server – key specifications Eurocom mobile servers are designed specifically for IT professionals and software developers demanding All-in-One server capabilities within maximum performance and power when running and/or testing professional applications such as databases, CRM, etc.

Mobile Servers feature the most advanced computer technology, such as:
- High-performance upgradeable 64-bit 4-and 6-core Intel XEON processors
- Fully 64-bit compliant hardware
- 24 GB or more of high performance memory,
- Large capacity, high performance, redundant storage with RAID 0/1/5/10, four physical hard drives and up to 3TB of storage
- On-Board 1Gigabit Ethernet; 2nd NIC (Fiber, Quad) available via ExpressCard slot or Expansion Box
- Internal 17.3-inch LED backlit display
- Internal built-in battery; 1 hour of battery backup in case of power failure
- High capacity optical Re-writable Blu Ray drive storage, perfect data backup
- Long lifespan
- Built-in 102-key desktop-like full size keyboard with separate numeric keypad
- Multiple I/O Ports: 1Gigabit Ethernet LAN; 4 USB 2.0, FireWire, serial and parallel ports, CRT and DVI-D for 2 external displays. Optional 2nd Gigabit Ethernet is available via PC Express slot.
- Wireless: Built-in WLAN 802.11a/g/n and Bluetooth 2.0

Full Upgradeability and Full Customization EUROCOM mobile workstations and servers are built on a customized basis so that users can select the individual configurations they require. EUROCOM systems offer stylish all-in-one design, superb performance, upgradeability and the latest computing technology. All EUROCOM mobile servers are fully upgradeable including Hard Drive(s), memory, optical drives, processors and graphics to prolong their lifespan.

About Eurocom
Eurocom is the world’s leading developer of portable computing technology, highly customized, high-performance notebook PCs. The company was founded on the belief that it could revolutionize the PC world with Desktop Replacement Technology, its designs and advanced engineering techniques typically unseen in the computer industry.

The company has produced many firsts, such as manufacturing the world’s first notebook with a 3.5-inch desktop hard drive, 102-keys full-size keyboard, upgradeable notebook VGA technology, integrating RAID 0,1,5, 10 technologies into the notebook or incorporating desktop processors into a notebook designs. .

Eurocom continues to engineer well-balanced, state-of-the-art machines that inspire and enable individuals to reach great possibilities. For more information on Eurocom or to customize a machine, visit www.eurocom.com.

Intel, NVIDIA and ATi are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation, Nvidia Corporation and AMD respectively in the United States and/or other jurisdictions.

If you want dual hexacore chips then you’re looking at $4,999; that’s upgrading the basic dual-CPU Mac Pro, which in itself is $3,499, with a pair of 2.66GHz Xeons.  Other options include up to 32GB of DDR3 memory, four hard-drive bays to be filled (with optional RAID) and a choice of ATI Radeon graphics with either single or dual-card setups.

Ports, meanwhile, include four FireWire 800, five USB 2.0, analog and digital audio in/out, and then of course whichever graphics outputs are supported on the ATI video cards.  New Apple Mac Pro machines ship within 7-10 days.

[Thanks Simon!]

Other options include up to 24GB of DDR3 memory – though it’ll cost you $1,100 – and a choice of ATI Radeon graphics cards up to the HD 5970 2GB, for $580.  Storage kicks off at 750GB as standard, but can be expanded with up to 2TB individual drives and a choice of RAID 0/1 array settings.

Beyond that it’s the usual DVD or Blu-ray burner, multiple ports – including HDMI, USB 2.0, eSATA and S/PDIF, though no USB 3.0 – all in a reasonably slick tower case.  The new Dell Studio XPS 9100 machines are available to order now.

[Thanks Paul!]

While the ENVY 14 range kicks off with Core i3 CPUs, our particular review unit gets Intel’s Core i5-450M dual-core paired with 4GB of DDR3 memory and a 500GB hard-drive. Graphics include both the integrated Intel HD chipset and a dedicated ATI Radeon Mobility HD 5650 with 1GB of its own GDDR3 memory, driving the 14.5-inch 1600 x 900 display.

Connectivity, meanwhile, includes WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth, HDMI and a trio of USB 2.0 ports (one of which doubles as an eSATA). There’s also Mini DisplayPort, gigabit ethernet, a multi-format memory card reader and slot-loading DVD burner (no Blu-ray option, sadly). OS is Windows 7, but HP also splash a considerable amount of third-party apps and bloatware on the ENVY 14: as well as various Adobe Elements apps (including Photoshop Elements), Cyberlink DVD Suite, Roxio backup and several Corel apps, there are trials of Office 2010, Norton security and others. To be blunt, we’d far prefer to see these trials offered as mere links or on bundled DVDs rather than preloaded; we seem to spend the first hour with a new system wiping off unwanted apps.

HP’s final surprise is Beats Audio, a collaboration with the company better known for their headphones technology, and which is billed as studio-quality. It’s part of an attempt to lift the ENVY 14 out from the morass of mid-range notebooks, along with the backlit chiclet keyboard and broad multitouch-capable trackpad. It’s certainly not hard to see where the frequent MacBook Pro comparisons come from, but it’s also worth noting that a similarly priced machine from Apple would run to $1,899 versus the $1,289.99 of this HP.

We benchmarked the HP ENVY 14 with Geekbench, a synthetic test of processor and memory performance. The notebook scored 4830, slightly lower than Lenovo’s IdeaPad Y460 which uses the Core i5-520M CPU and the same amount of RAM. We then turned to PCMark for a broader perspective on the HP’s overall abilities; it scored 6427 PCMarks, with particular strength in the music (6433), productivity (5517) and gaming (5482) categories.

Practically speaking, the ENVY 14 runs surprisingly well, with the Core i5 certainly sufficient for everyday multitasking. We comfortably multitasked between several browser windows, media playback and IM in the background, while the discrete ATI graphics make the HP usable for gaming. Video editing, too, proves well within the ENVY 14′s capabilities, though when under load fan noise is considerable. On the plus side, we didn’t notice undue levels of heat passing through the alloy chassis, so all that fan activity is obviously doing something useful.

The chiclet keyboard offers some of the best response this side of a MacBook, while the oversized trackpad is precise and accurate. Meanwhile the audio quality is a revelation for a notebook; there are only two speakers, but the performance is stronger than many multi-speaker laptop setups than we’ve tested. Happily – for media playback – the ENVY 14′s display can keep up; our review unit has the higher-resolution 1600 x 900 “Radiance Infinity” panel rather than the standard 1366 x 768, and is bright and crisp. It’s a shame HP don’t offer a slot-loading Blu-ray drive, at least as an option; while neither panel would support Full HD playback, the HDMI output makes hooking up an HDTV simple.

Battery life from the standard 8-cell Li-Ion pack is estimated at up to six hours using the dedicated graphics and up to eight on the integrated Intel HD chipset. Unplug the mains adapter and the ENVY 14 automatically flips to the low-power option. We’ve managed just under 4.5hrs of browsing, audio playback and IM using the Intel HD graphics; with the ATI graphics active, that fell to more like 3.5hrs, while actively gaming in this mode pushed it well under the 3hr mark.

As a package, we’re impressed by the ENVY 14. Apple’s machine undoubtedly offers more battery longevity, but the HP throws in a broader selection of ports and for a lower price. The etched alloy case might not to be everybody’s taste, but it’s extremely well built and, in the metal, looks far more impressive than in stock photos. While it’s a little thicker than the MacBook Pro – 1.1-inches versus 0.9-inches – it’s also lighter, at 5.25lbs versus 5.6lbs from Cupertino.

Where Apple can afford a relatively leisurely upgrade cycle, HP is forced to compete in a far faster moving ecosystem; buyers of PC laptops are spoilt for choice, complete with some bargain-basement pricing on offer too. The ENVY 14 could be seen as HP’s attempt to push through into a premium segment that would allow them a little more breathing room, though they’ve not short-changed the buyer in the process. Apple’s extra budget goes on the nicer elements of garnish – the HP’s power adapter lacks the finesse and magnetic connector of the MacBook Pro’s, and the ENVY 14′s ports protrude from the angled edges of the chassis rather than feeling punched through a unibody – but we imagine many buyers would prefer to have the cash in the bank. It’s a balancing act, and HP has done well with it; Blu-ray is the glaring omission, but generally the HP ENVY 14 offers a strong mixture of performance, style and quality.

Quick Look Video

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With an MRSP of $799.99 you know you’re not going to get the most powerful of components, and sure enough the Satellite L675D-S7022 has a pretty modest spec sheet. Toshiba has picked a 1.8GHz triple-core AMD Phenom II X3 P820 processor, paired with a 5,400rpm 500GB hard-drive and 4GB of RAM. Between 256MB and 1,405MB of that RAM can be co-opted by the integrated ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250 graphics; already you can guess that this isn’t the machine for gamers.

Meanwhile there’s a Blu-ray reader/DVD burner, WiFi b/g/n, 10/100 ethernet and an integrated webcam, together with two USB 2.0 ports, a combo USB/eSATA port and an HDMI output. No Bluetooth, mind, nor gigabit ethernet or a PC Card/ExpressCard slot. The 6-cell, 48Wh Li-ion battery is rated for up to 3.73hrs runtime. As is usual with notebooks this size, the Satellite L675D-S7022 has a separate numeric keypad to the right of the keyboard, though the spacebar is slightly smaller than we’d expect.

Aesthetically it’s inoffensive but not exactly eye-catching, while Toshiba’s plastics don’t creak or flex but, on the other hand, lack the true quality feel of more expensive machines. The glossy finish to the lid and palm-rest are prone to collecting fingerprints, and at 6.6lbs it’s a heavy machine; Apple’s 17-inch MacBook Pro, for instance, weighs the same despite having a full metal body. Unfortunately, the biggest shortcoming is the display. Toshiba’s 17.3-inch LCD has reasonable viewing angles, is bright and averagely crisp, but with a native 1,600 x 900 resolution falls short of the Full HD 1080p we’d expect.

Given the presence of a Blu-ray drive, the miserly resolution is a real disappointment. It’s not that the Satellite L675D-S7022 is incapable of support HD video, either; to test its performance we used Geekbench, a synthetic benchmarking tool that measures processor and memory, and the Toshiba scored 3,250 (primarily held back by poor memory bandwidth performance). That’s short of the 3,925 scored by the Core i3 based Gateway NV59C we reviewed recently, which also comes in at $799.99 though has a 15.6-inch display.

In terms of real-world performance, the AMD Phenom II X3 holds its own for the usual mixture of browsing, media playback and emailing. We were able to juggle several browser windows, streaming audio in the background and play windowed video without complaints, thanks in part to the 4GB of RAM. Streaming HD video was also manageable too, but the integrated graphics mean anything above the most basic gaming is beyond the Toshiba’s abilities.

Battery life, meanwhile, fell significantly short of Toshiba’s predictions. With a combination of browsing and occasional audio/video playback, as described above, the Satellite L675D-S7022 exhausted itself in 2.5hrs; playing video using the optical drive saw that dip to under 2hrs.

The Satellite L675D-S7022 makes a very good argument for the case that there’s such a thing as too much cost-cutting. We can forgive the notebook its moderate performance and disappointing battery life, but Toshiba’s choice of sub-1080p display on a machine outfitted with a Blu-ray drive seems ridiculous. That the Satellite L675D-S7022 is obviously capable of smooth HD playback, evidenced by its HDMI output, just rubs salt into the wound. Without those extra pixels the Toshiba’s high-def credentials are seriously undermined; if you only ever intend to watch your content on a separate display then the Satellite L675D-S7022 might fit the bill, but we’d rather spend a little extra and get the 1080p experience in an all-in-one package.

The preloaded software means that you can convert 2D photos and videos into 3D versions, and of course there’s 3D gaming too.  Other specs include 4GB of DDR3 memory, a 500GB 5,400rpm hard-drive, DVD burner and WiFi b/g/n, along with Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and a copy of Windows 7 Home Premium.

Graphics are switchable between the discrete ATI GPU and the integrated Intel HD chipset, and Lenovo reckon you’ll see roughly 4hrs battery life on the former and up to 5hrs on the latter.  Ports include a USB/eSATA combo, three regular USB ports, ExpressCard and both VGA and HDMI outputs.  The Lenovo IdeaPad Y560d ships within five days.

[via Twitter]

The Aspire 5820T and the Aspire 4820T notebooks have 4GB of memory, up to 500GB of HDD space and an integrated optical drive, and start from $749.99. The Aspire 4820TG has ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 graphics, which can be manually toggled with the regular integrated graphics; it’s $799.99 with a Core i3 processor, 4GB of DDR3 memory and a 320GB hard drive, or $899.99 with a Core i5 processor, 4GB of memory and a 500GB drive.

Meanwhile the Aspire 3820T gets a 13.3-inch CineCrystal LED backlit display, 4GB of DDR3 memory and a 320GB or 500GB hard drive.  It starts at $729.99.  Finally the 11.6-inch Aspire 1830T weighs 3.09 pounds but still has a 100-percent full-size keyboard.  For $599.99 you get a Core i3 CPU, 3GB of DDR3 memory and a 320GB HDD; $699.99 steps up to a Core i5 ULV CPU, 4GB of DDR3 memory and 500GB HDD.

Press Release:

Acer Brings Significant Performance Boost to its Thin and Light
All-Day Computing Line with New TimelineX Notebook PC Series

Featuring Full Power Intel Core i3 and i5 Processors, New TimelineX Delivers Exceptional Performance and Long Battery Life in a Sleek Design

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 22, 2010 – Bringing a new level of performance to its award-winning Timeline Series of thin and light notebooks, Acer America today launched the Aspire TimelineX family. This next-generation product line delivers the extreme mobility and battery life performance the Timeline Series is known for, and elevates it with impressive processing power. Available today at U.S. retailers nationwide, the TimelineX Series starts at $599.99.

The Aspire TimelineX notebooks are ideal for consumers, students and professionals on the move, who require extreme PC portability without being tethered to a power source or compromising computing performance. The Aspire TimelineX notebooks are designed to deliver eight hours of battery life,(1) achieved by combining Intel’s latest Core™ processing technology, advanced power management and LED backlit displays, which results in a thin, light, more energy-efficient and longer lasting mobile PC.

Extreme Thin and Light Mobile Performance
The new Aspire TimelineX Series is available in four distinct notebook display sizes, including the 11.6-inch Aspire Timeline 1830T, 13.3-inch 3820T, 14-inch 4820T and the 15.6-inch 5820T. Housed in premium, black brushed aluminium, the TimelineX notebooks are sleek and portable at less than one-inch thin in lightweight form factors ranging from 3 to 5.5 pounds.

Offering either Intel® Core™ i3 or Core™ i5 full-voltage processors and ample 3GB or 4GB of memory, the TimelineX Series is well-equipped to tackle multiple applications. Aspire TimelineX users can multitask vigorously, even with graphic-intensive applications, simultaneously exploring the Internet, listening to music and downloading videos – all on the go. The entire line of TimelineX notebooks comes with Windows® 7 Home Premium for maximum productivity.

Mobile Form Factors for Every Lifestyle
For consumers who require a full-size notebook with plenty of screen real estate, the 5.5 pound, 15.6-inch Aspire 5820T and the 4.65 pound, 14-inch Aspire 4820T are ideal. The Aspire 5820T and the Aspire 4820T notebooks feature an integrated optical drive and come configured with the Intel® Core™ i3 or i5 processors, 320GB or 500GB hard drive and 4GB of memory. For quick, one-touch control, the Aspire 5820T and 4820T feature Media Controls to open often used programs and control media. The Aspire 5820T also features a dedicated numeric keypad. The starting price for both lines is $749.99 (MSRP).

For users who require systems with discrete graphics, the 14-inch Aspire 4820TG features ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 5650 Graphics for realistic gaming, video and more with full DirectX® 11 support. Switchable™ Graphics technology lets users have the best of both worlds with maximum performance when needed and long battery life when on-the-go. The Aspire 4820TG also utilizes Acer PowerSmart technology, which automatically adjusts the PC’s power settings to maximize performance and allow all-day computing on a single charge. One touch of the keyboard’s PowerSmart button adjusts the display color and brightness and saves 66 percent more power in sleep mode. Available in two configurations, the Aspire 4820TG is priced at $799.99 with a Core™ i3 processor, 4GB of DDR3 memory and a 320GB internal hard drive, and at $899.99 with an Intel® Core™ i5 processor and Intel® Turbo Boost Technology, 4GB of DDR3 memory and a 500GB internal hard drive.

At just under four pounds, the road-ready Aspire 3820T features a high-def 13.3-inch CineCrystal™ LED backlit display. With prices beginning at $729.99, the Aspire 3820T comes in two configurations with an Intel™ Core® i3 or Core® i5 processor, 4GB of DDR3 memory and a 320GB or 500GB internal hard drive.

The smallest member of the TimelineX family, the extremely portable 11.6-inch Aspire 1830T is ultra light at 3.09 pounds. Easy enough to carry anywhere, the Aspire 1830T features a 100% full-size keyboard for accurate and comfortable typing, and a multi-gesture touchpad for mouse-less, fingertip control. The notebook priced at $699.99 packs the powerful Intel™ Core™ i5 ULV (ultra low voltage) processor with Intel® Turbo Boost, 4GB of DDR3 memory and a massive 500GB internal hard drive for storage of digital albums, music library and rich media files. Core® i3™ ULV configurations with 3GB of DDR3 memory and 320GB hard drive begin at $599.99.

Smart PC Performance
Built for mainstream mobile PC users, Intel® HD Graphics provide superb visual performance for sharp images, rich color and lifelike video. The Aspire TimelineX Series sports stunning widescreen CineCrystal™ LED-backlit displays featuring 16:9 HD True Cinematic View for enriched multimedia playback. Integrated Intel graphics and discrete ATI graphics options allow users to view high-def content in full HD with stunning clarity and easy viewing at any angle.

The Aspire 3820T, Aspire 4820T and Aspire 5820T notebooks utilize Dolby® Home Theater® v3 to complete the audio multimedia experience, while the Aspire 1830T boosts 2nd Generation Dolby Sound Room® Audio Enhancement to deliver surround sound from any pair of speakers or headphones. The TimelineX Series also features HDMI™ connectivity for enjoying high-definition entertainment on large external displays.

To remain connected wirelessly, the Aspire TimelineX notebooks feature 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ and fast Gigabit Ethernet LAN connectivity. A built-in 1.3 megapixel HD webcam delivers smooth video streaming and high quality images for online chats and video conferences. A built-in digital microphone conveys superior voice quality, keeping background noise levels low and minimizing echoes. Some Aspire TimelineX models also come equipped with Bluetooth® for seamless connectivity to a variety of devices.

The TimelineX notebooks feature a Multi-Gesture Touchpad, allowing users to pinch, flick and swirl their fingers across the touchpad for intuitive navigation. It also allows users to scroll, zoom in and out, and flip through web pages, photos, spreadsheets and more. The TouchPad can also be disabled with a one-touch button, eliminating accidental cursor movement with palms and wrists when using an external mouse.

The convenient Backup Manager lets consumers easily select and protect their irreplaceable digital files through regular scheduled backups or on an as-needed basis. Data can be backed up to an external hard drive, flash drive, thumb drive or to a secure hidden partition on their PC.

The new Acer Aspire TimelineX models come with a standard one-year parts and labor warranty, which can be extended to three years with the Acer Advantage service. All Acer netbooks are backed by toll-free service and support.

Connectivity includes HDMI, eSATA, WiFi b/g/n, gigabit ethernet and Bluetooth, together with a 1.3-megapixel webcam, fingerprint reader and a 500GB hard-drive.  Standard RAM is either 4GB or 8GB, but the AS8943G Series will support up to 16GB if you’re feeling flush.

Of course there’s Blu ray along with a five speaker and sub setup all integrated into the notebook itself.  Pricing kicks off from $1,549.99 with the Acer Aspire AS8943G Series showing up in stores today.

Press Release:

New Acer Aspire AS8943G Notebook Computer Turns Any Room into the Ultimate Personal Theatre

Sleek new industrial design personifies elegance and performance;
Unique dual mode touchpad/media console puts movies and music at your fingertips

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 22, 2010 – Acer America, part of the world’s second largest manufacturer of notebook PCs (1), today announced the immediate availability of new models in its top-of-the line multimedia notebook series, the Acer Aspire AS8943G. With a completely new modern and bold industrial design, the AS8943G notebook PCs are defined not only by their advanced capabilities, but by a dramatic, simplistic industrial design befitting a notebook so powerful.

Packed with leading technologies and world-class entertainment and usability features, the new models are sure to please the most demanding power user. Whether they are used for creating multimedia content, watching movies or dominating the latest PC games, the Aspire AS8943G notebooks deliver high-end styling and world-class performance for a wide range of productivity and entertainment applications.

On the exterior, the new Aspire notebooks sport an aluminium cover that not only looks sharp, but also protects the seamless, frameless display. Upon opening the lid, consumers will be wowed by sharp design lines that scream precision and performance. A host of well balanced contrasts, including glossy and matte finishes and silver and black accents, surround the new chiclet style keyboard (keys with straight edges vs. slanted sides) which extends to a dedicated numeric keypad.

“The Acer Aspire AS8943G Series of notebooks are first-class multimedia centers that deliver an unparalleled high-definition personal theatre experience,” said Ray Sawall, Acer product marketing. “Designed for the most discriminating and style-conscious consumer, these new notebooks combine an elegant, simplistic design with top-of-the line technologies and usability features, taking PC-based entertainment to a whole new level.”

Stunning High Definition Visuals
These multimedia powerhouses deliver the ultimate high-definition personal-theatre experience. Featuring a brilliant CineCrystal™ 18.4-inch edge-to-edge glass LED back-lit display with full high-definition (1080p) resolution, consumers have a front row seat to all their entertainment and computing needs. Delivering stunningly rich lifelike audio and visuals, the Dolby® optimized Acer CineSurround sound system with five built-in speakers and a dedicated subwoofer deliver clear tones and deep bass beats, while a Blu-ray drive delivers razor sharp visuals on the display’s 16:9 aspect ratio.

For those connecting to PC speakers, headphones or a home audio system, Dolby® Home Theatre® Audio immerses you in the action, making TV shows, movies, sports, music, and video games sound amazing. An HDMI port allows for quick and easy hook up to an even bigger high-definition TV for movie nights.

Only the Best for Power Users and Gamers
Designed for hardcore power users, the Aspire AS8943G Series notebooks are powered by the Intel® Core™ i7 Quad Core Processor with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology, delivering advanced performance and incredible system response. Already loaded with 4GB or 8GB of memory, the notebooks can support up to 16GB for extraordinary speed.

Boasting the world’s fastest and most powerful mobile GPU ever designed(2), gamers looking to lose themselves in an ultimate fantasy world will thrill to the intense video computing power delivered by the ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD5850 Graphics with 1GB of dedicated video memory. Full DirectX® 11 support enables incredible gaming and stunning

3D visual effects. Photographers, videographers and graphic designers will see their creative ideas spring to life with increased visual detail and stunning realism.

Digital packrats with massive amounts of photos, videos, music, documents and emails will find the 500GB(3) SATA hard dive provides plenty of room for their digital data. With dual hard drive support, consumers can add another drive for backups or to increase their overall storage capacity. And to make data transfer painless, both models include an eSATA port to speed up large file transfers, while a FireWire port moves videos quickly from the latest digital camcorders.

User Friendly Features for Today’s Digital Lifestyle
In addition, a new dual-mode touchpad with integrated, capacitive touch media controller icons allows you to switch between multi-gesture mode to media console mode. At the flick of a finger, consumers can go straight to their favorite movies or music. Integrated into the touchpad, the backlit media console icons glow underneath the pad, providing a clean simplistic design. In addition, a convenient scrolling volume wheel directly under the touchpad makes it easy to control volume levels.

Connecting to the Internet on the road or at home is fast and easy. The Aspire AS8943G Series includes 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ wireless for the road and ultra-quick Gigabit Ethernet for those who want an even faster connection at home. In addition, Bluetooth® makes it easy to connect cordlessly to smartphones and printers.

For those who like to stay in touch face-to-face, a 1.3 megapixel HD webcam and digital microphone provides clear high-quality online chat sessions. It also takes still pictures and videos that can easily be shared with friends.

Providing top-notch security for consumers’ digital data, the notebooks also include a bio-protection fingerprint reader, preventing unauthorized access to or use of the PC.

Configurations, Pricing and Availability
With prices starting at $1,549.99, the Acer Aspire AS8943G-6190 and the Acer Aspire AS8943G-6782 are available now at leading retailers.

All models come with a standard one-year parts and labor warranty, which can be extended to three years with the Acer Advantage service. Additionally, some models have longer warranties offered through specific channel partners. All Acer notebook PCs are backed by toll-free service and support.

Up to 16GB of RAM is supported, and the AS7745 can have up to 1TB of onboard storage.  The Acer Aspire AS5745PG gets a multitouch display, discrete graphics and a Core i5-450M CPU from $899.99; the AS5745G starts at $1,049 with a Core i7-720QM CPU instead.  $1,399 gets you the larger AS7745G, with the Core i7-720QM, 8GB of RAM, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 GPU and Blu-ray.

As for the value line, there are 15.6-inch or 17.3-inch models with a choice of ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 or 5650 discrete graphics, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250 or Intel HD graphics.  Connectivity includes HDMI and WiFi b/g/n, while CPU choices include Core i5 and i3 processors as well as AMD Phenom II, Athlon II, Turion II and V Series processors paired with up to 4GB of RAM.  More details on all models in the press releases below.

Press Release:

Acer Enhances Value-Based Mobile Computing Category with New Aspire Line of Attractive, Feature Rich Notebooks

With prices starting at $429.99, new affordable Aspire notebooks deliver practical features for staying productive and connected

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 22, 2010 – Acer America today expanded its Aspire® notebook line with new value-based models that deliver a nice balance of performance, features, attractive design and affordability for consumers on a budget.

The new Aspire® notebooks offer mobile users the power of next-generation Intel® or AMD® processors, a choice of robust graphics solutions, ample memory, large hard drives and a choice of large 15.6- or 17.3-inch screen sizes, with prices starting at $429.99.

“Acer’s newly redesigned line of value-based Aspire notebooks gives consumers with basic computing needs all the performance, features and mobility they need at an outstanding value,” said Preeta Anil, Acer product marketing. “This new notebook line is ideal for anyone who needs a full-function notebook PC to keep them connected and productive while working, studying or enjoying digital media and casual games.”

Power Packed for Efficient Multitasking
The new Aspire notebooks offer new Intel® Core i5 and i3 processors as well as new AMD Phenom II, AMD Athlon II, and AMD Turion II, and AMD V Series processors that delivers a fast and responsive computing experience by speeding up multitasking performance. Additionally, the 4GB of DDR3 memory is significantly faster than DDR2 memory, ensuring faster, more efficient performance on applications.

The latest communications technologies keep users in touch at all times. Internet access is provided through the 802.11b/g/n WiFi CERTIFIED® wireless or fast Gigabit Ethernet LAN connectivity, making it easy to browse websites, check email, enjoy online entertainment, and stay in touch with social media networks.

An integrated Acer Crystal Eye™ 1.3MP (1280 x 1024 resolution) webcam delivers smooth video streaming and high quality images for online chats and business video conferences, even in low-light situations. The built-in digital microphone conveys superior voice quality, keeping background noise levels low and minimizing echoes. Consumers can also enjoy music and video sound with the high-definition audio support and two built-in stereo speakers.

High-Definition Support for Striking Visuals
The high-definition, LED-backlit Acer CineCrystal™ widescreen display delivers crystal-clear images and color with a true 16:9 aspect ratio that increases the viewing area. Users can choose from several models with either 15.6-inch or 17.3-inch screens.

Next-generation graphics solutions offer users excellent visual quality for the latest games, movies, photos or videos. The new Aspire notebooks come with ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 or 5650 discrete graphics, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250 or Intel® HD graphics. Taking the visual experience one step further, the Aspire notebooks also come with an HDMI port for connecting to a HDTV, providing crisp, high-quality visuals and audio through a single cable.

Cool Styling and Features Boost Mobile Computing Experience
The Aspire notebooks are available in black or silver and feature rounded edges and smooth lines highlighted by a textured mesh cover that brings an attractive appearance while preventing fingerprints and scratches.

To protect media files, photos and video while on the go, the Acer Aspire notebooks include MyBackup functionality that gives customers a way to quickly and easily back-up all important files. Easily accessible with the integrated software, customers can conveniently back up files to another location such as a USB drive, external hard disk drive, or another hard drive partition. The notebook line is incredibly easy to use with a multi-gesture touchpad, touchpad lock, and dedicated numeric keypad.

The new notebooks come with 250GB to 500GB large-capacity hard drives with generous storage for work and multimedia files. Several models also include a Blu-ray Disc™ drive for the ultimate entertainment experience while watching high-definition movies.

Price and Availability
The new Aspire notebooks will be available later this month at leading U.S. retailers with prices ranging from $429.99 to $899.99.

Press Release:

New Acer Aspire AS5745 and AS7745 Notebooks Offer True HD Playback of Movies and Videos for Cinematic Entertainment On the Go

Select systems boast multi-touch technology, Blu-ray and discrete graphics

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 22, 2010 – Acer, the world’s second largest vendor of notebook PCs,(1) today announced its new line of Aspire notebooks geared toward consumers looking for more than just essentials. These notebooks are a cut above entry-level notebooks offering a range of features including quad-core processing, four memory slots, second hard disk drive (HDD) support, branded discrete graphics, multi-touch screen technology, LED-backlit displays and/or Dolby® Home Theater® v3. The new Acer Aspire AS5745 and AS7745 notebooks are available for customers in the U.S. at select retailers with prices beginning at just $699.

Both lines of notebooks come in a handsome, thin-and-light industrial design with a glossy black cover. With display options to suit entertainment needs, the AS5745 Series sports a 15.6-inch high-definition (HD) widescreen display (1366 x 768 resolution), while the AS7745 Series touts a 17.3-inch HD+ widescreen display (1600 x 900 resolution).

Featured models include the Aspire AS5745PG offering multi-touch screen capability for a natural, intuitive way of interacting with applications and digital data; the Aspire AS5745G delivering blazing Intel® Core™ i7 power and discrete NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 330M graphics for a first-rate multimedia experience; and the Aspire AS7745G, a mobile powerhouse outfitted with Intel® Core™ i7, discrete ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 5650 graphics, second HDD support and Blu-ray.

“Acer continues to deliver on its promise to bring to market leading technology with a superb blend of quality, performance and portability,” said Preeta Anil, senior product marketing manager for Acer America. “The AS5745 and AS7745 Series pack plenty of power and convenient features to suit the gamut of consumers wanting to enjoy cinematic entertainment, including HD movies and casual games.”

Acer Aspire AS5745 and AS7745 Benefits
Both the AS5745 and AS7745 Series tout HD widescreen LED-backlit displays (true 16:9), designed to provide an extraordinary visual experience. The 15.6- and 17.3-inch LED-backlit displays are super slim and use less energy than traditional cold cathode fluorescent Lamp (CCFL) displays.

In addition, Dolby® Home Theater® v3 combined with S/PDIF support for digital speakers delivers extraordinarily clear audio. Every notebook is outfitted with Microsoft Windows 7 Premium, Acer Nplify™ 802.11 b/g/n wireless and a digital media reader.

The Aspire AS5745 Series offers up to a 500GB(2) HDD for storing a vast library of music, video, images, movies and games. These notebooks are also powered by the latest Intel® Core™ i3, Core™ i5 and Core™ i7 processors, which enable even the most demanding users to multitask quickly and easily. Notebooks featuring Intel® Core™ i5 or Core™ i7 processors boast Intel® Turbo Boost Technology, which automatically speeds up the processor when the PC requires extra performance. The AS5745 with Intel Core™ i7 quad core processors offer four instead of two memory slots allowing users to economically configure 8GB of system memory via four 2GB memory modules or maximum system memory with 16GB via four 4GB slots. The systems in this series weigh about 5.72 lbs. with a 6-cell battery and offer up to 3.5 hours of battery life.(3)

The Aspire AS7745 Series touts discrete ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD5650 graphics, which infuse videos, movies and games with dramatic detail, vivid color and realism. Powered by Intel® Core™ i7, a giant 500GB(2, 4) HDD and support for a second HDD, these multimedia monsters can fuel and store some of the most power-hungry applications with up to 1TB of storage capacity. These systems come with a 6-cell battery providing up to 2.5 hours of battery life(3) and weigh about 7.1 lbs.

Featured Models
Acer® Aspire AS5745PG: Multi-Touch Screen Technology With Prices Starting at $899.99
In addition to a standard keyboard for traditional data input, the Acer Aspire 5745PG offers a multi-touch screen display and Microsoft Windows® 7 multi-touch support, designed to make entertainment and multimedia experiences more intuitive, interactive and just plain fun. As it frees users to interact with their PC in a natural way, the multi-touch screen gives users an exceptional level of flexibility and control. Customers can touch anywhere on the screen using one or two fingertips to play movies and music, zoom in and out on websites, edit photos and video, handwrite notes, resize windows, launch entertainment applications and more.

Complementing the HD display, the system’s Intel® Core™ i5-450M processor and NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 330M graphics with 1GB of dedicated memory, provide the horsepower to fuel casual games, videos and movies with vivid color and crisp detail. The system also comes with Acer Backup Manager for backing up important files and information and the PowerSmart button for maximizing battery life.

Acer® Aspire AS5745G: Discrete NVIDIA and Core i7 With Prices Starting at $1,049
Fueled by fierce Intel® Core™ i7 720QM power with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology up to 2.8GHz and discrete NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 330M graphics with 1GB of dedicated memory, the Aspire AS5745G-6538 displays true home theater entertainment with crystal clear images and brilliant color. Users will be riveted by the superb image quality and clarity of movies and other visuals showcased in up to 1080p when connected to a 1080p display via HDMI®. The optical drive lets users burn CDs and DVDs of their favorite music, photos and files, while four SODIMM slots enable them to upgrade to 8GB memory economically.

The system comes with a built-in 1.3 MP HD webcam that presents vivid images even in low light situations, so users can go face-to-face in online chats and capture still pictures and videos for sharing with family and friends. A bundled keyboard touts practical features, including a dedicated numeric keypad.

Acer Aspire AS7745G: Second HDD Support, Discrete ATI and Blu-ray With Prices Starting at $1,399
A digital dream, the Aspire AS7745G-6214 offers Intel® Core™ i7 720QM quad-core processing power with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and 8GB memory for incredibly fast and efficient multitasking. Discrete ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 5650 graphics and a Blu-ray drive showcases the latest Blu-ray movies and games in brilliant color and realistic detail. Outfitted with 5.1 channel output, users can enjoy intuitive surround sound through speakers or headphones.

This mobile powerhouse provides plenty of room for expansion. It has four SODIMM slots, enabling users to upgrade to 16GB memory and a second hard drive bay, which allows storage capacity to be increased up to 1TB(2,4) for archiving a giant library of applications and data. The 17.3-inch HD+ display with a high 1600 x 900 resolution increases the enjoyment of movies, casual games and videos with a large viewing area and fantastic picture quality. In addition, the system features HDMI®, a 1.3 MP HD webcam and Bluetooth® technology, enabling users to wirelessly connect to other Bluetooth-enabled devices, including phones and printers.

Useful Software Suite
The systems come loaded with Acer Arcade™ Deluxe 2010, an all-in-one media portal for managing today’s digital media. Acer Arcade archives songs, photos, movies and videos; Arcade Photo optimizes graphics acceleration for fast photo sorting and creation of memorable slide shows; Arcade Video converts videos quickly for playback on a favorite media player and uploads videos to YouTube and Facebook; and Arcade Music browses and organizes music collections.

Pricing and Availability
Acer’s newest notebook PCs are now available at leading technology and electronics retailers with prices beginning at $699.99.

All four machines have up to 250GB of storage, WiFi b/g/n and 10/100 ethernet, along with a webcam.  The AO721 gets 2GB of RAM while the rest make do with 1GB; both the Radeon-toting machines have HDMI outputs, and the AO521 has Bluetooth, too.

Full specs are in the press releases below, together with dimensions and details on the various finishes Acer are offering.  The Aspire One AO721 and AO521 are available today from $429.99 and $349.99, respectively, while the Acer Aspire One AOD260 and AO533 will arrive later this month from $298.00 and $329.99 respectively.

Press Release:

Acer Expands Its Best-Selling Aspire One Netbook Line
with AMD High-Definition, High Performance Processors

New Aspire One AO721 and Aspire One AO521 Netbooks Get Updated
with Fresh, New Looks and AMD Athlon™ II Neo Processors

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 18, 2010 – Acer America today announced two new
versions of its popular Aspire One netbooks, including AMD-based
high-definition capabilities. Updated with fresh new ID treatments and
powerful AMD Athlon™ II Neo processors, the 11.6-inch Aspire One AO721 and
the 10.1-inch Aspire One AO521 are designed for ultra-portability and
usability, delivering high-definition graphics and video playback, and
smooth communications. Available for U.S. customers today, the Aspire One
AO721 and AO521 are available at retail and e-tail outlets nationwide with
prices beginning at $429.99 and $349.99, respectively.

The Aspire One AO721 and Aspire One AO521 utilize AMD Athlon II Neo K125
processors, optimized for improved energy efficiency and designed to
deliver balanced performance needed to enjoy multiple applications and
features. With the powerful AMD Athlon II Neo processor and ATI Radeon HD
4225 Graphics with 384MB of dedicated system memory, Aspire One users are
well-equipped for mobile performance. Users can vigorously multitask, even
with visually-intense, high-def applications, while freely exploring the
Internet, sending and receiving emails, watching videos and playing games
– all on the go and untethered from a power source.

New Eye-Catching Designs with High Performance and Portability
Like its predecessors, the Aspire One AO721 and Aspire One AO521 come with
ample memory and a large internal hard drive to store plenty of photo
albums, music and documents.

The Aspire One AO721 has a high-definition 11.6-inch CrystalBrite™ LED
backlit display, offering the largest viewing area on an Acer netbook.
Housed in a black matte, mesh-textured cover which limits fingerprints and
smudging, the Aspire One AO721 is sleek and portable at less than one-inch
thin and about three pounds in weight. The Aspire One AO721 boasts a
full-sized keyboard, enabling users more accurate and comfortable typing,
in a footprint smaller than a magazine. The Aspire One AO721 is equipped
with a full 2GB of DDR3 memory and up to a 250GB internal hard drive,
providing plenty of storage space for mobile enthusiasts. The netbook also
comes with Windows® 7 Home Premium on board for easy productivity.

The ultra-mobile Aspire One AO521 netbook features a HD 10.1-inch
CrystalBrite LED backlit display, offering a broad viewing area for web
navigation and entertainment enjoyment. Just shy of one-inch thin and
about 2.75 pounds, the Aspire One AO521 features a 93%-sized keyboard for
fast-paced, accurate data input while on the move, 1GB of DDR3 memory and
up to 250GB internal hard drive for plenty of media storage. Available in
two fashionable, patterned designs in black and brown, the Aspire One
AO521 netbooks feature a smooth, glossy exterior. The Aspire One AO521
comes equipped with Bluetooth for seamless connectivity to a variety of
devices and Windows 7 Starter.

The Aspire One AO721 and AO521 netbooks feature HDMI™ connectivity for
enjoying high-definition entertainment on large external displays. To
remain connected wirelessly, the Aspire One netbooks features 802.11 b/g/n
Wi-Fi and fast Ethernet LAN connectivity. The netbooks also come equipped
with a built-in webcam, delivering smooth video streaming and high quality
images for online chats and video conferences. A built-in digital
microphone conveys superior voice quality, keeping background noise levels
low and minimizing echoes.

Both the Aspire One AO721 and AO521 netbooks feature a Multi-Gesture
Touchpad, allowing users to pinch, flick and swirl their fingers across
the touchpad for intuitive navigation. It also allows users to scroll,
zoom in and out, and flip through web pages, photos, spreadsheets and
more.

The new Acer Aspire One models come with a standard one-year parts and
labor warranty, which can be extended to three years with the Acer
Advantage service. All Acer netbooks are backed by toll-free service and
support.

About Acer
Since its founding in 1976, Acer has achieved the goal of breaking the
barriers between people and technology. Globally, Acer ranks No. 2 for
total PCs and notebooks. A profitable and sustainable Channel Business
Model is instrumental to the company’s continuing growth, while its
multi-brand approach effectively integrates Acer, Gateway, Packard Bell,
and eMachines brands in worldwide markets. Acer strives to design
environmentally friendly products and establish a green supply chain
through collaboration with suppliers. Acer is proud to be a Worldwide
Partner of the Olympic Movement, including the Vancouver 2010 Olympic
Winter and London 2012 Olympic Games. The Acer Group employs 7,000 people
worldwide. 2009 revenues reached US$17.9 billion. See www.acer-group.com
for more information.

© 2009 Acer Inc. All rights reserved. Acer and the Acer logo are
registered trademarks of Acer Inc. Other trademarks, registered
trademarks, and/or service marks, indicated or otherwise, are the property
of their respective owners.

# # #
——————————

Acer Turns Heads with Stylish New Additions to Aspire One Netbook Line

Aspire One AOD260 netbook offers sophisticated styling for fashion-forward
mobile users; Aspire One AO533 netbook combines performance and all-day
battery life

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 18, 2010 – Acer America today expanded its
industry-leading line of Aspire One netbooks with the Acer Aspire One
AOD260 and Aspire One AO533. These new netbook lines deliver sleek new
designs and enhanced performance for highly mobile consumers.

Keeping users productive and connected on the go, both notebooks feature
Intel® Atom™ processors, 10.1-inch WSVGA LED-backlit displays, fast Wi-Fi
connectivity, built-in webcams and large keyboards with Multi-Gesture
touchpads. While they share some key mobility features, the two lines
were designed to meet different customer needs. The Aspire One AOD260
blends performance with a sophisticated design that makes a fashion
statement, while the Aspire One AO533 delivers long battery life and ample
features at an outstanding value.

“The netbook market has matured quickly and Acer is maintaining its
leadership in this category by delivering multiple product lines that
target unique customer requirements,” said Pete Dailey, senior product
marketing manager for netbooks. “Whether the customer’s primary concern
is style, performance, battery life or value, Acer offers the perfect
netbook solution.”

Unique Style and Advanced Performance for the Mobile Fashionista
For the mobile user that cares about style as much as performance, the
Aspire One AOD260 netbook was designed as a fashion accessory. The
patterned design, smooth surface, chromo-plated logos and flush battery
create an elegant design from all angles. Combine the great looks with the
energy-efficient Intel® Atom™ N450 processor, and the Aspire One AOD260
offers beauty and performance. Additionally, it comes with ample memory
and a large internal hard drive to store plenty of digital albums, music
and documents.

Keeping in touch with friends, family and colleagues is simple and easy
with the Aspire One AOD260. Access email and browse the web from airports,
coffee shops or the home office via an integrated Wi-Fi CERTIFIED® network
connection and fast Ethernet LAN. The 10.1-inch CrystalBrite™ LED display,
webcam and digital microphone deliver smooth video and voice quality for
real-time video chat and conferencing.

Less than 1-inch thin and ranging from 2.43 to 2.76 pounds (depending on
battery size), the Aspire One AOD260 is easy to take anywhere, whether for
work or play. Additionally, it comes in four colors to fit anyone’s style
and personality – black, charcoal, pink and purple.

Mobile Performance and Functionality for All Day Computing
The Aspire One AO533 netbook was designed for all-around performance and
all-day mobility. Featuring the high-performance yet energy-conscious
Intel® Atom™ N475 processor, efficient 10.1-inch LED-backlit display and a
6-cell Li-ion battery, the Aspire One AO533 offers 8 hours of battery life
on a single charge.(1) Additionally, 1GB of advanced DDR3 memory and a
large 250GB hard drive make the Aspire One AO533 ready for
performance-minded customers.

Users can stay connected to social networks and email while on the go with
the 802.11b/g/n wireless network or fast Ethernet LAN connectivity. The
integrated webcam delivers smooth video streaming and high quality images
for online chats and video conferences. The built-in digital microphone
conveys superior voice quality, keeping background noise levels low and
minimizing echoes.

This 2.76-pound netbook not only performs well, but looks great too with a
newly enhanced industrial design. A glossy cover in red, black or white is
complimented by a chrome rim and striking logos. In addition, the battery
fits flush in the chassis, making the Aspire One AO533 an ideal portable
companion for users needing all day computing power.

Additional Features Enhance Ease-of-Use
For precise control and intuitive navigation, the netbooks utilize a
Multi-Gesture Touchpad with anti-slip microbead texture, allowing users to
pinch, flick and swirl their fingers across the touchpad . It also allows
users to scroll, zoom in and out, and flip through web pages, photos,
spreadsheets and more. Also, a larger keyboard – 93 percent standard size
- is convenient for typing.

Price and Availability
Both netbook lines will be available later this month at leading U.S.
retailers. The Acer® Aspire One AOD260 will start at a suggested retail
price of $298.00, while the Acer® Aspire One AO533 will start at a
suggested retail price of $329.99.

About Acer
Since its founding in 1976, Acer has achieved the goal of breaking the
barriers between people and technology. Globally, Acer ranks No. 2 for
total PCs and notebooks.(2) A profitable and sustainable Channel Business
Model is instrumental to the company’s continuing growth, while its
multi-brand approach effectively integrates Acer, Gateway, Packard Bell,
and eMachines brands in worldwide markets. Acer strives to design
environmentally friendly products and establish a green supply chain
through collaboration with suppliers. Acer is proud to be a Worldwide
Partner of the Olympic Movement, including the Vancouver 2010 Olympic
Winter and London 2012 Olympic Games. The Acer Group employs 7,000 people
worldwide. 2009 revenues reached US$17.9 billion. See www.acer-group.com
for more information.

© 2009 Acer Inc. All rights reserved. Acer and the Acer logo are
registered trademarks of Acer Inc. Other trademarks, registered
trademarks, and/or service marks, indicated or otherwise, are the property
of their respective owners.

1. Battery life varies depending on product specifications, computer
settings and applications or features launched. All batteries’ maximum
capacity diminishes with time and use.
2. Source: Gartner data, FY 2009

As for other hardware, that includes up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, up to a 750GB hard-drive (plus optional 32GB/64GB SSD), a choice of DVD or Blu-ray and standard WiFi b/g/n and gigabit ethernet.  Other options include Bluetooth and 3G WWAN, while there’s a 1.3-megapixel webcam, a USB/eSATA combo, three regular USB ports, ExpressCard and both VGA and HDMI outputs.

If you’re already a glasses-wearer then Lenovo supply clip-on polarizing lenses that can hook onto your existing frames, and battery life is rated at up to 5hrs from the integrated Intel HD graphics or up to 4hrs using the ATI GPU.  The Lenovo IdeaPad Y560d will go on sale by the end of the month, priced from $1,199.99.

Press Release:

Lenovo Delivers on the Three D’s with its First 3D Laptop; Dynamic, Dazzling and Dramatic

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – June 17, 2010: Lenovo (HKSE: 0992) (ADR: LNVGY) today announced the Lenovo IdeaPad Y560d, the company’s first multimedia laptop with a 3D display. The Y560d features the TriDef® 3D technology solution, which includes a 3D screen, software and glasses 1, so users can experience the unique sensation of visual immersion within their favorite movies, pictures and games.

“Fun is a notebook that brings multimedia to life—and the IdeaPad Y560d does this in a dramatic fashion with a truly unique 3D viewing experience,” said Dion Weisler, vice president, business operations, Lenovo. “While 3D technology has been around for ages, it has not been readily accessible to consumers within the home. Lenovo is helping bridge this gap by delivering consumers a 3D experience on a familiar PC platform that can be viewed and enjoyed when and where they want.”

The 15.6-inch Y560d 3D-enabled multimedia laptop, with its High-Def 16:9 widescreen and polarizer glasses, provides the optimal 3-dimensional experience when combined with compatible 3D movies and games.

With TriDef® 3-D technology, users can also experience 3D on their standard 2D videos and photos. The TriDef Media Player transforms a standard movie into a 3D experience 2. Photos take on a whole new life, thanks to the TriDef Photo Transformer that turns standard photos into eye-popping 3D.

The Y560d laptop includes Lenovo’s new innovative Enhanced Experience RapidDrive technology, which seamlessly combines SSD and HDD storage solutions to deliver even faster Windows 7 boot-up times and significantly improve application performance3. Lenovo Enhanced Experience for Windows 7 is a unique Lenovo certification that delivers an optimized boot-up and shutdown process, rich multimedia capabilities and easy system maintenance tools. With RapidDrive technology, users can experience Windows 7 boot up 66% faster4, start favorite applications two-times faster5, and copy files within the computer in less than half the time6. The Y560d can be configured with up to 8GB DDR3 memory and up to 750BG HDD storage so users don’t have to worry about running out of hard drive capacity when saving their favorite movies, music and games.

The Y560d will be available with JBL-designed speakers and Dolby® Home Theater™ surround sound – perfect for enjoying music and movies. Powered with up to an Intel Core™ i7 processor featuring Intel Turbo Boost Technology7 for delivering extra GHz when you need it, and the latest high-performance ATI Radeon™ HD5730 1GB graphics card, the Y560d is more than capable of running the latest games. With Switchable Graphics, users can toggle between performance and energy-saving modes for extended battery life. The laptop also includes an optional Blu-ray Disc™ drive, HD graphics support and an HDMI output for connecting to other HD devices such as a TV or gaming console2.

Additional features on the Y560d include SlideNav – an intelligent touch-sensitive slide bar application for easy desktop navigation; OneKey Theater II for optimized video playback; and an Ambient Light Sensor that automatically adjusts the PC screen brightness based on the user’s distance from the display. For staying connected while on the move, the Y560d also comes with optional high-speed integrated 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

Pricing and Availability8
The Lenovo IdeaPad Y560d laptop is available by the end of June on Lenovo.com and will start at $1199.99.

For the latest Lenovo news, subscribe to Lenovo RSS feeds or follow Lenovo on Twitter and Facebook.
About Lenovo
Lenovo (HKSE: 0992) (ADR: LNVGY) is dedicated to building exceptionally engineered personal computers. Lenovo’s business model is built on innovation, operational efficiency and customer satisfaction as well as a focus on investment in emerging markets. Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the company develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services worldwide. Lenovo has major research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information see www.lenovo.com.

Both versions have the distinctive chiclet keyboards, a choice of three chassis colors – red, white or black – and chrome trim.  The T215 has up to 320GB of storage and 2GB of DDR3 RAM, and weighs in at 3.3lbs, while the T235 has up to 320GB of storage and 4GB of DDR3 RAM, and weighs in at 3.9lbs.

Each get HDMI outputs, webcams and Toshiba’s sleep-and-charge USB ports.  Pricing kicks off at $469.99 when the new T200 Series models go on sale from June 20th 2010.

Press Release:

Toshiba Gets Slim and Stylish With New Satellite T200 Series Laptops

New Ultrathin Laptops – Encased in Stylish Fusion Chrome Finish and Choice of Colors – Offer Consumers More Options When Looking to Drop the Weight, But Not Functionality

IRVINE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Toshiba’s Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today introduced the Satellite® T200 series of ultrathin laptops. Offering a sleek and stylish look, a comfort-driven design and performance geared for everyday mobility at mainstream price points, the Satellite T200 series are available in two popular screen size options – the versatile Satellite T235 featuring a 13.3-inch diagonal display the and compact Satellite T215 featuring a 11.6-inch diagonal display.

“Consumers are increasingly valuing thin and light alternatives to laptops and netbooks”
“Consumers are increasingly valuing thin and light alternatives to laptops and netbooks,” said Carl Pinto, vice president of product development, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division. “The Satellite T200 series is a result of Toshiba’s expertise in mobility, combining a lightweight, stylish and easy-to-carry form factor with the multimedia performance for everyday tasks and entertainment that consumers want.”

Smart, Stylish Lightweight Design

Featuring an all-new design, Satellite T200 series laptops are dressed in Toshiba’s new dual-tone Fusion® Chrome finish. Sporting a patterned lid design on the outside in a choice of three colors – Red, White and Black – and a silver interior with blended matte textured finish and chrome trim, Satellite T200 series laptops offer a premium look while delivering on smart design elements, like a comfortable full-size raised tile keyboard and wide TouchPad™.

Measuring just an inch thin and weighing less than four pounds, Satellite T200 Series laptops travel easily and are ideal for people looking for the laptop-class performance and long-lasting battery life they need to stay productive and entertained while on the go.

Smart Multimedia Features and Performance

Equipped with energy-efficient processor options from AMD and Intel that enable easy multi-tasking and longer battery life, the Satellite T200 series laptops offer enough horsepower to handle everyday tasks and multimedia needs. Systems featuring AMD Neo™ processors also include ATI graphics, which provide even more multimedia muscle.

A mobile yet more powerful alternative to a netbook, the 3.3-pound1 Satellite T215 features an LED-backlit 11.6-inch diagonal TruBrite® HD widescreen display2. Equipped with AMD Athlon™ II Neo single or dual-core processor options, ATI integrated graphics, up to 320GB3 of storage and 2GB of fast DDR3 memory4, the Satellite T215 delivers the horsepower and multimedia capabilities for playing games and streaming video, great for digital entertainment lovers who demand a richer Web experience, but expect an exceptional battery life rating.

A lighter-weight option to a standard laptop, the 3.9-pound1 Satellite T235 features an LED-backlit 13.3-inch diagonal TruBrite HD widescreen display2, well-sized for multi-tasking, work or play. Offered with a choice of powerful AMD Athlon II Neo, Turion™ II Neo or ultra-low voltage Intel Pentium dual-core processors3, a 320GB hard drive4 and up to 4GB of DDR3 memory5, the Satellite T235 offers laptop-class power in a lightweight package that does not compromise features.

The ultrathin laptops also feature HDMI ports and built-in Webcams, as well as smart Toshiba features, like USB Sleep-and-Charge5, Hard Drive Impact Sensors and Toshiba Media Controller™, ReelTime™ and Bulletin Board.

More information and detailed specifications about the Satellite T215 laptop can be found at laptops.toshiba.com/laptops/satellite/T210.

More information and detailed specifications about the Satellite T235 laptop can be found at laptops.toshiba.com/laptops/satellite/T230.

Sustainable and Eco-Conscious

These new laptops are designed to be environmentally conscious with power-efficient, mercury-free LED backlit displays and are RoHS compatible, effectively reducing the environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury, cadmium and certain other hazardous substances. The Satellite T200 Series laptops also meet the rigorous requirements of the EnergyStar® 5.0 standard and achieved industry-leading Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT®) Gold status. In addition, the products also are equipped with Toshiba’s power-saving eco Utility™, which enables users to monitor and adjust their power consumption and settings in real-time.

Pricing and Availability

The Satellite T200 series laptops (starting at $469.99 MSRP6) will be available on June 20, 2010 at major retailers, e-tailers and direct from Toshiba on toshibadirect.com.

While the IdeaPad Y460 range kicks off at $799, you’ll need to step up to the $999 version if you want the dedicated ATI Radeon HD 5650 1GB graphics. That GPU is paired with Intel HD integrated graphics and a Core i5-520M 2.40GHz processor, along with 4GB of memory and a 500GB 5,400rpm hard-drive.

The 14-inch LCD runs at 1,366 x 768 resolution, and its LED backlighting is even and surprisingly bright. Colors are richly saturated, and if you’re looking for Full HD there’s an HDMI port on the side which you can use to hook up your nearest HDTV. Other connectivity includes WiFi a/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, along with gigabit ethernet, and there are three USB 2.0 ports, a combo USB/eSATA port, VGA, audio in/out, a six-in-one memory card reader and a 34mm ExpressCard slot. Above the LCD lurks a 1.3-megapixel webcam, while two 2W JBL speakers are tucked above the keyboard and are louder than their amp rating would suggest.

That’s a good thing, since Lenovo’s choice of Blu-ray drive (that doubles as a DVD burner) is on the noisy side for an optical drive. Of course, since the Y460 is Dolby Home Theater certified it’s a simple matter to hook up a decent surround sound system and drown that out, but if you’re trying to enjoy a quiet film without the bells & whistles we’d recommend a set of headphones.

We had high hopes for the IdeaPad Y460′s performance, given its decent processor and healthy chunk of RAM, and the GeekBench results don’t disappoint. GeekBench is a synthetic test of processor and memory performance, and the Lenovo scored 4,930 overall. More impressively, with the discrete GPU switched on, the Y460 flew through graphically-intense games and made short order of video editing; in contrast, the integrated Intel graphics were only really sufficient for mainstream tasks like internet browsing, playing simple streaming video and the like.

As you might expect, though, that sort of graphics grunt takes its toll on the Y460′s 6-cell battery. Lenovo rate the IdeaPad at up to five hours, though we consistently found 3.5 to 4 hours was more likely in regular use; turn on the ATI GPU, however, and runtimes halve. You could certainly argue that the Lenovo switchable graphics system is less elegant than NVIDIA’s Optimus setup, which automatically ramps up its dedicated GPU whenever it sees you need the help, but with the sheer degree of difference in the Y460′s battery life in the two modes we like being able to manually make that choice.

Can you have long battery life, strong processor performance and decent graphics all in one package? Apple’s 15-inch Core i5 based MacBook Pro certainly comes close, but you’re looking at $1,799 for the same processor as in the Y460 (as well as less storage and no Blu-ray support). In contrast, $999 for the IdeaPad Y460 seems something of a bargain, and the ability to toggle between the integrated and discrete graphics does make it something of a Jekyll & Hyde machine. Solidly made, if – at 4.85lbs – a little on the heavy side, the Lenovo IdeaPad Y460 makes a sensible choice for the road warrior with the occasional need for video crunching.

That’s joined by more USB 2.0 ports than you can shake the proverbial stick at, the regular audio outputs and digital versions too.  As for storage, there are six SATA 3Gbps ports and a further two SATA 6Gbps ports , which we’re guessing would satisfy all but the most HDD-hungry user.

Throw in plenty of PCIe slots and a fair few motherboard headers and you’re adding up to an interesting motherboard indeed.  No word on whether this is something headed to production – the title is the Immensity concept, after all – but it wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen an ASUS product graduate from eye-catching prototype to mainstream model.

Both of the new offerings put up the Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors from the K Series. CyberPower is all set to start ordering the Intel Core i7-875K and Core i5-655 for their Gamer Xtreme series of desktop PCs. You also have a choice of your graphics, with the ability to go with the NVIDIA GTX or ATI 5800 cards.

The best news of the day, though, is the fact that CyberPower didn’t go the obvious way that many probably figured they would, and hike up the prices to make the whole thing seem ridiculous. Instead, you can pick up a base model with these features starting at just $699. That means you can take the time to build up your machine, along with the fact you can overclock them at your own leisure.

Press Release:

CyberPower Inc. has announced the new Intel “K” series processors that feature Intel’s advanced Turbo Boost technology and an unlocked CPU multiplier. CyberPower will feature these new K series processors in its Gamer Xtreme series of desktop PCs.

CyberPower Gamer Xtreme with Intel Series K Unlocked CPU
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PR Log (Press Release) – Jun 01, 2010 – BALDWIN PARK, CA – CyberPower Inc., www.cyberpowerpc.com wants you to unlock and unleash your desktop gaming power when it today announces the new Intel “K” series processors that feature Intel’s advanced Turbo Boost technology and an unlocked CPU multiplier. Engineered for the ultimate overclocker, the K series processors allow you to push the power above and beyond.

CyberPower will feature these new K series processors in its Gamer Xtreme series of desktop PCs to give gaming enthusiasts power, performance, and flexibility to their computing experience. When combined with any NVIDIA GTX Series and/or ATI 5800 Series video cards, CyberPower gives you the processing and graphics power to rip apart every single game and dominate the opposition.

“We are excited that CyberPower will feature the new Intel(r) Core(tm) i7-875K and Intel(r) Core(tm) i5-655 processors in its Gamer Xtreme series of desktop PCs. These new processors offer many advanced features to help PC enthusiasts get the most out of their overclocking experience,” said Eric Thompson, Director of NA Channels, Intel Corporation.

The starting price for a CyberPower system based on these new CPUs will be $699. The unlocked Gamer Xtreme series can be optionally factory overclocked by CyberPower. You can also customize your unlocked gaming system with CyberPower’s Advanced Hydro Liquid Cooling with an additional number of SSD, extreme performance memory, and other peripheral components options at the company website.

All systems are pre-loaded with Microsoft Windows 7 64-bit Operating System to enhance your gaming and multimedia experience. All CyberPower computer systems come with a 3-year limited warranty and free lifetime phone support.

Additionally, to celebrate the launch of the K series processors, CyberPower has teamed up with Intel to give away brand new systems based on the new processors. For more information, please visit CyberPower’s Facebook page.

# # #

About CyberPower Inc.

CyberPower Inc. www.cyberpowerpc.com was founded in 1998 and has emerged as one of the leading custom computer system manufacturers. Headquartered in Baldwin Park in Southern California, CyberPower manufactures and distributes a complete line of custom built Gaming Desktops, Gaming notebooks and high performance workstations to meet the unique needs of gamers, businesses, government agencies, educational institutions and other end-users. For more information contact: Sales (800) 707-0393; Email cyberpower@cyberpowerpc.com.

The ATI onboard GPU has its own dedicated graphics memory. The company didn’t get specific on exactly what GPU is on the board. We aren’t expecting nay earth shattering onboard GPU performance. Other features include a pair of PCI-e x16 slots for graphics cards along with four x1 PCI-e slots.

On the back panel is a HDMI output, which is apparently the only output for the onboard video card. Rounding out the features is a pair of USB 3.0 ports, eSATA, Asus ROG Link, SATA 6Gbps connectors and more. That Molex connector on the board is said to be for extra GPU power.