Acer 532G is first dedicated graphics netbook

Acer is taking HD video playback in its netbooks seriously, with its new Aspire One 532G netbook offering smooth 1080p playback through an HDMI port.

Acer is boasting that the netbook can handle YouTube HD videos and high-def playback from Facebook without problems, while mainstream gaming and 3D computing should be no trouble either.

The video power comes courtesy of Nvidia’s upgraded Ion platform, which now makes use of the recently announced Optimus technology.

This allows the 532G to switch between integrated or dedicated graphics processors on the fly, which means when you’re just browsing the web you can get 10 hours of battery life, but the more powerful GPU kicks in automatically when you start playing HD movies or games.

The discrete half of the Nvidia Ion solution offers 512MB of graphics memory and CUDA support for some advanced applications, which means the netbook will be more useful for tasks like video editing and encoding than its Intel Atom N450 processor might let on.

The Acer Aspire One 532G also features WiFi, a high definition 10-inch LED-backlit display and optional 3G connectivity, while the whole package weighs 1kg and clocks in at 1-inch thick.

Acer laptops has also announced that it will introduce netbooks powered by the Android operating system to provide speedy internet access and simple usability.

Acer continue Google collaboration with Chrome OS laptop plans

Acer’s journey with Google into new territory looks like continuing with the announcement that it will be bringing a netbook laptop running the Chrome OS in Q3 2010.

The announcement was made by Jim Wong, Senior Corporate Vice President and President of IT Product Business Group at Acer, who stated that the company was looking to shift over one million Chrome-based laptops in 2010.

The move would signal another step along the path to seeing Google begin to spread its OS from smartphones to netbooks, with the simplistic platform likely to gain widespread acceptance from a number of manufacturers.

Such is the belief in the Chrome OS that Acer is stating that the platform will be used in ’7% of all its netbook shipments in 2010′, which would be impressive should the refined laptop come around September.

During the interview, Wong also confirmed the company will be creating an app store for the netbook to download easy to use widgets, and the portal will also carry apps that can be used on the company’s burgeoning smartphone range.

Acer goes green with latest laptop range

Acer has launched a pair of new laptops that have been given the thumbs up by Greenpeace for their eco-friendly credentials.

The Taiwanese computer maker claims its Aspire 3811TZ and 3811TZG are energy efficient, recyclable, and biodegradable thanks to their absence of two materials Greenpeace has identified as particularly bad for the environment – PVCs (polyvinyl chloride) and BFRs (brominated flame retardants).

The new arrivals form part of the eco-conscious Timeline range, which its maker claims uses 40 per cent less power than conventional laptops thanks to the use of LED-backlighting in the displays and Intel’s frugal ULV Core 2 Duo processors.

Battery life is quoted at eight hours, with Acer saying its new notebooks are “way over the most advanced Energy Star 5.0 criteria”.

Details such as launch dates and prices remain thin on the ground at this stage, as does a detailed specification, with Acer choosing to focus on green issues for now.

Overheating Acer laptops in product recall

Acer is recalling about 22,000 Aspire laptops after customers reported that some models were overheating.

The problem lies in a microphone wire found underneath the notebook’s palm rest, which can short-circuit and overheat, according to an alert from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. Acer initiated the recall after three customers reported “light melting of the external casing.”

The recalled notebooks are the Acer AS3410, AS3410T, AS3810T, AS3810TG, AS3810TZ and AS3810TZG. Affected Acer laptops were sold between June and October of 2009, the Commission said.

Acer apparently first notified European customers of the issue back in October, saying that the “microphone cable may overheat when extreme pressure is applied repeatedly to the left palm rest,” in a note on its website.

Acer TravelMate Timeline laptops get a grand unveiling

Acer’s just announced the release of a new line of business travel Windows 7 laptops. The TravelMate Timeline series includes the 8571, 8471, and 8371. All notebook models in the line have 6 cell batteries that give up to 8 hours of useable battery life (if Acer PowerSmart manager is on). The cost of these new machines runs from £499 to £575.

Customers looking to buy a TravelMate will have their choice of 1.3 or 1.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processors equipped with GS45 Express chipset and Intel 64 architecture. They each pack either 3 or 4 GB of SDRAM and come with b/g/Draft-N WLAN, Bluetooth, and gigabit LAN. The screen sizes measure from 13.3″ to 14.1″ to 15.6″. An integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500 MHD brings DirectX10 to the TravelMates.

Each of these new Acer notebooks features a roomy keyboard and multi-gesture touchpad. They all come with Win 7 32 bit installed, and Acer includes a copy of Windows XP with each in case you want to make the switch.

Laptop sales hit by recession, unless you’re Apple or Acer

Laptop sales in the UK dropped 2.4 per cent year-on-year in the third quarter of 2009, according to latest data from Gartner.

This decline is less than in previous meltdown quarters, but principal analyst Ranjit Atwal warns that: “The return to growth will be slow and a difficult process.”

However, there are exceptions to the rule that the computing industry has had a poor year; sales of what Gartner calls “mini-notebooks” and the rest of the world calls netbooks or laptops boosted Acer’s sales by 35% in the third quarter of 2009 compared to the same quarter in 2008. Netbooks accounted for more than 40% of the total consumer notebook market in the same period.

Apple’s increase was also strong, jumping from a 3.8% market share in 2008′s third quarter to 5% in 2009′s – a 26.6% increase for the American tech giant.

Some Acer Aspire laptops recalled by manufacturer

Acer has issued a voluntary recall on their Aspire Laptop manufactured before the 15th of September this year.

Apparently some of those Aspire laptops are experiencing issues with the microphone cable which frequently overheat. It seems to be caused by “repeated and extreme” pressure applied to the left palm rest, so don’t go leaning on it.

Acer has set up a website where you can enter your Aspire serial number to see if yours is among the affected.

The Acer Aspire models affected include the AS3410, AS3810TG, AS3810T, AS3810TZ and the AS3810TZG.

Big name manufacturers looking to 3D screens

Dell, HP, Sony and Lenovo are working with far-east company Wistron on laptops with screens capable of 3D imagery.

The systems should utilise stereo 3D technologies patented by Wistron itself. Acer is also said to be looking into the feature having struck a deal with US-based DDD company, who offer similar services to Wistron.

While the quality of stereo 3D technologies of DDD or Wistron is not clear at the moment, just like technical requirements of these technologies, it is certain that all of the aforementioned notebook makers (and stereo 3D tech developers as well) are planning to target high-end notebooks for gamers with advanced capabilities.

HP laptops have led the way in 3D enterprise but Sony laptops are coming up in their rear-view mirror – though they’ll be hard-pressed to counter HP’s target date of June next year.

Cheap laptops turns buyers into beasts

Several people were injured in a stampede during the sale of cheap laptops at a large electronics retail outlet in Moscow, Russia – emphasising the lengths that people go to to secure a pocket-friendly deal.

The Youtube video can be seen here.

An official spokespeople for the company said that the batch of the special offer laptops was too small. The cheap laptops were priced at 9,999 rubles (around £175) but after the doors were opened, sales assistants had to call the police to halt the foaming-at-the-mouth crowd.

The laptops, believed to be Acer 17-inch dual core processor notebooks with 3gb Ram and 250 GB HDD, were at the centre of pure carnage as two young men were hospitalised with injuries as a result of a stampede. A woman also lost consciousness and collapsed in the crowd because of a lack of oxygen. Meanwhile, sales assistants were climbing up the counters to escape the crowd.

All 250 laptops sold out in less than an hour.

Acer launches TravelMate 8000 Timeline Laptops

Acer have launched a the TravelMate 8000 Timeline Notebooks ideal for working people on the go.

The new Travelmate’s are available in 15.6inm 14.1in and 13.3in options and weigh 2kg for the biggest to 1.6kg for the smallest.

Acer have described the invention as “specifically designed for no-compromise performance, superior security and trouble-free manageability, while offering extended productivity thanks  to 8+ of battery life.”

Each of the models from Acer will feature Intel’s Laminar Wall Jet technology as well as louvers that draw in cold air and push it around the chassis’ inner surface to make sure you don’t toast your knees when working on the sofa until the early hours.

Acer’s press release boasts, “Designed for a life on the go, the TravelMate 8000 notebooks are ultra-thin, just about one inch thick and ultra-light.”

The TravelMate 8000 Timeline series feature WXGA backlit display with 16:9 aspect ration, 1366X768 HD resolution and high brightness.

This feature allows users to sit back and watch a DVD after finishing up with their dyer Powerpoint presentation or company accounts in Excel.

There are various options available including 2GB or 4GB DDR3 memory. 8GB is also available should users ever need that much memory. A 250GB or 320GB capacity HDD and the standard 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth is also available as well as integrated 3G connectivity which is set to be an add-on option later in the year.