Acer today announced a refresh to its detachable hybrids with its magnetic Aspire Switch 10 tablet, new Aspire E 14, E 15, V 11 (Touch) and E 11 notebooks ,the Aspire U5 Series, the Z3 All-In-One PCs, an ultra-fast Chromebook and Acer's first wearable device.
Acer chief executive Jason Chen at an event in New York City on Tuesday said the company is starting a new trend that aims to shift its way to the cloud market, rather than the traditional PC market, in a two-fold strategy.
Acer will dish out a range of devices, now and later in the year, including highly customizable laptops, tablets, and for the first time a wearable device - the company also wants to tie these devices together with its own cloud model.
"We want users to 'build-your-own-cloud'," he said. "We have a technology platform [where] you can access your data, documents, and photos, in your local hard drive to devices you carry with you, like smartphones and tablets," Chen said.
Using your Acer device as a "datacenter," Chen said, you can hook up other platforms, from Android, iOS, and Windows, and non-Acer devices, to keep data within your private circles.
Let's move on with Acer's new devices announced today.
The 2-in-1 Acer Aspire Switch 10 is a notebook and tablet combined in one device with four modes for touch, typing, viewing, and sharing at any time. The smart device features a magnetic detachable Acer Snap Hinge design for easy transition between modes, latch-free keyboard docking, and optional additional storage capabilities.
As a notebook, the device is a fully functional PC with keyboard and Precision Touchpad. In the Pad mode, it transorms itself to a tablet and in the display mode, you can switch the screen to show content, such as a presentation file in meetings or sharing photos with friends. Last but not least, the tent mode can be used in confined spaces while traveling.
The Acer Snap Hinge allows users to switch between the four modes. It features a magnetic detachable design for latch-free docking. The Acer Snap Hinge includes two hooks to connect the tablet to the keyboard, plus a 2-way connector that holds the tablet for two-sided viewing. The tablet can be plugged or released (by lifting) from the dock with a magnetic force capable of holding 2.8 kg (6.2 lb.) in weight.
The Aspire Switch 10 is measuring less than 8.9 mm thin (0.35 inches) in tablet mode and 20.2 mm (0.44 inches) with the keyboard dock. It is weighing 0.59 kg (1.29 lb.) for the tablet only and 1.17 kg (2.58 lb.) for the tablet and keyboard.
It comes with a 10.1-inch display (1366 x 768 pixels) with IPS technology. Zero Air Gap technology enhances images while Acer LumiFlex solution further optimizes screen visibility during outdoor activities, even under sunlight.
The Acer Aspire Switch 10 with up to 64 GB of storage and 2 GB of RAM is powered by an Intel Atom (Bay Trail T) quad-core processor. Windows 8.1 includes several features, such as InstantGo that keeps data and apps up-to-date even when the screen is off by maintaining an Internet connection along with an efficient power-saving feature so it's ready to go at any moment. It comes pre-loaded with Microsoft Office Home & Student 2013.
The Precision Touchpad supports six core Windows 8.1 Touchpad gestures. An optional keyboard dock with integrated hard-disk offers additional storage of up to 500 GB.
Built-in AcerCloud means users can access and manage their data anywhere. AcerCloud apps offer real time information, data management, and data security across multiple devices for immediate synchronizing.
Optional accessories include the Acer Snap Case that protects and packs the tablet and keyboard for easy carry, and the micro USB cable that serves as a connection and charging hub.
The Acer Aspire Switch 10 will be availability in Pan America and Europe, Middle East and Africa in late May with prices starting at US $379.99/€ 349.- respectively.
The two new 11.6-inch (1366 x 768 pixel resolution) notebooks, the Acer Aspire V 11 (touch) and E 11, feature a FlowCurve and fan-less design, up to 1 TB of storage space, Windows 8.1 tools and measure 21.2 mm thin and weigh 1.29 kg (2.84 lbs.) to fit easily in a bag.
They a repowered by Intel Pentium Quad Core and Intel Celeron CPUs, come with up to 8 GB memory, and 10/100/1000 Gigabit LAN ports.
They are also equipped with the Precision Touchpad that supports Windows 8.1 TouchPad gestures, two speakers, USB 3.0 HDMI and integrate AcerCloud.
The Acer Aspire E 11 will be available in Pan America in June with prices starting at US$269.99; in Europe, Middle East and Africa and China in mid-May with prices starting at €299 and RMB 2599.
The Acer Aspire V 11 with touch will be available in Pan America in June with prices starting at US$369.99; in Europe, Middle East and Africa from the end of May with prices starting at €349.
The Aspire E 14 and E 15 notebook series come with the choice of Touch/Non-Touch, Full HD/HD, and glare or matte display.
The 10-point multi-touch screen allows users to tap, swipe and pinch with their fingertip to browse through content. The notebooks also come with the Precision Touchpad, the Acer chiclet keyboard featuring deeper keystrokes and an optional M-DISC Ready Drive that stores up to 4.7 GB data on M-DISC media. Zero Air Gap technology increases the display's contrast ratio and improves panel visibility.
The Acer Aspire E 14 and E 15 series provide up to 7 hours of battery life and come with built-in AcerCloud.
The Windows 8.1 notebooks also come with up to 16 GB memory and 1 TB hard disk. They incorporate the latest NVIDIA GeForce 800M series or AMD Radeon R-Series discrete graphics, the 2014 AMD A-Series accelerated processors or 4th Generation Intel Core processors.
The Acer Aspire E 14 series will be available in Pan America and Europe, Middle East and Africa in June with prices starting at US$299 and €349.- respectively; in China from the end of May with prices starting at RMB 3999.
The Acer Aspire E 15 series will be available in Pan America in June with prices starting at US$299; in Europe, Middle East and Africa mid-May with prices starting at €299.-; in China from the end of May with prices starting at RMB 3999.
Acer's new all-in-one (AIO) desktop PCs come with 23-inch Full HD IPS displays. The new AIOs include the Acer Aspire U5-620 designed for home digital entertainment and the Aspire Z3-615 for budget-minded buyers.
The Acer Aspire U5-620 is equipped with video and audio communication features certified by Skype -- front-facing dual array microphone powered by Acer Purified, voice and front-facing hi-fi speakers and a 1080p webcam. It has a
capacitive 10-point edge-to-edge multi-touch screen and its design lets users lay-flat or tilt the AIO with just one finger. Its Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS display with Acer CineBoost Color Engine promises vibrant views from wide angles.
The Acer Aspire U5-620 offers a 4th generation Intel Core processor and optional NVIDIA GeForce GTX graphics, up to a 1 TB hybrid drive with up to 16 GB memory, 802.11ac and comes with Windows 8.1 pre-installed.
The Acer Aspire U5-620 will be available in Pan America in late June with prices starting at US$999; and in Europe, Middle East and Africa at the end of May with prices starting at €899.
Acer also unveiled the Acer Aspire Z3-615 all-in-one desktop PC. It is offering a 4th generation Intel Core processor and optional NVIDIA GeForce graphics, front-facing speakers and Dolby Digital Plus Home Theater. It comes with Windows 8.1 pre-installed.
Its ergonomic display can be adjusted from -5 to 25 degrees, and can be repositioned from the nearest point to the user with just one hand. The AIO PC has a Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS display with Acer CineBoost Color Engine.
The Acer Aspire U5-620 will be available in Pan America in late June with prices starting at US$999; and in Europe, Middle East and Africa at the end of May with prices starting at €899.
The Acer Aspire Z3-615 will be available in Pan America and China in late June with prices starting at $599.99 and RMB 4,499 respectively; in Europe, Middle East and Africa at the end of May with prices starting at €699.
A pair of low-cost 7-inch Android tablets, the Iconia One 7 and Iconia Tab 7, were also announced.
The Iconia One 7, which starts at $129.99, weighs 331 grams, it is 8.8 millimeters thick and offers seven hours of battery life.
The display can show images at a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. It has an Intel Atom Z2560 processor, which is a generation behind the newer Bay Trail chips. The device’s Android 4.2 OS is eligible for upgrade to Android 4.4, code-named KitKat. It will ship in the U.S. and Canada in May.
The Iconia Tab 7 is almost similar to the Iconia One 7, but it has 3G connectivity and a quad-core MediaTek processor. It has Android 4.4, and will be available in Latin America, Europe and Asia, but not in the U.S. and Canada.
Acer's executives also showed off the first Chromebook with Intel’s Core i3 processor. The new Chrome OS-based laptop is the "fastest Chromebook in the industry," according to Acer.
Chen said more products will be announced later in the year, including the Acer Liquid Jade, a new 5-inch display smartphone running Android that has "no flat surface." It will launch at the end of July.
Breaking into the wearables market for the first time, Chen also revealed 17-millimeter wristband that will support activity and lifestyle tracking, and supports "easy messaging." The Liquid Leap smartband captures fitness information and has sensors to track a variety of health-related activity.
It will launch in limited regions with its upcoming Liquid Jade launch, and will likely ship in conjunction with the smartphone.