Acer Insider

Acer Iconia Tab A500's retail price cut down to $395 to increase sales

2011-08-02T16:49:00.002+08:00

In order to increase sales of its current flagship Android tablet, Acer has decided to cut the price down of the Iconia Tab A500 from $450 USD to $395 USD. With this move, the Acer Iconia Tab A500 which was launched alongside several other Iconia series devices in Bangladesh recently, is now a good deal cheaper than the cheapest Apple iPad and several other Android tablets, except maybe the pseudo-Android tablet from Barnes & Noble that runs a version of Honeycomb (Android 3.0).

On top of the price reduction, Acer has also updated the Acer Iconia A500 software to Android 3.1. But the question remains, is this enough to entice potential customers to start buying more of these 10-inch tablet computers from Acer? Competition in the Android tablet market space is a lot stiffer nowadays. Only time will tell if consumers side with the Acer Iconia Tabs.

Acer officially launches Iconia series devices in Bangladesh

2011-07-15T19:04:00.001+08:00

Acer has just officially launched its Iconia series of devices in Bangladesh, and apart from the dual-screen Iconia notebook that's already been on sale for a few months now, the Iconia Tab A500, Iconia Tab W500, Iconia A100, and Iconia Smart A300 are joining the ranks as Acer's latest mobile offerings.

Before the Iconia series launch, Acer had already been selling the Iconia notebook through various retail outlets across Bangladesh. It features two 14-inch touchscreen displays, an Intel Core i5 mobile processor and Windows 7. Perhaps because the market was receptive, Acer will now roll out the rest of the devices in their Iconia series, which are the tablet computers and smartphones that have been mentioned above.

The Acer Iconia Tab A500 and W500 are essentially two flavors of the same thing. The Iconia Tab A500 runs Android 3.0 Honeycomb by default while the Iconia Tab W500 runs Windows 7. These are Acer's two main tablet computer offerings.

Meanwhile, Acer also has a 7-inch Android tablet in the form of the Iconia A100. Then there's the 4.8-inch Acer Iconia Smart A300 that runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread. All of these devices will start to become available in Bangladesh in the coming days and weeks. It isn't known how much each one of them will cost individually, though. You might be able to get local pricing information from a retail outlet that's near you.

[SOURCE]

Acer AC700-1099 Chromebook (Wi-Fi) shows staying power in Amazon's laptop bestseller list

2011-07-15T18:01:00.003+08:00

The much awaited Google Chrome OS-powered netbook from Acer was finally released to market this month, and already it has occupied a spot in Amazon's bestselling laptop computer list. It doesn't look like it's going away any time soon, either, as it shares a number on the site's top ten list with a similar offering from Samsung.

The ultra-thin and ultra-light Chrome OS powered Acer AC700-1099 Chromebook (Wi-Fi)
boasts similar specs to the Acer Aspire One Happy 2 that I reviewed here recently. Weighing just a quarter of a kilogram heavier than the Aspire One Happy 2, the Acer Chromebook features an 11.6-inch 1366x768 pixel resolution LED-backlit LCD screen, a dual core Intel Atom N570 processor running at 1.66GHz, 2GB of DDR3 RAM and 16GB of Solid State Drive storage.

Graphics is handled by the Intel GMA 3150 and there's a single HDMI-out port located on one side of the Acer Chromebook. Other features include a built-in 1.3-megapixel webcam, stereo speakers, SD card slot, draft-n Wi-Fi and 2 x USB 2.0 ports. With a feature set like this, it's no wonder a lot of people are buying it. About the only thing one might want to question about it is the OS it runs--the cloud-centric Google Chrome OS.

As Google further develops its cloud offerings and adds many new features, perhaps things can only get better for devices such as the Acer Chromebook. It's hard to tell what the future holds for now, but one thing's for sure: consumers are loving the Acer AC700-1099 Chromebook.

Buy the Acer AC700-1099 Chromebook (Wi-Fi) on Amazon.com

[SOURCE]

Acer Aspire One Happy 2 review

2011-07-14T21:55:00.009+08:00

Acer Aspire One Happy 2 10-inch netbook

If netbooks could have feelings, then this one right here is the model that I want to hang out with. The Acer Aspire One Happy 2 is a unique kind of netbook that is all-business when it comes to mobile computing features but still manages to maintain its cuteness after all is said and done. Can you name any other netbook that's available in a shocking pink color? I didn't think so. In fact, it's the only netbook in the market that's available in such a wide range of colors. It scratches backs, too. Okay, maybe not. But anyway, read on to find out the nitty-gritty on the 10-inch Acer Aspire One Happy 2 netbook.

Acer Aspire One Happy 2 features

The Acer Aspire One Happy 2 is an ultra-thin netbook with a 10-inch LED-backlit LCD screen. Located dead center right above the 10-inch screen is a built-in webcam that can be used for taking photos, recording videos, and web chat. Meanwhile, there's a built-in microphone near the lower right corner on the bottom of the screen.

On the lower half of the Acer Aspire One Happy 2, you'll find the keyboard and built-in multi-touch trackpad. The multi-touch trackpad is good because it accepts several different kinds of multi-touch gestures. However, it doesn't seem to support side-scrolling, which might leave some users a bit disappointed.

Some of the Acer Aspire One Happy 2's other features include stereo speakers, built-in 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 3.0.

Acer Aspire One Happy 2 keyboard and multi-touch trackpad

Judging by the arrangement of the keys on the built-in keyboard, it seems that Acer has really learned a lot from spending the last few years at the very top of the worldwide netbook market. I'm not sure if this kind of thing is still a problem with other netbooks, but the CTRL and Fn keys are at least in the "right" order. This is the setup that most people are comfortable with. There was enough room for two SHIFT keys because the Home and End buttons were relegated to Special Function keys around the four arrow keys at the bottom right corner of the keyboard.

Overall, I think the keyboard is great. But it doesn't follow the traditional chiclet keyboard design so dust and other foreign objects creeping in might be a problem for some users, especially those who like to munch on Cheetos while browsing the Web.

Highlight on the screen

Acer Aspire One Happy 2 LCD screen

There's really nothing spectacular about the screen on the Acer Aspire One Happy 2. It runs the usual native netbook resolution of 1024x600 pixels and the brightness level goes all the way up to 9. It's fairly standard. However, it should be noted that instead of the usual glossy screen that's been well known to have the ability to irritate some people during outdoor usage, the Acer Aspire One Happy 2 uses a matte one. As you can see here, the screen is very readable under bright artificial lighting even when the brightness is set at the lowest possible setting.

What's up with the ripple?

Acer Aspire One Happy 2 lid

Ignore the fact that this photo of a pink netbook might have been taken by a full grown man while crouching on the floor of a busy mall at the moment and take a good look at the lid. Notice something? Right at the part where the word "one" starts on the logo, a ripple appears. There's a ripple design on the lid of every single Acer Aspire One Happy 2 netbook that's sold on the market. Perhaps Acer takes it as a sign that shows how they've made ripples across the entire mobile computer industry with the netbooks that they've sold over the past few years. This is just one of the things that make the Acer Aspire One Happy 2 unique in the midst of other netbook offerings.

Slots, jacks, and ports, etc.

Acer Aspire One Happy 2 (left side): Power jack, Ethernet port, VGA-out, heat vent, USB 2.0 port

The left side of the Acer Aspire One Happy 2 is lined up with things that you'd expect to find there: a charger-in port, an Ethernet port, a VGA-out port and a single USB 2.0 port. It would have been nice if Acer had included an HDMI-out port along with the built-in VGA, but since graphics is handled by the petty Intel GMA 3150, that is just not to be.

Acer Aspire One Happy 2 (right side): SD Card reader, audio-out port, mic-in port, 2xUSB 2.0 ports, Kensington lock slot

On the right side of the Acer Aspire One Happy 2, there's a single SD card reader, audio-out/mic-in ports, two additional USB 2.0 ports and a Kensington lock slot for security.

Acer Aspire One Happy 2 underside with 6-cell battery

Would you believe that the Acer Aspire One Happy 2 actually has a 6-cell battery? It may look as thin as the typical 3-cell variant, but in truth it is actually a 6-cell. During testing, I've found that after a full charge, this netbook can last up to 7 hours total with Wi-Fi on while browsing the Web and doing other simple tasks. Perhaps a proper 9-cell battery that won't add much weight will be able to boost the battery life to 9 or 10 hours long. It will cost you extra, though.

And speaking of weight, the Acer Aspire One Happy 2 is one of the lightest netbooks around. It weighs just a little over 1kg. This, combined with the fact that it has a thin profile, makes it very easy to carry around. And it doesn't get very hot during usage, making it a proper "laptop" in that you can actually put it on your lap while you are using it.

Recap and Conclusions

Acer Aspire One Happy 2

And now for the $64M question: is the Acer Aspire One Happy 2 worth buying? The short answer is yes. But it will also depend on your own needs and preferences.

Why you shouldn't buy the Acer Aspire One Happy 2

If you need something powerful that you can use for multimedia projects or plan to use Adobe Photoshop, Sony Vegas, Steinberg Cubase and other similar computer applications, keep looking elsewhere. This is certainly not the computer you need.

Why you should buy the Acer Aspire One Happy 2

It has all the right connectivity features with built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, plus enough ports and slots for usability and expandability. The keyboard feels good to type on, the trackpad supports multi-touch, there's a webcam/mic combo, and the size of the LED-backlit matte screen is just right.

It weighs light enough that you will have no problems with carrying it around all day, and it can actually last a whole afternoon doing usual tasks like Web browsing, word processing, and playing music. The stereo speakers may not be very loud, but you can connect real PC speakers or stereo headphones as a remedy. It also offers half a terabyte of onboard storage. It even comes with Windows 7 Starter Edition pre-installed. Some might say that it's the perfect mobile computer.

Here's a quick list of the Acer Aspire One Happy 2's most important features:

10.1-inch 1024x600 LED-backlit matte LCD screen
1.66GHz Intel Atom N570 processor
2GB DDR3 RAM, 500GB hard drive
Built-in Bluetooth 3.0, draft-n Wi-Fi, VGA-out, and SD card reader
Multi-touch trackpad (no side scrolling)
3 x USB 2.0 ports, 1 pair of mic-in/headphone-out ports
6-cell battery for up to 7~ hours of battery life

If you need something small, portable, and not that powerful, the Acer Aspire One Happy 2 just might be the netbook for you. With 500GB of hard disk space, you'll be able to store far more games and movies on it than the average tablet computer. And it'll be more affordable.

Instead of spending the same amount of money or more on a vastly weaker iTablet or other such contraption, you can go for an Acer Aspire One Happy 2 and get more bang for your buck. Only do this if you can get over one thing, though: it's not shiny.

Buy the Acer Aspire One Happy 2 10.1-Inch Netbook (Strawberry Yogurt) on Amazon.com

Special thanks to Acer Philippines for the "Strawberry Yogurt" colored review unit. :-)