Acer America today announced that its new 20-inch class Veriton Z2640G all-in-one (AIO) commercial desktop is now available for users in business, education and government. The new all-in-one desktops feature a screw-less chassis design and modular components for easy maintenance and upgrades. Removable feet and VESA wall-mount support enable these systems to be hung on the wall to save space, while a flexible frame that tilts from 6 to 60 degrees can be adjusted for maximum viewing comfort. These systems also come with an integrated 2.0 MP Full HD webcam that can be adjusted up to 180 degrees, which is particularly useful when collaborating via web chats with others in the same room.

The Veriton Z2640G series includes two models offering a choice of either Windows 8 Pro or Windows 7 Professional. The Acer Veriton Z2640G-UC1007X comes with an Intel Celeron processor 1007U (2M cache, 1.50 GHz, Dual Core) and 2GB SDRAM DDR3 (expandable to 16GB) and is available for an estimated selling price (ESP) of $539. The Veriton Z2640G-UP2117X with an Intel Pentium Processor 2117U (2M cache, 1.80 GHz, Dual Core) and 4GB DDR3 SDRAM (expandable to 16GB) is available for an ESP for $599.

Acer America today announced that it has expanded its line of Acer C7 Chromebook models for its commercial customers, including schools and businesses that need reliable, fast and affordable technology for their students and work forces. The two new models both have a fast 16GB Solid State Drives (SSDs), which enhance boot times and access to apps, as well as a 6-cell battery that delivers up to 6-hour battery life for all-day learning and productivity. Customers have the choice of two new models -- the Acer C710-2826 with 2GB of DDR3 RAM, and the Acer C710-2815 with 4GB DDR3 RAM.

Our new Acer C7 Chromebooks deliver exactly what the K-12 education market and so many businesses require -- solid performance at an affordable price with up to 6-hours of battery life," said Gregg Prendergast, vice president, U.S. Commercial Sales, Acer America. "Acer C7 Chromebooks will help our customers at schools -- students, teachers and administrators -- as well as our business customers, get to work and be productive right away for longer."

Acer America today announced that its Acer Aspire Z3-605 Series all-in-one (AIO) desktops delivering crisp sound and a clean design are now available for consumers in the United States. The new series includes two 3W front-facing Harman Kardon speakers that leverage thorough and precise scientific methods to accurately produce crystal-clear audio that's as close to the original recording as possible. In addition, Dolby Home Theater v4 audio features optimized digital output technologies for delivering music, movies and games in dynamic surround sound.

"Integrating Harman Kardon speakers is an important milestone and showcases Acer innovation and technology leadership," said Frank Chang, director of desktop product management for Acer America. "Acer is the first in the market to bring Harman Kardon premium sound to a mainstream all-in-one desktop, setting a new standard. The Aspire Z3-605 delivers a dynamic, high-quality audio experience for music and movie lovers and furthers convenience and comfort with an ergonomic and adjustable frame and webcam."

Acer America today announced the U.S. availability of the Acer Predator AG3-605 Series of desktops offering power, performance and superb audio for games, movies and more. Targeted at those wanting a mainstream gaming or multimedia machine at an attractive price, the Predator AG3-605 Series desktops are available in a range of configurations with a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) starting at $999.99.

Putting users in the middle of the action, these new multimedia powerhouses are outfitted with EAX, a collection of powerful technologies that provide sophisticated sound effects. Designed by Creative Technology's world-class team of audio professionals, EAX creates a more dynamic gaming experience that includes audio cues, which give gamers a competitive advantage in multiplayer games. In addition, Sound Blaster Cinema, which is powered by a suite of audio playback technologies, delivers dynamic sound similar to what's experienced in films and recording studios. The systems also feature embedded HD audio with 5.1-channel surround sound. Another practical feature is an exclusive headset cradle that enables gamers, movie and music lovers users to hang their headset directly on the machine, freeing up space elsewhere.

Acer today expanded its M5 Series line of notebook computers with the M5-583P-6428. Continuing to combine powerful performance, long battery life and outstanding value, the M5-583P brings the following new features to the M5 Series, including "Haswell," the 4th Generation Intel Core i5 Processor, Intel Wireless Display technology (WiDi) and a powerful sound system. Available now, the M5-583P-6428 is offered exclusively at Best Buy throughout the United States.

Less than one inch thin, the new M5-583P also sports a new metal chassis with clean modern lines. It also features a "soft touch" finish on the bottom, adding a touch of sophistication and making it easy to grip and carry. Its silver aluminum surface includes a brushed hairline finish. Its backlit keyboard adds a cool subtle glow, helping to guide fingers when typing in dimly lit areas. A high-definition touch screen display with edge-to-edge glass completes its contemporary look.

Acer America today announced that a new model in its Acer C7 Chromebook line, the Acer C710-2856, is now available at 2,800 Walmart stores for the low price of only $199. The new Acer C710-2856 Chromebook has a 16GB Solid State Drive (SSD) that provides fast boot times and quick access to apps and media for speedier all-around performance.

The affordable price and wide range of capabilities make the new Acer C7 Chromebook the ideal additional laptop for families, students and professionals who need a fast, easy and secure way to get online to do their computing in the cloud, such as using Gmail, keeping up on social networks, shopping and paying bills. The new model is available at an ideal time, since many consumers are looking for a portable computer for summer travel, or are already planning ahead for back-to-college.

Today Acer introduced the Aspire Z3 Series all-in-one PC, a stylish desktop PC with a 23" 10-point touch display designed for modern homes. Featuring an adjustable HD webcam and optimized audio, this machine frees users to enjoy and share their favorite moments and memories in high definition.

The Z3 features a 1080p Full HD LED-backlit LCD with a high contrast ratio to deliver lifelike images. Its 178° wide-viewing-angle IPS display ensures stunning visuals from all angles, making it an ideal shared-entertainment platform for family members. It is also equipped with an adjustable HD webcam that can be moved by up to 20°, allowing both adults and children to comfortably fit in the picture for video calls. The Z3 is Acer's first all-in-one PC to use world-class Harman Kardon speakers. Coupled with Dolby Home Theater v4 technology, the Z3 delivers refined acoustic details and beautiful sound.

Acer today announced the launch of the new 13.3" Aspire S3 Ultrabook at Computex Taipei. The S3 has inherited some of the industry-leading design and innovations of the Aspire S7, making it an impressively stylish and productive PC. As on the celebrated Aspire S7, the S3's patented dual-torque hinge design allows users to easily open the lid up to 180° for sharing content, while keeping the display wobble-free for an outstanding touch experience.

With Acer TwinAir cooling technology, the S3 is always cool to the touch without sacrificing performance. The light-sensing keyboard auto adjusts its brightness to ambient light for better visual comfort in dim settings. In addition, evoking the family design and visual purity of the S7's gorilla glass cover, the new S3 cover is made from aluminum and sprayed Sparkling White with a mirror-polish finish; the operation area is made from anodized aluminum throughout. Just 17.8 mm thin and weighing only 1.67 kg, this Ultrabook is slim and easy to carry anywhere.

Acer presents the next-generation 13.3-inch Aspire S7Ultrabook at Computex Taipei. In addition to retaining the celebrated characteristics of the previous model, the new S7 Ultrabook has improved battery life for all-day computing, a refined electroluminescent (EL) backlit keyboard for more natural typing, and 2nd generation Acer TwinAir cooling with less fan noise. In addition, it is equipped with wireless display (WiDi) technology for big-screen entertainment and productivity.

"We designed the S7 to be the best touch Ultrabook in the world, bar none," said Jim Wong, Acer Corporate President. "We listened carefully to users to find substantial ways to make it even better." The re-engineered S7 delivers improved battery life of up to 7 hours, a 33% increase from its predecessor. Its new light-sensing EL backlit keyboard is also refined, with a deeper keystroke for more natural and comfortable typing. Plus, thanks to 2nd generation Acer TwinAir cooling technology, the noise at maximum load is more than 20% lower than the previous S7, keeping the system quiet and cool.

AMD today launched three new additions to its 2013 A-Series and E-Series Mobile Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) lineup -- delivering solutions ideally positioned to address today's evolving PC market with dramatically increased performance and power efficiency, as well as a portfolio of unique user experiences, and superior gaming and graphics:

• The 2013 AMD Elite Mobility APU (formerly codenamed "Temash") -- the world's first 28nm, quad-core x86 system-on-a-chip (SoC) APU designed for touch small form-factor notebooks, tablets, and hybrids 13-inches and below;
• The 2013 AMD Mainstream APU (formerly codenamed "Kabini") -- the first and only quad-core x86 SoC solution for entry-level and small-form factor touch notebooks;
• New, low power versions of the 2013 AMD Elite Performance APU (formerly codenamed "Richland") -- offer the best graphics and compute in a performance APU for premium ultrathin notebooks.

At a press event held today in New York, Acer unveiled an updated and slimmed down Aspire V5 Series of notebooks and also introduced the powerful new Aspire V7 Ultrabook. The new V Series represents Acer's largest and most versatile line of mainstream notebooks with numerous models available in a variety of colors with varying screen sizes, resolutions, with or without touch and with varying performance and graphics capabilities.

"The new Acer Aspire V5 and V7 Series are all about giving our customers a wide range of performance and entertainment features from which to choose," said Sumit Agnihotry, vice president, product marketing, Acer America. "In addition to adding full high-definition panels, more powerful graphics and solid state drives to the V Series, models are up to 9 percent slimmer than the previous generation."

At a press event held today in New York, Acer unveiled the Aspire R7, a revolutionary 15.6-inch notebook that will redefine the touch and type computing experience. Featuring a Full HD 1920 x 1080 touch screen, the Acer R7 was made for the new computing lifestyle, which increasingly combines touching and typing. With a repositioned keyboard and a revolutionary "Ezel Hinge" that moves the display forward and into different positions, the R7 makes the combination of touching the screen and using the keyboard more intuitive and natural. Its ergonomic design allows users to explore and determine their own preferred way to interact with technology.

"With the Aspire R7, Acer has redesigned the laptop with an approach that's based on how people interact with their notebooks and other devices," said Sumit Agnihotry, vice president, product marketing, Acer America. "Its progressive design redefines the computing experience, so whether consumers are touching or typing, the R7 adapts to allow consumers to create, browse and share content in ways they never have before."

Acer today debuts the Acer Aspire P3 Ultrabook, which delivers all the benefits of an Ultrabook in a unique design that easily transforms into tablet-mode. Today, many users are faced with choosing between notebook, hybrid, convertible or tablet designs when selecting a mobile computing device. The Aspire P3 takes care of that, with no compromises required. The Aspire P3 is the ideal mobile computing device for users who create and consume content.

Weighing only 3.06 pounds and measuring 0.77-inches thin, the newly defined mobile PC delivers on the promise of Ultrabooks with excellent performance and long battery life in a highly portable form factor. It adds the many benefits of tablet with a design that allows the touch-screen display to be used freely or in the keyboard-case. This gives Acer customers enhanced mobility as well as more ways to enjoy their device using touch for the latest apps, viewing photos, keeping in touch and having fun.

Acer America is now offering its Acer B6 and V6 Series LED-backlit displays combining smart ergonomics and eco-conscious materials for both professional customers and consumers in Canada. The new monitors offer a thinner body than the prior generation and a wide array of models in various screen sizes, which feature a vertical alignment (VA) or twisted nematic (TN) panel depending on model.

The Acer V6 Series value line of displays focused on offering great quality at a good price is available in 19- to 24-inch screen sizes. The B6 Series premium line ranges in screen sizes from 22- to 27-inches and boasts a multi-function ergonomic stand, dual speakers and on select models, USB 3.0 with power-off charging for smartphones and other digital devices.

Worldwide PC shipments totaled 76.3 million units in the first quarter of 2013 (1Q13), down -13.9% compared to the same quarter in 2012 and worse than the forecast decline of -7.7%, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker. The extent of the year-on-year contraction marked the worst quarter since IDC began tracking the PC market quarterly in 1994. The results also marked the fourth consecutive quarter of year-on-year shipment declines.

Despite some mild improvement in the economic environment and some new PC models offering Windows 8, PC shipments were down significantly across all regions compared to a year ago. Fading Mini Notebook shipments have taken a big chunk out of the low-end market while tablets and smartphones continue to divert consumer spending. PC industry efforts to offer touch capabilities and ultraslim systems have been hampered by traditional barriers of price and component supply, as well as a weak reception for Windows 8. The PC industry is struggling to identify innovations that differentiate PCs from other products and inspire consumers to buy, and instead is meeting significant resistance to changes perceived as cumbersome or costly.

Acer America is now offering its H6 Series LED-backlit displays to consumers in the United States. Svelte and savvy, the new monitors feature near zero frame construction for elegant aesthetics as well as seamless visuals when using multiple monitors simultaneously, including video walls.

Acer's newest monitors are available in two sizes - 21.5-inch (H226HQL) and 23-inch (H236HL). Both models have Full 1080p HD IPS panels, which provide consistent and accurate color performance from wide viewing angles up to 178 degrees. They can also tilt from -5 to 15-degrees, so users can adjust them for the most comfortable fit.

Worldwide PC shipments totaled 89.8 million units in the fourth quarter of 2012 (4Q12), down 6.4% compared to the same quarter in 2011 and worse than the forecasted decline of 4.4%, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker. Although the quarter marked the beginning of a new stage in the PC industry with the launch of Windows 8, its impact did not quickly change recently sluggish PC demand, and the PC market continued to take a back seat to competing devices and sustained economic woes. As a result, the fourth quarter of 2012 marked the first time in more than five years that the PC market has seen a year-on-year decline during the holiday season.

The lackluster fourth quarter results were not entirely surprising given the spate of challenges the PC market faced over the course of 2012. IDC had expected the second half of 2012 to be difficult. Consumers as well as PC vendors and distribution channels continued to be diverted from PC sales by ongoing demand for tablets and smartphones. In addition, questions about the use of touch on Windows PCs vs. tablets slowed commercial spending on PCs.

Acer today announced cross-platform support for AcerCloud, the company's file sharing and media management solution, free to Acer customers. Consumers can now share, retrieve and enjoy their multimedia and data files using a variety of computing devices, regardless of which operating system they are running -- Windows, Android or iOS.

AcerCloud uses the free space on a PC's hard drive as cloud storage space. Users simply designate one of their PCs as their "Cloud PC," enabling them to use the available hard drive space on their own PC, giving them security and full control over their storage needs.1 And unlike other cloud solutions, consumers won't receive constant reminders about exceeding capacity with solicitations to pay for more storage.

On taking apart the Acer S7 Ultrabook, The SSD Review discovered a strange new SSD form-factor, which bears the label of Lite-On, and carrying the model number "CMT-256L3M." This is perhaps the first mSATA SSD with two independent SSD subunits, one on each side. The mSATA interface itself is modified to have two SSD ports. The drive registers on the system BIOS as two individual drives, which is then run as a 256 GB (physical) RAID 0 volume by the BIOS and operating-system.

Each of the CMT-256L3M's two subunits feature a Marvell 88S9175 controller, which supports SATA 6 Gb/s interface, two 64 GB dual-channel 24 nm toggle NAND flash memory chips by Toshiba, and a Nanya-made DRAM cache chip. Putting the drive through sequential-friendly benchmarks such as CrystalDiskMark shows a sequential read speed of the drive (combined with its two subunits) to be around 877 MB/s, with sequential writes up to 672 MB/s. Multi-subunit SSDs aren't new, most high-end consumer SSDs from the pre-TRIM, pre-SandForce era used to be dual- to quad-subunit drives. The CMT-256L3M is the first one in the super-compact mSATA form-factor, and its performance numbers could impress more Ultrabook designers.

Acer announced a premium variant of its 11.6-inch C7 Chromebook (model: C710-2605). While the original, which launched last month, features a catchy $199 price-tag, the new C710-2605 costs 50% more, at $299. In return, you get double the RAM, at 4 GB, a larger 500 GB hard drive, and double the battery capacity at 5,000 mAh. Everything else remains the same. The 11.6-inch Chromebook is driven by Intel Celeron 1.10 GHz processor, and features WLAN, GbE, USB 2.0/1.1, and HDMI in addition to D-Sub.

Thin and light with long battery life, Acer America today announced availability of the new TravelMate B113 notebook PC for U.S. and Canadian customers. An ideal solution for institutional customers, the TravelMate B113 meets all the needs for productivity, communication and mobility needed in today's e-learning environment.

"Acer has had great success with the 11.6-inch form factor in the education market because their compact size is ideal in a classroom setting, even for the youngest of students," said Michael O'Beirne, Acer senior director, commercial product marketing. "The TravelMate B113 notebook is an important addition to our notebook portfolio, as it combines everything educators and students need, including exceptional performance, durability and reliability for a best-in-class mobile experience."

Acer America today announced that its new Acer C7 Chromebook is available now through additional online retail partners: TigerDirect, NewEgg and Staples.com, in addition to the existing Google Play, BestBuy.com and Best Buy stores.

The Acer C7 Chromebook mobile computer debuted earlier this month and has quickly gained popularity for providing customers an easy-to-use, speedy and secure computing experience at an affordable price of only $199 MSRP.

Acer America today announced new commercial desktop PCs designed specifically for businesses, schools and government agencies. Fast processing, a tool-less design and essential security and management tools make the new Veriton Series desktops ideal for powering mainstream productivity applications in professional environments.

The Acer Veriton L4620G is an ultra small form factor (ULSF) desktop with prices starting at $599. This platform is compatible with the Acer ErgoStand that is easy to set up and connect to a range of Acer monitors to create a streamlined all-in-one system. Other new models include the Acer Veriton X4620G, a small form factor (SFF) desktop and the Acer Veriton M4620G, a mini tower, both with prices beginning at $619. All models come with a three-year warranty and support up to a third-generation Intel Core i7 processor, which provides significant application and graphics performance benefits compared to prior generations.

Acer launches the H6 Series LED-backlit monitors, featuring a built-in Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL) that directly synchronizes and displays content from any MHL supported mobile devices. This single connection allows users to extend the audio and visual enjoyment for a larger display, as well as easy mobile device control.

The H6 Series comes in two sizes: 21.5-inch (H226HQL) and 23-inch (H236HL), with both models featuring 1920 x 1080 Full HD resolution and an IPS wide viewing angel panel that can achieve up to 178 degrees, enabling users to view the monitor from different positions without compromising clear imagery and rich details.Image courtesy of yesky.com

Acer America today debuts its new Acer C7 Chromebook, its next-generation mobile computer that runs Google's Chrome operating system and is priced at a low $199. The new Acer C7 Chromebook is the ideal additional laptop for families, students and business people that need a fast, easy and secure way to get online to do their computing in the cloud, such as using Gmail, keeping up on social networks, shopping, and paying bills.

"Today's computer users are doing more online heightening the need for enhanced security, quicker online access and an easy-to-use interface," Jim Wong, corporate president, Acer Inc. "The Acer C7 Chromebook provides all this at an affordable price, making it the right choice for families and students on a budget as well as anyone who wants a new or second mobile PC for web-based computing."