Netbooks are still set to top nearly 35 million units by the end of the year, ABI said today. The prediction is similar to that from the start of the year and asserts that the mini portables will form a significant portion of the entire PC business. ABI doesn't predict market share but says that Acer, ASUS and Samsung produced 74 percent of all netbooks last year.
Acer chose a rare Monday evening launch for an update to its Aspire notebooks. Acting as the new flagship, the 8940 takes the lead from the 8935 and use the same 18.4-inch screen but with a much faster 1.6GHz Core i7 in place of the Core 2 Quad. It further brings considerably newer GeForce GTS 250M graphics to better drive the 1080p display and, as with other Acer updates, replaces Vista with Windows 7.
The specifications for Acer's upcoming Liquid smarpthone have been revealed at a conference in France, Revioo reported on Monday. Despite an earlier report, the phone's Qualcomm SnapDragon processor will not be rated at its full, 1GHz clock speed but instead be limited to 768MHz.
A series of tests have revealed that even newer Windows 7 PCs are being bogged down by unnecessary software that makes them run much more slowly than Macs. Comparing factory versions of several notebooks versus clean models, PC Pro finds that Acer and Sony systems take about two whole minutes more to boot because of the "crapware," or third-party utilities and trial apps, preloaded out of the box. They also consume roughly 1GB more extra active RAM and also rob the system of as much as 2.4GB of space in Acer's case.
Of a recent wave of computer builders entering the smartphone space, only Apple is likely to have more than a small stake the market, Gartner research estimates today. The analyst group believes that "all" major PC firms will have signaled their intentions to build smartphones by the end of 2009 but that none of these will have more than two percent outside of the iPhone maker, even by 2012. Instead, most of the non-Apple growth will be left to traditional phone designers.
Acer wrapped up the week today by rolling out a new high-performance desktop LCD that appears first in Japan. The 24-inch S243HL uses a white LED backlight that provides it with an extremely high contrast ratio even when compared to typical LED-lit displays, jumping from 1,000:1 to 8,000,000:1 with dynamic contrast active. The thinner technology also contributes to a main panel that measures about 0.57 inches thick, although the base is thicker.
Acer has formally introduced its first Aspire One notebook with a 3D display, the 5738DG. The device offers the same basic specs as the company's 5738 notebook, but trades the multi-touch display for a TriDef 3D screen. The 1366x768 display measures 15.6 inches corner-to-corner, with 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium as the pre-installed operating system.
HTC's Android-based Hero is selling well enough that it's causing supply issues, the company's Asia Pacific VP Jack Tong revealed on Wednesday. Sales in the phone's initial Asia and European launch areas are described as "brisk" enough that demand has put a strain on HTC's production lines and won't see manufacturing catch up until November. The pace is expected to continue at least until early 2010.
Acer on Tuesday chose to grow its use of Intel's CULV processors beyond the Timeline series and in one of its first Aspire updates. The Aspire 1410 is one of the least expensive CULV systems of any kind and will reach $400 thanks to its use of a 1.2GHz, single-core Celeron. Picking the processor still gives the 11.6-inch system six hours of battery life, a one-inch thick chassis and a weight just under 3.1 pounds.
Sony Ericsson's first known Android phone, the XPERIA X3, has finally been spotted and been given more detail. The phone is now thought to have a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon inside and would tie the Acer Liquid for the title of fastest Android phone. It should also have a slightly sharper than expected 4-inch, 852x480 touchscreen, GSMArena says.
Specs and a video of the recently introduced Acer Liquid smartphone have been leaked, thanks to GPSandCo. The Android-powered device will be Acer's first with the Google-developed OS, and also its most powerful application, as the handset sports Qualcomm's 1GHz Snapdragon CPU. The video reveals the Liquid will be available in black, red or white and that it sports a 5-megapixel camera.
Acer on Friday announced it will soon offer the small form factor AspireRevo R3610-U9012 nettop PC in the US. First introduced in the summer, the PC is one of the first nettops to feature NVIDIA's Ion platform, which supports NVIDIA's CUDA general purpose computing and can also play back 1080p movies even on an Atom-based system.
Acer made a partial return to Linux for netbooks on Thursday by confirming a version of the Aspire One D250 with Android. The 10-inch netbook can use Google's OS to start up almost immediately and browse the web, check e-mail or perform other common tasks much faster than would be possible with Windows XP. It also gives access to many apps on Android Market that would be off-limits to PCs.
Dell's computer shipments have continued a steep decline, as competitors including Acer, Toshiba and Apple have gained market share. The latest data from research firm Gartner appears to corroborate many points from an earlier report issued from IDC.
Acer today prepped for the upcoming release of the Aspire Z5610, its first all-in-one desktop with multi-touch input support. The system draws on Windows 7 for its extra touch features and has a relatively large 23-inch, 1080p display to work with. Processing power is basic and comes from a dual-core 2.6GHz Pentium, but the system brings both 4GB of RAM and relatively fast graphics from an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570.
Apple has successfully recaptured its fourth place spot in US computer market share, according to early estimates from IDC. The Mac creator had slipped in spring but should now have bounced back to claim 9.4 percent of shipments, or about 1.64 million Macs. The number is a rapid 35.2 percent growth in what it had shipped one season earlier and is a rare example of a sharp year-over-year growth in the current climate, as it represents an 11.8 percent boost over Apple's share a year ago, in summer 2008.
Acer president Gianfranco Lanci at a press conference today predicted that his company would "finally pass" Dell for market share within six months. The company lead expects to have more overall share than Dell by the end of winter 2010 and credits it directly to better sales and the resulting financial health. Where Dell has seen falling profits, Acer expects its profit during the summer to have grown 14 percent compared to a year earlier, to about $106.8 million.
Acer on Wednesday announced it will soon launch a number of new Windows 7 powered PCs, including its first multi-touch notebook, the 15.6-inch Aspire AS5738PG notebook. At the same time, Acer updated its Timeline series of Aspire notebooks with dual-core CULV processors and the new Microsoft OS.
Acer on Wednesday made a new claim to the fastest smartphone available with the Liquid. The company's first Android phone, it's one of the first to ship with Android 1.6 but is also the first Android phone to ship with a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. Using the 1GHz chip makes it faster than the 800MHz Samsung Moment and helps drive the 800x480 touchscreen as well as speed up 3D and Android's already accurate web browser.
Intel today says it recorded one of the best fiscal quarters in its history and owed it almost exclusively to notebooks. The chip maker generated $9.4 billion in revenue during the summer, an eight percent drop from a year earlier but a sharp 17.5 percent jump from this spring. The surge is the best the company has seen in the past 30 years, Intel says.
The rise of netbooks is having a corrosive effect on the financial health of the rest of the notebook business, a DisplaySearch study asserted on Thursday. The mini PCs represent 22.2 percent of all notebooks shipped but only account for 11.7 percent of revenue and are thought to ultimately be dragging revenue downwards for other categories as buyers skip more expensive systems they would have bought otherwise. Where netbook revenue has shot up from $845 million in spring 2008 to $3.07 billion in spring 2009, the rest of the notebook industry actually lost $3.74 billion of revenue in the same period, revealing that netbooks have actually cost the industry money.
A recent leak reveals Acer may soon release a version of its Timeline 1810T notebook that has a double-hinged and rotating screen as well as a multi-touch screen. To be called the Timeline 1820T, the upcoming notebook would depend on Windows 7 for touch features and is expected to use an 11.6-inch, 1366x768 display. The same Intel CULV 1.4GHz Core 2 Solo CPU and 2GB of RAM should also be carried over from the original Timeline.
Back-to-school notebook sales were as strong as ever this year but skewed in favor of cheaper systems, the NPD Group said today in a new study. About $1.6 billion of the $7.6 billion spent between late July and mid-September went directly to notebooks, or about as much as was spent last year despite ongoing economic problems and rendering them "recession-proof." However, the revenue came at the expense of system prices: while more systems were sold, the average price of a school notebook fell from $804 last year to $624 this year.
A leak indicates that Acer will rename its F1, C1, E1 and L1 smartphones when they reach production status, as these names were simply internal codenames. The F1 will now be called neoTouch, the C1 will be known as the beTouch E100, the E1 beTouch E101 and the L1 will be called beTouch E200. The neoTouch will have a 3.8-inch touchscreen with 800x480 resolution, carry a 1GHz Qualcomm CPU and run on Windows Mobile 6.5.
Acer is the next smartphone maker to move much of its attention away from Windows Mobile, sources within the field hinted today. Even though as recently as February it promised mostly Windows Mobile phones, DigiTimes has heard the company is now switching its attention to Google's Android and should ship "at least half" of its 2010 phones with the mostly open-source OS. The first Acer-made Android phone, the A1, is now estimated to ship in November.
Acer's Android-based A1 handset will soon be available for sale in at least France and Germany according to a listing at electronics retailer Expansys. Though the listing has since been pulled, it allowed a look at the device's specs. Previously rumored to arrive in September, the device will get Android 2.0 (with "Donut" features like device-wide search) and will be powered by Qualcomm's relatively speedy 768MHz 8250 CPU. A 3.5-inch touchscreen with an 800x480 resolution will serve as the core interface.
More than 15 phone manufacturers will release over 30 new smartphones running on Microsoft's upcoming Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system before the end of 2009, the copmany's GCR Mobile Team Unit senior director Benjamin Tan said recently. Tan was speaking to a group of reports at the time, according to a Wednesday Digitimes report. Among the phone manufacturers slated to introduce models are HTC, Acer, Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and HP.
Two upcoming smartphones from Acer and HTC have been identified as using Qualcomm's 1GHz Snapdragon processor, according to industry sources. The first, the Acer F1, is expected to launch on October 6th in tandem with the release of Windows Mobile 6.5. It is believed to use a 3.8-inch touchscreen, and incorporate features like GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 and a five-megapixel camera. Unlocked pricing is said to be $555.
The European Union on Monday shared some e-mail contents that contributed to its decision to fine chipmaker Intel the equivalent of $1.45 billion in May. The e-mails between the chipmaker and its clients allegedly show that Intel pressured buyers into choosing Intel over competitor AMD, via illegal incentives that would delay or keep them from buying AMD products. Intel is still fighting the EU decision, calling the e-mails speculative and originating from lower-level employees that were not involved in the negotiation of the deals in question.
AMD this morning kicked off the launch of an updated notebook offering and headlined it with Congo, the nickname for its next-generation Ultrathin Platform. The new architecture includes AMD's faster 1.6GHz Turion Neo X2, found in the HP dv2z, but focuses on graphics performance and battery life. It uses a Radeon HD 3200 much like AMD's fuller-size notebooks and as a result can decode 1080p video smoothly in hardware; at the same time, AMD estimates about an hour more of battery life than its earlier platform.
ASUS is planning on releasing two new ultra-thin notebooks powered by Intel's CULV chips, including the 45nm Celeron 743 and Core 2 Solo SU2300 early in September, Digitimes said on Monday, citing unnamed sources in the industry. The report goes on to say initial shipments of the portables will begin on September 7th and go to Taiwan, China and Europe at first. US details weren't mentioned, though some sort of American launch is unofficially expected.
Acer on Tuesday began shipping its Veriton Z280G all-in-one PC in the US. Meant for work, its processing power comes from a 1.6GHz Intel Atom, but unlike many nettops there is 2GB of RAM onboard to smooth out memory-intensive tasks. Graphics processing is still handled by Intel's GMA 950 graphics on the 18.5-inch LCD, which nets a 1366x768 resolution and a 1,000:1 contrast ratio.
Intel is on the verge of dramatically swelling the ranks of its CULV (Consumer Ultra Low-Voltage) processor ranks if a leak of early information proves true. The chip producer is seen by Fudzilla as shipping seven processors in early October that would significantly expand the range. Two low-end models, the SU2500 and SU2600, should be joined by the mid-range SU4100, SU4500 and SU4700 as well as the high-end SU7300 and SU7800.
Canadians have been receiving an early North American look at the first 11.6-inch Acer and Gateway notebooks to use Intel's CULV platform thanks to a model that has been spotted this week by an Electronista tipster at Future Shop stores in the country. Known as the Gateway EC1803h, the PC seems to be a rebranding and mild respecification of the Acer Timeline 1810T (Aspire 1410 in the US) that isn't yet on sale in North America and shares much of its design language with Gateway's own LT3100. The new model shares the Aspire/Timeline's 1.4GHz Core 2 Solo and GMA 4500 graphics, and in its single trim level comes with 3GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive as well as expected features like its 6-cell battery, HDMI output and 5-in-1 card reader.
Taiwan-based MSI may launch ultra-thin notebooks with AMD's Yukon platform for Athlon Neo processors as early as October, say industry sources. Digitimes reported on Friday that the PC maker has finished its testing of the notebooks but has not yet decided on a launch date as other PCs equipped with the Yukon platform, possibly including the HP Pavilion dv2, are not selling so well. The AMD processor is meant to compete with Intel's CULV range of CPUs and results in ultraportables that are costlier than netbooks but much less expensive than traditional systems.
Canada may have the highest proportional number of Mac users in the world after recent gains by Apple, according to an IDC study of computer sales in the country during the spring. The American company broke into double-digit share there for the first time by accounting for 10 percent of all non-server computers shipped between March and June. Such a gain left it only behind world leaders HP and Dell, who held on to 22.1 percent and 20.7 percent respectively.
Acer on Tuesday announced it will soon begin shipping its new Veriton N260G ultra-compact nettop in the US. Meant for use in classrooms or tightly-spaced offices, it can be VESA-mounted to the back of an LCD display or placed right on desks thanks to its retractable stand. Power comes from Intel's 1.66GHz Atom, 1GB of standard memory that can be doubled, Intel's GMA 4500M graphics and a 160GB hard drive that contains Windows XP Professional, although a recovery disc with Windows Vista Business is included.
Apple continues to hold first place in tracking conducted by the American Consumer Satisfaction Index, says Fortune. The company has scored 84 out of 100 in a 2009 study, leaving it in a dominant position over rival computer builders. It has also dropped a point since 2008 however, when it achieved its highest-ever score.
MSI plans to preempt the rest of the market by launching the first netbooks based on Intel's Pine Trail Atom platform, according to PC industry tips. Still maintaining that the smaller, much more integrated processors may not be officially ready until early 2010, DigiTimes has heard that MSI intends to ship portables in December rather than wait for the rest of the market. The lead time would let it avoid competing on price for weeks or more.
The Chinese government has relented in its plans to impose web filtering software on computers, a statement from the country's industry and technology minister suggests. Li Yizhong claims that the Communist Party will "absolutely not" force installation of Green Dam-Youth Escort on every computer sold in the country, despite the fears of both corporations and political dissenters. Nominally meant to block pornography, critics have claimed that the software could easily be used to extend censorship beyond current network filtering techniques.
Acer chairman JT Wang has admitted that the company's shipments of ultra-thin notebooks has not reached initial sales goals, according to the DigiTimes. The computer maker has adjusted its internal forecasts to reflect the changing conditions, reducing total shipment volumes for the third quarter from 30 percent to 20 percent. Fourth quarter volumes have been similarly reduced from 50 percent to 30 percent.
Apple has maintained a decisive lead in technical support rankings for 2009, according to a new Laptop study. Of ten major companies tested, only Apple managed an "A" grade for its help, earning it across both its ability to solve problems on calls and online; it also kept hold times to under five minutes and located its support only in North America. The company is further helped by having a dedicated retail network that can address questions in person, the magazine adds.
Acer on Friday released the specs and pricing for its upcoming Predator-series flagship PC, the ASG7710-A41. The upgrades to the gaming PC include a 3.06GHz Intel Core i7-950 CPU, which is faster than the 2.93GHz i7-940-based model currently available in the US. The new PC retains the same Intel X58 Express chipset and 1TB hard drive, but ups the ante with two NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250 graphics cards with 1GB of RAM as opposed to the US model's single GeForce GTX 260. Both share 6GB of RAM, however, with a maximum capacity for 12GB.
Intel may be shutting down production of its Z500-series Atom chips early, a source from the PC industry says. Unnamed contacts for DigiTimes say the processor developer won't accept any more orders "soon" and that the only processors it will ship past a certain point this year are from at least the three key supporters of Atom-based systems, namely Acer, ASUS and MSI. Supply of the Z500 line should stop altogether by the end of the year for everyone.
Despite a recent report to the contrary, Acer is still on track to deliver a promised Android powered netbook PC later this summer, according to a representative at the company. The announcement was made after reports of a delay emerged, and the Aspire One-series netbook will sport a 10-inch screen along with an Intel Atom CPU. Thus far, Acer's Aspire One runs on Windows XP, but a prototype device on display recently contained both operating systems. Acer executives said the production version will only have Android.
PC makers ASUS and Acer are reportedly no longer poised to release any new, as-yet unnannounced netbook PCs during the balance of 2009, because Intel has delayed the launch of its entry-level chips, including its Pine Trail M platform, until the start of 2010. According to industry sources cited by DigiTimes, Acer will specifically delay its Android-powered netbook until a later, unspecified date. Originally planned for an August release, the netbook was delayed as the market demand for such a device was deemed not to high enough.
Acer's AspireRevo nettop, notable for being the first PC to sports NVIDIA's ION platform, will be getting an upgrade soon, according to a Monday Fudzilla report. The single-core Atom CPU will be replaced in favor of a dual-core Atom, though clock speeds will remain the same, at 1.6GHz. At the same time, there will be double the RAM standard, at 4GB, and storage space will be bumped to 320GB from 250GB.
A listing on Taiwanese site PCADV has revealed that Gateway will soon release its QX2800 nettop PC, which is a near clone of Acer's Ion-powered nettop, the Acer AspireRevo. The main differences involve the Gateway's dual-core 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU rather than Acer's single-core Atom. Also, Gateway opted to use a larger capacity 500GB hard drive, doubling the Acer's 250GB drive.
Walmart on Thursday announced it will offer a notebook for less than $300 on Sunday, with the 15.6-inch Compaq Presario CQ60-419WM. Part of Walmart's early back to school sale, the notebook is powered by a 2.1GHz AMD Sempron processor and otherwise offers 3GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive preloaded with Windows Vista and a DVD burner. There is Wi-Fi capability, and an NVIDIA GeForce 8200M chipset providers graphics processing. A six-cell battery is standard fare with the CQ60.
AT&T on Monday grew its netbook lineup to include two 3G versions of common netbooks. Its version of Acer's Aspire One, Dell's Inspiron Mini 10 and Lenovo's IdeaPad S10 will all have built-in 3G modems for online use anywhere in a coverage area as well as free access to AT&T's Wi-Fi hotspots. The three have similar 10-inch displays, 1GB of memory, 160GB hard drives, Windows XP and multi-touch trackpads.
