Apparently the crew at Acer has been REALLY busy the last few months, because this week they’ve announced a huge range of new desktops, notebooks and monitors – including the Acer Aspire Revo 100, the new version of the super-slim media center PC that I had the chance to check out at CES in January.
On the desktop front, Acer’s new M Series is a power desktop for users who want the ability to upgrade and expand their system over time – it’s a full size system with a range of options, like high-end AMD or Intel quad-core processors, up to 6GB of RAM, a crazy port setup that includes 12 USB ports, and a 1TB drive, but you can get it starting at only $499.99. That’s a lot of power for a very reasonable price, especially when you consider the system’s upgradability.
The M Series’ little brother is the X Series desktop. It’s a compact little PC that’s designed for the space- and value-conscious. Even though it’s small, the X series won’t disappoint on performance if you’re a user who wants to do the “everyday” stuff, like browsing the web, checking mail, and doing some light work in Office. And it comes loaded with premium specs like 5.1 channel audio, 6 USB ports (including easy to reach ports on the front of the system – a very nice, thoughtful design choice), and a 1TB drive. You can get one starting today for $398.
Both of these systems go great with Acer’s T231H multi-touch monitor, which looks really nice (and which I’ve already asked Acer to send me to upgrade my desktop setup!). It’s 23” of 1080p multi-touch goodness and it’s only $329!
Last but certainly not least in Acer’s new desktop lineup is the super-cool Revo RL100. This crazy small PC is perfectly designed for a living room setup as a media center PC; it has loads of features, like an available Blu-Ray drive, Dolby Audio, 4GB of RAM, multi-format card reader and a 750GB hard drive, but it’s only 1” thick, so you can stash it just about anywhere.
My favorite feature in the new Revo series has to be their very unique, and very useful, “Free Touch” keyboard. This little guy slides out of the Revo’s main chassis and gives you full control of the unit; type using the backlit keyboard, or navigate the screen using the multi-touch trackpad. It’s a much easier solution than hooking a standard mouse and keyboard up to your media center PC.
Like the M Series, X Series and T231, the new Revo is available today. You can get yours starting at $499.99.
If you’re in the market for a new power laptop, Acer’s got you covered there, too, with the Acer Aspire Ethos series. Available in a monster 18.4” or 15.6” size, the new Ethos series was specifically designed to provide the ultimate entertainment experience. From what I’ve seen they won’t disappoint – each is outfitted with an HD screen (1080p on the 18.4” model) made from Corning Gorilla Glass, an available Blu-Ray drive, and high-end internals. The 18.4” 8951G also has Acer CineSound, which includes 5 Dolby speakers and an Acer Tuba CineBass subwoofer that should generate enough sound to rattle your windows, irritate your parents and/or coworkers, or incite the neighbors to call the police. Like the Revo RL100, the Ethos line includes a Free Touch touchpad that doubles a remote control.
Both the 15.6” AS5951G and the 18.4” AS8951G are available starting today for $1399 and $1499, respectively.
Have a question about these or any other PCs? Post a comment, hit me on Twitter, or Ask Ben Anything via email!