On the general business side, we asked about Acer’s approach to corporate business, especially in Europe as we have seen over the last year or two, the company winning some biggish corporate tenders. The company confirmed to us that it has increasingly tried to make more business in the SMB space, to back up its long established position in the consumer space. However, apart from a couple of opportunistic bids that it had won on the display side, it has no ambition to seriously compete in the enterprise space.
Acer showed how Windows10 Continuum can use a Windows smartphone as a touch pad while the phone uses a monitor for display. Image:Meko Ltd
New monitors at the show included the H277HU which is a USB-Type C monitor. The monitor has an integrated USB 3.0 hub that can support notebook or mobile device charging via USB type C. We confirmed that the DisplayPort Alt mode is not yet supported. The monitor was being demonstrated as an external display on the latest Windows 10 mobile phone using an HDMI dock. The monitor uses a 27″ IPS panel with 2560 x 1440 resolution and sRGB support. Brightness is 350 cd/m2 and the monitor has dynamic contrast. Response time is quoted at 4ms. There will also be a 25″ version.
The second monitor we looked at was the R271 which is a FullHD 27″ model that is just 6mm thick over most of the area of the display (although the bottom lower section is thicker). Again, the panel is an IPS type and the design looks like the LG Display concept that we reported on from CES last year where the panel is supplied with the bezel and back of the monitor, with the monitor maker adding a lower section with the interfaces and control circuitry. More details will be available nearer to release. The R271 is just the first of a line of slim products and eventually, there will be 21.5″, 23″, 23.8″, 25″ and 27″ screen sizes.
Finally, although not at the show, the XR342CK monitor has UltraWide QHD (3440 x 1440) resolution and a 34″ 21:9 panel with a 1900R curvature and 100% of the sRGB gamut support. Special features include 6-axis colour adjustment and DTS Sound, while a customizable ambient light at the lower edge of the monitor provides lighting effects that “match the desired mood”. PIP/PBP and daisy-chain modes are supported and the monitor, being aimed at gamers, supports AMD FreeSync technology.
- The Acer R1 series will be available in EMEA in January starting at €139.
- The Acer H7 series will be available EMEA in February starting at €499.
- The Acer XR342CK will be available in EMEA in March starting at €1,099.
We heard of a new Chromebase AIO PC called the Chromebase 24 (CA24I). This was not on display, and European availability is being determined. It is said to have the largest screen of any Chrome OS device on the market, at 23.8″ (1920 x 1080). 10-point touch is also supported.
Chrome OS runs on Intel Core processors, with up to 8GB of RAM. A Trusted Platform Module 1.2 chip is installed to secure the device.
Prices are ex VAT.
