(Source: NotebookReview.com)

Okay, so we’ve had two TravelMate 3012TMi reviews and one on the 3012WMi already. But there’s really no harm having one on the 3012WTMi as well, right?

Anyway, what we have with us today is actually a NotebookReview.com review of the Acer TravelMate 3012WTMI - one of the earliest dual core-powered ultraportables.

The reviewer found that the laptop was not only small and lightweight, but also one with terrific performance. Only the lack of proper webcam functionality with Skype and some disatisfaction with the notebook’s battery life bogged the 3012WTMi down.

Ultimately, the review is a favourable one for the Acer - just like the rest of the reviews on the Acer TM3012 series.

Right in the wake of Acer’s recent withdrawal from BenQ’s board is a reduction in its shareholdings in Winstron Corp. - a company formed in 2001 from Acer’s design and manufacturing service unit.

As part of Acer’s efforts to increase its focus on its core business, i.e. IT products, Acer sold $128 million worth of Winstron Global Depositary Receipts (1 GDR = 10 common shares) at $12.76 each. As a result of the transaction, Acer retains only a 16.2% stake in Winstron.

[News via FinanceAsia.com]

Acer recently reported first quarter (Q1) consolidated revenues of NT$83.0 billion (US$2.56 billion) and profit after tax (PAT) of NT$4.0 billion. These values were up 26.3% and 87% on year, respectively.

Consolidated revenues in 2006 is forecasted to touch NT$400 billion, while PAT is expected to reach NT$10 billion this year.

[News via Digitimes]

(Source: TrustedReviews)

The Acer D100 SatNav (a.k.a. Portable Navigator) was reviewed all the way back in January 2006. Since then, Acer has tried coming up with a better offering in the SatNav market - hopefully something that compete on an equal standing with offerings from TomTom or Garmin.

And that better offering is supposed to be the Acer D150 SatNav. But TrustedReviews reviews the device and ends with an overall rating of only 6 out of 10 and the conclusion that, “An effective sat nav device from Acer, but let down by its looks, its interface, its relative lack of features and its price. It does the job, but it fails to present any compelling reason not to buy a TomTom.” This puts the D150 only on par with its predecessor (relatively), the D100.

More surprising perhaps is the fact that the Acer D150 is actually more expensive than a comparable TomTom…

Acer has announced that it will be marketing Hitachi Data Systems’ (HDS) WMS100 storage area network (SAN) and AMS200 network attached storage (NAS) devices under the Acer brand, primarily packaged with its servers. This move is believed to be a potential sales-booster for its servers, especially in Europe.

As a general guide, the HDS WMS100 is a mid-range Workgroup Modular Storage (WMS) system targeted at small and medium businesses (SMBs), which can be scaled up to more than 50TB (SATA), while the HDS AMS200 is an Adaptable Modular Storage (AMS) system which scales from under 1TB to over 200TB (SATA).

(Source: TrustedReviews)

Truthfully, I never expected Acer’s digicam offerings to be any good (at least in comparison with the best brands out there), but it seems I’m continuously being proven wrong. Last month, TrustedReviews reviewed the Acer CU-6530, and gave it a vigorous thumbs up. Today, we have another favourable review of Acer’s ultra-compact digicam offering, but from Computeract!ve instead.

Computeract!ve gave the CU-6530 an excellent overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars, and concluded with what has got to be Acer’s trademark, no matter the product: “Costing under £170 and coming from a non-traditional camera manufacturer, the CU-6530 wasn’t what we’d expected. Although the eagle-eyed photography enthusiasts will spot the difference in quality between this and more expensive cameras from recognised brands, Acer has built a good quality camera for a bargain price.”

(Source: Stuff Magazine)

Acer’s 32-incher - the AT3205-DTV - is out, equipped with dual TV tuners (one digital, one analogue) and HD-support. With a 1366×768 resolution plus 720p support, the Acer AT3205-DTV will actually pull its weight when you need to use its HD-support (unlike its 42-inch plasma sister).

Of course, that’s not all. The AT3205 comes with both HDMI and DVI connectivity, plus the recently discussed Empowering Technology.

But apparently, it’ll only be available for order early next month. So, if you’re in the market for a 32-incher, start preparing to drain £900 from your account.

According to Q1 numbers from Gartner and IDC, Acer (World No. 4 in market share) saw its global PC shipments grow 45 percent in the first quarter of 2006, and now has 5 percent of the world PC market. This rate of growth is more than 3 times the overall growth rate across all manufacturers, i.e. 13.1%.

World Nos. 2 and 3, HP and Lenovo, also saw their PC shipments and market shares rise, with Dell - the world leader - being the only Top 4 PC manufacturer that saw its market share decline.

[News via DailyTech]