(Source: TrustedReviews)

Acer announced a couple of days back that it was joining the Draft 802.11n party with the Ferrari 1000 notebook. More specifically, this means that the Ferrari 1000 will come equipped with InviLink Nplify technology, which is based on the pre-standard 802.11n wireless specification.

For those who haven’t heard, 802.11n will enable wireless users to transfer data at up to 6 times current maximum data rates (300mbps on the 802.11n compared to the 54mbps on 802.11g). Of course, while this is only an optimal rate, it is already an optimistic one given Dell’s advertised 802.11n data rate of only 270mbps.

So, will we consumers benefit from Acer’s first-mover initiative (or something close to it)? As I’ve written earlier at the House of Dell, I think not. Not only are 802.11n routers required before we can reap the advantages of the new draft spec, but there is also no guarantee that Acer will upgrade current draft models when the final spec is released (not that this really matters since official ratification probably won’t happen till end of next year).

Thankfully, we probably won’t be hurt either, since Acer’s InviLink Nplify is backwards-compatible with 802.11a/b/g. But whether prospective buyers of the Ferrari 1000 will have to shoulder the extra cost of the InviLink Nplify component is still uncertain.

[News via Tech Digest]

(Source: Adwords)

Acer and Toshiba are claiming that Dell is bidding on notebook-related phrases containing their brand names (i.e. Acer notebooks, Toshiba notebooks, etc.) on Google Adwords - the largest online contextual advertising network. This (mis)use of registered trademarks not owned by Dell is a violation of fair trading acts, and has incensed Acer executives to the extent that Acer has threatened to sue Dell over this issue.

If these allegations are true, it will not be the first time Dell has done something like this. Only a few months back in February, Dell registered Acer’s name in its Adwords campaign - only to face a cease-and-desist letter (which it complied with then). It will also not be the first time Dell is getting rapped over its advertising strategies, with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) knocking Dell for its misleading advertising recently.

Nevertheless, there is still no evidence of Dell’s wrongdoing - though I have to admit I’ve seen my fair share of Dell ads on this blog - which, if you might recall, is The Acer Blog.

[News via Australian IT]

(Source: BIOS Magazine)

For its price, the Acer Aspire 9410 laptop launched in May is pretty solid. However, according to a review of the 17-incher by BIOS Magazine, it lacks several key features that are now pretty much standard in desktop replacement notebooks.

Among the “missing” specs include FireWire or DVI ports, a memory card reader (which is a real surprise since most Acer notebooks this size ship with one), and a built-in webcam (which quite a number of new(er) Acer notebooks come with). In addition, BIOS contends that for its weight and size, we should be looking at better multimedia features or at the very least, a better graphics card.

With all that said, the 9410 still gets a strong rating of 7 out of 10, plus a reasonably favourable conclusion of: “For the price, the Aspire 9410 meets the criteria for a performance machine. An Intel Core Duo Processor and 1GB of RAM is enough to handle several tasks at the same time, such as running an anti-virus suite, creating a PDF file, and transcoding a video file - which primarily burdens the processor - but power users or those looking for more jazz should probably look elsewhere.”

It’s not often that a business magazine like Forbes puts a full scale editorial on Taiwan-based Acer on its cover. So, anyone remotely interested in Acer, its rise and of course, the key figure behind that rise shouldn’t waste a second in putting on their reading glasses, and rushing over to Forbes website.

But for those who are short of time, here’s a concise summary. One: Since Gianfranco Lanci (Italian) took over as President of Acer, the company has grown by leaps and bounds to firmly sit on the World No. 4 PC vendor position. Two: Acer and its president exemplifies low-key proceedings that are so effective in ensuring well-run companies. Three: Acer’s growth has largely been due to the lack of attention from its bigger rivals (or those that used to be).

Four: Acer willingly pushes for improved customer support (something you wouldn’t have seen from some of its larger rivals until recently). Last but not least, as we have already seen, Acer is more than willing to take the fight to the living room, i.e. pursue digital convegence.

And… that’s about it. While there’s nothing more devout Acer followers wouldn’t already know, it’s nice to see Acer getting the limelight it deserves.

(Source: Acer)

It’s been announced that the highly anticipated 12.1″ Acer Ferrari 1000 and 15.4″ Ferrari 5000 (pictured) notebooks first spotted just before Computex Taipei 2006 will start shipping at the end of July.

Each notebook is set to be priced at around €2000 (US$2543) - though the region in which this pricing will hold is currently uncertain (but since the news report used euros in its estimate, it’s entirely possible that this will be Europe’s price - one generally higher than that in the US).

[News via Digitimes]

(Source: X-bit labs)

Also part of the X-bit labs 15-monitor review that contained an Acer AL1916Ws review is a review of the Ferrari F-19 - the little sibling of sorts of the Ferrari F-20.

Unlike the F-20 though, the F-19 wasn’t very well received - at least, by X-bit labs. While they liked the Ferrari design, they didn’t see anything particularly outstanding about its specifications or performance.

Their verdict probably says it better: “As a PC monitor, it is an average model on a rather slow TN+Film matrix. I can only recommend it for purchase to loyal Ferrari fans that put the Ferrari style above any technical characteristics. But apart from its design, the F-19 is a tangle of problems and imperfections absolutely unacceptable in a product of its class and price like a disorderly and illogical organization of the menu, unhandy remote control, lack of Picture-in-Picture mode, malfunctioning TV-tuner, slow matrix, and inaccurate color temperature setup. If you need just a good monitor with a TV-tuner, you’d better consider alternatives from other manufacturers, which are also more moderately priced.”

(Source: Acer)

While all the previous Acer AL1916Ws reviews were pushed under the AL1916W umbrella, we’ve decided that we should separate the Wb and Ws reviews if the reviewers explicitly state the exact model numbers they are reviewing - even though the only difference between the two are their colours (black and silver respectively).

So, here’s a review of the Acer AL1916Ws from X-bit labs. You’ll find that it’s especially detailed even though that it’s actually part of a review of 15 different LCD monitors.

Their conclusion is that, “…the AL1916Ws may be an interesting option for people who’d want to have a widescreen 19” monitor but are not satisfied with the low resolution and large pixels of the older 1280×768 matrixes. The monitor suits well for work and for watching movies (a special thanks to the wide display!), but you should think twice if you need a monitor for playing games. The matrix installed in the AL1916Ws is way slower than the matrixes of modern gaming LCD monitors. Don’t forget about the type of the matrix, too. The characteristic problems of TN+Film technology with viewing angles may have become less annoying, but have not disappeared yet.”

(Source: Acer)

The Acer CP-8660, a feature-laden 8.2-megapixel camera launched last month talks the talk, but doesn’t seem to walk the walk, according to a TrustedReviews’ review of the digital camera.

Although the specifications of the 8660 are great considering its £200+ recommended retail price (e.g. 8.2MP CCD, 2.8″ LCD screen, anti-shake system, manual exposure control, etc.), its slow performance, underpowered flash, and almost useless anti-shake system means that there are better choices already out in the market (in contrast, the CP-8660 will only be available from August).

So, it shouldn’t be surprising that the CP-8660 was only awarded an overall rating of 6 out of 10, with a rather critical verdict, “The CP-8660 is, as I said at the start, an audacious camera but as it turns out, overly so. It does offer a unique combination of features but performance is slow and the anti-shake system is largely ineffective. However, picture quality is generally adequate and the 6x zoom range is very useful. The problem is that there are better cameras on the market that can beat it in every respect, and for about the same price.”