Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Thursday, 17 April 2008 10:06
Opinion and Analysis
Page 1 of 3
Watch out Toshiba – Acer is stepping on Qosmio’s turf with the
new Gemstone Blue series of ‘entertainment notebooks’, featuring
‘world’s first full HD 1920x1080p’ resolution for notebooks, and
world’s first 6 integrated speakers with bass booster. Entertain away!
Sounds like Acer could well borrow Robbie Williams’ “Let me entertain you” line if it wanted to, as its Gemstone Blue series of ‘entertainment notebooks’ reaches for the stars – and we’re not just talking about the ones in Hollywood!
Update: See page 3 for an update to this story.
Although companies like Dell and HP have already offered notebooks with 20-inch-plus screens, Acer’s two new models are still pretty large – the 8920G with an 18.4-inch model, and the 6920G with a curious 16-inch screen size.
Gemstone isn’t a new brand for Acer (it launched in May 2007), but it has received new life with the
Gemstone Blue brand upgrade, now offering a “complete entertainment experience with an enhanced design of the original stylish and cutting edge Gemstone series”.
Acer’s Gemstone Blue Aspire 8920G model claims to be the world’s first to include “full HD screen resolution” of 1920x1080p on an Acer CineCrystal TFT LCD screen that offers an “8ms high definition response time” – naturally with a 16:9 aspect ratio, powered by a NVIDIA GeForce 9500M GS graphics card.
Also, as you’d expect for any claimant to entertainment powerhouse status, it includes a Blu-ray drive – although only a reader of Blu-ray discs, not a writer, as seems to be the case on notebooks today. That said, it does read and write CDs and DVDs.
Henry Lee, Senior Product Manager, Acer Oceanic Region noted that: “What Acer has created is a new benchmark in notebook technology, demonstrating how standard screen resolutions for the computer and the consumer electronics industries are beginning to merge. The Gemstone Blue series is adopting the consumer electronics standard by providing a screen with the same resolution as a top of the line HDTV; 1920x1080 pixels.”
But what good is a high definition screen to watch the latest Blu-ray movies without a speaker system to match? Acer says the 8920G uses HD audio support, a 2nd-generation Premium Dolby Home Theatre, and six built in speakers that includes a “unique” subwoofer.
There’s also the “Tuba Cinebass booster” which Acer says is another world first – that they’ve developed themselves, being a bass booster “designed in the form of a tube that creates a smoother sound wave flow, enabling better resonance.”
Please read onto page 2 for plenty more details and specifications for both machines.
