No need to shout
Taiwanese PC maker Acer has got where it is today by an obsessive adherence to austerity that most European economies could do with learning from. But this budget-consciousness sometimes means product launches are a tad understated.
In our inbox today there was an email entitled "Acer announces clear.fi - a new entertainment experience." Figuring it was some new multimedia notebook we clicked on a link to download the press material, which turned out to be a 100 MB file containing news of a whole bunch of product launches. Who knew?
Clear.fi turned out to be a piece of Acer software designed to easily share content between devices around the home. Acer's tendency towards marketing hyperbole doesn't do much to clarify what it is either; describing it as an ‘experience', a ‘concept' and a ‘console'. The console seems actually to be the software user interface. Sigh.
Acer also launched a bunch of Revo branded products designed to all interact with each other via clear.fi. The Revo itself is an HTPC system which, in the absence of specs, we have to assume is an evolution of its ION-based system. Then there's the RevoPad - a touch-driven control device that toggles between keyboard and touchpad modes, the RevoView media playback device and the RevoCenter NAS box type thing.
And it doesn't stop there. Acer's latest smartphone - the Steam - was also bundled out in this announcement. This is an Android 2.1, Snapdragon handset with a 3.7 inch AMOLED screen. Acer reckons it's packed full of unique multimedia features, but it's not clear what these are.
Still want more? How about a new e-reader? The Acer LumiRead is positioned as a thin-and-light e-reader designed to work with the clear.fi...system? It has a six inch monochrome screen and Acer has done deals with companies like Barnes and Noble to get hold of e-books. Oh yes, there's also the Acer Aspire Z5710 1920x1080 All-in-One PC, but that's your lot, for now. Here are a bunch of images.
