Acer

AMD unveils enterprise PCs

Mehan Jayasuriya — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:40:09 -0400

So, you're a microprocessor vendor that's struggling to catch up to the competition: What are you to do? I can't say that "release enterprise-class machines" is the first thing that comes to mind, but you've got to give AMD points for originality. The company has just announced a wholly unexpected hardware line of a different sort, starting with the descriptively-named "Business Class desktop." Inside you'll find--what else?--an AMD CPU of your choosing, be it a dual-core Athlon X2, a triple-core Phenom X3 or a quad-core Phenom X4. The company will be selling the machines, which are aimed squarely at small and medium-sized businesses, via a troupe of enterprise vendors, including Acer, HP, Dell, Fujitsu-Siemens and Lenovo. If that's not enough for the AMD fan in you, you'll be pleased to hear that the company plans to launch a similar AMD-branded laptop during the second half of the year.

For more on the new PCs:
- see this Engadget story

Acer launching Eee-like ultraportable

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 06:59:53 -0500

What did we tell you, folks? Yet another PC vendor, Acer, looks to be stepping into the low-cost ultraportable notebook ring. According to the Chinese-language Commercial Times, Acer will launch an Eee PC competitor either "late in the first quarter or early [in the] second quarter" of this year. Though details are light at this point, the machines are expected to sport 8" or 9" displays and will be priced to compete with the Eee (and the Everex Cloudbook and the Packard Bell EasyNote XS, etc.).

For more on the rumored Eee-killer:
- see this Digitimes article

ALSO NOTED: WGA-free IE7 coming for corporate users; Acer to offer pre-loaded Ubuntu;

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 06:59:51 -0500

> Clearwire customers getting Google Apps. Press Release
> Acer to offer pre-loaded Ubuntu. Article
> Thousands more jobs to be cut at Sprint? Article
> WGA-free IE7 coming for corporate users. Article
> iPhone browser dominates on Christmas day. Article

And Finally... HP faces exploding laptop lawsuit. Article

ALSO NOTED: IBM to invest $1.5 billion in enterprise security; Time Magazine names iPhone invention of the year;

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 07:59:51 -0400

> Bad news HP fans: looks like all of the iPaqs are getting delayed to 2008. Article
> Verizon's BlackBerry Pearl 8130 now up for pre-order. Article
> Samsung SCH-U940 coming to Verizon? Article
> Wal-Mart to sell $348 Acer lappie tomorrow at 8am. Article
> Time Magazine names iPhone invention of the year. Article
> Apple planning AirPort support for Time Machine. Article
> Ubuntu developers get ready for "Hardy Heron." Article
> IBM to invest $1.5 billion in enterprise security. Article

And Finally... Masi Oka of the hit TV show "Heroes" signs up to serve as the OLPC's ambassador. Press release

ALSO NOTED: iTunes DRM-free tracks drop to $0.99, as expected; HTC to ship 50,000 Google Phones this year?;

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 06:59:51 -0400

> iTunes DRM-free tracks drop to $0.99, as expected. Article
> Linus Torvalds' own family uses Windows. Article
> HTC to ship 50,000 Google Phones this year? Rumor
> Acer-Gateway deal is official. Press Release
> When will your iPod die? Article
> MySpace, Skype hook up. Article
> Ultraportable MacBook on the 26th? Rumor

And Finally... Astrophysicist replaces supercomputer with Playstation 3s. Article

ALSO NOTED: Confirmed: Acer to buy Gateway to buy Packard Bell; Adobe unveils 3D imaging tech;

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 06:59:51 -0400

> Confirmed: Acer to buy Gateway to buy Packard Bell. Press Release
> Physicists awarded Nobel Prize for hard drive tech. Article
> 640GB flash drive for sale...only $19,000. Article
> Adobe unveils 3D imaging tech. Article
> AT&T gobbles up some 700Mhz wireless spectrum. Article
> The $222,000 verdict: how the RIAA did it. Article

And Finally... An iPhone knockoff that was made to be burned. Article

ALSO NOTED: Lawsuits holding back Acer-Gateway deal; Paralells desktop 3.0 is fast;

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 06:59:51 -0400

> Lawsuits could throw a wrench in the Acer-Gateway deal. Article
> iPod Nano ~~tortured~~ tested, lives to tell the tale. Video
> AMD gains marketshare in Q2. Article
> LaCie intros golden external hard drive. Article
> LaCie also trots out external RAID solution. Article
> T-Mobile lowering EDGE pricing? Rumor
> Movable Type and TypePad get iPhone admin dashboards. Article
> Paralells desktop 3.0 is "really fast". Article

And Finally... WiFi cameras want to give you parking tickets. Article

Acer to buy Gateway, Gateway to buy Packard Bell

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 06:59:58 -0400

How's this for a bizarre love triangle: Acer (the world's third largest PC vendor), has announced plans to buy Gateway (tied for third in the U.S.), which is rumored to be buying Packard Bell (Europe's third largest PC seller). That's a lot of thirds! While you're busy trying to figure out the DaVinci Code-style secret message that surely lies between the lines of that triangular sentence, I'll continue: While the Acer/Gateway deal has been rumored for some time, we now have confirmation from Acer that they intend to close the $710 million deal in December, pending U.S. regulatory approval. The sale has apparently been unanimously approved by both companies' boards of directors and would give Acer, a big name in Europe and Asia, a large slice of the American PC market. According to Acer, the Gateway and eMachines brands would continue to live under the Acer umbrella for the time being.

Meanwhile, Packard Bell, once rumored to be going to Lenovo, is apparently all set to be gobbled up by the soon-to-be-subsumed Gateway. Gateway will apparently "exercise its right of first refusal to acquire from [former eMachines owner] Lap Shun (John) Hui, all of the shares of PB Holding Company, S.ar.l, the parent company for Packard Bell BV." In plain old English, that means that Gateway, not Lenovo, will be swallowing Packard Bell sometime in the near future. Interestingly enough, according to the press release, Hui received the offer for the shares from a mysterious third party, proving that as far as these deals are concerned, the third time's the charm.

For more on the deals:
- see this press release and this eWeek story on the Acer/Gateway deal
- and this one on the Gateway/Packard Bell deal