Acer Unveils Aspire Gemstone Blue Notebooks

Acer today unveiled the Aspire 8920 18.4" screen notebook and Aspire 6920 16" multimedia notebooks. Together these notebooks are being called the Aspire Gemstone Blue series and offer 16:9 aspect ratio 1080p screens, Intel Penryn processors and Nvidia graphics.

Acer Aspire 8920G

(view large image)

The Aspire 8920G will have the following basic specs:

• Intel Core 2 Duo processor selection (Penryn)
• Windows Vista OS
• 1 or 2 hard drives with up to 320GB each
• Blu-Ray Super Multi double-layer drive or 8x DVD-Super Multi double layer drive
• 6-in-1 media card reader
• 18.4" Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution 300 nits brightness screen
• Nvidia GeForce 9650m Graphics or 9500m Graphics
• 2nd generation Dobly Home Theater audio, 5.1 audio out, Five integrated speakers
• Intel 4965 802.11 a/b/g/n wireless
• ExpressCard 54 slot, 4 USB 2.0 ports, HDMI, Consumer IR, external monitor port, headphone out, microphone-in
• Fingerprint reader
• Weight - 9.04lbs

( view large image)

Acer is touting the multimedia capabilities of this notebook, obviously the 18.4" viewing real estate with a 16:9 ratio 1080p screen is a major selling point for media mavens -- with this aspect there's no need for pixel compression. This is the first 18.4" screen notebook so Acer is definitely differentiating itself here. Also big news is the fact that they are using the Nvidia 9650m 512MB graphics card to handle the playback of Blu-Ray movies so the processor isn't stressed out, this system is being dubbed "CineReal" by Acer.

(view large image)

Acer adds a nice design touch with the "CineDash" control on the left side of the notebook. The CineDash is a touch sensitive media console that allows you to control such things as volume and media playback experience.

(view large image)

Acer Aspire 6920G

The Aspire 6920G is a 16" screen scaled down version of the Aspire 8920G. The specs will be essentially the same as the 8920G with the following spec differences:

• 16" screen with 1920 x 1080 and 1366 x 768 resolution
• Single hard disk drive up to 320GB storage
• Nvidia 9500M GS
• Weight 7.72 lbs

The starting price was quoted by Acer as being $900, but we're scratching our heads as to how they'll offer that price with a Penryn processor, dedicated graphics and all the other high-end options. We're guessing the price actually rests more around $1,200 and scales up to $1,700 for a high-end configuration.

Either way, it's good to see Acer pushing the envelope a bit here and backing up their words about the fact they want to be a dominant force in the notebook market by actually making some moves to do that.

 

What I'm wondering is how their sizes compare to 15 and 17" notebooks, if they are the same size but manage to fit in this screen or they had to increase the size but by how much?

 

This laptop would replace my desktop right now....

 

And in roll the new panel sizes, 18.4" and 16" as per the News the other day:
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4278
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4029
Made by Samsung.

GeForce 9650m eh? I'd bet it's a GeForce 8700M-GT with a smaller die size but I have no proof. The 9500m has the same exact specs as the 8600M-GT but a smaller die size.

Acer is getting better with their designs, I like this one. Now let's see what it looks like in a 14" form factor.

 

it would replace mine as well except its an acer... to bad.

 

The weights seem pretty heavy so I would think they are a little bigger than 15" and 17" laptops.

 

I want to take one in economy and see how many people watch my screen instead of the airplane's -

 

As the risk of sounding stupid - what's so special about the 16" and 18" that the 15" and 17" don't have for Acer to abandon the industry standards, except bigger screen sizes?

 

"Nvidia GeForce 9650m"

What kind of monsters does Nvidia have waiting for us?

 

These are 16:9 ratio screens vs 16:10 in most notebooks, so you have "True HD". When watching a movie (most in 16:9), no more bars on the top and bottom.

 

Do these have slot-loading disc drives? I'm sick and tired of the conventional laptop DVD-RW drive... damages my CDs way too often.

 

i'm feeling the concept of having a real 16:9 ratio screen size. but over 7 pounds for a 16 inch laptop? this definitely means getting a second smaller one to take around.

but the whole thing about watching HD videos. how often do most people watch these videos as compared to spend time writing a document. I find it much better writing a document on a good old non-widescreen monitor so i can see more of whats above and below.

I think this whole wide-screen thing is going too far.

impressed about the specs, but not the weight. not at all.

 

What rahulnirmal said is the main thing. I'd like to add that for 18.4", you get a mostly centered full size keyboard instead of the off centered one found on 17" lappies.

 

HP's HDX has some competition... finally. Only serve to improve.

But I do like these. So happy that BLACK is BACK. Enough with the white and silver notebooks. Away with you!

 

Oh I see. Never knew about the difference in aspect ratios before. Thanks for clearing that up.

Though even a 16" seems to big for my taste considering most people use either 14" or 15" nowadays. Any idea what's the next one down for 16:9?

 

The only current notebooks with a 16:9 display on the market are ultraportables with an 11.1" WXGA display, 1366x768 resolution. Just about all of them are the Vaio TX/TZ and Asus S6/U1/U2 series. There's a couple more obscure models as well but these are basically it.

The Vaio TX was the first to use a 16:9 screen back in late 2005, what a pioneer. Took over two years for larger sized notebooks (these new Acer models) to use this aspect ratio. What took so long?

 

I want one these are so so nice, wow acer has passed Toshiba as far as I am concerned, I knew they where getting better with the last Gemstone lineup know look at them!

 

I gotta say, I find expanding the size of notebooks to be a bit of a strange move on acer's part. We've seen so far that the UMPC market has been booming, so making notebooks bigger is an unwise move business wise... Sure, for those of you who want a desktop replacement i can understand something like the 18", but a 16" just seems out of place... I have to say its a bit of an bad move for acer not to be adding something smaller.

 

If you're going by looks (mainly these Gemstone ones), then yes, Acer has passed Toshiba. If you're taking other factors such as build quality and service, then it's not even close. Toshiba >>> Acer.

 

So what you are saying is that it has to be a 18", 16", 11" to be 16:9?? ...that regular 17", 15" and 12" CAN'T be 16:9??

 

Pretty design! But, I won't buy a laptop just so that I can watch a widescreen DVD movie that can fill up the entire screen with no bars above or below...my HDTV (bigger screen size and cost less than a medium-end laptop!) is there for that pleasure. There are more important usage for a notebook such as ...LAN GAMING!

 

I think it has more to do the resolution of the screen, and the actual size of a pixel.

I would say, yes it is possible to have a 15" 16:9 ratio. however, the size of your pixel will not be "normal" and things could look a little stretched if u look closely. So instead of a 15" being 1280 x 800, it would be 1366 x 768. So your pictures may look shorter and fatter.

@Ever.monk
Acer is also slated to release a UMPC sometime soon as what the rumours go. But we will need to see how that ends up. Plus, normal sized laptops are probably going to be the bread and butter for a long time to come. I find it hard to believe that anybody would want to stare at a UMPC for hours on end.

 

Well put. The smaller devices you're seeing will not be primary notebooks / PCs for 99% of people out there but rather "companion devices". You'll take them for on the go and when you just want something small, you wouldn't sit at a desk at home poking away at a 7" screen device. Something like these Acer Gemstones would of course only be appealing as a primary PC and desktop style replacement and not for on the go.

 

Its possible, but 16:9 screens in those sizes just haven't been made yet, right now, only 11", 16" and 18" screens have been made in 16:9 ratio. I'm sure we'll see more screens going in that ratio in the future.

 

Gorgeous! I hope they make one with a 9800m.

 

Well, they're being a bit forward thinking. Desktop sales are flat to declining with notebook sales to exceed desktop sales this year. The desktop replacement will be common choice for those looking for full size computing as desktops will be harder and harder to find. Retailers are set to stop selling desktops in stores as they take up too much display space and are in low demand as compared to notebooks.

Also as was said earlier in the thread, UMPC will be a companion device. Notebooks in the 13"-15" will be the portable.

 

I still don't get the point of 16:9 screens on laptops. Many movies will get bars anyways, as they are 1.85:1 or 2.39:1. 16:10 at least give wider and taller, suited for both computer usage and movie watching. Though at 1080p resolutions, it doesn't really matter

 

wouldve been better if it was thin and light 14' with those specs id buy it right away.

 

Not exactly.

I think the laptop market is polarizing. Very small or very large.

Since now, mobile processors have (almost) caught up to desktop equivalents with the rest of the components catching up (SSDs, lots of ram, big storage), owning a desktop is reserved to the hardcore few.

14.1/15.4 sizes are getting saturated, and its difficult to stand out in that market anymore. Eventually these sizes will end up being viewed as a compromize. Neither small enough to be easily portable, and not big enough to be a desktop replacement.

Most will prefer to have a laptop even if they rarely ever move it. To some users, the simplicity of a all-in-one computer is appealing. For those that like a big screen, they can HDMI it out to thier HD panel.

Acer still has 12.1 inch notebooks and its upcoming UMPC. So its not like they have abandoned making something small.




And to someone that mentioned out bringing this onboard in sardine class, no, don't think it will fit the tray. Well you can always share with the next pass........

 

Careful, this is a hot button topic. Some refuse to believe that the desktop is going to become a specialized niche.

Potential bad news... game developers may abandon PC gaming being so addicted to high end gaming specs.

Potential good news... gamer developers will find ways to optimize their code so that games will run well on notebooks with mid tier discrete graphics. Lots of improvements in notebook graphics this year. Especially on the integrated parts front. Not to mention hybrid graphics. ATI has made some impressive advances in this regard.

 

I'm looking forward to desktop replacement laptops in the future having multiple (more than two at) hard drives, or at least have slots to allow the user to put more hard drives inside the laptop. Yes, we have external hard drives, but I don't like the idea of turning on and off a 500 gig external every time I need to use it.

So I'm basically waiting for laptops that have 1TB of storage on them .

 

and design preference is purely personal , I like thinkpad or latitude design.

 

You'll see that very soon. Samsung released a 500GB 5400 RPM HD. Others are sure to follow suit in short order.

 

maybe flashy looks of them are attractive to some but they get bored with these very very qucik , Thinkpad design is timeless.

and I think Acer got the design concept from that of old HP's .

 

I personally think it looks tacky, like all the Acer laptops I have seen. I hope they improved the build quality, the original gemstones are dreadful.

Why do people want all this shiny plastic? I think the best looking machines are clean and simple, like most business notebooks.

 

Just look at that full keyboard and touch panel beside it , this thing is wider then wide .

This design ( edit : tech wise , not style ) looks promising .

 

Cool notebooks,i want one!NOW!

 

its still conventional tray drive...

http://www.engadget.com/photos/acer-unveils-the-second-gen-gemstone/695722/

 

The "curve" at the top of the screen reminds me of my older Gateway notebook. I like squared-off and straight edges more.

Also, I don't know if I care for 16x9 screens. I don't like widescreens anyway, but tolerate them because they're usually wider versions of standard screens instead of having the top and bottom lopped off. To me, watching movies is a very rare event, I'm using the laptop for other things far more.

But I guess this belongs in the Rants section with the glossy screens rants.

 

More studio photos:
Aspire 6920
Aspire 8920
Aspire 8920

 

SOOOO true! I surf the net, and write documents more than i watch movies. Even, most of the anime and TV shows are not in widescreen format. They look ridiculously small on a widescreen.

When surfing the net, I find using a standard "old school" screen way better. I find that with my 15" widescreen, i need to scroll down on every single page because the screen is not "tall" enough. its such a hassle.

Most times its not easy to work with documents, especially ones with pictures because I can't see enough of what is above and below the section i'm dealing with. Of course its a simple matter of zooming out, but then all the words get tiny, and I already strain my eyes enough looking at a monitor 8 hours a day!

 

WOOOOOOOOOOOW great

I want one.....Im replacing mine for suuuuuure!!

Gotta find a job soooon to collect enough money...(still in univ.)

My only concern is the GFX card (9650m)....what the hell is it?

I only wish it much better than the 8600mGT that i have now (which is good by the way)

Really sexy laptops......Im getting the 8 series....

CANT WAIT!!!!....

 

Well it looks a lot better than the current ill looking gemstone range. Build quality should be better although still expect there to be some annoying and off putting flaws.
Its stupid though with there new dimensions. Change = Bad!!

 

I agree with you guys. I'd rather like a more conventional screen size as there has been on the market lately like a 15.4" or a 14.1" but may be it's time for a change. People probably would be tempted to have a widescreen.

And the style of the gemstones look awesome! I hope that the build quality is good so that I can think about getting a 6920g. It seems cool to me ( as a desktop replacement of course ).

 

I am so excited about this computer. Is there any release date info and does anyone know if this computer come out in the brick and mortar stores.

About the 16:9 ratio, I'm all for it. It has a huge 18.4 inch Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution. As long as you don't keep your screen settings at 800 x 600 I wouldn't worried about having to keep scrolling up and down often. Also note that if you following the Pythagoras Theorem with the 18.4 inch being the hypotenuse, the screen size is 16 inches x 9 inches. My point being is that if I wanted, I can have 2 apps open (example one window for internet and one for word) showing at the same time as if it were two 12 inch displays.

 

Nice thinking mate

playing a game + checking cheats for it

 

http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/53142...sta-Home-Premium-Laptop-Notebook/Product.html

try this website..says that in Britain it should be 20.5.2008 so im guessing that applies worlwide. You can already reserve the notebook and there are prices for three or so different configurations. Im not sure how accurate it is.

I really like this ntoebook as well. Anyone knwos about the build and service quality Acer? Any serious problems with their notebooks. Im considering buying a notebook since im going to uni next year and i cant decide.So many possibilities.

 

No interms of Build quality as well, past few years I have had many problems with Toshiba none with Acer.

 

SOrry if the specs have already been posted

Nvidia 9650M GS

Stream Processors 32
Core Clock (MHz) 625
Shader Clock (MHz) 1250
Memory Clock (MHz) 800
Maximum Memory 512MB
Memory Interface 128-bit


Seems to have higher clock freqs than the 8600M GT , same shader and mermory interface though , maybe its a new and improved 8700M GT

 

These things are cheap imitations of the Dell XPS's series.
Except it's 10x worse.