Taiwan was on the limelight again last week as this year’s Computex — an annual ICT expo that features current and future technology trends — took centerstage once more at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center.
Newsbytes.PH had the opportunity to cover one of Taiwan’s homegrown tech titans, global hardware and electronics firm Acer, which paraded its gaming line brand Predator and gave a sneak peek of its sleek new products such as VR (virtual reality) headsets.
Predator Triton 700
The recently-launched Predator Triton 700 ultra-thin gaming notebook was the brightest star at Acer’s Computex booth. The machine is an engineering marvel with a ridiculous 18.9 mm-thin aluminum chassis sheltering a high-performance NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 GPU and 7th-generation Intel Core processors.
The VR-ready Predator Triton 700 projects bright and vibrant visuals on a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display supporting NVIDIA G-SYNC. On the audio side, Dolby Atmos surround sound and Acer TrueHarmony deliver outstanding sound waves.
The gaming notebook is also armed with a variety of connectivity options such as Thunderbolt 3, providing speeds up to 40 Gbps, and supports dual 4K video output. The Predator Triton 700 includes two USB 3.0 ports, one USB 2.0 port, an HDMI 2.0 port, one DisplayPort connector and a Gigabit Ethernet port for those preferring a hard-wired connection.
A large Corning Gorilla Glass plate above the keyboard serves as a Precision Touchpad and a window into the notebook’s cooling system, showcasing the AeroBlade 3D Fan and five-heat pipes.
Iconia Tablets
Acer also announced a series of luminous 10-inch tablets, including the new Iconia Tab 10 and the new Iconia One 10.
Run by quad-core MediaTek processors and Android 7.0 Nougat, the new tablets provide a responsive user experience and up to eight hours of battery life. Wide-viewing-angle IPS displays and five-magnet speakers with DTS-HD Premium Sound provide a great audio-visual experience.
Designed for media-intensive use, the Iconia Tab 10 features a display with Quantum Dot technology for a wider color range and deeper saturation. An Acer-patented subwoofer delivers an extra punch while maintaining a slim profile of under 9mm in height in addition to four more speakers.
Meanwhile, with dual micro-USB ports and on-the-go (OTG) support, the Iconia One 10 provides enhanced productivity as it lets you charge and connect the device to external devices such as storage or a mouse at the same time. Bluetooth keyboard can also be connected for text input.
Nitro 5 Notebook Line
The new Nitro notebook line for casual gamers provides a good balance of powerful features with a sharp and stylish design. Gamers can choose from configurations featuring up to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti graphics paired with 7 Generation Intel Core i7 or i5 processors, or models with AMD Radeon RX550 graphics with 7 Generation AMD A-Series FX, A12 or A10 APUs.
Select models come equipped with PCIe SSDs (up to 512GB) paired with an optional HDD for storage (up to 2TB). Input-output ports include one USB 3.1 Type-C port, one USB 3.0 port with power-off charging, two USB 2.0 ports, and an HDMI 2.0 port, which can support up to 90Hz refresh rates. All models has a vibrant 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS display, while Dolby Audio Premium and Acer TrueHarmony technology provides incredible sound depth.
The Nitro 5’s classy design includes a matte black chassis, a red hinge that runs along the back of the notebook, and a bold black grille vent. The keyboard features red backlighting, and the WASD keys and touchpad are also outlined in red for ease-of-use.
Spin 1 Convertible Notebook
The latest version of its popular Spin 1 convertible notebook was announced, too. With a dapper all-metal chassis, it supports Windows Ink through an Acer Active Stylus for creative users on the go. Weighing in at just 2.76 pounds, the 14mm-thin chassis is powered by the latest Intel Pentium or Celeron processors, 4 GB DDR3L memory as well as a choice of 32, 64, 128 GB eMMC storage.
Its 11.6-inch Full HD (1920×1080) touch-enabled screen with IPS technology displays vibrant colors at 178-degree viewing angles, too. Eight hours of battery life enables users to play with it all day in four modes: laptop, display, tablet and tent.
It also features Acer Bluelight Shield which may help to reduce eye strain from prolonged screen viewing. Speakers with Acer TrueHarmony technology are located on both sides of the device, with audio channels automatically reverse to ensure optimal sound quality in any orientation. Additional connectivity options include Bluetooth 4.0, one USB 3.1 port, one USB 2.0 port, one HDMI port and one microSD (SDXC) card slot.
Digital Reality Experience
Acer Philippines allowed us to try two of their digital-reality experiences: the StarVR and MR (Mixed Reality).
The StarVR is a collaboration between Acer and Starbreeze, a Swedish video game publisher based in Stockholm. The former supplied the hardware demands of the game, while the latter provided the software and the game itself.
As disclosed by the Starbreeze official, the VR headset we experienced had a 210-degree vision, 30 degrees short from the real human vision (240-degree angle). This technology prevents the users from feeling sick after using the headset since it almost replicates the real-life scope. Also, it had sensors that were capable of detecting motions, even when kneeling down.
Right before the booth’s exit was Acer’s MR, or Mixed Reality experience, a collaboration project with Microsoft. Since it was still under construction when we got there, we were not allowed to take pictures of the activity. Instead, they let us feel the actual MR while someone from the team walked us through.
The Mixed Reality basically opens up the possibility of having our own digital self ala Avatar. In the demonstration, we had a studio-type space complete with a balcony and a living room, with Holo Tour, movies, and other apps hanging around the wall. The room technically serves as your dashboard where you can roam around.
Wrapping it up, we are truly grateful to have experienced Acer’s futuristic project and we can’t wait to land one of them in our test lab.
