We rolled over to the Liberty Science Center in New Jersey last night for Acer's computer announcement extravaganza. The PC manufacturer announced brand new netbooks, laptops, and desktop lines under its eMachines, Gateway, and Acer brands. Considering the loads of new computer models flashing onto the giant IMAX screen overhead, all intercut with short IMAX clips driven by techno versions of Barber's 'Adagio for Strings,' it took us a while to get a hold on the sheer number of announcements. Improved battery life and affordability seem to have been the trends guiding last night's announcements. We've combed through the announcements, and here's a quick rundown of the big releases.

It was a long and exciting first day at CES, with the Palm Pre proving to be the biggest announcement made at the show. It certainly made us do a double (and triple) take, but there's plenty more to report and lots of surprises still to come.

• Grippity Keyboard Reinvents Typing - There's a very strong chance you're sitting in front of a keyboard right now as you read this, and while the things are nearly ubiquitous when it comes to home consuming, many (including us) would be very happy to see a typing interface that's a little more fresh. One possible solution is called the Grippity, a handheld device that looks something like an overgrown PS3 controller with a normal QWERTY graphic layout on the front but with the keys themselves on the back. While we find the idea to be totally intriguing, it sadly feels a bit clumsy to use.

• Gateway's Mid-Range MD and UC Laptops - There's something of a growing divide in the laptop realm between high-end, powerhouse laptops and low-end, budget netbooks. Gateway is filling the void with its MD and UC series laptops, both with stylish designs and practical specs at reasonable costs that should fit into most people's budgets. They're not exactly groundbreaking in any respect, but they're solid choices for sure.
  

• Samsung Shows Off Flexible OLED - LCD screens have definitely reached something of a saturation point, but the way things are going, it looks like they'll soon be superseded by OLED. These new screens don't require backlighting like an LCD, so they can be ridiculously thin. They can also be extremely flexible, as is Samsung's trick screen shown in the above link. Right now, OLEDs tend to be small and expensive and, generally, not available, but we expect to see many, many more of them this year.
  

• Skype Hits Android, Java-Compatible Handsets - Millions have used Skype to make free online calls, and now it's getting much easier to make those calls on the go as the folks at Skype have announced the program's compatibility with numerous handsets. First up is a version of the app capable of running on Google's free mobile operating system Android, meaning anyone using a G1 can make calls without using minutes. Skype has also released a streamlined Java version of the client that's compatible with many handsets. If you're pushing the limits of your calling plan's allocation, you may want to make the leap.

• Coby Shows Off Sub-$200 Netbooks - Netbooks are great, truly bringing low-cost portable computing to the masses, but they still need to get a bit cheaper before they're ubiquitous. While Gateway is filling the middle of the cost spectrum, Coby is heading to the bottom with its lineup of under-$200 offerings. The machines have the standard tiny netbook styling and hardware specs, with Intel Atom processors, but their bright coloring and low cost should make them a hit -- if and when the company actually puts them into production.

• Mattel's Mind Flex Will Challenge Your Kid's Minds - There are plenty of games out there that will make your kids think, but not many tax the ol' noodle quite like this. The Mind Flex uses a headset to detect your brain activity which, in turn, levitates and guides a ball through an obstacle course: relax to lower and focus to raise. It's actually a lot of fun and we're eager to hear what others have to say when it's released this Fall for $80. [From: Engadget]
  

Do you absolutely love Gateway desktops? If you said yes, prepare to be seriously stoked. The company is releasing a slew of new systems this week, ranging from cheapo starters to pretty heavily equipped gaming / multimedia models. We've got all the info that's fit to print (and frankly, some that isn't), and we've rounded up the basic specs and features after the break. Enjoy! [Source: Gateway]

If you're a gamer on the move (and we think that you are), you're probably eyeing some monster laptops. If you're looking to bro-down with one in the near future, take a moment to familiarize yourself with Gateway's latest 17-incher, the P-172X FX.

The updated rig (a new riff on the similarly-themed P-171) features a Core 2 Duo CPU (the 2.4GHz T8300), 1920 x 1200 resolution, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, NVIDIA's GeForce 8800M GTS GPU (with 512MB of GDDR3 RAM), a DVD-R/RW/RAM optical drive, and a nasty mess of ports and card slots.

We got to take the dude out for a spin, and performance was definitely up to par (translation: it plays Crysis), though the design left a little something to be desired, like... style. A cheaper, 2.0GHz version with half the drive space, lower screen resolution, and a gig less RAM is available, though it maintains the GPU and graphics memory. The P-172X FX is available right now for $1,999, and kid brother P-172S FX will run you $1,399.

For photos, check out Engadget

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Finally, an all-in-one Windows PC with some style sense. Check out the video for more on the Gateway One.

For those who need screen real-estate for High-Definition graphics manipulation (or maybe just some home video- or picture-editing), the new $1,700 Gateway XHD3000 LCD 30-inch monitor is perfect -- it's not only huge for a computer monitor, but it also up-converts video to 1600p, a startling four times higher than standard 720p high-definition video. With state-of-the-art connections, including HDMI, VGA, DVI, composite, S-Video and six USB ports this monitor can handle any kind of source you might want to plug into it. The HD Picture-in-Picture technology lets, say, shutterbugs be productive on Adobe Photoshop while they catch up on their woefully long classic movie list. Although this baby hooks up to surround sound systems quite easily, it's not really required, since it since comes with an eight-speaker soundbar at the bottom that emits a 3-D-like sound. Ideal for creative multi-taskers.

From Gateway Computer

Shopping on Black Friday requires a certain amount of masochism -- struggling through the crowds, punching mothers in front of their children to get that cheap plasma TV -- it's dangerous business.

If you decide to brave the battlefield at Best Buy this year, you'll be rewarded with an opportunity to grab an eMachines PC with a 17 inch LCD monitor for the super low price of $200. Don't expect the world though. The PC is rumored to be powered by an Intel Celeron running at 2.66 Ghz (meaning no efficient and powerful 'Core' for you), comes with 512 megabytes of RAM (which is the bare minimum for doing just about anything on a computer these days), has a measly 80 Gigabyte hard drive, and it has no DVD burner.

Don't get us wrong -- $200 is still a heck of a price, but you could get so much more, or at least more interesting for a tad more cash. For instance, Wal-Mart is selling their own $200 PC without monitor. The gPC, as it's called, runs Linux instead of the resource-hungry Vista and uses an ultra low-power (and carbon-neutral) processor from Via. Or, how about the diminutive and cheap Eee from Asus which is also powered by Linux (noticing a trend here?). Priced from $200 to $400, these little laptops let you get all your basic computing tasks done by focusing on web applications.

Or, if you're in the market for something truly different, head on over to Laptop.org and you can get yourself one of the OLPC XOs (also Linux powered). These tiny, innovative convertible laptops are meant for kids in developing nations, but for a limited time you can order one for yourself as long as you're willing to pay for two. The second one gets sent to a child in the third world on your dime. In that case, $400 gets you a technological marvel, a piece of history, and a warm, fuzzy feeling.

From Engadget

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It's a little early in the product life to declare Windows Home Server a failure or a success yet, but this holiday season is shaping up to be the first real test of its market viability.

Windows Home Sever is an offshoot of the company's enterprise platform for Web and file hosting designed with consumer in mind. Essentially, it's a system that will automatically backup several computers connected to a home network, as well as allow for easy sharing of music, videos, files, and printers -- even from remote locations via the Web. Microsoft's pitch is that the Home Server will have a painless, dummy-proof set-up and interface, and early reviews confirm that this is in fact what Microsoft will provide when the first models show up in time for the holidays.

Hardware vendors have started loading the niche OS on bare-bones PCs with copious amounts of storage to lure in the media hungry masses in this age of P2P file sharing. And just in time for Chrisma-Hanu-Kwaanza, the big guys are unveiling their entries into this market. Even companies whose business is usually storage are trying to get in on the ground floor. Fujitsu-Siemens, Gateway, Iomega, LaCie, Leo Computers, LifeWare, Maxdata, Medion, Tranquil, Velocity Micro, and HP are all launching, or re-launching boxes with the Home Server platform installed. Systems are expected to cost in the $500-$700 range.

The question is whether there is a big enough market for a consumer-oriented server. Setting up a server is a simple enough process that most power users could have one set up in a matter of hours, without shelling out for specialized hardware or software. The average consumer is still intimidated by the idea and skeptical of the need, though anybody who downloads a lot of video and music or uploads their own pictures -- and also lives in a household with other computer users -- could certainly use a home server.

It remains to be seen whether or not Microsoft can do for home servers what the iPod did for digital music players. Unless the company can simplify its story of what a home server actually does and why the average consumer needs it, it may end up achieving a more modest, non-revolutionary success a la Apple TV.

Meanwhile, La Cie just released the much less expensive Ethernet Disk Mini ($200), which is getting rave reviews so far.

From Engadget

This morning Gateway introduced a new high-end LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) monitor that blows just about any current display out of the water -- at least when it comes to resolution. The new XHD3000 is a 30-inch monitor that boasts a massive 2560x1600 resolution, about four times the number of pixels in your typical 720p LCD and about 50% more than in a 1080p display. The display seems equally suited for high-end PC graphics work, viewing of high-definition television and movies, and either PC-based or console-based gaming. It has a slew of ports on the back that will allow you to connect anything from your old VCR to your PlayStation 3 with composite, component, HDMI, and DVI inputs (among others) -- up to six devices can be connected at once.

The XHD3000 sports a high-end video processing chipset that pledges to make your standard definition games and television look brilliant on the 1600p resolution. That all sounds great, but when you start to look at the specific specs beyond resolution, things look a bit sketchy. For example, the response time (the time it takes for the LCD to cycle from black to white and back again, indicating how much motion blur will be apparent) is 6ms. 6ms is good, but hardly industry leading, with displays from Viewsonic offering displays with 2ms response times. Additionally, the 1,000:1 contrast ratio and 400 cd/m2 brightness specs, combining to show the brightness of the whites and darkness of the blacks, are fairly pedestrian, especially given the monitor's price: $1,699.99.

For computer users who absolutely must have the highest resolution display on the block, it's hard to get much more than this. However, if you can stomach a relatively typical 1080p maximum resolution, for about $100 less you can get yourself a 46'' LCD from Sharp that offers a 10,000:1 contrast ratio and a 4ms response time. If you're a pixel junkie, keep in mind that just like with cameras, more pixels doesn't necessarily mean a better picture.

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Long associated with no-frills design and affordability, computer manufacturer Gateway seems to be changing its tune in a big way with the unveiling today of its new Gateway One PC.

Compared to the surprisingly sleek M-series laptops that came out a few weeks ago, the One, with its slanted, all-in-one, flat-panel design, is even more of a departure for Gateway.

Sure, it may look like a black iMac, but it's got some extra twists that make it impressively innovative. For one thing, it's got a one-cord design, which means just one cable goes from the back of the monitor to a power adapter box, which is where Gateway cleverly located all the typical computer cable outputs. In other words, it's perfect for uncluttered desks or even a table, since it basically looks like a flat-panel TV.

It also has a cool "hidden" flat-panel SoundVu NXT speaker, which uses elements of the screen and the bezel to create a sound robust enough to rival external speakers (which would ruin the sleek looks of this all-in-one PC, anyway).
We saw this baby a few weeks ago when Gateway stopped by to show us, and it's every bit as sleek as the iMac, for all you PC lovers out there. We just got our hands on one, too, and will report back when we've had some time to play around with it.

The Windows-Vista-enabled PC starts at $1,299 at the Gateway Web site and Best Buy and comes in three configurations:

The $1,299.99 configuration includes an Intel Core 2 Duo T5250 dual-core processor; Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100; 320GB SATA II hard drive(2) and a 1.3 megapixel Web cam.

The $1,799.99 configuration includes an Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 dual-core processor; ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2600 XT graphics; 500GB SATA II hard drive(2) and a 1.3 megapixel Web cam and an analog/digital TV tuner.

The Gateway One model available direct from Gateway includes an Intel Core 2 Duo T5250 dual-core processor; ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2600 XT graphics; 400GB Serial ATA II hard drive(2); and a 1.3 megapixel Web cam for $1,499.99.

Hot, hot, hot! What do you think? Is this thing sleek enough to replace your iMac?


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