Acer may have its sights on Android, but it continues to support Windows and its users.
On Aug. 15, Acer introduced three ultra-high resolution monitors—a 27-inch T272HUL intended for consumers and two others for consumers or professionals: the 27-inch B276HUL and the the 29-inch B296CL.
The 27-inch models each have resolutions of 2,560 by 1,440, while the 29-incher has a resolution of 2,560 by 1,080.
“Whether it’s a gamer, an entrepreneur or a multimedia enthusiast, users will appreciate the stunning image quality, comfortable ergonomics and size of these new monitors, which are easy on the eyes and enable better multitasking,” Frank Chang, director or product management for Acer, said in a statement.
The consumer-geared model boasts 1.07 billion colors, is Windows 8-compliant and features a 10-point multitouch screen. It’s thin and attractive, with a thin, off-center aluminum foot.
The display can be tilted back 30 to 80 degrees—nearly flush with a desk, enabling users to further take advantage of its touch capabilities. Included are a USB 3.0 port, as well as VGA, DVI and HDMI ports.
The professional models hang on more upright, higher, solid-looking stands that can be raised, lowered, swiveled, pivoted and manipulated in seemingly just about any way a user needs.
The stands make for a tidy desk, with a neat cable management function, a storage tray and a magnetic surface on the stand for keeping track of paper clips.
As for the professional models’ displays, Acer says they deliver 16.7 million colors and a “response time of 6 ms for the B276HUL and 8 ms for the B296CL.”
They also feature a polarizer material Acer calls Comfy View, said to reduce glare and reflect less ambient light, for a better viewing experience over long periods.
There are two HDMI ports, a DisplayPort, a USB 3.0 port and a DVI-D (dual link) port.
All three models come with dual speakers and USB 3.0 with power-off charging for charging smartphones and other devices. The LED-backlit displays also consume 68 percent less energy than standard CCFL displays, per Acer.
The B276HUL and B296CL are available now, starting at $599. The T272HUL will be available in late August, priced at $999.
Acer and Android
During an Aug. 9 earnings call, sharing disappointing quarterly financial results, Acer President Jim Wang said the company plans to focus more on growing its “non-Windows business as soon as possible.”
“Android is very popular in smartphones and dominant in tablets. … I also see a new market there for Chromebooks,” Wang said, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Acer posted a loss of $11.4 million for the quarter.
During the second quarter, global PC shipments fell nearly 11 percent, Gartner reported July 10, with Acer earning an unwanted distinction.
“Acer exhibited the worst performance of the second quarter, with a shipment decline of 38.5 percent year on year,” said the Gartner report. “Most of Acer’s decline resulted from its portfolio shifting away from netbooks to Android tablets.”