Telecom Lead Asia:
Taiwan’s personal computer maker Acer has unveiled two new tablets running on
Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system.
“Windows 8 is a historic moment for the worldwide
Windows eco-system,” said J. T. Wang, Acer’s chairman, at a briefing in
Taipei where the company also unveiled its new Aspire S7, a small laptop that
runs on Windows 8.
Acer, which has been struggling to branch into the tablet
computer sector, cut several hundred jobs in Europe last year to reduce
operating expenses.
Windows 8 is touted as Microsoft’s long-awaited riposte to
the rise of Apple and mobile devices powered by Google’s Android operating
system. There is no official release date but reports have predicted an October
launch.
“In our view, the touchscreen experience enabled by
Windows 8 is a massive step forward — simply because it makes computing more
intuitive,” said Jim Wong, corporate president of Acer.
Acer said that W510 is a convertible device. The unique part
of the W510 tablet is the tri-mode, allowing users to touch, type and view.
Aside from the conventional tablet mode, it can be used in productivity mode. A
detachable keyboard dock can be connected to the tablet for optimal typing as
well as extending the battery life up to 18 hours. Rotating the tablet 295
degrees allows it to be used in presentation mode, which is excellent for
watching a video, browsing a webpage or viewing a PowerPoint presentation.
