August 2, 2006 The desktop replacement market continues to grow and the trend will be accelerated with the latest release this week from Acer. Introduced to the world in June at Computex Taipei, the new 20.1-inch wide-screen Aspire 9800 high-definition notebook PC is now available in North America combining cutting-edge multimedia PC performance, HD-DVD technology, IP-based communication facilities, and superior TV, audio and gaming functionalities. Ideal for mainstream and full-feature multimedia segments, the Aspire 9800 is perfect for the savvy home user, student or SOHO professional, who desire a High Definition (HD) solution - a PC and television in one - for intensive multitasking and entertainment enjoyment. The HD video and picture quality for advanced graphic design and realistic visuals is perfect for gaming and HD movie presentation. With a digital and analog hybrid TV-tuner and remote, the Aspire 9800 delivers dedicated performance for watching traditional TV, recording TV shows and capturing video, along with HD-DVD technology and a host of other entertainment options.
The Aspire 9800 notebook provides users with an all-in-one multimedia center, incorporating Intel Centrino Duo mobile technology processing power, top-line NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600 graphic chipsets, up to 4GB DDR2 in system memory, and 240GB Intel Matrix RAID ready serial ATA hard drives for serious computing performance. The 20.1" widescreen LCD - 36% larger than 17" widescreen LCDs - incorporates Acer CrystalBrite technology to provide brighter colors, crisp images, and sharp 3D pictures and video for a cinematic viewing experience. For serious games and image-sensitive applications, the ultra-fast eight millisecond gray-to-gray response time easily handles HD multimedia content, while maximizing playback quality.
Accentuating its notebook PC feature set, the Aspire 9800 has also integrated multimedia functionality and high-fidelity audio. Fine-tuned Acer 3Dsonic stereo speakers and an Acer BasSonic subwoofer deliver enhanced low-frequency effect and crystal-clear audio, along with Dolby Digital Live and DTS CONNECT technology providing instant home-theater experience via a single cable S/PDIF connection. The analog and DVB-T hybrid TV-tuner supports worldwide standards expanding the user's entertainment options.
The Aspire 9800 also features Acer Arcade - allowing users to browse pictures, burn music, play DVDs, edit video from a single interface, and the one-click Acer Video Conference solution with Acer OrbiCam, an integrated LCD panel-mounted 1.3 megapixel CMOS camera, for face-to-face instant communication.
The first 20.1" notebook to ship with HD-DVD technology, the Aspire 9800 supports 13 types of optical media formats, with up to six times the image quality of standard DVD movies and complete backward compatibility. The new HD-DVD technology offers high-fidelity visual and audio, and is a key content driver utilized by leading media companies and IT players, certifying the demand for high processing performance, software support, audio decoding technology and content security enforcement. Specifically, HD-DVD technology offers enhanced interactivity by providing picture-in-picture overlay with moving video background; at the same time streaming Internet video and synchronizing updates with pre-recorded HD-DVD content. Exceptional HD viewing supports the highest quality HDTV resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, subset recognition through SDTV, and CIF of 320 x 240 pixels.
The Aspire 9800 includes an HD-DVD-ROM drive that offers maximum data transfer rates three times higher than DVD, an improved screen response time, enhanced brightness and superior audio experiences. Acer's HD notebooks are also equipped with HDMI and HDCP support for projecting HD movies, and extreme gaming to high-end LCD TVs.
Featuring Intel's Centrino Duo mobile technology for smooth multitasking and enhanced high-definition content, the Aspire 9800 comes with Mobile Intel 945PM Express chipset with the latest dual-channel DDR2 667MHz memory to deliver increased throughput demanded by multiple multimedia applications, such as intensive gaming and complex video editing. Utilizing up to 240GB 5400rpm SATA Dual HDD (120GB x 2), the Aspire 9800's dual Serial ATA hard disk drives with RAID 0, 1 and Intel Matrix RAID Technology, provide enhanced data integrity and better availability, while eliminating the need for hard disk drive upgrades. The Aspire 9800 specifications decrease the total cost of ownership, while maintaining the power to hold loads of large multimedia files.
The Aspire 9800 comes equipped with Acer QuicCharge battery technology, which recharges the notebook's Lithium-ion battery up to 80 percent within one hour.
The Acer Aspire 9800 notebook series comes with Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition pre-installed, giving users a friendly, all-in-one environment for serious digital entertainment. Additional installed software includes Acer's exclusive Empowering Technology, Adobe Reader, Norton AntiVirus, CyberLink Power Producer, NTI CD-Maker together with Acer GridVista - a software utility that improves a user's productivity by dividing the screen up to four different windows - each one associated with a different application, Acer Arcade and Acer ClearVision video optimization technology.
Acer's Empowering Technology software suite - offered on all Acer systems - gives users access to a simple 1-2-3 step intuitive interface designed to easily manage the notebook's advanced functions. With a single touch of the "e" Empowering Key, a navigation bar prompts and provides immediate access to the notebook's security, performance, settings and communication, for an improved user experience.
Aspire 9800 notebooks are available through Acer authorized resellers and retailers throughout North America with prices starting at US$2799.
