According to Digitimes' upstream supply chain sources, two Top 5 PC makers, Lenovo and Acer, are planning to introduce in the third quarter of this year some Wintel tablet PCs based on Intel's Clover Trail platform.

Clover Trail is the third Atom platform to utilize 32nm chips, and it specifically targets tablets, offering higher performance than the Medfield SoC coming in the first half of this year.

Both Acer and Lenovo's alleged Clover Trail tablet PCs are expected to run Windows 8 and may focus on the enterprise market.

Intel notified its partners among OEMs and ODMs, price cuts of processors based on the "Sandy Bridge" architecture, by 10 to 15 percent, according to sources in the notebook industry. The company hopes that reduced prices will stimulate market demand, and help quicker digestion of inventories as it gears up to launch its new generation of Core processors based on the 22 nanometer "Ivy Bridge" silicon, in April 2012.

Major notebook vendors such as Lenovo, Acer, and ASUS, have already brought prices of their models based on the popular Core i5-2430 below US $659 (NTD 20,000), and those based on cheaper Core i3 models under NTD 13,000 (US $430). Intel's upcoming Core i5-3450 and Core i7-3370, which will be found in Intel's mid-thru-performance lineup of new-generation Core processors, are expected to be just about $10-$15 costlier than the chips they're about to displace. The two are expected to be priced in the range of US $184-332. It is expected that notebook vendors will convey these fresh price cuts to the end-user, resulting in slightly more affordable notebooks.

After seeing market success with 11-inch and 13-inch ultrabooks (ultra-compact notebooks), Acer began working on a new, larger 15-inch ultrabook, which it plans to sell at a price-point of US $699. According to sources, Pegatron is the upstream ODM behind this model. Acer's current ultrabooks are manufactured on contract by Wistron. The sales of ultrabooks are expected to reach 250,000-300,000 units by the end of this year. Pegatron's total notebook shipments to reach 18.99 million units by the end of this year, with an annual growth of 22%, which will make it the fourth largest ODM by volume.

Today DigiTimes reported Acers Chairman JT Wang, announced that the company will be downsizing its product line two-thirds by the end of 2012. Mr. Wangs statement leaned this maneuver as more of a streamline process rather then a downsize citing he expected sales to increase by 10% or higher within the next year. Mr. Wang also stated that this downsize will not effect its outsourcing partners. However, Acer's major partners including Quanta Computer, Compal Electronics, Wistron and Pegatron Technology have decline to comment. One cannot help but wonder how many other manufactures will follow suit in these hard economic times.

Acer introduced two new ultra-slim LED-backlit LCD monitors in Japan, both sized 23-inch. These include the S235HLBii and S230HLCii (pictured below in that order). The S235HLbii sports a swanky sharp-edged design with a smart base (that which holds the connections), while the S230HLCii features a more conventional design. Another major difference between the two is that while the former is HDCP-capable and features as many as two HDMI inputs, the latter, quite shockingly, lacks digital inputs - even DVI at that - and only features a D-Sub analog input. Those aside, both monitors sport 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution, 5 ms response time, 250 cd/m² maximum brightness, 1,000:1 static contrast ratio, and viewing angles of 170/160 degrees. The pricing of the two remains unclear.

Windows (PC) will make its first transition to a machine architecture other than x86 in decades with Windows 8 Windows on ARM (WOA), and Microsoft wants to make absolutely sure that it has a well-oiled ecosystem in place to propel its growth. Currently, Microsoft picked three potent players among ARM processor vendors, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments (that have experience and can ship in Zerg volumes), and NVIDIA (which has demonstrated a lot of engineering potential with its latest Tegra products).

Microsoft reportedly asked the three ARM players to pick two notebook vendors each (one major, and one minor) with which they will work to develop some of the first WOA portable computing devices. Qualcomm selected Samsung and Sony, Texas Instruments chose Toshiba and Samsung, while NVIDIA chose Acer and Lenovo. Among these, Samsung, Toshiba, and Lenovo are the major partners. Surprisingly, Taiwan-based companies have an insignificant role in this ecosystem. ASUS, which has thus far been the largest client of NVIDIA for Tegra processors, has been left out. Now that downstream partners are selected, upstream ODMs such as Quanta Computer, Compal Electronics, Wistron and Pegatron Technology, which manufacture for those companies, are getting their R&D teams in shape to compete for the next-generation platform. The finishing line of ARM's marathon run to get into PCs is in sight.

Acer America Corp., the number one provider of 3D displays worldwide(1), today introduced the Acer HR274H, a 27-inch 3D monitor featuring new advances in 3D technology. Featuring Acer's innovative chip-based solution, the new monitor can convert any 2D content to 3D, allowing anyone to watch their favorite movies, videos, photos and games in 3D.

With crystal clear 1920 x 1080 resolution, it is the ideal monitor for advanced 1080p full HD gaming on a PC, Blu-ray Disc console gaming, widescreen movie playback and multimedia and productivity applications.

Love 'em or hate 'em, Apple has a habit of trend setting. When Apple released their original iPad, it had a meager low resolution 1024 x 768 resolution display which was scoffed at by many, yet it didn't stop it from being a runaway success. And the iPad 2 didn't improve on it, either - perhaps surprisingly, since the original formula worked so well. However, in early 2012 Apple plans to introduce its new Retina display equipped next generation iPads, offering a very high 2048 x 1536 resolution. On the 9.7" screen of an iPad, this would make the pixels all but invisible to anyone, except for those with the sharpest of 20-20 vision, giving the screen superb clarity and wow factor. These will be incorporated into its next generation iPads, which is expected to push the PC notebook market to use higher resolution displays too in order to remain competitive.

Acer is spreading holiday cheer this season with new all-in-one (AIO) desktops that combine the audio/visual excitement of HD with the fun and entertainment of a touch-screen display. The new models include the Acer AZ5 Series with an ample 23-inch HD monitor and the AZ3 Series, which features a more compact 21-inch HD screen to fit within tight areas. These new AIOs conserve space and make an appealing entertainment hub for the entire family to enjoy.

"A sophisticated appearance and practical design make our all-in-one form factor very popular with consumers," said Irene Chan, senior business manager of consumer desktops for Acer America. "Our newest all-in-one models feature an intuitive touch screen display for playing digital music, scrolling through images, browsing online recipes and viewing social networking sites. In addition, full HD performance heightens the visual excitement of movies and games."

AMD today announced revenue for the third quarter of 2011 of $1.69 billion, net income of $97 million, or $0.13 per share, and operating income of $138 million. The company reported non-GAAP net income of $110 million, or $0.15 per share, and non-GAAP operating income of $146 million.

"Strong adoption of AMD APUs drove a 35 percent sequential revenue increase in our mobile business," said Rory Read, AMD president and CEO. "Despite supply constraints, we saw double digit revenue and unit shipment growth in emerging markets like China and India as well as overall notebook share gains in retail at mainstream price points. Through disciplined execution and continued innovation we will look to accelerate our growth and refine our focus on lower power, emerging markets, and the cloud."

Acer's first Aspire One 522 netbook powered by AMD's low-power C-60 accelerated processing unit hit shelves in Europe. The Aspire One 522 was released in January, powered by other AMD APUs that aren't as power-efficient as the C-60. The AMD C-60 features two x86-64 cores clocked at 1.00 GHz, which can jump up to 1.33 GHz with TurboCore, and a Radeon HD 6290 graphics core that runs at 276 MHz, that can run at 400 MHz with TurboCore.

The Aspire One 522 is a 10.1-inch netbook with all the essentials you'd expect from a netbook from this category, plus the performance advantage AMD's APUs bring to the table over Intel Atom. Its LED-backlit screen features 1280 x 720 pixels resolution, the APU is backed by 1 GB of DDR3 memory, and storage is care of a 320 GB hard drive. Connectivity includes a web-cam, 10/100 Ethernet, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, and a 5-in-1 card reader. Display connectivity includes D-Sub and HDMI. A 6-cell battery powers the machine. It comes with Windows 7 Starter pre-installed. The new Aspire One 522 is priced at €279.

Acer America today debuts the Acer AC700 its first Chromebook in the United States and its first product running Google's Chrome-based operating system. The Acer AC700 ultraportable delivers blazing boot times and instant access to the Internet.

The first in a planned line of products that will utilize Google's Chrome operating system, the Acer AC700 Chromebook is ideal for savvy mobile consumers, educational institutions, and business people that spend most of their time on the Internet for cloud computing such as using web-based email, uploading photos to sites like Flickr and Picasa, and keeping up-to-date on the latest news and events. The new Acer AC700 provides WiFi connectivity, a sleek thin and light form factor, long battery life and excellent HD playback.

Acer America Corp. has unveiled its new M and X Series desktops and T231H 23-inch multi-touch display that offer more power, practical features and attractive new aesthetics designed to make a versatile addition to a home office, bedroom or dorm. Consumers wanting the power of a desktop and an intuitive touch screen display to serve as a hub for fun, productivity and entertainment will appreciate Acer's latest models.

Acer's refreshed consumer desktops tout a contemporary black design with smooth lines and a glossy finish. They're available in two sizes to address specific customer needs. The M Series is built for those wanting a powerful desktop with expansion. Offering plenty of room for upgrades, it's a workhorse to leverage for years to come. Sleek and compact, the X Series is designed for those looking to conserve space. Both desktops maximize desktop real estate, while providing all the essentials for personal productivity and digital entertainment. Acer's T231H monitor is an ideal companion for computers with Windows 7. Integrating Microsoft Touch Pack, it frees users from their mouse by enabling them to interact directly with the PC in an intuitive and fun way.

Acer America Corp. announced today that the slim and stylish Acer Revo RL100 media center is now available at leading technology retailers in the United States. A digital hub for a den or living room, it connects to a flat-screen TV and comes with a dual-mode wireless touchpad/keyboard for smooth navigation from the comfort of the couch. There are two models available, including one with Blu-ray.

Outfitted with Acer clear.fi, the Acer RL100 automatically interconnects all Acer home-based and mobile devices, including smartphones, making it easy to consolidate and share HD multimedia throughout the household. This means users can access HD movies and personal content from any Acer device in the house for enjoying on a big screen TV.

Acer has just placed an order for 80,000 pieces of AMD Z-series accelerated processing units. Based on essentially the same design as Fusion "Zacate", Z-series APUs are designed to have lower TDP and to be of higher quality, so they could be deployed in enterprise and IPC (industrial PC) environments. The AMD Z-01 is Acer's choice, this chip combines two x86-64 cores clocked at 1.00 GHz with AMD Radeon HD 6250 DirectX 11 compliant graphics, and a DDR3 memory controller. The TDP of the entire chip stands at 5.9W, it is built on the 40 nm process at TSMC.

Acer's first tablets based on AMD Z-01 will run Windows 7, since Android 3.0 (codenamed "Ice Cream Sandwich") is not going to be out any time before the end of 2011. Acer isn't the only big tablet-maker opting for AMD Z-series over Intel's Atom Pine Trail platform, MSI is also reported to be working on x86 tablets running AMD Z-series. Manufacturers are opting for Z-series over Pine Trail, because the latter has both higher price and TDP. With its relatively faster iGPU, Z-series should be able to drive graphics-intensive custom user-interfaces on tables sized up to 10.1-inches. Industry sources expect AMD to ship up to 500,000 units of the chip in the second half of 2011.

Acer America today elevates its highly-touted Acer Aspire TimelineX series notebooks with a new sleek and stylish, thin and light design complemented by long battery life and the latest technology and new entertainment features, including Dolby Home Theater v4 Audio. Models are available now in the United States.

The Acer Aspire TimelineX Series is a best-in-breed notebook line that combines performance and portability in an incredibly beautiful and refined form factor. The notebook's upscale look and feel centers around its uncluttered, elegant design. The notebooks have a clean layout with a large touchpad and chiclet keyboard to promote both enjoyment and productivity. Available in three sizes -- the 13.3-inch 3830T, 14-inch 4830T and 15.6-inch 5830T -- the designs measure about an inch thin and are very lightweight.

Acer unveiled its latest Aspire One netbook, the AAO Happy 2. Priced at the lower-end of the spectrum at 299 Euro, the AAO Happy 2 is an entry-level 10.1-inch netbook with conventional AAO styling, including the water-drop graphic. It is available in a variety of lid colors, including Banana Cream, Blueberry Shake, Papaya Milk, Strawberry Yogurt, as Acer puts them. It is driven by Intel Atom N570 (1 MB L2 cache, 1.66 GHz, DDR3 667 MHz, 8.5 W), or N455/N475 (512 KB L2 cache, 1.66/1.83 GHz, DDR3 667 MHz, 6.5 W) processor, with 1 GB or 2 GB of single-channel DDR3 memory.

The 10.1-inch screen provides resolution of 1024x600 pixels, and is LED-backlit illuminated. Storage is care of a 250 or 320 GB HDD, and a multi-format card reader. Connectivity is care of WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0+, and optional 3.5G HSDPA. A VGA webcam, and 6-cell 48 Wh 4400 mAh battery top up the list. The Acer Aspire One Happy 2 netbook starts at 299 Euro.

PC giant Acer is ready with a new uppish netbook, the Aspire One 722. This 11.6-inch nebook runs on AMD's Fusion C-50 accelerated processing unit (APU) clocked at 1.00 GHz, and embedding an AMD Radeon HD 6250 DirectX 11 compliant graphics processor. The 11.6-inch screen packs a decent resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. Most other features are identical to those of the Aspire One 522. The 722 feature an aquamarine color tone, with "drop ripple" design on its lid. Battery life is improved by an hour, now up to 7 hours on a full charge. Windows 7 Home Basic is the OS of choice. Price and availability details are not known.

Acer America Corp., the number one provider of 3D displays worldwide, today debuts its new Acer 3D Series Displays for customers in North America. The new 27-inch (HN274H) and 23.6-inch (HS244HQ) widescreen 3D LCD displays are the ultimate visual medium for enjoying the vivid realism and depth of three dimensional entertainment and learning.

The new 3D LCDs provide thrilling full HD 3D visuals via HDMI or DVI-DL to PCs, Blu-ray Disc Players, game consoles, cameras and 3D TV programming via a set-top box. Supporting the HDMI 3D solution, the displays deliver immersive 3D broadcasting, Blu-ray movies, gaming and photography. The solution is also ideal for schools, as education content providers create new 3D curriculum that makes learning more engaging.

Acer today announced that its much anticipated dual screen tablet, the Iconia-6120 Dual-Screen Touchbook is now available for pre-sale in North America. Providing a powerful, immersive touch experience like no other, it is the world's first and only tablet to offer two touch-enabled 14-inch high-definition widescreen LED backlit LCDs.

Intuitive to use and customizable to individual needs, it combines the power of Intel Core i5 processing with the familiarity of Windows 7, and is destined to change how people use technology to engage with the world. A winner of this year's prestigious "Last Gadget Standing" award at CES, the Iconia was noted for incorporating the best features of any notebook or tablet device.

Acer introduced two new B-series PC monitors that make use of vertical-alignment (VA) panel technology, and LED backlit illumination. The Acer B243HLCOymdr is a 24-inch model, while the B273HLOymidh is the 27-inch part. Both displays feature full-HD (1920 x 1080) resolution, and 100 million to 1 dynamic contrast ratio, providing a "zero bright dot guarantee". With 8 ms response time, the B243HLCOymdr is the snappier among the two, it features 250 cd/m² maximum brightness, and display inputs that include DVI and D-Sub; while the B273HLOymidh has 10 ms response time, 300 cd/m² brightness, and features HDMI input apart from D-Sub and DVI. The stands of both monitors allow rotating, tilting, height adjustment; the 24-inch model even allows pivoting. The Acer B243HLCOymdr and B273HLOymidh are priced at €249 and €399, respectively.

Acer made the PC monitor a little smarter by giving it PC functionality, without being a PC. The new DX241H "Web Surf Station" is a 24-inch full-HD monitor that has an in-built web-browser based on Google Chrome, and DLNA-based media player, that give users the ability to surf the web and access their media collection, without needing a PC. The monitor comes with a "Web Surf Station" remote that gives media controls, and a slide-out QWERTY keypad. The monitor can connect to the internet over wired Ethernet, a wireless network adapter can also be plugged in to the monitor's USB 2.0 ports. The monitor uses these USB 2.0 ports to access USB flash drives, external hard drives, and drive enclosures, or pretty much any media that uses the USB Mass Storage framework. A multi-format card reader is also included.

As a monitor, the DX241H is full-HD (1920 x 1080 pixels resolution), and uses a TN panel. It features 80,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 300 cd/m² brightness, fast 2 ms response time, and display inputs that include D-Sub and HDMI. It is available for pre-order in Europe, priced at €299.

NVIDIA today reported revenue of $886.4 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011 ended Jan. 30, 2011, up 5.0 percent from the prior quarter and down 9.8 percent from $982.5 million from the same period a year earlier.

On a GAAP basis, the company recorded net income of $171.7 million, or $0.29 per diluted share, compared with $84.9 million, or $0.15 per diluted share, in the previous quarter and GAAP net income of $131.1 million, or $0.23 per diluted share, in the same period a year earlier. GAAP gross margin was a record 48.1 percent compared with 46.5 percent in the previous quarter and 44.7 percent in the same period a year earlier.

Today at the Consumer Electronics Show, AMD launched a new class of accelerated processor that combines more compute capabilities than any processor in the history of computing. The AMD Fusion Family of Accelerated Processing Units (APUs) incorporate - in a single die design - multi-core CPU (x86) technology, a powerful DirectX 11-capable discrete-level graphics and parallel processing engine, a dedicated high-definition video acceleration block, and a high-speed bus that speeds data across the differing types of processor cores within the design. New generations of desktop, notebook and HD netbooks are now available based on AMD Fusion APUs at affordable price points. Tablets and embedded designs based on AMD Fusion APUs are expected be available later in Q1 2011. The new range of products features include stutter-free HD video playback, breakthroughs in computational horsepower to handle the most demanding applications, DirectX 11-capable graphics and all-day battery life.

Acer will be one of the first adopters of AMD's "Brazos" Fusion platform for its netbooks. The company is developing a new 10-inch Aspire One model, the Aspire One 522, which makes use of AMD Fusion C-50 "Ontario" dual-core processor clocked at 1.00 GHz, with TDP of under 9W, and AMD Radeon HD 6250 graphics embedded. The x86-64 processor cores are based on the "Bobcat" architecture, feature the latest instruction sets, while the graphics core supports DirectX 11 and UVD 3.0 video acceleration.

The 10.1-inch screen features a native resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, which can be extended onto a HDTV or a monitor using HDMI. Most other features including connectivity are similar to existing Aspire One netbooks. The battery can provide 6 hours of usage on full charge. Acer is expected to unveil this powerful netbook in early 2011.