Acer Aspire iDea 500 wins Best Choice Award at Computex 2006

Transforming the world of convergence and digital home entertainment

TAIPEI, TAIWAN (6 June, 2006) - Acer breaks down yet another barrier between technology and people with the Acer Aspire iDea 500, a genuine transformation in the way Media Center PCs can and should be conceived. The Aspire iDea 500 has also been selected a winner of the Computex Best Choice Award that decides on Taiwan's best IT product in the overseas markets, and is one of the most important events at Computex each year.

Designed as a complete digital entertainment system, the Aspire iDea is clearly intended to bring the computer closer to the needs and expectations of the growing number of home users looking for an easy-to-use instrument that delivers seamless digital convergence and a truly captivating entertainment experience.

The Aspire iDea defines a new era of stylish home entertainment. With overall dimensions of just 430 (W) x 335 (D) x 70 (H) mm, the beautifully sculpted Aspire iDea has a truly stunning profile, combining cutting-edge precision and timeless quality in an ultra-low-profile form designed to enhance the most sophisticated living rooms.

The Aspire iDea harnesses the latest low-power consumption technology, transforming the bulky home computer into a stunning entertainment device. Powered by Intel® Core™ Duo processor running on Intel® Viiv™ compliant chipsets with support for High Definition, Dolby® Digital Live and DTS Connect, and combined with 1024 MB up to 2 GB of DDR II system memory the Aspire iDea is as sleek as it is powerful.

The use of low-power consumption electronics ensures that the Aspire iDea has a particularly low noise floor of just 23 dBA when idle (28 dBA heavy load), making it almost inaudible in the home environment and quite unlike any other Media Center PC that has come before.

Fully compliant with the latest Intel® Viiv™ Technology and preinstalled with the latest version of Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 the Aspire iDea provides a captivating way for users to enjoy, manage and share digital content and provides instant access to the unlimited potential of the rapidly developing online entertainment universe.

The Aspire iDea offers enough digital storage for even the biggest of families. Every home has its own rapidly growing and uniquely individual collection of digital photos, music and video files that can be easily stored on up to 500 GB hard disk. For even greater versatility, the Aspire iDea comes with a built-in slot-loading DVD-SuperMulti that can burn up to 8.5 GB of your favorite digital moments at the click of a button together with a 8-in-1 card reader for instant access to multiple types of storage media.

The Aspire iDea features up to two hybrid mini-PCI TV tuner cards for simultaneous viewing and recording of digital or analog off-air TV signals. The antenna/cable In and Out jacks guarantee effortless integration into home theater systems, while keeping set up and recording simple and trouble free.

The Aspire iDea is also one of the first ultra slim Media Center PCs to feature an HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) output. HDMI provides a simple and highly effective way to transfer extremely high-quality video and audio signals through a single cable, making the Aspire iDea the perfect companion to HD-ready televisions and modern entertainment systems.

In addition to a complete range of connectivity options including DVI-I, three AV-input ports, an FM antenna input, and 2 IR Blaster ports, the Aspire iDea features 7.1 (8 channel) analog audio processing with S/PDIF support for digital audio, 4 USB ports (two front mounted) and IEEE1934 for digital camera and video devices, making it the ideal way to introduce the home entertainment system to the world of digital interactivity.

The Aspire iDea connects wirelessly to the home network through the integrated 802.11b/g mini-PCI card with external antenna, providing non-stop access to the increasingly rich sources of online entertainment. Where wireless connectivity is unavailable, the Aspire iDea can also be connected directly to the home LAN through the integrated Gigabit Ethernet card. And an easy-to-read VFD display on the front panel shows the status of the current running applications.

The Aspire iDea comes with a Microsoft® Media Center Edition compliant Remote Control and wireless keyboard with integrated pointing device that uses 2.4GHz RF to ensure complete control of the many options available from anywhere in the room.

The Best Choice Award was initiated to encourage technological innovations in Taiwanese IT industry. The award has established itself with high reputation in the industry and has become the focus of attention of the global industrial community. Experts and scholars from the government, the academic circles and with the industry take part in the selection process, granting awards for products that must undergo numerous tests.

Computex Taipei 2006 runs from 6~10th June, it is Asia's most influential global IT event. Acer' s booth is located in Hall 2, booth F137. 

For product specifications and availability, please contact your nearest Acer branch office. Acer's contact information may be found on http://www.acer.com.

 

Back to news listing


About Acer
Since its founding in 1976, Acer has constantly pursued the goal of breaking the barriers between people and technology. Focused on marketing its brand-name IT products around the globe, Acer ranks as the world's No. 3  vendor for total PCs and No. 2 for notebooks, with the fastest growth among the top-five players. A profitable and sustainable Channel Business Model is instrumental to Acer's continued growth, while the successful mergers of Gateway and Packard Bell complete the company's global footprint by strengthening its presence in the U.S., and enhancing its strong position in Europe. Acer Inc. employs 5,000 people worldwide. 2007 revenues reached US$14.07 billion.

Contact:
Stella T.H. Chou, Henry Wang
PR, Branding Division
8F, 88, Sec.1, Hsin Tai Wu Rd., Hsichih,
Taipei Hsien 221, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Tel: 886-2-8691-3204/1046
Fax: 886-2-8691-3262
E-mail: Stella_th_chou@acer.com.tw  Henrywang@acer.com.tw

Media Enquiries
To request an interview, product for review or other information, select your desired brand to find the contact information of the nearest branch office to you.