Aspire Gemstone 8920G:Acer releases new High end Blu-Ray Laptop

Acer on Wednesday launched a premium entertainment notebook with a high-definition display and optional Blu-ray disc drive, challengingHewlett-Packard and Dell. for the high end of the mobile computer market.

The Aspire Gemstone 8920G is the first of what the company is calling its "Blue" series, which refers to the notebook's blue, black, and silver color scheme and interior/exterior lighting effects. Within the stylish design, Acer has added a variety of entertainment features that would appeal to people looking for more than a business notebook.
Breaking away from traditional laptop design, the new model will feature a touch sensitive media console, called "CineDash", that according to Acer allows you to "manage entertainment in seconds, as well as navigate menus, adjust volume and control media on the fly."

The laptop will also be one of the first laptops to offer an unconventional 16-inch screen size to benefit from 16:9 ratio widescreen movies. Purchasers will be able to chose from a Full HD CineCrystal LCD panel with 1920x1080 resolution or a HD CineCrystal LCD screen at 1366x768 pixel resolution, 8ms response time and native 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio.

The new product has an 18.4-inch footprint that includes a high-definition liquid-crystal display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. Powering the machine isIntel ( Centrino-brand mobile platform, comprising a Core 2 Duo processor and PM965 Express Chipset. The notebook also comes with built-in Wi-Fi support.The 8920G is available with up to two 320 GB hard disk drives, and a high-definition Blu-ray disc drive. A standard DVD drive is also available. In addition, buyers can choose between an Nvidia GeForce 9650M GS or 9500M GS graphics card. Both support HD content and Microsoft's DirectX 10 graphics technology, which is exclusive to Windows Vista.

The notebook also includes an integrated TV tuner, six integrated speakers, and support for Dolby Home Theater sound technology. In addition, there's a touch-sensitive media console for navigating menus and adjusting volume without going through the standard Windows menu.The Aspire 6920 also features an HDMI port with HDCP support, Dolby Home Theater technology including CineSurround, Tuba CineBass booster, and True5.1 output plus a specially crafted tube-style Acer Tuba CineBass subwoofer that exceeds 10 Watts.

Other specs include a 320GB HDD, a 6-in-1 card reader that supports the most common card formats, and a TV Tuner for digital television on some models. The Aspire notebooks come with Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate or Windows Vista Home Premium pre-installed. Prices are yet to be confirmed in the UK with Acer deciding to wait a week before letting us know. We will keep you posted