As tipped by SmartHouse two months ago, Acer has unveiled an Aspire netbook that dual boots Google Android and Windows 7. The company has also overtaken Dell globally in the PC market however, in Australia they are refusing to comment on their local performance or the availability of the new notebook.
At a presentation in London, Jim Wong, senior corporate vice president of Acer said “Why are we introducing a dual OS? You want to enjoy fast boot and fast power off, almost instant on. Real mobile internet should be at your fingertips – [the new Aspire] takes 30 seconds to power on from cold boot, three seconds to switch off.”
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Explaining the company’s decision to go with Android, Wong explained, “user demand is not there for [other versions of] Linux [… but] we never give up. We adjust. We introduce Android with the Windows OS, and why Android? Because it has the best connectivity built into the OS. We believe Android will solve [Linux’s] problems with connectivity.”
He said that the Aspire One AOD250 offers one-click switching between the operating systems for “instant on” Internet access claims Acer.
“The Android operating system and the Aspire One netbook is an ideal combination for end users that require a highly mobile device for data consumption,” Sumit Agnihotry, VP of product management for Acer, said in a statement. “The unique dual-boot OS on the new Aspire One ensures users fast connections.”
Dual-boot laptops were a highlight of this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Lenovo and Sony are among the vendors offering mobile PCs that can load a Web browser and other applications in 10 to 20 seconds.
The AOD250 has a 10.1-inch screen and an Intel Atom N280 processor. The mini-laptop weighs less than three pounds and comes with 1 GB of system memory, built-in Wi-Fi, a 160-GB hard drive, and a multi-gesture touch pad. The latter lets users scroll, zoom in and out, and flip through Web pages, photos, and spreadsheets.
The system also has a built-in Webcam and microphone and integrated Bluetooth for wireless connections to mobile phones, printers, and other devices. The netbook also has three USB ports, a six-cell battery, and is available in several colors: red, black, blue, and white.
In other news, Acer is now second only to HP in global market share, according to recent quarterly figures from IDC. It’s overtaken Dell, whose sales dwindled 8.4 percent in the most recent quarter. Acer has leveraged recent acquisitions to strengthen its distribution, and it aggressively attacked the netbook market just as demand was gearing up.
As global PC shipments rose 2.3 percent year over year in the third quarter, Acer took the No. 2 spot in PC sales worldwide, according to market research firm IDC.
That pushed Dell into third place; market leader HP, maintains its commanding lead.
In Australia, Acer is refusing to comment about recent recall problems or the new netbook.
