Acer and Other Manufacturers Turn to Android for More Than Just Tablets
Lest Microsoft has any intentions of sweeping the criticisms over Windows 8 under the rug, the Redmond outfit may want to take a long, hard look at what its hardware partners are up to these days. Acer, for example, will test the market with a multi-touch all-in-one (AIO) system running Android.
Realistically, Android isn't at a point where it can truly challenge Windows on the desktop, but you have to start somewhere, right? The system Acer is selling (model # DA220HQL) rocks a 21.5-inch Full HD 1080p (1920x1080) display, Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 dual-core ARM Cortex A9 processor clocked at 1GHz, 1GB of DDR3 memory, 8GB of internal storage, front-facing camera, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, micro USB 2.0 port, micro HDMI output, memory card reader, and built-in speakers.
That's not exactly a dazzling spec sheet, though with an MSRP of $480 and a street price in the neighborhood of $425, there's a good chance it will find some buyers. The good news for Microsoft is that Windows 8-based systems are coming down in price, too, and with the recent launch of Haswell, there's a bit of renewed excitement in the PC space.
Realistically, Android isn't at a point where it can truly challenge Windows on the desktop, but you have to start somewhere, right? The system Acer is selling (model # DA220HQL) rocks a 21.5-inch Full HD 1080p (1920x1080) display, Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 dual-core ARM Cortex A9 processor clocked at 1GHz, 1GB of DDR3 memory, 8GB of internal storage, front-facing camera, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, micro USB 2.0 port, micro HDMI output, memory card reader, and built-in speakers.
That's not exactly a dazzling spec sheet, though with an MSRP of $480 and a street price in the neighborhood of $425, there's a good chance it will find some buyers. The good news for Microsoft is that Windows 8-based systems are coming down in price, too, and with the recent launch of Haswell, there's a bit of renewed excitement in the PC space.
