An Atom with Oomph? Acer Announces AspireRevo Ion-Powered Mini Desktop

By Geoff Duncan Published April 8, 2009

An Atom with Oomph? Acer Announces AspireRevo Ion-Powered Mini Desktop

Intel’s Atom processor is the heart behind most netbooks on the market today, but (as any gamer or video fiend will tell you) the integrated graphics controller doesn’t offer enough horsepower for serious entertainment. Graphics developer Nvidia is looking to change that with its Ion platform, which grafts its GeForce 9400M graphics system onto the Intel Atom processor, with performance that the company says will bring gaming and high-definition video to Atom-powered PCs. Today at a press event in New York, Acer unveiled what may wind up being the first Ion-equipped Atom-based PCs that will reach consumers: its new AspireRevo mini desktop.

“The Acer AspireRevo is a bold new direction for the PC industry,” Acer said in a statement. “It is a compact, stylish, fully capable PC that uses less energy and provides a brilliant visual experience for daily digital life, games and even high definition video.”

Recommended Videos

The AspireRevo sports a compact desktop form factor (7.1 by 7.1 by 1.2 inches) that Acer claims marries the netbook and game console: under the hood, the AspireRevo sports the same 1.6 GHz Atom processor as a typical netbook, but also boasts Nvidia’s Ion graphics platform to drive external displays and televisions: the unit sports HDMI output and can handle 1080p high-definition video. The AspireRevo supports up to 4 GB of RAM and a 250 GB hard drive, VGA output, a 4-in-1 media card reader, gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, audio in/out, and support for up to six USB 2.0 devices. The unit also sports a VESA mount for popping the system onto a wall or the back of a flat-screen television, and Acer plans to ship the unit in various bundles, including ones that include game controllers with Wii-like 3D motion sensors that can be used as remotes as well as steering wheels, sports equipment, or (of course) guns.

Acer hasn’t said when it plans to ship the AspireRevo or what its price might be, but one thing seems pretty clear: it plans to ship the AspireRevo with Windows Vista, not Windows XP—that in itself would mark a new day in the world of Atom-powered systems.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Computing

The brain-computer interface revolution is just getting started

tech for change brain computer interface who its bxcxfghw

Whether it's jacking into the Matrix or becoming a Na'avi in Avatar, connecting brains to computers is a science-fiction trope that I never thought I'd see become a reality. But increasingly, BCIs (brain-computer interfaces) have become a serious area of study in research labs, rapidly advancing from research labs to real human trials -- perhaps most famously by the Elon Musk's company Neuralink.

While this promises individuals with disabilities a greater degree of freedom and control, along with potential applications in gaming and health care, significant technical, ethical, and regulatory challenges remain. But the more I dug into the topic, the more I found leaders and researchers rising to the occasion to lead us responsibly into the future of the this groundbreaking technology.
What is a brain-computer interface?
Alvin Lucier: Music for Solo Performer (1965)

Audio / Video

Cable labeling is pure chaos and it needs to stop

A selection of three USB-C cables being held in a hand.

There was a time in our digital lives when reaching for a cable was a straightforward affair. If we needed to connect a CD player to our amplifier, an optical cable was the right tool for the job. If we bought a new printer, a USB-A to USB-B cable of the right length would almost certainly guarantee success. Even in the early days of the HDMI cable revolution, connecting a Blu-ray player to a TV was a simple matter of finding the most affordable cable we could -- in the mid-2000s, I bought several $5 HDMI cables from Monoprice and they all worked just fine.

But the age of easy connectivity is now behind us, and every year it seems to get worse. As our devices become more capable, they place an increasing set of demands on the cables that connect them. And some of our existing cables -- and many we might buy in-store or online -- can’t meet those demands.

Computing

Everyone hates this AMD CPU, but I still use it in my PC

A small form factor build inside the Fractal Terra.

Gamers Nexus called it a "wasted opportunity." Hardware Unboxed declared it a "flop." Even in our own Ryzen 7 9700X review, I said the CPU doesn't have "enough meat on the bone to justify an upgrade." So, why does the Ryzen 7 9700X top the list of the best processors? And more importantly, why am I using one in my personal PC?

I'll do my best to answer these forced questions. The disappointment in the Ryzen 7 9700X isn't truly universal -- no opinions about PC hardware are -- but there's no doubt that it's the outcast in AMD's lineup of Ryzen 9000 CPUs. It's not great for gaming in the face of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, and you can save $50 to $70 with the Ryzen 7 7700X while getting largely similar productivity performance. But AMD's trusty little Zen 5 octa-core is still at the heart of my high-end gaming PC, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
A flexible little devil