Tag Archives: Acer

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Predator Launches the X38 S Ultrawide monitor – The Ultimate Desktop Set-up

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We have always maintained that a gaming monitor is the final piece of the puzzle when you put together a gaming set-up. A good portion of your budget, when building your rig, should always go to a good gaming monitor. A good gaming monitor can make or break your gaming experience, it is that important.

For gaming, you want something immersive, and fast. You want something that looks good as well in that sense. If you have something that does colours well, you might be able to rely on it for content work too, if you are into that kind of stuff. But finding a good balance in those areas are quite difficult. Not with the Predator X38 S.

The Predator X38 S

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Predator’s latest high-end gaming monitor followed a rather similar strategy as before. Pack the best of everything in an ultrawide form factor. For that, you get a rather vivid IPS panel that is curved to 2300R.

That IPS panel boasts UWQHD+ (3,840 by 1,600 pixels) resolution, just slightly more the regular ultra-wide QHD panels. It is also a higher resolution than before, this 37.5-inch curved panel. Still, IPS panels boasts up to 178o in viewing angles, so you would not be getting any sort of distortion anywhere you turn to anyway.

Predator has tuned the display to be as colour accurate as possible. It covers up to 98% of DCI-P3 colour gamut. It even has a Delta E<2 as well for colours so accurate you might have mistaken the images on your screen as the real thing. At DisplayHDR 600 and a maximum of 600 nits in brightness, images really come to live.

Of course, a gaming display must be a fast one. The NVIDIDA G-SYNC ULTIMATE display can be overclocked up to 175Hz refresh rate to not only ensure that images are tear free, but also silky smooth. It boasts a G-to-G response rate as low as 0.3 ms for almost instant responses between mouse clicks and action. There is even the NVIDIA G-SYNC Esports Mode that is designed to lower latency and improves details in dark scenes.

Of course, Acer’s most premium technologies to protect the eyes of its users are packed in with the Predator X38 S. LightSense and ColourSense automatically adjusts the screen’s brightness and colour temperature depending on the conditions around the display.

The Acer Nitro XZ342CUP

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If you feel like the Predator X38 S is a little too premium for your tastes, you can strain a little and go for Acer’s Nitro XZ342CUP 34-inch display. It features a QHD resolution at a regular 16:9 aspect ratio, which is still rather respectable. It is still quite a fast display at 144Hz refresh rate and 1ms VRB response time.

To ensure you get a tear-free gaming experience, the 34-incher offers AMD’s FreeSync technology. At the same time, Acer’s Flicker-less technology should keep images crisp and flicker free in any sort of conditions. There is also the Acer BluelightShield and ComfyView technologies to keep your eyes healthy.

Price and Availability

The Predator X38 S is now available for MYR 5,999. You can get your hands on one from Acer’s eStore, authorized retail partners nationwide, or official online stores on Shopee and Lazada. There are no colour options here, but at least the X38 S looks good in black.

The Nitro XZ342CUP is also now available in Malaysia. It will set you back MYR 1,799. You can find it in Acer’s eStore as well as official online stores on Shopee and Lazada. If you still prefer a physical buying experience, you can visit Acer’s authorized retailers nationwide for that. Again, there are no colour options here, just a regular black display with red coloured support pillar.

Computers, Gaming, Lifestyle, News

Predator Orion 3000 Launches in Malaysia – The Pocket Rocket is Here

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When we say Pocket Rocket, we do not mean that this desktop tower will fit in your pockets. Unless you have a pocket the size of a large shopping bag, you are not going to fit this tower in your pockets at all. What we are saying, in this case, is that the Orion 3000 that Predator just announced for Malaysia is a compact gaming PC that packs the power of a full tower with Intel’s 12th Generation Core processors.

The Predator Orion 3000

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To be fair, we would not call the Orion 3000’s chassis a Mini PC set-up. It is still a mid-tower PC with enough space within the chassis to fit even fit a water cooled AiO unit, if you really want to. Still, mid-tower is still the most popular form factor in the current desktop market.

The Predator Orion 3000 of course packs Intel’s latest 12th Generation Core i7 (up to) processor that is paired with NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3070 GPU (up to). You also get up to 16GB of DDR4 RAM. If you need more memory speed, the motherboard is also ready to take up to four DDR5 RAM sticks for up to 64GB in RAM. For storage, you get up to 1TB in the form of a PCIe NVMe SSD. If you want, you can even expand that with another M.2 SSD. There are also two additional SATA slots if you need even more storage.

Plenty of processing power also means that everything needs some sort of cooling. To keep everything in check, there are two 92mm Predator Frostblade 2.0 chassis fans to keep airflow optimized and all the hardware inside cool. You can even control the fans with PredatorSense that is built into the PC. Of course, PredatorSense also controls the RGB strips and fans.

The Acer Nitro 50

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The Predator was not the only tower than made the show floor though. Acer’s own gaming brand also made it to the show with the updated Nitro 50 gaming PC.

You still get a compact set-up that packs a lot of power. You get Intel’s 12th Generation Core processors on tap for the Acer Nitro 50. You also get NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER GPU. There is no ray tracing here, but the GPU is still powerful enough to run the latest AAA titles in good quality in Full HD resolution.

You can pair the processors with up to 8GB of RAM. Storage wise, you get up to 512GB of speedy SSD space. All of these are packed into an 18-litre chassis.

Price and Availability

The Predator Orion 3000 is now available at Acer’s eStore, and official stores on Shopee and Lazada. If you want, you can head over to any authorized retail partners nationwide to get it too. The Predator Orion 3000 will set you back MYR 6,499 onward. You can visit Predator’s website for more information on the Predator Orion 3000.

The Acer Nitro 50 will set you back from MYR 3,599. You can get your hands on one from Acer’s eStore and official stores on Shopee and Lazada. You can also get your hands on one from Acer’s authorized retail partners nationwide. More information on the Acer Nitro 50 can be found on their website.

Accessories, Computers, Consumer Electronics, Gaming, Lifestyle, News

The Predator Gaming Projector is Real! The GD711 is a 4K LED Projector Made for Gaming at up to 240hz! 

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When you want to buy a display for your gaming rig, you first look at the gaming monitors. Gaming monitors are so common these days that you can spend anywhere between a few hundred Ringgit to a few thousands and get yourself a ‘gaming monitor’ of some sorts. Of course, if you want a good one, you are going to have to splurge a little bit.  

There is a small problem though. The current biggest gaming monitor you can find on the market is no larger than 43-inches. If you want to go bigger, you are going to have to buy a TV, a 4K TV set that is not really made for PC gaming. Most of the time, these TVs are made for console gaming, which usually only tops out at 120hz refresh rate. 

What if you want to go bigger than regular TVs, since the largest TV in the current commercial market tops out at 86 inches? You buy a projector that can go up to 110 inches with little issues. There are even projectors that can do much bigger than 110-inch, but those are industrial type projectors. There is still another problem here. Projectors are never targeted for gaming.  

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Source: Acer

Not this one though, the Predator GD711 4K gaming projector. Yes, it tops out at 4K in resolution. At that, you do not get more than 60hz of refresh rate. Understandably, it does not have HMDI 2.1 to work with. But with gaming, refresh rate and frames per second (fps) is sometimes more important than resolution. That is why the Predator GD711 is made to refresh at 240hz in Full HD resolution.  

The best thing about having a projector is that you can get a large projection almost anywhere in your home. When you have friends over, you can get the screen to go as big as 300 inches. Imagine watching a good movie at 4K with that kind of size with your friends. You can even plug your consoles in and play multiplayer games at that with no fuss with that kind of real-estate. Acer recommends a throw range of 2.7m to get a 100-inch screen though.  

Projecting all the goodness from your PC or Consoles is an LED that is rated to last up to 30,000 hours with minimal drop in luminance. It is rated at 4,000 LED lumens, which is sort of equivalent to about 1250 ANSI lumens. We would say that at that brightness, you might want to think of using the projector in a slightly dimmed room.

Unlike traditional lamp though, LED projectors do boast much better colour reproduction. The Predator GD711 offers 125% of Rec.709 colour gamut coverage. You get sharp, vivid, and highly accurate colours with highly accurate details still. Even the blacks are going to be as black as your screen can be. On top of that, while you can hook it up to your sounds system, you can also rely on the 10W speakers of the GD711 if you plan on bringing it to your friend’s house or set it up in any other rooms in your house. You can even hook it up to a Bluetooth speaker if you want.  

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    Source: Acer
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The Predator GD711 4K gaming projector is now available at Acer’s very own online store and their official stores on Shopee and Lazada. You can also get your hands on one from Acer’s partner retailers nationwide. There are no colour options, like any other Predator products it comes in matte black. It also comes with a remote control, for you to also control its Aptoide OS built into the projector. The Predator GD711 retails at MYR 4,999, which is quite a lot of money for a projector. For a 4K projector though, and one that can refresh at up to 240hz, the price now looks more like a bargain. More information on the Predator GD711 can be found on their website.

Computers, Gaming, Lifestyle, News

Acer Launches the Nitro 5 for 2022 with Intel’s 12th Generation Core CPUs

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Acer’s Nitro 5 was always known for its strong value proposition and being the budget champion in gaming laptops. 2021 was a little bit of a turning point for the Nitro 5 though. It stopped becoming an entry-level option. You still can get the Nitro 5 with entry-level specs and a price to match, but the Nitro 5 expanded its option pool to hit the upper echelons of gaming with AMD’s Ryzen 9 and NVIDIA’s RTX 3080 bundle option. It was shocking to say the least, but a welcome.

Fast forward to 2022 though, there is a new Nitro 5 in town, and it looks good.

We start with what it packs. It is a 12th Generation Intel Core i7 (up to) that is paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti (up to). While it just stops shy from its higher-end cousin that tops out at an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, the RTX 3070 Ti is plenty powerful enough for any sort of gaming situations. You also get to pack it with up to 32GB DDR4 RAM and up to 1TB of SSD storage. There is an additional SATA slot to give users the option to upgrade the notebook with another SATA storage.

The powerful insides keep games running optimally at up to 165fps on the 165Hz refresh rate QHD display (up to). You can opt for a Full HD 144Hz display if you are on a budget. The display also boasts 100% of DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage which means that it is even more colour accurate than before. At the same time, if you are looking for a laptop for both work and play, especially if you are in the creative industry, the colour accuracy is what you want.

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Underneath the 4-zone RGB, Acer’s improved cooling system for the new Nitro 5 allows Acer to increase the maximum power draw of the GPU to extract even more performance and power from the GPU. At the same time, the Killer DoubleShot Pro wireless network module and WiFi 6E ensures that the Nitro 5 is always connected to the fastest available internet source.

The Acer Nitro 5 is now available from Acer’s own eStore, and official online stores on Shoppe and Lazada. You can also find the Acer Nitro 5 in Acer’s authorized retailers nationwide. It will set you back from MYR 4,399 all the way to MYR 8,699. For more information on the Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop, you can head to their website.

Computers, Gaming, Lifestyle, News

Predator Launches the Brand-New Helios 300 – 12th Generation Gaming is here!

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Gaming laptops today are wonderful things. They are still not as powerful as their desktop counterparts, but still, they come close enough today. Because gaming laptops today packing the kind of power they do, they become some of the most popular choices even for among the hardcore gamers.

Even in 2021, before Intel introduced their most powerful CPUs ever, gaming laptops were the in thing. The Predator Helios 300 of 2021, for example, was a potent machine that could really take your gaming to the next level, anywhere and anytime. It packed Intel’s 11th Generation CPUs with the latest generation NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series cards for the best-in-class performance. It is 2022 though and the world needs something new, something a lot more powerful.

Welcome to the 2022 version of the Predator Helios 300. To be fair, this product should not be entirely new to you. It was launched globally a while back at one Next@Acer conference. It finally hits the shores in Malaysia though.

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To recap, the new Predator Helios 300 is expected to be the weapon of choice for any sort of gamers everywhere. Its 15.6-inch display is a rather compelling one at QHD resolutions as well. It also boasts 165Hz refresh rate with 3ms response time for fast and smooth visuals in all sorts of gaming situations. At the same time, it is one display you can also rely on when you work with colour grading tools and editing tools with 100% of DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage.

Keeping the screen happy and maxing the 165Hz refresh rate, the Helios 300 now comes with Intel’s 12th Generation Core CPU (up to Core i7). You get to pair it up with up to NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3080 and 32GB of 4800MHz DDR5 RAM memory. While that may not sound like it will amount to too much of a performance gain compared to the older Helios 300, Predator has given it a treatment like no other to make it outperform the older laptop by a significant margin.

Instead of the traditional regular thermal paste to keep the CPU die attached to the heat transfer panels, Predator now uses liquid metal. That should also translate to better thermal transfer performance which should also directly translate to a bump in CPU performance. You also get the help of Predator’s 5th generation Aeroblade 3D which is redesigned for even better airflow without compromising noise and therefore better cooling.

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The overall improvement in cooling performance also allows Predator to also increase the power draw of the GPU to increase its performance. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti now draws up to 150W of power to really give games a punch. You can also monitor the temperature of the Predator Helios 300 with the proprietary PredatorSense.

Besides up to 2TB in SSD space, the Predator Helios 300 now comes with mini-LED RGB backlit keyboard, which is an upgrade over the older Helios 300. You also get WiFi 6E connectivity with Killer DoubleShot Pro for more stable and faster internet speeds. Of course, there is always a Turbo button for you to overclock the laptop and make it even faster.

The Predator Helios 300 is now available from Acer’s official stores on Shopee and Lazada. You can also head to Acer’s authorized retail partners to get your hands on one. There will be no other colour option for it, but it is still a good-looking laptop, especially with the new light bar at the bottom of the laptop. It will set you back MYR 7,999 onward and tops out at 11,999. For more information on the Predator Helios 300, you can visit their website.

Business, Computers, Editorial, Lifestyle, Mobile

[Editorial] Daily Driving the Chromebook Part 4 – It Can Be Done, at a Cost

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The past few weeks with the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 have been quite a journey. We got it at quite an opportune time as well. We got to be one of the first few people that managed to try Steam on Chrome OS. The experience, if you read our editorial last week, left quite a lot to be desired, to be fair. There was an inherent scaling issue, which would be quite expected since getting games to run on the Chromebook’s native resolution is problematic at the best of times.

This is the last part of the editorial series though, which we will sort of wrap-up the entire series. We will be summarizing our experience with the Chrome OS in the past four weeks with a video too, so do look out for that. But yes, all three parts of the editorial has been leading up to this – an answer to the question; “can the Chrome OS be a viable daily driver?”

There is no one simple answer to this question though. Choosing an operating system to work with is never a straightforward process. There is a lot to consider when you want to invest in a computing solution for your own personal use. You often must decide on a budget, you want to think about the main function of the device as well.

The More Budget Conscious Option

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Sure, compared to a Mac, any PC option looks like a budget option. When it comes to the world of the Chromebook though, its starting price is usually much lower than what you can expect even compared to a regular Windows PC. That makes the Chromebook, by default, the most budget friendly computing solution option.

A Chrome OS may not look as versatile as a Windows PC or a Macbook. You cannot expect it to game given its specs. Beyond that, it browses the internet just like your regular PC does. It processes through all your documents and even play music like any Macbook does too. It is a as versatile in most use cases as a MacBook or a PC at a fraction of the cost.

The requirements of Chrome OS are low in most cases too. You do not need an ultra-powerful set-up to get Chrome OS running nicely and smoothly. You can work with the most basic of specifications and still have a nicely functioning Chromebook with no fuss. You can still sort of play mobile games on it too, if you so wish to. That is why a basic Chromebook can be made so cheaply and is highly popular for young learners in school.

Versatile Worker

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You can work with Microsoft’s full 365 suite with Google Chrome browser. While some may see that as an inconvenience and downgrade, the web-based suite is closer in function and look to the full Windows/Mac version than what you get on the mobile version of the apps.

Microsoft’s 365 suite is not the only web app that works well for Chrome OS though. Tidal and Spotify works better on Chrome browser than their mobile app counterpart too in this case. The Chromebook is not meant to just run web-based apps though, it is also built so that the Android apps can also run on it.

In that sense, while there are plenty of Android apps that will not run on top of Chrome OS, many does as well. Adobe’s Lightroom for Mobile can work on the Chromebook, for example. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and even Sony’s Headphones app can run on the Chrome OS. For apps like Sony’s Headphones app, you get a full suite of control on whatever Sony audio device that connects to the Chromebook just like you do on your smartphone.

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You technically can even run mobile games on the Chromebook to a certain degree of success. Just remember that these games are designed with touch screen in mind, so you do want to use the touch screen functions that are in most Chromebooks for mobile gaming. Because the display is so expansive as well, you get to see everything down to their tiny details.

Because it is also effectively an Android tablet, many of the tablet applications can be scaled to the sizeable displays that Chromebooks usually come in. If you have a router that needs to be accessed with an app, for example, you can rely on a Chromebook and work on your router via the mobile app without going through too much of a hassle.

Not Really a Gaming Machine

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Source: Steam Addicts

Sadly, while there has been many rumours and hype surrounding Chromebook and gaming, there has not been any solid solutions for it. Steam is now on Alpha access for select Chromebook devices. That means that not everybody on Chrome OS gets access to Steam. We are lucky enough to have secured a unit that can support the Alpha version of Steam (Volteer).

The gaming experience, if you have read our previous editorial, is choppy at best. Sure, some games like Undertale should not take too much to run well. The scaling issue is something that is quite off-putting though.

The scaling issue does not just stop at Undertale too. It continues in titles like This War of Mine in our case. There is no denying that there is some potential to gaming on the Crhomebook, but for now it is just that, a potential.

The other option is to play mobile based games from Google’s Play Store. You can technically download games like Pokémon Unite and PUBG Mobile. We’ve only managed to play Pokémon Unite a few times with no issues. Most of the time the game failed to launch or just crashes halfway through matchmaking. PUBG Mobile should be quite an experience on the larger display. Unfortunately, the game will also assume that you are playing on an emulator and will only pair you with other players with emulators, so you technically will not get to play ever.

More like an Entertainment Powerhouse

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The unit we have is a versatile worker with a display that is also the envy of PCs at its price range. While the display’s aspect ratio is a little odd, it is still a brilliant display. If not, you still get plenty of Chromebook devices with at least 1080p Full HD display which would be more than sufficient.

With at least 1080p Full HD resolution, you get to enjoy plenty of Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, and even Amazon Prime Video. The Chromebook is prove that you do not need a high-end PC or TV to be entertained really, you have access to all of those contents and even more via the Chrome browser itself. You are technically doing the same thing with your regular PCs and Macbooks in this situation.

While the speakers are usually not great, you can easily get yourself decent Bluetooth speakers for not a lot of money. If you prefer an uninterrupted personal audio experience, there is the option of going for wired headphones or even Bluetooth headphones at that.

It Does Everything – So Why Not?

So, back to the question we first posed in the first part of our editorial; can the Chromebook be a proper workhorse? Can it be used as a reliable work device for the professionals? Can you call upon the Chromebook to be your trusted corporate device?

We want to say yes to all the questions we posed but take it with a pinch of salt. You cannot expect it to become your entertainment rig to game with. You cannot expect it to also be a workhorse that edits your videos too. You cannot have most of the apps and programs that you can get on Windows PCs and Macs.

But you can expect it to be reliable. You can expect it to work through the night with a single charge. You can expect the Chromebook to still work well outside of your workplace as long as you keep it charged.

Computers, Gaming, News

[next@acer] Acer Banks on Stereoscopic 3D Technology with SpatialLabs

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3D technology seems to have gone the way of the dinosaurs when it comes to TVs and monitors. However, Acer is looking to bring it back with a slew of new products and software built around SpatialLabs’ stereoscopic 3D technology. Of course, this isn’t their first foray into the space, they announced a SpatialLabs Edition of their ConceptD 7 creator laptop last year. This year, the company has already announced their new Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs edition which is poised to revolutionise gaming with stereoscopic 3D.

Acer SpatialLabs View & View Pro Displays

Joining this lineup of devices are two new displays equipped with 4K resolution and SpatialLabs technology. The new Acer SpatialLabs View and View Pro displays bring stereoscopic 3D mainstream and make them more accessible than ever before. The small, 15.6-inch form factor of both displays combined with the lightweight build makes them ideal companions for creators and even gamers looking for an enhanced experience.

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The SpatialLabs View and View Pro are also being geared for commercial use with organisations like the National Taiwan Museum to bring inanimate, ancient artefacts back to life. The small, portable form factor of the displays also allows it to be transported without much hassle to be used by designers to bring their renders beyond the display and for gamers to delve into the metaverse. The experience is enhanced with the 100% coverage of the Adobe RGB gamut.

One Click Stereoscopic 3D Gaming with TrueGame

Of course, with the rollout of two laptops and displays, Acer isn’t just leaving users in the lurches. In particular, when it comes to their recent announcement of the Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition, the company is bundling software that will allow users to experience stereoscopic 3D with a single click.

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Source: Acer

SpatialLabs TrueGame will take advantage of depth data already present in games to create a more immersive experience for gamers. This is possible as designers already design objects, characters and worlds in games with depth data. TrueGame uses this data to generate realistic, immersive worlds that revolutionise the gaming experience. The application will be launching with over 50 game titles that will have optimised profiles for a better stereoscopic 3D experience. There will be more profiles added as time passes.

That said, SpatialLabs TrueGame will be able to generate stereoscopic 3D for just about any 3D game. It’s as simple as launching the game with the TrueGame application. Once launched, SpatialLab’s technology takes over and generates the world in realistic, stereoscopic 3D.

Create in Native 3D and Transform 2D assets with SpatialLabs Go and Model Viewer

Together with TrueGame, Acer is also including SpatialLabs Go and ModelViewer in its SpatialLabs editions. Creators will be able to immerse themselves in their creations with Model Viewer while Go will allow them to bring 2D assets into the 3D space.

SpatialLabs Go utilises AI technology to generate stereoscopic 3D content from almost anything with the press of a button. It will be able to transform simple pictures into 3D experiences and even bring you into the world of The Wheel of Time and follow more realistically the adventures that occur there. It also brings 3D creation to the fingertips of those who have no experience in creating in 3D by turning pictures and videos into immersive 3D experiences.

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Source: Acer

With SpatialLabs Model Viewer, users will be able to all major file formats natively on the View Pro. This allows users to create with peace of mind as they show work on their creation or even show it off on the Acer SpatialLabs View Pro. The software is able to work with files created in programs such as Datasmith, Revit, Solidworks and Cinema4D. It even works with Maya and Blender allowing on the fly creation in both 2D and 3D.

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Acer is banking hard on stereoscopic 3D technology with these announcements and they look poised to be ahead of the game. While many others have tried and given up, the company is looking to bring a more immersive and realistic experience as the world braces itself for the advent of the metaverse.

Computers, Editorial, Gaming, Lifestyle

[Editorial] Daily Driving the Chromebook Part 3: The Entertainment Powerhouse 

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The last round of this editorial series we explored the working capabilities of the Chromebook. We also compared it a little bit to Android tablets to find that the Chrome OS is plenty robust as a tablet as well. There are some workarounds that we must get to while working with the Chrome OS remotely and even at home. But all is good, we are happy with it so far and it looks like we can live with it at work. 

There is an area where the Chrome OS lost out to both Apple’s MacOS and Microsoft’s Windows though. That area is gaming with the Chromebook. There is also a good reason we skipped entire weeks of the series. Steam has gone Alpha for Chrome OS. The bad news there is that not every Chromebook can support it. The good news is that the one we have, the Acer Chromebook Spin 713, can. So, we went on to try it out. 

Android Games on Chrome OS 

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Before we get to Steam, we do want to explore the native gaming capabilities of Chrome OS. There is no better way to do it other than through the Google Play Store, obviously. To be fair, while we did want to try the likes of PUBG Mobile or Mobile Legends Bang Bang, we only managed to download and install Pokémon Unite.  

At first it is a little odd, seeing a mobile game in a display that is many times the size of your smartphone. Playing it on a tablet is already a stretch, full screen on a laptop display is a whole other level. In this case we have a great 13.5-inch IPS display with a little over 2K resolutions on tap. 

The game looks vibrant and beautiful on the display with so many colours on offer. You can see that the game is not really meant to be on such a large display though with some pixels popping up. Still, the game is rather pretty on the laptop. 

The game is also made optimised for touch screens though, which also means you are also going to be using the touch screen control like you would on smartphones or tablets. Except, this thing weighs quite a lot more than a tablet, which also makes it a little unwieldy to play handheld. We put it on a table and turned it to a sort of tent, and off we go. 

Playing Android games on the Chrome OS is not perfect though. Most of the time, games developed for smartphones are optimised for a smartphone or tablet’s SoC. In this case, because the main hardware is a little different, the experience can be different. While Pokémon Unite works smoothly, and can be enjoyable for short periods of time, other games may not launch or might not even run properly. We ran into a problem trying to launch Pokémon Unite the first few times we tried running it. The issue resolved itself somehow and we got solid sessions out of it.  

Steam on Chrome OS? Really? 

Steam on Chrome OS is something that has been dreamt of for a while now. Ever since Chrome OS gotten mainstream, many have asked the question on whether Chrome OS can even be a proper gaming machine. Most of them packs good enough hardware to at least run non-triple AAA titles, so why not? 

The problem was, Steam was never available on Chrome OS before. Steam can run on most Linux interfaces though, with some tweaks. Even the upcoming Steam Deck is running on a version of Linux operating system. So why not on Chrome OS? 

The problem is more complex than it looks. You technically can port Steam to Chrome OS. You can also try running Windows games on the Chrome OS. But you are going to have to compromise on the experience.  

Before Steam was officially on Chrome OS (as we said, it is now on Alpha), the only workaround we saw to proper gaming with Steam on Chrome OS is to work with Steam Link. In that sense, you can technically play your PlayStation games on the Chrome OS with PlayStation’s Remote Play too. If not, the other alternative is cloud gaming, which we did not bother with. We did not try the PlayStation Remote Play too. 

We tried Steam Link with the Chrome OS though. We figured out how to hook up our PlayStation DualShock 4 controller to the Chromebook via Bluetooth. We installed  Steam Link from Google Play Store and we started gaming. 

First, Steam Link 

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As mentioned, Steam Link is like PlayStation Remote Play. You need to have a Steam account, a gaming PC with Steam running, the Steam Link app from Google Play Store, a good and stable internet connection, a game controller, and you are good to go. In the case of the Chromebook, you can even use your keyboard as the game input, if you so want. 

If you have used Steam Link on your Android smartphone, the experience on the Chrome OS is pretty much similar, albeit with a larger display available. Technically as well, with the Acer Chromebook 713, you get more resolutions to work with. Of course, the sort of resolution you get really depends on your host PC as well. In our case we successfully tested Need for Speed at 1440p resolution.  

There is a noticeable black bar, just because of the aspect ratio difference between the host PC and the Chromebook. It does not take away too much from the immersion or the gaming experience from the Chrome OS though. If you have a stable LAN connection on both devices, gaming on the Chromebook feels as natural as gaming on a proper gaming PC. In this case, you can easily pull up titles like GTA V, or Horizon Zero Dawn, use your Chromebook’s keyboard, attach a mouse device and play your games like they should be played. 

Then, We Tried Steam 

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Steam is technically still in its Alpha build for Chrome OS. To install Steam on Chrome OS takes a little bit of tinkering on Chrome OS’s settings itself. It required us to turn set the firmware settings to Developer Mode, which also means while you are getting the latest build of Chrome OS, there is a chance that it may be a little unstable.  

With a guide, the process is not too difficult as well, should be easy and quick enough to follow even for beginners. Still, you still want to be cautious to ensure you do not brick your device. As with anything that is experimental and in their Alpha builds, you want to take some caution. 

Once you get into the installation window though, the installation process feels and looks pretty much like you get on a regular PC. Even the Steam interface is exactly what you get on a PC, so you should be quite familiar with it. Of course, the difference is that you must start thinking about how much games you can install in the smaller storage space that the Chromebook has. In this case as well, we did not bother installing games like GTA V, because while the Chromebook might be able to run the game with little issues, you might not get a very good experience out of it. We stuck to Two Point Hospital, Undertale, and This War of Mine. 

Two Point Hospital launched, but it took a rather long time to do so. It also froze in the loading screen before it even gets to the main menu. After a while, it just crashed together with Steam. 

Then we tried Undertale which launched quickly. We could not get the window to resize or get it to post full screen to take advantage of the vast display of the Chromebook 713. The miniscule window means that we might not be able to enjoy the game very much, so we quit. 

This Was of Mine took a little longer to launch than Undertale. It works in the most part, but it did not offer very high FPS count. Graphics look good though, but because we tried to put the game to full screen, it got confused a little and the windowing messed up and we could not accurately click anything to play the game. It was bad, but there is potential to make the device enjoyable. 

The Other Stuff 

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Apart from gaming, the display is good for other stuff too. You can easily enjoy a good movie from Netflix or Amazon Prime Video if you so want to. You have the resolution, might as well put it to good use somewhere. At the same time, because they use clear glass on the display, colours pop and look rather vibrant. 

To be fair, it does not really matter what Chromebook you get, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and even Disney+ apps will easily work on them. If you prefer the web experience, just pop open Google Chrome and get to the said portals and you are good to go. The limitations are mostly on the hardware end, so it really depends on which Chromebook you got.  

For the Acer Chromebook Spin 713, while the display is gorgeous, the speaker experience is not the best. The dual speakers sound very tiny and unimpressive at all. We had to connect our Bluetooth speakers to it just to get a decent sound performance. That, or we resorted to using headphones. Since it is so similar to Android, you can even connect your wireless headphones and work with the accompanying smartphone app with it. The Sony headphones app is a good example of that.  

So, is Chrome OS a Valid Gaming Platform Now? 

While Steam Link ran nicely on the Google Chromebook, Steam itself is still a little choppy. Certain games might not launch at your first try. Some games will refuse to launch at all until you restart your Chromebook. Some of them launches, but never got anywhere past the loading screen. Their FPS count was rather low too when they launch (except for Undertale). In short, there is still a lot to do for the Chrome OS to be a gaming contender.  

More on Part 4 

We have covered the working and gaming aspects of the Chrome OS. So far, while we question the gaming aspect of it, we are sold with using the Chrome OS as an entertainment platform, especially when it comes to streaming contents. 4K contents, while a little over the top, shines on the display of this Chromebook. Yes, the speakers are not great, but that is a simple fix.  

We are quite sold with it being our primary remote working platform too. If you have read our part 2 of the editorial series, you would find that there are plenty of features on Chrome OS that could benefit a remote working environment. Phone Hub, while is not the most comprehensive phone companion app on a computing device, works well enough that it is currently, in our books anyway, the best Android companion app you can find today. The simplicity in its approach is also key to why we like it so much.  

In the next part of the editorial, we are wrapping up our entire month of experience with the Chromebook and the Chrome OS. We will tell you if the Chrome OS is worth a daily drive or not, in our books anyway. We will also break down things we like about the Chrome OS and things we do not like so much with the platform.  

In this case, stay tuned, maybe you might want to consider getting a Chromebook after this too. After all, it is the cheaper alternative compared to most Windows laptops packing the same hardware. In the meantime, let us know what you think about PC gaming on Chrome OS.  

Business, Computers, News

[next@acer 2022] The New ConceptD with the Power of Intel’s 12th Generation Core processor and NVIDIA RTX GPUs

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The creator space really took the center stage in the past two years. Brands started paying attention to powerful rigs that are built for content creation instead of pure gaming performance. To be fair, the requirements in the content creation industry and the gaming industry is not far off.

Content creation sometimes require power hungry rigs that can take a beating no matter what you might throw at it. There is a small difference between a rig that is made to game and a rig that is made for the professional content creators. The gaming rig holds no bars, it can be made to be as bonkers as your wild imagination takes you. The content creation rig must stick to a set of rules that allows it to match the ambience of the workplace. It also must be gracefully quiet while it does its thing in content creation. It also must be kept updated to go with the times, not in the interest of keeping up with appearances, more like cutting down their timelines and optimising workflow.

Welcome to the 2022 variants of the Acer ConceptD devices that should do just what is required of the content industry. Since Acer is big on eco-friendliness now, optimising workflow will also lead to a more efficient energy usage, thus saving energy and resources. With the new, more powerful than ever 12th generation Intel Core powerhouses and NVIDIA’s proven RTX GPUs, it is possible.

Acer’s ConceptD 5 Series – Versatility at its Best

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We start with the laptops. It should naturally be one of the most popular options for the world that is obsessed with remote working and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) workplaces. The ConceptD 5, in its previous form, is the most versatile content creation notebook in ConceptD’s vast line-up.

The ConceptD 5 and ConceptD 5 Pro of 2022 follows that versatile recipe that worked before. That is why you get a more expansive display at 16-inch. Instead of the usual 16:9 aspect ratio though, you get 16:10 for slightly more real estate in your work interface.

You get to spec it up with up to a 12th generation Intel Core i7-12700H processor with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti GPU. If you opt for the Pro variant, you can choose up to NVIDIA’s RTX A5500 GPU for good measure, especially when you are working with 3D workflows. With up to 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage space, your workflow should also be left uninterrupted no matter what you are doing. They say that the ConceptD 5 and ConceptD 5 Pro is designed to work with 6K resolution video workflows with no fuss.

When we say no fuss, the ConceptD is really designed munch out demanding work without breaking a sweat. With Their new Vortex Flow technology, the ConceptD 5 and ConceptD 5 Pro keeps itself cool without ever hitting 40db in fan noise, even when it spools up to its maximum speed.

Of course, a powerful internal should also be paired to an equally capable display for the professionals. For that, you can spec the ConceptD 5 series laptop with a WQUXGA (3,840 x 2,400) display at 16-inch. It is also an OLED display that covers up to 100% in DCI-P3 colour gamut with a ΔE<2 colour calibration. Colours do not only pop, its ultra-accurate as well with HDR capabilities and PANTONE certification at 400 nits of brightness.

It also packs HDMI 2.1 port to fit all sorts of modern displays. For the convenience of content creators, there is an SD card reader, a full one, not the MicroSD type. The ConceptD 5 series laptops also come with a Thunderbolt 4 port and a modern USB Type-C port for even more flexibility in terms of display and storage.

Acer’s ConceptD 500 Tower – Power, Power, Power

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A laptop’s performance is always compromised though in favour of portability and versatility. For raw processing power, a desktop tower should always be the weapon of choice. That is what the Acer ConceptD 500 is for.

While it is a powerful, it is not bulky at just about 20L. Within the svelte exterior is a rather powerful 12th Generation Intel Core i9 on tap, currently the most powerful CPU you can find in Intel’s line-up. On top of the powerful CPU, you can choose between a powerful NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 or even an NVIDIA RTX A4000 for more 3D focused workflows.

Because there is more physical real estate within the enclosure of the tower, you can opt for up to 4TB of SSD storage and an additional 4TB of HDD storage to be used as a backup drive. At the same time, you can spec the PC with up to 128GB of RAM for good measure, especially when 3D rendering is concerned. If you need to transfer files between it and a shared server storage, the 10GBps port should do the trick.

Like the powerful laptop, the ConceptD 500 is also designed with subtlety in mind. It is designed to operate in ‘library quiet’ environments. Even at full chat, the 20L tower is still operating at below 40db leves.

Acer’s ConceptD 100 – Power, But Compact

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Space can be a constraint for the modern content creator though. After all, real-estate is a premium these days and offices are getting smaller and leaner. For this environment, you need a compact PC, something that fits in a 10L case and still perform like a beast when it needs to. That is the ConceptD 100.

While you do not get Intel’s top end performer, you still have a lot of power in Intel’s 12th Generation Core i7. If you are on a budget, the Core i5 is still a good option too. With the powerful CPU, you get to choose between an NVIDIA T400 or T1000 GPU, both are highly capable GPUs designed for 3D workflows.

You can get up to 128GB of RAM at fast 3200Mhz memory and up to 2TB HDD. For quick workarounds and optimised workflow, there is also a 2TB SSD (up to) on tap. It is also still versatile with a USB Type-C port with up to 10GBps data transfer speeds for good measure.

Of course, like any good ConceptD product, it is quiet. It is designed to work at less than 40db even at full chat.

Price and Availability

The ConceptD 5 will be available in the EMEA region September 2022 onward starting at EU€ 2,599 (MYR 12,114). The 20L ConceptD 500 tower will set you back EU€ 1,199 (MYR 5,587) onward September 2022 onward as well. At the same time, the ConceptD 100 will be available for EU€ 999 (MYR 4,656). There are no colour options for the ConceptD devices, they all come in the signature creamy white colour scheme that has been associated with the brand since its inception, except for the ConceptD laptop that comes in grey. These availability dates are also an estimation for the EMEA regions. There is no confirmation on local availability and pricing yet.

*Approximately based on the exchange rate of EU€ 1 = MYR 4.66 as of 23/05/2022 on xe.com

Computers, Lifestyle, News

[next@acer 2022] The Chromebook Spin 714 and Chromebook Tab 510 Announced – The Better Chromebook Got Better

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The Chrome OS is seeing a sort of resurgence lately. This has nothing to do with our very own editorials regarding the hardware that is the Chromebook Spin 713 though. It was not entirely because of the whole pandemic situation either that saw the drastic spike in demands for PCs, Macs, and Chromebooks. It was more because the Chrome OS is a genuine choice in the computing world now.

What is there not to like? They are cheaper than their Windows counterparts. Chromebooks comes in all shapes and sizes that are mostly thin and light. They are also very simple to operate with and works well with your smartphone.

Acer’s Chromebook Spin 713 was one of the most premium Chrome OS alternatives that you can find in the market. The convertible also featured a very heavy-duty construction with MIL-STD 810H certification. It is also one of the most powerful Chromebooks you can find in the market currently. So powerful in fact that you can technically play games on it with Steam’s Alpha build. We will be going through that soon.

Of course, when Acer says there is a new one, we are naturally excited. Welcome to the Acer Chromebook Spin 714. To be fair though, there are actually little differences between the new premium Chromebook compared to the older one.

Acer Chromebook Spin 714

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The Chromebook Spin 714 followed the recipe that was the Chromebook Spin 713. There are small design differences that makes the new one stands out just a little more with some subtlety as well. It is striking yet understated, we like it. Of course, you still see the Chromebook branding that is expected of any Chromebook.

It now comes with a 14-inch display with 100 sRGB colours. The slightly larger display boasts either a WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600) or WUXGA (1,920 by ,1200) resolutions. Instead of the older 3:2 aspect ratio, it is a more regular 16:10 display. The panel is still protected by Corning’s Antimicrobial Gorilla Glass. The glossy finish also helps with clarity and vivid colours of the display.

The webcam that comes with the new Chromebook Spin 714 is not a regular 720p webcam that most Windows PCs come with. Instead, you get a premium Full HD webcam experience with the Chromebook that should be a large improvement over most Windows laptops. At the same time, there are two microphones flanking the webcam for better voice capturing for a much better video conferencing experience.

Of course, the 2022 model of Chromebook packs a modern powerhouse in Intel’s 12th generation Core processors (up to Core i7) that now takes advantage of the big-small architecture that is made popular in smartphones. It could also mean a huge boost in terms of performance for the Linux based interface. It is also an Intel Evo certified platform, just to make the deal sweeter.

It also packs all the modern gizmos you can ask for in a modern laptop. You get WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, backlit keyboard, DTS Audio, full-sized HDMI port, and two Thunderbolt 4 ports (USB Type-C) for extra versatility. You can even opt for a fingerprint sensor for fast and secure logins.

Acer Chromebook Tab 510

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While the military standard build of the Chromebook Spin 714 may mean that it’ll survive hard knocks and drops, it may not fit in well in rough environments on the field. It might be a little cumbersome too. That is where you have the Acer Chromebook Tab 510 Chrome OS tablet. You can even opt it with LTE connectivity as well, if you are constantly on the field.

It is a much more compact device with a 10.1-inch IPS display. The panel boats WUXGA (1,920 by 1,200) resolution with 16:10 aspect ratio. It is also protected by Corning’s Antimicrobial Gorilla Glass to not just protect from bacteria and germs, but also from scratches and bumps it might face in the field.

Powering the tablet is a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 Compute Platform system on a chip (SoC). Because it is an SoC with built in modem, you get to opt for an LTE enabled version to keep you going in the field without WiFi. At the same time, the efficiency of the SoC means that the tablet can go on up to 11-hours in continuous use from a single charge. You also get a 5-Megapixel front facing camera and 8-Megapixel rear camera for all kinds of work needs.

The entire tablet is built with durability and ruggedness in mind. It is of course certified with MIL-STD 810H standards. The chassis is built to withstand high impacts. It is reinforced and comes with shock-absorbing corner bumpers just to ensure that it can stand the impact of being dropped from 122cm.

Price and Availability

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 will be available starting August 2022 at US$ 749.99 onward. There will be an enterprise edition of the Chromebook Spin 714 too available starting August 2022 at US$ 1,099.99. The Acer Chromebook Tab 510 will be available starting July for US$ 399.99.

All the new Chromebooks comes with USI stylus support. Unfortunately, the styli are not included with the new Chromebooks. There are also no mentions on its official availability and pricing for the local market currently. More information on the new Chromebooks can be found on their website.