Acer has not exactly been known as a gaming company, and its previous attempts at gaming PCs and laptops had a lukewarm reception from the public. The company promised to change that, and to that end it announced five new products to kick off its new Predator gaming lineup. The initial products cover different types of gamers with a dedicated gaming tablet, two laptops, a desktop PC, and a curved monitor with G-Sync. With the exception of the monitor, the other products in the Predator series currently don't have a name.
The 8-inch tablet supposedly runs on Android. It features front and rear cameras, a headphone jack, and a micro SD slot for storage. The front of the tablet also features four speakers, one apiece located at each corner. The back consists of hard rubber and a semi-gloss metal. The "Predator" name on the back is surrounded by a brushed aluminum finish.
The tablet wasn't as heavy as I expected, and when holding it lengthwise, my hands wrapped around the corners next to the speakers. It's an interesting path for Acer to take, as a dedicated gaming tablet is rarely seen in the market.
For laptops, Acer created a 15- and 17-inch version. Ports include HDMI, DisplayPort, four USB 3.0 and one USB Type-C port.
An optical drive is located on the left side, along with an SD slot and headphone and microphone jacks, and a speaker is located at the front. The keyboard includes five macro keys on the left side and a dedicated button to turn off the touchpad if you're using a mouse. Cooling is always an issue with gaming laptops, but Acer claimed to solve the problem by adding huge grills at the back of the laptop.
To complete the set, Acer also revealed a desktop gaming PC. The design seems evocative of Alienware, with the entire case consisting of a matte finish, with the front jutting out in the middle. On one side is a mesh grill with the large "Predator" name and logo placed in the middle. The front also includes two USB ports, an SD slot, and microphone and headphone jacks.
The last product in Acer's new gaming lineup is a 35-inch curved monitor with G-Sync called the Predator Z35. It features a 21:9 aspect ratio and a refresh rate of 144 Hz. Sound is provided by nine 9W speakers. The rear contains a multitude of inputs, including four USB 3.0 ports, an optical digital audio port, one USB 2.0 port, LAN, two HDMI ports (one with MHL), and a DisplayPort In and DisplayPort out.
The monitor is the first of the Predator series to hit the market, which will be sometime in Q2. The tablet is up next in Q3, along with the Predator desktop PC. The laptops will be the last ones to come out, with a release date in Q4.
Unfortunately, there aren't many details yet about any of the products, other than the Z35. They were all mock-ups of the finalized design, but Acer will reveal more detailed specs and pricing during Computex later this year. (And yes, you can bet that we'll be there.)
Even without finalized details, Acer's Predator series is a show of force. With a wide variety of gaming products, Acer is trying to grab a large gaming audience, from the casual gamer who plays during their work commute to the hardcore gamer who plays for hours on end at home.
Update, 4/23/15, 3pm PT: Added more images.
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