Acer at Computex 2012

Android's had a quiet showing here at Computex Taipei, but Acer just snuck out a new product that could well represent a breakthrough for the platform at large. The Iconia Tab A110 is at the company's booth without much fanfare, and on the face of it isn't particularly interesting — a 7-inch tablet with Android 4.0 that's powered by an Nvidia Tegra 3 processor. However, we spoke to an Acer representative who said that the A110 would be positioned as the company's main low-end device when it's released in the third quarter of the year, and that it will cost less than $200. If true, the aggressive pricing means it could well be the first beneficiary of Nvidia's $199 Kai program, though the representative wasn't able to comment on this.

We've heard a lot of rumors about inexpensive Tegra 3 tablets since first laying eyes on Asus's Eee pad MeMO ME370T at CES, not least the one about a Google Nexus device in the same price and specification range as this new Acer slate. After using the A110 for a while, we'd say that you'd certainly get value for your money — its Ice Cream Sandwich skin is almost free of customization besides the green shortcuts dot next to the on-screen buttons, and it performed pretty well in a Quadrant benchmark with a score just short of the Asus Transformer Prime. It's a little thick at 11.4mm, and the screen's viewing angles aren't so impressive, but next to a Kindle Fire at the same price point we know which one we'd choose.

Two months ago, we reviewed the Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra M3-581TG, a 0.78-inch thick laptop that (properly configured) could play Battlefield 3. If you went out and tried to buy one, though, you were probably out of luck, because Acer decided never to launch the laptop outside of its native Asia. Why? The company was waiting to introduce the Ultra M5. It's the spitting image of its 15.6-inch predecessor, to the point where you'd swear it sprung from the same mold, but this 15.6-inch laptop has far more solid construction.

Acer is unveiling its first Windows 8 collection at Computex and Taipei, and while it’s showing off some other, non-traditional designs, its Aspire S7 aluminum ultrabook is quite a looker. The 1080p touchscreen laptop is coming in two sizes — 13.3 and 11.6 inches — and Acer is quoting 12 and 9 hours of battery life, respectively. Other details are light, but Acer is adding a glossy layer of glass to the outside of the 13.3-inch machine’s aluminum lid. It seems like the company is tempting fate a little by putting glass on the laptop's exterior, but the "trendy and elegant appearance" must be worth it.

Acer says the 11.6-inch S7 is "the world's smallest form factor ultrabook with touch," measuring a scant 12mm thick (the 11.6-inch MacBook Air is 11.8mm, for comparison). Both laptops fold open to 180 degrees, making them easy to lay flat on your conference room table. The S7 will be available for between $999 and $1799, depending on your configuration.

Acer has just unveiled its Windows 8 lineup at Computex, among them the seriously attractive 10.1-inch Iconia W510 tablet. We're a bit light on details as of now but here's what we do know. The W510 is a convertible, full HD touchscreen, IPS display tablet with three different use "modes," including standard tablet style, docked with its detachable keyboard, and rotated 295 degrees from the dock in "presentation mode" which Acer showed off with a PowerPoint presentation on stage. With the keyboard docked Acer says the tablet can see up to 18 hours of battery life.

From a chart shown at Acer's press conference, it looks like the Acer Iconia W510 will run from $599 to $799 when it becomes available.

It looks like the Acer Iconia W700 will run from $799 to $999 and will also have an optional keyboard when it hits shelves. We'll update with more information as it becomes available.

Update: See our hands-on pictures and video below! Acer isn't really discussing specs yet, but this isn't an ARM slate. There's an Intel Ivy Bridge processor under the hood, and there's a Thunderbolt port on the left side, right above the miniature HDMI jack.