Acer Introduces First Sub $1K Laptop Featuring Intel Centrino Mobile Technology

July 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Acer America Corporation, one of the leading worldwide suppliers of personal computing solutions, today announced the first notebook PC featuring Intel Centrino mobile technology to be offered for less than $1000. The TravelMate 290, combines elite, industry-leading performance and integrated wireless options in a stylish 2-spindle design that boasts a rich feature-set previously only available with higher priced offerings.

"The announcement of a laptop PC featuring Intel Centrino mobile technology at the sub-$1000 price point is a true industry breakthrough," said Jeffrey Friederichs, vice president of product marketing for Acer America. "The TravelMate 290 will allow budget conscious users to take advantage of the key advancements of this newest Intel technology, including wireless access, much earlier than would be normally possible. Now, even mainstream users that work within strict budget parameters can utilize wireless hotspots at locations such as McDonalds and Starbucks on an advanced laptop solution."

"Intel Centrino Mobile Technology was developed to bring a higher-level of computing and communications to consumers and add additional value to mobile PCs. The Acer TravelMate 290 is an important step towards bringing this new technology to a broader spectrum of users," said Don MacDonald, director of Marketing for Intel Mobile Platforms Group. "By making this cutting-edge solution available at a budget price point, all levels of users can enjoy the benefits of being able to unplug a high-performance solution and go wireless."

Comprehensive Flexibility
Acer TravelMate 290 systems are mobile powerhouses with either a 14.1 or 15" XGA (1024 x 768) TFT display and 128MB of DDR 266 SDRAM, upgradeable to 2048MB. TravelMate 290 notebooks are based on Intel Centrino mobile technology using an Intel Pentium M processor 1.30GHz, Intel 855GM chipset with 3D AGP Dynamic Video Memory Technology (DVMT), up to 64MB shared video memory for solid multimedia performance, and Intel PRO/Wireless 802.11b connectivity. Additionally, the TravelMate 290 family offers 3 USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire (IEEE 1394) port, 10/100 LAN connection, S-Video TV out, and a 56K V.92 modem.

These newest TravelMate laptops incorporate up to a 40GB ATA/100 removable hard drive as well as a hot swappable Acer media bay, enabling users to access data on a variety of media including a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, DVD/CDRW or DVD-RW. Preloaded with Microsoft Windows XP Home or Windows XP Professional, and weighing approximately 6 pounds, the TravelMate 290 delivers an appealing, sleek, and affordable mobile package.

"The Acer TravelMate 290 notebooks are designed for users who are looking for the benefits of Intel Centrino Mobile technology, such as longer battery life and integrated wireless capability, at an affordable price," said Steve Schuldt, vice president of corporate sales at CDW, a leading provider of technology products and services to business, government and education. "The new price/performance standard that has been set with these new offerings is a milestone in the PC marketplace."

Pricing
The Acer TravelMate 290 series will be available through Acer authorized resellers throughout North America starting at $999.

Service and Support
All Acer TravelMate notebooks have a standard one year parts and labor warranty, including Acer's one year International Traveler Warranty. Additionally, all notebooks are backed by Acer's toll free service and support call center. Online support is available via the web at www.acersupport.com.

For more information about Acer America, please visit www.acer.com/us.

Source: Acer America Corporation

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