Acer's Gemstone Blue Notebook PC Wins iF Product Design Award

Taipei, Jan. 17, 2009 (CENS)--Acer Inc. recently won an iF Product Design Award, the so-called Design Oscar, with its second-generation Aspire Gemstone Blue series notebook PC, following its wining of the G-Mark design award of Japan in late 2008.

With 2,808 entries from 39 countries, the iF panel of international experts gave out some 802 awards for excellent design. The awards ceremony will take place on March 3, 2009, the opening day of CeBIT international computer show held in Hannover, Germany.

Acer executives point out that the Aspire Gemstone Blue series notebooks are a multimedia sensation with superb style. Up to five built-in speakers and an innovative tube-type subwoofer create the world's first notebook to trumpet true 5.1-channel surround sound, while a 16:9 widescreen Full High-Definition (HD), or 1080p, display delivers stunning cinematic visuals.

The design features a mix of materials, textures and lighting: the thee-dimension (3D) cover is accented by a back-lit Acer logo floating above a midnight blue sub-layer; the power button flashes to life with neon blue light that flows into an illuminated, touch-sensitive media console; and an intricately textured palm rest and touchpad add a high-quality feel.

The Gemstone Blue series has been a frequent winner of different design awards, including the last Computex Taipei Design & Innovation Award in mid-2008. The series won the Best Choice prize in the first event. In addition, Gemstone Blue also won the first prize in the digital media and home entertainment category of the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) award in December 2008.