Acer goes minimalist with Windows 8 all-in-ones, IPS touchscreen displays

Acer has taken the wraps off a portion of its Windows 8 line-up by announcing the new Acer 7600U and 5600U all-in-one PCs. These new models, which are 27-inch and 23-inch respectively, will be representing Acer in the high-end desktop computer market.

Both have 1080p displays and include a tilt mechanism that makes it possible to recline the entire display at an 80-degree angle. They also boost a super-thin design that is no more than 1.4 inches thick. A 10-point capacitive touch screen is available on select models.

The larger 7600U, the most powerful of the pair, will offer a Core i5-3210M processor, 8GB of RAM, an Nvidia GT 640M discrete GPU, a Blu-ray drive and two HDMI inputs. The smaller 5600U will include the same processor and memory, but doesn’t include the discrete graphics solution or Blu-ray drive (a regular optical drive is substituted). It also loses one HDMI input. Both versions have a decent array of connectivity including two USB 3.0 ports, Bluetooth and 802.11 a/b/g/n.

Pricing for the 5600U starts at $1,149 with a touchscreen or $999 without. The premium 7600U starts at $1,899 and will only be available with a touchscreen. The 5600U will be out when Windows 8 launches – but you’ll have to wait until late November for 7600U.

If you don’t want the PC, but you do want a touchscreen, you might be interested in Acer’s new T272HL and T23HL displays. These are, again, 27-inch and 23-inch models that offer 1080p resolution. They also use a 10-point capacitive touch panel with IPS technology. These monitors come with a reclining stand similar to the new all-in-ones, though the maximum angle is down from 80 degrees to 60.

Both of the displays have numerous extra features. Among them are two built-in speakers, three USB 3.0 ports, VGA, DVI and HDMI. Pricing on the 23-inch T232HL starts at $499 while the 27-inch T272HL starts at $699. These prices could prove very competitive if image quality is on par with other IPS monitors.

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