Acer Deploys FIrst 5.1 Surround Sound Laptop

Sometimes the most unlikely products come to market. "Unlikely" just doesn't seem to cut it this time around, however. We really didn't think that a laptop would be the place for 5.1 surround sound, but Acer has plans of its own to do exactly that. The Taiwanese computer giant is busting out two new 1080p HD screen-equipped laptops complete with 5.1 audio. Yeah, we didn't get it at first either.

The screen of both the 8920G and 6920 laptops has the requisite 1920x1080 pixels (large for a laptop, at least vertically-speaking) and comes in both 18.4- and 16-inch flavors. It will have six (count 'em) speakers including a "subwoofer" (this has to be a "bass module" given the size constraints - there's no way it gets down below 45Hz). This is the first laptop to garner the Dolby Home Theater certification and it supports Pro Logic II.

Priced at $1999, the Gemstone "blue" line of laptops will, of course, feature a Blu-ray drive and of course the above-mentioned 16:9 aspect ratio screen. Acer is one of the first laptop manufacturers to put out a model that will play HDTV content without scaling or inserting black bars on the top and bottom to compensate for the PC-esque resolution.

Quick Specs:

• Core 2 Duo processors
• CineCrystal TFT LCD, 8ms
• 1920x1080 resolution
• DDR2 667MHz RAM
• Up to 320GB (6920) or 640GB (8920G) storage
• nVidia GeForce 9500M GS (6920) or GeForce 9650 GS (8920G)
• Intel Wi-Fi a/b/g/n
• Integrated webcam
• Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
• VoIP phone (8920G)
• CineDash touch-sensitive control
• VGA output
• HDMI output
• Bio-Protection fingerprint scanner
• Dolby Home Theater certification
• 2x Blu-ray drive
• 6-in-1 card reader
• 4 USB ports
• Battery life: ~2.5 hours (16"), ~3 hours (18.4")
• Weight: 7.7 lbs (16"), 9 lbs (18.4")

Their $1999 model's screen will be a whopping 18.4-inches wide, making it a more of a portable desktop than a laptop. The surround experience is still accomplished with simulated phase and DSP-induced surround effects, however the presence of 6 dedicated speakers makes this a somewhat easier task than what is possible with just 2 or 3 drivers.

For more info, check out: http://www.acer.com/gemstoneblue/eng/