Acer Rolls Out Atom-Powered Veriton All-in-One

Acer's new Veriton Z280G All-in-One computer aims to bring a dash of style to business and commercial computing, with sleek design and an 18.5-inch display.

Computer maker Acer has taken the wraps off a stylish new Veriton Z280G all-in-one PC, which it hopes will appeal to U.S. commercial customers looking for a sexy-yet-inexpensive PC to park in reception areas, executive suites, lobbies, and any office environment that could use a touch of class without sacrificing a lot of space. Although under the hood the Veriton Z280G is basically a netbook (touting an Intel Atom processor, 2 GB of RAM, and Windows XP), it also sports a widescreen 18.5-inch display…and a price tag that isn’t too hard on the bottom line.

“Generous with style, yet conservative with space and price, the Veriton Z280G is an asset to any home office or corporate setting,” said Acer’s commercial systems business manager Leila Axelle, in a statement. “Users are sure to enjoy the brilliant display that showcases presentations, spreadsheets, and Internet content in vivid clarity, while business owners and IT specialists will appreciate the system’s excellent value and energy savings.”

The Z280G’s display measures 18.5 inches diagonally and offers a 1,366 by 768-pixel native resolution, a 1,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, a 5ms response time, and 250 cd/m&exp2; of brightness. Under the hood—or, rather, under the back cover—the system packs a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, 2 GB of RAM, a 160 GB hard drive, and (unlike most netbooks) a SuperMulti DVD burner for accessing media and backing up critical data. The system also sports gigabit Ethernet and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, a multi-in-one digital media card reader, and five USB 2.0 ports. The Z280G is Energy Star certified, runs Windows XP, and comes with integrated speakers, a keyboard, and mouse.

And the price tag? The system is available now from Acer authorized resellers with suggested prices starting at $499.