Posted 04/03/09 at 06:51:24 PM by Pulkit Chandna

Acer might become one of the first manufacturers to jump onto the Ion bandwagon. According to Taiwanese website Digitimes, Acer is set to launch its first Nvidia Ion-based nettop computer called the Hornet. Industry sources told the website that the launch will happen in Beijing on April 8, 2009.

The Acer Hornet will have an asking price of under $300. The petite PC will also have a motion-sensing controller a la Nintendo Wii. The controller is not only meant for gaming but also for generic control. According to Nvidia, the first Ion-based notebooks, netbooks and PCs are just around the corner – to hit retail in the second quarter.

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Posted 04/01/09 at 10:12:56 AM by Paul Lilly

We first learned of Acer's plans to release an Ion-based nettop back in February of this year when leaked slides hit the web, and now another leak reveals what the specs might look like.

As it stands, Acer's Hornet nettop will come in three SKUs, each one outfitted with Intel's Atom N230 processor. Other specs, depending on the model, include up to 2GB of RAM, up 160GB of storage, optional WiFi, optional wireless keyboard and mouse, and other odds and ends.

The upcoming Hornet also looks to take a page from Nintendo with a Wii-style remote that can be used for both gaming and media controls.

No word yet on availability, although news and rumor site DigiTimes says it will debut in Beijing on April 8. Pricing is expected to be in the $150 to $300 range.

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