14 DAY TRIAL // Acer's Aspire Revo, the world's first official NVIDIA ION-based nettop, was one of the most anticipated products this year, being the first to combine an Intel Atom processor with an NVIDIA motherboard GPU. The design and overall specifications of the product make it an ideal choice for those users looking to take advantage of the performances of an HTPC. On that note, it appears that Acer is trying to maximize the profits coming from this much appreciated system, by rolling out a Gateway-branded version that sports a dual-core Atom 330 processor, instead of the single-core Atom 230 CPU found inside the Revo.
According to recent details that have surfaced on the Internet, the Gateway QX2800 will provide users with a design similar to that of the Revo, but will boast some significant configuration changes. The new nettop will be featured with an Intel Atom 330 processor, which boasts a core speed of 1.6GHz and a dual-core architecture. When combined with the NVIDIA ION chipset, this processor should deliver a boost of performance, compared to the Atom 230-equipped Revo. In addition, it appears that the Gateway-branded Revo will also be featured with a higher-capacity 500GB hard drive.
The system's other features remain the same, with the NVIDIA ION 9400M chipset enabling support for the HDMI output, up to six USB 2.0 ports and a high-quality visual experience. There's also a 4-in-1 card reader and wireless 802.11 b/g/n connectivity, all within a PC that will be running on Microsoft's Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 operating system.
We have no details on pricing or availability just yet, but from the looks of it, this could be the best NVIDIA ION-based nettop on the market. You'll also have to take into consideration that ION is better with Windows 7 (which is due out in just a couple of months) and that the nettop stand has been change with one that looks more stable.