Acer has officially announced several Windows 10 laptop lines with Amazon's Alexa built in, marking an industry first. The company plans a wider Alexa rollout in the future.
HP has already been offering an Alexa-equipped all-in-one PC, but Acer is now bringing the feature to the laptop segment. Several notebook lines running Windows 10, including the Acer Spin 3 and Spin 5 (both 13- and 15-inch versions) which are now available for purchase at various retailers, are coming with Alexa preloaded.
Acer Laptops With Amazon Alexa
As expected, Amazon Alexa grants users access to a number of tasks easily fulfilled through its artificial intelligence props. Users can control their smart home devices, get the weather forecast, check the news or sport scores, play music, create shopping or to-do lists, add things to their calendar, and perform other such tasks simply by uttering voice commands.
It's worth pointing out, however, that laptops might not be as receptive as smart speakers when it comes to voice recognition from across the room, so users might want to sit closer to the device when issuing a voice command.
The Acer Nitro 5 Spin laptop line for gamers will get Amazon Alexa as well, with the rollout set to commence in June. The voice-powered assistant will also hit select Acer Aspire, Swift, and Switch notebook models, along with Acer Aspire AIOs, within the next few weeks as they hit retail.
Amazon Alexa Rolling Out To Existing Acer Devices
While new Acer laptops will come with Alexa preloaded, Acer has not forgotten about existing models. Customers who already purchased other devices from Acer's portfolio can rest assured that Alexa will become available later on, thanks to an update via the Acer Care Center.
The Acer Spin 5 will be the first line to get the update on May 23, followed by the Acer Spin 3 on May 26.
"The Acer Spin 3 and Spin 5 convertible notebooks are the ideal products for the industry debut of Alexa voice functionality on notebooks," boasts Jerry Kao, Acer's IT Products Business president. "We are thrilled to be the first to market with these flexible systems, which feature industry-leading audio and the latest technologies for convenient, time-saving and intuitive interactions."
Steve Rabuchin, Amazon Alexa vice president, adds that the company is thrilled to have new means of making Alexa available to customers. This enables consumers to enjoy the perks of voice control and Alexa on more devices, including laptops, which should only increase the convenience.
