Science & Technology
Science and Technology
Science and Technology 
Wed, October 21, 2009
Tue, October 20, 2009
Atheros: Atheros' Industry-Leading, Ultra Low-Power 11n WLAN and Ethernet Designs Enhance a Wide Variety of Acer's New PC Model
SANTA CLARA, CA--(Marketwire - October 20, 2009) - Atheros Communications, Inc. (
Atheros XSPAN 2-stream 11n PCIe solutions deliver up to 300 Mbps data rates for advanced multimedia networking in a wide variety of Acer notebook, netbook and nettop platforms, while the company's Align single-stream PCIe solutions based on the 802.11n specification deliver up to 150 Mbps data rates for robust data networking in Acer's base-model netbooks. Both of these leading Atheros' 11n technologies have been deployed worldwide across PC platforms as well as in infrastructure equipment for retail, enterprise and carrier gateways for the home. This large 11n ecosystem of APs and clients enables high-performance, end-to-end connectivity, enhancing the user's wireless experience. Using Atheros low-power designs, select models of Acer notebooks, netbooks and nettops are ENERGY STAR qualified. Computing products earning this designation use 75 percent less electricity than comparable PCs without power management features.
"Acer's Aspire Timeline thin-and-light series are among the most energy-efficient notebooks available," said David Lee, assistant vice president, Mobile Computing Business Unit for Acer. "Atheros WLAN and Ethernet technologies enable significant power reductions, and when combined with Acer's additional power-saving features, extend battery life enabling the new thin-and-light notebooks to run all day on a single charge."
The new, innovative Acer platforms which embed Atheros' 802.11n and Ethernet technologies include:
-- Acer Aspire Timeline Thin-and-Light Series Atheros XSPAN 11n chip, the AR9281, and ETHOS controller solutions, are featured in a variety of thin-and-light notebooks in Acer's Aspire Timeline series. XSPAN's high bandwidth is ideally suited for rich multimedia applications supported by the thin-and-light platform, and Atheros' technology provides the energy efficiencies necessary for the platform's compact design and battery size. Despite its ultra-thin profile, Acer's new Aspire Timeline notebook delivers more than eight hours of use on a single battery charge. -- Acer Aspire One Netbook Series Atheros Align, the AR9285 11n chip, or the AR2425 11g chip, paired with ETHOS LOM solutions, are featured throughout Acer's Aspire One Netbook family, including its Windows®, Linux® and Android-based designs. The series offers a variety of performance options -- ranging from base-models that employ Atheros Align single-stream 11n performance to top-of-the line netbooks that leverage Atheros XSPAN, which delivers the full benefits of 11n MIMO performance. -- Acer Aspire Revo Nettop Series Atheros' XSPAN 11n technology is featured in Acer's first nettop, the new Aspire Revo. XSPAN provides reliable, robust whole-home coverage and enhanced power efficiencies to support the smaller form factor of nettops. Compared to typical desktop computers, Acer Revo nettops are more compact, lighter and consume significantly less power.
"PC platforms for consumers continue to evolve rapidly to meet changing user requirements, leading to the rising popularity of netbooks and notebooks like Acer's thin-and-light models," said Kishore Jotwani, senior director of marketing and product management for Atheros. "We are pleased that Atheros' extensive WLAN and Ethernet offerings satisfy an array of platform requirements in Acer's innovative PC designs to deliver uncompromising wireless and wired performance with green-friendly advantages."
Atheros XSPAN, Align and ETHOS families support Windows XP®, Windows Vista®, Mac OS®, Linux® and Android operating systems. Additionally, they include support for industry standards WMM® (Wi-Fi Multimedia™), Wi-Fi Protected Setup™ via Atheros' JumpStart for Wireless™, the company's industry standardized simple network configuration software, and is compliant with Cisco Compatible Extensions (CCX™).
For more information about any of these Acer Aspire PC models, please visit [ http://www.acer.com/ ].
About Atheros Communications, Inc.
Atheros Communications is a global leader in innovative technologies for wireless and wired communications. Atheros combines its wireless and networking systems expertise with high-performance radio frequency (RF), mixed signal and digital semiconductor design skills to provide highly integrated chipsets that are manufactured on low-cost, standard complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) processes. Atheros technology is used by a broad base of leading customers, including personal computer, networking equipment and consumer device manufacturers. For more information, please visit [ http://www.atheros.com ] or send email to [ info@atheros.com ].
Atheros, the Atheros logo, XSPAN, Align, ETHOS and JumpStart for Wireless are trademarks of Atheros Communications, Inc. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the sole property of their respective owners.
(1) Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker, October 14, 2009
NOTE ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including the features, benefits and performance of Atheros' and Acer's products, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including, but not limited to, difficulties in the development of new and enhanced products, general economic conditions, the effects of competition and technological change, and the risks detailed in Atheros' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 2008 and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2009, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and in other reports filed with the SEC by Atheros from time to time. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. Atheros disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.