Acer enters NT workstation race

Acer America has entered the rapidly growing market for Windows NT-based workstations with a Pentium Pro-based system aimed at engineers and graphic designers.

Acer, a major player in the worldwide PC market, is joining a market for Windows NT workstations that analysts expect to practically double in size every year through the end of the decade. The move follows a similar announcement from Compaq Computer, which last month said it will build a Pentium Pro-based, NT-powered workstation.

Both companies will compete for market share against Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard, and Silicon Graphics, which sell Unix-powered systems used by engineers, architects, graphic designers, and others who rely on three-dimensional computer rendering.

The AcerPower PC uses a Diamond Multimedia Fire GL 3000 graphics accelerator to provide 3D graphics for engineering design. It is built around the Pentium Pro 200-MHz minitower configuration and comes preloaded with Windows NT 4.0, 64MB of RAM, a 4.3GB SCSI hard disk drive, and a 12-speed IDE CD-ROM drive. The machines are priced at $7,500.

In other news, the company also announced enhancements to all of its AcerPower PCs for business use, adding 14 minitower and desktop configurations. The line now includes Pentium and Pentium Pro processors and features simultaneous software and power shutdown.