Last week I was at the launch of Acer’s new products for 2014, and what made it all the better is that I was in New York for the announcement, along with more than 200 tech journos around the world. Aside from Starbucks, fast wifi and great shopping in New York, this conference was a brilliant first-time international tech event for me, and it introduced some cool products for home and work.

My favourite is the V11 touchscreen notebook – it’s really lightweight, comes in pink and three other colours, and has seven hours of battery life.

Other products that I think could be great for moms for their long battery life, looks and usability are the E series laptops, the E14 and E15. These have 14-inch and 15-inch displays, with optional touchscreens, and come in six colours – piano black, pearl white, glossy copper, ruby red, topaz blue, and jade green.

It also has a very cool and handy gesture-controlled touchpad, meaning that you instead of using keys to perform some functions, you can use the touchpad. In the US, the  E14 and E15 will have a starting price of $299 (around R3 400) so when it does get to South Africa, it’s likely to be quite affordable.

 

If you’re looking an affordable Android tablet for yourself or your kids, then keep the Acer Iconia One 7 and Tab 7 in mind for when they’re launched here. They are solid tablets, and might not be as fancy as your “usual suspects”, but they are quite fast and have all the features you’d expect from a basic tablet.

The One 7 comes in nine colours, and this is itself a huge drawcard for the younger market (and even me, as an adult – I love the pink, purple and blue).  The Iconia One 7 is set to cost around $129 when it launches in the US (around R1 350), so as far as tablets go, it’s budget, and great as an entry-level tablet for kids.

 

So far I don’t know when these products are launching in SA, nor what they’ll be priced at, but let’s hope it’s soon!

 

 

 

The super portable 7″ Iconia Tab 7 is designed for your connected life. Give your friends a quick call to let them know you’re on the way, or browse social media to see what’s happening tonight. With phone functionality and 3G mobile internet capability, you’re always connected

 

The Aspire Switch 10 thinks so. And with smooth switches between its four modes, a latch-less detachable hinge, bright screen and speedy Intel® processor, you will be inclined to agree.