Acer Revo Build

Electronics company Acer has unveiled their concept for a new modular computer system – Acer Revo Build. The basic computer is to be expanded and customised by adding a series of “building blocks”, or relevant modules on top. Acer hope this system will appeal to desktop PC enthusiasts who want a customised computer without having to take their machine apart.

The design, unveiled at the Berlin Ifa tech show, is to go on sale in October in Europe and China for €199 and ¥1999 respectively. Initially, the only add-on available will be a 500GB, or one terabyte portable hard drive, but Acer say many other modules are in development, including an audio block, graphics block, and power bank. Each of these are fairly basic and self-explanatory, but Acer say they are open to suggestions, in hopes to capture exactly what consumers need. The price of any of these blocks has yet to be disclosed. The success of the system may very well hinge on the price of these module blocks, and the longevity of hardware inside them. Already concerns have been raised regarding the base device’s specifications – at introduction consumers will only have a choice between an Intel Pentium or Celeron processor, which are decidedly less powerful than many other available computers.

The Revo Build concept follows a similar line of thought to Google’s Project Ara mobile phones, which still have not made it to market. It is hoped development of the Revo Build will go more smoothly.