CES: Acer unveils new cloud service, copies Apple's iCloud presentation

Posted:
in iCloud edited January 2014
In promoting its new AcerCloud service, Acer chose to mimic not only Apple's iCloud, but also directly lifted a slide Apple used to introduce iCloud in a keynote presentation last year.



Acer's "blatant iCloud ripoff was highlighted by The Verge, which noticed the similarities between Acer's promotional image and Apple's keynote slide. The slide in question relates to Acer's "PicStream" service, which has similar rules to Apple's PhotoStream functionality in iCloud.



Both graphics represent their specific services by showing a cloud floating above with content stored in it, and the words "30 days" written. Down below, a trio of devices are shown with photos pushed to them from the cloud.



Any differences between the two images are minimal, and all three show photos being pushed from the cloud to a smartphone, tablet and PC. The offending graphic can still be found in Acer's official press release for AcerCloud.



"Copycat" tactics by the competition have been a major issue for Apple, which has taken to filing patent infringement suits against companies it feels are stealing its ideas. For example, Apple has argued in court filings that Samsung's smartphones and tablets "blatantly imitate" both the software and hardware of Apple's iPhone and iPad.









Acer attempted to call out Apple for starting a so-called "patent war" last July. The company's chairman, JT Wang, accused Apple of being an instigator in taking patent infringement suits against rivals like HTC and Motorola.



Acer was once king of the netbook market, which collapsed thanks, in part, to the release of Apple's iPad in 2010. However, the company has publicly stated its committed to netbooks, particularly in emerging markets.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 84




    "It's not identical, they reversed the position of the phone and computer!"



    They DID outright steal Apple's Wi-Fi icon, though.
  • Reply 2 of 84
    copy a slide is easy ... but invest in the Data Center to support this service is another story ...
  • Reply 3 of 84
    now unless someone has some info about this being a basic format this is outright slavish.



    minor, but still slavish.
  • Reply 4 of 84
    igxqrrligxqrrl Posts: 105member
    Is it just me, or did they even use Garamond for their font?
  • Reply 5 of 84
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    Innovation thru imitation!

    Apple should be proud of the flattery.



    /s
  • Reply 6 of 84
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by umrk_lab View Post


    copy a slide is easy ... but invest in the Data Center to support this service is another story ...



    That'll be easier too. They won't be supporting nearly as many customers.
  • Reply 7 of 84
    zarenzaren Posts: 49member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by igxqrrl View Post


    Is it just me, or did they even use Garamond for their font?



    It's just you. Serifs, different thicknesses of the lines...
  • Reply 8 of 84
    mactmact Posts: 26member
    Well, they say it is the sincerest form of flattery
  • Reply 9 of 84
    al_bundyal_bundy Posts: 1,525member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by umrk_lab View Post


    copy a slide is easy ... but invest in the Data Center to support this service is another story ...





    they will just use Azure like Apple
  • Reply 10 of 84
    There is a difference between the two. One looks classy, the other looks like it's been created by a 3 year old.
  • Reply 11 of 84
    Oh, Acer. You're getting into services now??? Where's your billion-dollar data center?
  • Reply 12 of 84
    OMG you're all such fanboys! First Apple patented the rectangle and now they're patenting the powerpoint slide! How many ways can you make a powerpoint slide? The only logical way is with a cloud icon above three devices, each with a different time/content limit!



    jk... but I bet someone will say that somewhere!
  • Reply 13 of 84
    igxqrrligxqrrl Posts: 105member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by zaren View Post


    It's just you. Serifs, different thicknesses of the lines...



    Garamond is a Serif font. Note that I'm not suggesting they copied the font on Apple's slide, just that they used the font that was, for decades, associated with Apple:



    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typogra...Apple_Garamond
  • Reply 14 of 84
    simtubsimtub Posts: 277member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Acer was once king of the netbook market, which collapsed thanks, in part, to the release of Apple's iPad in 2010.



    I thought ASUS was always the king of the netbook market?...anyway



    I am so sick of these SHAMELESS, CLUELESS, COPYCATS!!!
  • Reply 15 of 84
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post


    Oh, Acer. You're getting into services now??? Where's your billion-dollar data center?



    With that mention, what is Apple actually using theirs for? I've seen various mentions of Apple using servers belonging to Amazon and Microsoft for their cloud services, and never really clearly understood what the NC facility was intended for. Perhaps the main services are streaming from Apple NC, with Microsoft and Amazon supplying backup or additional storage?
  • Reply 16 of 84
    simtubsimtub Posts: 277member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post


    Oh, Acer. You're getting into services now??? Where's your billion-dollar data center?



    They don't need a dedicated one because they will only sell a few laptops, netbooks and what other pieces of junk they can manage to ship as oppose to Apple's Gazillion number of iDevices.
  • Reply 17 of 84
    Patent litigation lawyer: "I'd like to introduce Exhibit F, PicCloud slide from Acer..."



    Jury: "We're done. GUILTY!"
  • Reply 18 of 84
    Wow, just wow.... seriously? If you can't innovate, imitate!
  • Reply 19 of 84
    simtubsimtub Posts: 277member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    With that mention, what is Apple actually using theirs for? I've seen various mentions of Apple using servers belonging to Amazon and Microsoft for their cloud services, and never really clearly understood what the NC facility was intended for. Perhaps the main services are streaming from Apple NC, with Microsoft and Amazon supplying backup or additional storage?



    Check this

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQNQkJGwxsE
  • Reply 20 of 84
    evilutionevilution Posts: 1,399member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    directly lifted a slide Apple used to introduce iCloud in a keynote presentation last year.



    Surely "directly lifted" would mean that they used it as is from Apple, which they haven't.

    I'm sure a majority of designers would have come up with this layout without seeing the Apple version.
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