Acer Aspire Switch 10 - review, prices, reviews

Acer Aspire Switch 10 - a budget tablet with a detachable keyboard, presented to the general public in April this year. It is very similar to the ASUS T100, but we will consider it a new model designed to win the market of budget devices. Now Acer Aspire Switch 10 becomes popular and begins to outstrip its competitors due to low prices. Other arguments are also in favor of this tablet, which we will consider in this review.

Design

The front panel of the device is made of plastic, and the back is made of aluminum. Also made of plastic dock and keyboard. A special style is given to the device by a metallic color with gray-silver shades. In addition, the laptop is fully consistent with modern design standards. For this price category, everything is just fine.

The most remarkable part of the Acer Aspire Switch 10, the review of which you are currently reading, is a magnetic lock. Its main function is the fastening of the keyboard. To detach the dock, you do not need to press the button, open the latches, just apply effort and pull. At the same time the power of the magnet is so high that you can safely lift the device over the screen or, holding on to the keyboard, turn it upside down.

It is not important, in what position is the docking station - the magnetic loop will not cease to function. You can safely rotate the keyboard 180 degrees and use it as a stand when watching video or working with programs using the touch screen. The manufacturer offers four scenarios for working with the device. This is the presentation mode, computer mode, tent mode and the tablet itself. Now let's talk about gadget performance.

Performance

Acer tablets, whose reviews are mixed, have high performance, and Switch 10 on Windows 8.1 is no exception. This device works on a quad-core processor Atom Z3745 from Intel. The nominal frequency of each core is 1.33 GHz, but under increased load there is the possibility of overclocking to 1.86 GHz. This chip is very similar to the Atom Z3740 of the ASUS T100. Apparently, therefore, the test results of these gadgets are almost identical.

If we consider the hardware component of the tablet, it is completely analogous to its predecessor, Iconia W4. You should not be confused by the replacement of one digit in the name of the processor: the Z3745 came out six months later than the Z3740, and the difference of these two chips in a slight increase in the frequency of the video core. The amount of memory, as well as the volume and speed of the built-in drive - are the same. There is a slot for microSD with a limitation of up to 64 GB. The truth is that there is no 3G module in Switch 10, but, frankly, there is no special need for it. Therefore, if you do not have the right amount to buy the latest tablet from Acer, you can buy in the secondary market of its cheaper predecessor - Iconia W4.

Energy-saving line of Intel Atom processors is designed for inexpensive desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones. Previous Atom processors were used in netbooks and did not differ in performance. But the chips from the line of Bay Trail demonstrate the perfect balance between low power consumption and excellent performance. For example, if you work with full-screen applications from the Windows Store for a long time, the Switch 10 does not slow down and runs down quite slowly.

After hours of testing the device as a working computer, there were no problems with surfing the Internet (with dozens of tabs opened in the browser), listening to music, working with documents and watching the video. Even managed to connect to an external display and see the movie on it, without interrupting the work on the gadget. In other words, the performance of the Aspire Switch 10 is no worse than its competitor ASUS T100 and similar models of other companies.

Memory

The amount of internal memory depends on the selected model. The company Acer offers 2 options: 32 and 64 GB. The operative memory of the device is 2 GB.

Screen

Acer Aspire Switch 10, reviews of which are mostly positive, has a 10-inch glossy screen with a resolution of 1366 × 768 pixels. The tablet has excellent viewing angles and an IPS matrix without an air gap. The touch screen supports up to 5 simultaneous touches. Glass Gorilla Glass 3 protects it from damage, and scratches are less noticeable. Zero Air Gap technology was used to manufacture the display uniting the screen matrix and the touch panel to create a real impressive image. If the gadget's screen receives rays of bright sun, this technology will prevent the appearance of glare. Due to the absence of an air layer in the matrix, the image quality will be even better. But do not count on Full HD resolution and chase the density of points. If in the tablets and smartphones HD-quality is now criticized, then for devices on Windows, the situation is opposite. Under too high a resolution, the interface becomes inconvenient, the data looks too small, and you have to strain your eyes. So in the Acer Aspire Switch 10, the price of which is listed below, it is quite a compromise and practical option.

The capacitive touchscreen of the tablet is very sensitive and easy to control. Of course, with the small elements of the interface it is much more comfortable to work with the mouse, but in the field conditions the device will not fail.

Keyboard and Touchpad

I was pleasantly surprised by the keyboard. The main keys along the way and the trigger point are not inferior to the standard keyboard. The trigger point is well probed, but you can not call the keys excessively elastic. The progress of the buttons is almost perfect.

Some consider Acer engineers' decision to place cursor keys, screen brightness and volume control in the lower (right) corner of the keyboard unsuccessful. Where 3 ordinary keys can fit, they have placed 6. This can cause difficulties, and each time you have to look where you are clicking. Nevertheless, you quickly get used to it.

Of the disadvantages I want to note that the keyboard Acer Aspire Switch 10, reviews about which is on the official site, slightly bends in the center. But in general it is quite convenient for working on the Internet, publishing blog entries, writing e-mails and creating other documents.

The touchpad for this baby is pretty big, and there are no complaints. The cursor moves quickly and accurately, gestures are processed - what else do you want? In the mouse there is no special need, so you can do without it. Therefore, the USB-port can be used for a compact flash drive of a decent volume. In combination with a similar microSD you will get a good amount of memory.

Sound

At the bottom of the screen there are 2 speakers. The places of their placement clearly hint at the fact that the tablet is unlikely to be used without a keyboard. If you keep the Acer Aspire Switch 10 horizontally without a keyboard, both speakers are covered with hands. In the vertical - only one of them. Immediately from two speakers, the sound goes only when using a gadget as a laptop.

Battery capacity

The capacity of the battery is 5700 mAh, which in theory indicates a long period of battery life (8 hours). In practice, it turns out that when the device is operated in a mixed cycle, the battery lives only 6.5 hours. If you reduce the brightness level to a minimum, you can get the claimed 8. We think for a laptop computer this is quite a decent result. For an hour watching the movie in the air mode at maximum brightness, the Acer Aspire Switch 10 discharged only 13%. This indicates that you will be able to use the gadget in this mode for 7 hours.

Dimensions and weight

The weight of the tablet is 594 grams, and the dimensions are 26x17,8x0,9 cm. When you connect the keyboard, these parameters will slightly increase: weight - 1179 grams, 26x19,3x2 cm. These figures are important to remember or write down somewhere to yourself. If the covers for the Acer tablets run out in the store, you, knowing the exact dimensions, will be able to choose from similar, non-firm and more cost-effective options. And further…

The tablet itself is heavier than the keyboard. So, when you use it as a laptop, do not reject the display too much, otherwise the gadget may tip over.

Price

Now the average cost of Acer Aspire Switch 10, reviews of which are on thematic forums, is 17 000 rubles. This is much more expensive than the cost of tablets on Android and Intel Atom with similar characteristics. Adding another 6-7 thousand, you can buy a simple ultrabook. And if you consider the secondary market, then for 23-24 thousand you can find a chic device with higher performance and a number of other advantages.

Conclusion

Laptop Acer Aspire Switch 10, the review of which you just read, you can use both as a tablet and as a laptop. It has compact dimensions and decent performance. And everything would be perfect if the rival Asus T100 did not offer the same features, but with a more battery-intensive battery. Despite this, there are three reasons why the Acer Aspire Switch 10 tablet is worth buying. First, the wide functionality due to the magnetic loop. Secondly, an excellent design. Thirdly, high-quality speakers and a bright IPS-display, which makes it an excellent device for viewing photos and video.