Acer Aspire Switch 10 is a budget tablet with a detachable keyboard, introduced to the general public in April this year. It is very reminiscent of the ASUS T100, but we will consider it a new model designed to conquer the market of budget devices. Now Acer Aspire Switch 10 is becoming popular and starting to outperform its competitors due to its low price. There are other arguments 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. The docking station and keyboard are also made of plastic. The metal color with gray-silver shades gives a special style to the device. In addition, the portable computer is fully consistent with modern design canons. For this price range, everything is simply excellent.
The most notable detail of the Acer Aspire Switch 10 you are currently reviewing ismagnetic lock. Its main function is to mount the keyboard. To detach the docking station, you do not need to press the button, open the latches, just apply force and pull. At the same time, the strength of the magnet is so high that you can safely lift the device by the screen or, holding the keyboard, turn it upside down.
It doesn't matter what position the dock is in - the magnetic loop will not stop functioning. You can safely turn the keyboard 180 degrees and use it as a stand when watching videos or working with programs using the touch screen. The manufacturer offers four scenarios for working with the device. These are presentation mode, computer mode, tent mode, and the tablet itself. Now let's talk about the performance of the gadget.
Performance
Acer's mixed-reviewed tablets deliver high performance, and the Switch 10 on Windows 8.1 is no exception. This device is powered by a quad-core Atom Z3745 processor from Intel. The nominal frequency of each core is 1.33 GHz, but with increased load it is possible to overclock to 1.86 GHz. This chip is very similar to Atom Z3740 from ASUS T100. Apparently, therefore, the test results of these gadgets are almost the same.
If we consider the hardware component of the tablet, it is completely similar to its predecessor - Iconia W4. You should not be embarrassed by the change of one digit in the name of the processor: Z3745 came out half a year later than Z3740, and the difference between these two chips is a slight increase in the frequency of the video core. Volumememory, as well as the volume and speed of the built-in storage are the same. There is a microSD slot with a limit of up to 64 GB. True, the Switch 10 lacks a 3G module, but, to be honest, there is no particular need for it. Therefore, in the absence of the required amount to buy the latest tablet from Acer, you can purchase its cheaper predecessor - Iconia W4 on the secondary market.
Intel's energy-saving Atom processor line is designed for low-cost desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones. Previous Atom processors were used in netbooks and did not perform well. But chips from the Bay Trail line demonstrate the perfect balance between low power consumption and excellent performance. For example, when working with full-screen applications from the Windows Store for a long time, Switch 10 does not slow down and discharges rather slowly.
After many hours of testing the device as a working computer, there were no problems with surfing the Internet (with dozens of tabs open in the browser), listening to music, working with documents and watching videos. I even managed to connect to an external display and watch a movie on it without interrupting 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 from other companies.
Memory
The amount of internal memory depends on the selected model. Acer offers 2 options: 32 and 64 GB. RAM device - 2 GB.
Screen
AcerAspire 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. Gorilla Glass 3 protects it from damage, and scratches become less noticeable. The display uses Zero Air Gap technology, which combines the screen matrix and touch panel to create a truly impressive image. If the screen of the gadget gets the rays of the bright sun, this technology will prevent glare. Due to the absence of an air gap in the matrix, the image quality will be even better. But do not rely on Full HD resolution and chase the density of points. If HD quality is now being criticized in tablets and smartphones, then for devices running Windows, the situation is the opposite. At too high a resolution, the interface becomes uncomfortable, the data looks too small, and you have to strain your eyes. So the Acer Aspire Switch 10, whose price is listed below, offers a completely compromise and practical option.
The tablet's capacitive touchscreen is highly sensitive and easy to operate. Of course, it is much more comfortable to work with small interface elements using a mouse, but the device will not let you down in field conditions.
Keyboard and touchpad
The keyboard was pleasantly surprised. The main keys on the course and actuation point are in no way inferior to the standard keyboard. Well palpableactuation point, but the keys cannot be called overly elastic. Button travel is near perfect.
Some consider Acer engineers' decision to place the cursor keys, screen brightness and volume control in the lower (right) corner of the keyboard as unsuccessful. Where 3 regular keys can fit, they put 6. This can be difficult, and you have to watch where you press each time. However, you quickly get used to it.
Among the shortcomings, I would like to note that the keyboard of the Acer Aspire Switch 10, which is reviewed on the official website, flexes a little in the center. But overall, it's pretty handy for browsing the web, posting blog posts, writing emails, and creating other documents.
The touchpad for such a baby is quite large, and there are no complaints about it. The cursor moves quickly and accurately, gestures are processed - what more could you want? There is no special need for a mouse, so you can do without it. Therefore, the USB port can be used for a compact flash drive of a decent size. In combination with a similar microSD, you get a good amount of memory.
Sound
There are 2 speakers at the bottom of the screen. Their placement clearly hints that the tablet is unlikely to be used without a keyboard. If you hold the Acer Aspire Switch 10 in a horizontal position without a keyboard, then both speakers are covered with hands. In the vertical - only one of them. Sound comes from two speakers at once only when using the gadget as a laptop.
Battery capacity
The battery capacity is 5700 mAh, which in theory indicates a long battery life (8 hours). In practice, it turns out that when using the device in a mixed cycle, the battery lives only 6.5 hours. If you reduce the brightness level to a minimum, you can get the declared 8. We think this is quite a worthy result for a portable computer. For an hour of watching a movie in airplane mode at maximum brightness, the Acer Aspire Switch 10 was discharged by only 13%. This means that you can use the gadget in this mode for 7 hours.
Dimensions and weights
The weight of the tablet is 594 grams, and the dimensions are 26x17, 8x0.9 cm. When you connect the keyboard, these parameters will increase slightly: weight - 1179 grams, 26x19, 3x2 cm. It is important to remember these numbers or write them down somewhere. If a store runs out of Acer tablet cases, knowing the exact dimensions, you can choose from similar, non-branded and better-priced options. And more…
The tablet itself is heavier than the keyboard. So when you use it as a laptop, don't tilt the display too much or it could 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. By adding another 6-7 thousand, you can purchase a simple ultrabook. And if we consider the secondary market, then for 23-24 thousand you can find a chic device withhigher performance and a number of other advantages.
Conclusion
The Acer Aspire Switch 10 laptop you just read can be used as both a tablet and a laptop. It has a compact size and decent performance. And everything would be perfect if the rival model Asus T100 did not offer the same features, but with a more resource-intensive battery. Despite this, there are three reasons why the Acer Aspire Switch 10 tablet is worth buying. Firstly, wide functionality due to the magnetic loop. Second, great design. Thirdly, high-quality speakers and a bright IPS display, which makes it an excellent device for viewing photos and videos.
