Acer Aspire Switch 10

The Acer Aspire Switch 10 is the latest in a new breed of detachable tablet Windows, a category of small slates to be paired with docking keyboard to offer the same motion of a tablet and the ability and convenience of a laptop. With a sleek-looking design and multimode magnetic hinge, the Aspire Switch 10 is worth a look if you want on-the-go capabilities in Windows.

design
Switch 10 is Acer's latest attempt at 2-in-1 device, a tablet with a detachable keyboard dock, which gives you the experience laptop-style, similar to that seen in the Choice Book T100TA Asus Transformer (64GB) the Editors'. No such system, however, the Switch 10 has a new magnetic latch and hinge that allows the tablet to be attached to one of two orientations, allowing four different modes to use, almost like the design of multimode see Lenovo Yoga 2 11 convertible laptop or business oriented Lenovo ThinkPad Helix, another detachable tablet. The four modes include traditional modes Notebook, Tablet mode (either delete or tablet backed by closed keyboard), Tent mode, and display mode.

The tablet itself measures 0.4 by 10.3 by 7 inches (HWD) and weighs an easily portable 1.3 pounds. The back is covered in aluminum, with a gray finish and crisscrossing brushstroke that looks very beautiful. With a 10.1-inch screen with Gorilla Glass covered 3, the resolution of 1,366-by-768 In-Plane Switching plausible (IP) display (if somewhat low-res) and offers five-point link. Just above the display is a Webcam with 1920-by-1080-resolution image capture yes, get the webcam image at a higher resolution than the display but as it also works for Skype or Google Hangouts, the camera does not handle bright light very well. No rear facing camera, so you probably should not take it with you to the museums or concerts.

When paired with the docking keyboard, the Switch 10 weighs 2.6 pounds, and measures 0.9 inch thick when closed. The keyboard is slightly smaller than the full-size, and feel a little cramped, but the keys are comfortable and offer a good typing experience. Keyboard clickpad measured 3.58 inches across, that really feels comfortable wide, compared to the crowded keyboard, and the combined right and left click buttons properly.

Acer new hinge and latch design is called Oh, for the way the tablet snaps into place. The hinge has two plastic tabs to guide the tablet in place and a strong magnet on the hinge to hold the tablet firmly when docked. The docking hinge is great when it works, with a magnetic latch holding firm enough to lift the tablet and keyboard together when calling tablet, but you can also easily remove the tablet by mild pulling the two halves apart. Unfortunately, the magnetic pull of the latch is strong enough to pull the tablet before the guidance of the tab is properly positioned, often leading to an equal tablet.

There is also the issue of weight. As many docking the tablet, the Aspire Switch 10 heaviest part of the device, all of the component housing. Notebook mode, the device is top-heavy, and always feel like it could tip over. Other devices correct for either a weighted keyboard or a second battery. Switch 10 is nothing.