Acer Malaysia yesterday (Wednesday) launched the much-awaited 2-in-1 notebook – the Acer Aspire Switch 10, alongside a couple of Acer Iconia tablets, budget-friendly Aspire E-Series notebooks and a new Aspire All-in-One Series. With the expanded portfolio, Acer aspires to “help people get connected, and make technology more accessible with just a touch.”
The 2-in-1 device segment has seen a 150% jump in sales (Q2’13 – Q2’14) and according to latest data from Intel, 30% of consumers strongly consider a 2-in-1 device over a tablet. It is no surprise that Acer chose the Aspire Switch 10 to spearhead its new line-up.
“Staying connected with information, work, family and friends is very important in the technology driven world of today,” said Ricky Tan, General Manager of Acer Sales & Services Sdn. Bhd. “With this in mind, Acer has continuously explore beyond limits to bring products that help people enjoy optimal computing experience, accessibility to information for content creation and consumption no matter where they are. We are thrilled to present the new products here today that are equipped with Intel’s technology that runs impeccably with Windows 8.”
The new line-up features Intel’s powerful, energy-efficient 22nm Intel Atom “Bay Trail” family of processors (marketed as Intel Atom, Celeron and Pentium) as well as Intel Core i processors. Bay Trail is 64-bit SoC and supports multi-platforms including Windows, Android and Chrome OS.
“There are currently over 2.7 million owners of personal computing devices over 4 years old in Malaysia who will benefit greatly from refreshing their PCs to the latest devices on Intel Architecture. Since the very first desktop, personal devices have evolved into a wide variety of form factors to meet our every need,” said Leighton Philips, Director, Product Marketing and Pricing, Asia Pacific and Japan. “From tablets to 2-in-1 devices, desktop to All-in-One PCs, we are experiencing a level of innovation never before seen.”
“2014 is going to be an exciting year for consumers seeking to upgrade their devices,” added Philips. “Intel has and will continue to drive the evolution of the PC with our partners to provide low-power, high performance devices that’ll keep up with you. No matter which form factor, the apps you want to run, or how you use your machine – Intel processors will get the job done.”
Acer Aspire Switch 10
The new multi-talented 2-in-1 notebook expertly switches between four modes – for touch, typing, viewing and sharing. An innovative magnetic detachable Acer Snap Hinge design makes easy transition between modes, and connectivity with the latch-free Keyboard Dock. The 10-inch IPS display is vibrant and crisp thanks to Zero Air Gap technology. It also features Acer Lumiflex which optimises screen visibility when the device is used outdoors.
The Aspire Switch 10 measures 261.6 x 177.1 x 8.9mm and weighs just 585g (without keyboard). The bundled battery is good for 8 hours of use.
It comes powered by the 64-bit quad-core 4th generation Intel Atom “Bay Trail” Z3745 processor running at 1.33Ghz (Turbo Boost up to 1.86Ghz), complemented by 2GB DDR3 RAM. Storage is 32GB with an additional 500GB via the Keyboard Dock.
Strangely, it runs a 32-bit version of Windows 8.1. The Acer Aspire Switch 10 retails for RM1,399.
Acer Iconia One 7 and Iconia A1-830
A duo of value tablets that feature identical specs – dual-core Intel Atom Z2560 processor running at 1.6Ghz, 1GB RAM, 16GB eMMC storage and running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean (upgradeable to KitKat). Both support microSD storage expansion of up to 32GB.
The Acer Iconia 7, though, sports a 7-inch HD IPS display, a 2MP rear camera and HD front camera. The tablet weighs just 330g and retails for a lightweight RM399.
The Acer Iconia A1-830 packs a 7.9-inch HD IPS display and comes built-in with a 5MP autofocus HD rear camera and a 2MP HD front camera. The tablet features a premium metal design and retails for RM599.
Acer Aspire E-Series notebook
What can RM1000 buy you? An Acer Aspire ES1-511 notebook powered by an Intel Celeron quad-core processor (N2930) running at 1.83Ghz (up to 2.17GHz with Intel Burst Technology) with a 15.6-inch HD Acer CineCrystal LED display to boot. The budget notebook includes 2GB DDR3 RAM (up to 8GB max), 500GB SATA hard drive, Intel HD Graphics, 8x DVD Super drive and an Acer webcam.
The notebook runs Windows 8.1 with Bing (64-bit) and retails for an incredible price of RM999.
Acer Aspire All-in-One (AIO) Series
Right at the top-of-the-line is the Aspire U5-620, a 23-inch Intel Core i5 (2.6Ghz)-powered AIO with a Full HD LED-backlit LCD IPS display, with multitouch. Running Windows 8.1, the AIO packs 8GB DDR3 RAM, 1TB SATA storage and discreet NVIDIA GeForce GTX850M (2GB), BluRay combo optical drive and Dolby Digital Plus Home Theatre complementing its two built-in speakers.
The Aspire U5-620 retails at RM3,499.
Occupying the mid-range is the Aspire Z3-615, sporting a similar 23-inch display but utilising an Intel Core i3-4150T (3.0Ghz) processor instead. Memory is set at 4GB with 1TB SATA storage. No discreet graphics, but in place is Intel HD and similar speakers as the U5-620.
The Aspire Z3-615 retails at RM2,399.
At the base level is the Aspire ZC-606, an ultra-affordable AIO desktop which features a 19.5-inch HD LED-backlit TFT display, Intel Celeron J1900 (2Ghz) processor, 4GB RAM, 500GB SATA storage, Intel HD graphics and DVD Super drive.
The Aspire ZC-606 retails at RM1,299.
In summary
A strong line-up from Acer that meets the demands of today’s cost conscious, sophisticated and increasingly mobile consumer. The Aspire Switch 10 is an interesting device, one that signals the growth of the 2-in-1 device platform.
