Acer launches Surface Pro Rival
At its “Global Press Conference” in New York, Acer has launched a flotilla of products, including Microsoft Surface Pro-style Windows 8 tablet, the Acer Aspire P3.
Just like the Surface Pro, the Aspire P3 has a removable keyboard-cover/case that can hold the tablet at a comfortable angle for typing, or be folded against the rear of the tablet so it can be used as a plain touch mode.
Unlike the Surface Pro, however, which has yet to surface in the UK, the Acer Aspire P3 includes the keyboard-cover as standard, and will be available immediately, with prices starting at £525.
“Acer is moving from notebooks with touch to notebook for touch,” said an Acer spokesman, speaking at the event.
The Aspire P3’s display is also similar to the Surface, measuring 11.6in across, with an IPS panel. Under the hood, the tablet will have an Intel Core i3 or i5 processor, storage comes in the shape of a 60GB or 120GB SSD, and there’s an optional stylus, too, which slots into the integrated cover.
Acer Aspire R7
The P3 wasn’t the only product announced at the firm’s big US shindig, however. Acer also took the opportunity to announce a new kind of hybrid – the Acer Aspire R7.
Featuring a hinge reminiscent of an all-in-one PC’s, but a more flexible, the R7’s “four-in-one” design allows users to employ it as a tablet, a laptop, a photo/presentation tool with the display propped up, and in “Ezel Mode”, where the display can be pulled out to float above the keyboard.
Another unusual design point is the touchpad, which is positioned above, rather than below the keyboard. The R7 has a 15.6in, Full HD display, and for storage will include either a 1TB hard disk or an SSD up to 256GB in size. It will be available on May 14, but won’t come cheap, with prices starting at £900.
Tablet and laptops
Acer also announced a new low-cost, compact Android tablet at the event – the Iconia A1 – and two Windows 8 laptops, the mainstream Acer Aspire V5 range and V7 Ultrabook.
The A1 tablet, described by Acer as having a “one-handed” design, has a 7.9in screen, a 1,024 x 600 IPS screen, and comes with a quad-core processor in 8GB or 16GB models. The the Wi-Fi version of the Iconia A1 starts at a price of £150 and the 3G model at £210. Both models will be available at the end of May.
All the models in the two new ranges of laptops will have touchscreens and backlit keyboards, and will be available in a range of sizes, with the smallest V5 model featuring a 1,366 x 768, 11.6in display and weighing 1.38kg.
The Acer Aspire V5 laptops will start at a price of £400 and the V7 Ultrabook will cost from £500. Both will be in the shops at the end of May.
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