While this is a Notebook as it has a keyboard it is more likely to be used as a Tablet as the keyboard folds back behind the screen and then you have an excellent touch screen Windows unit that even comes with a stylus for accurate work. If fact the keyboard can even be totally detached should you wish.
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The Acer Aspire Switch 5 measures 28x20x.1.5cm and weights 1311grams with the keyboard being 390grams of the total weight.
The viewable screen is 35.5x17cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 12inches, the screen display is 2160x1440 at the default 150% display.
Going around the outside of the screen will not take long to describe, the left side has a slightly recessed on/off button with an LED just above it and the volume control rocker below this, the base is where the keyboard connects. The right side has 3.5mm charge port, USB ‘C’ port also a USB3 port and a 3.5mm headphone socket, the top is clear, the rear has a camera in the top right corner and there is a fold out metal stand half way down. Just left of centre top of the face is the selfie camera.
The 84 key keyboard occupies a space 28x10.5cm with the alpha keys being full size there is a 2cm strip behind the screen before the hinge to connect it to the Notebook/Tablet. The left side has the anchor point for the stylus and there is a 6.5cm strip in front of the keyboard with the 11.5x5.4cm trackpad being mounted 8cm from the left and 11.4cm from the right. For a detachable keyboard it feels solid even when used on ones lap and the keys have a positive movement.
Using the 13cm stylus on the screen is nice as are its two buttons on the side, for those who still wear a jacket it also has a pen clip.
The processor is an Intel i5 running at 2.71GHz, it has 8GB RAM and has a 64bit version of Windows 10 running the current release v1709. It has a 238GB SSD with 204GB of free space.
When being charged it does get warm to the touch which on a cold morning can be pleasant on your lap.
As with most recent units there will be some pre-installed items you might not want and indeed you are pestered to join the Acer to get more items but you can choose what to install. There are also some pre-installed games which to me have no real place on this work machine.
The screen is responsive to either a finger or stylus the latter does have the advantage of not showing fingermarks.
Windows 10 was designed for touch but only now with ‘10 point’ touch and a powerful processor does it really come into its own. Having the detachable keyboard means it is equally usable as a Notebook of Tablet so you get the best of both worlds.
The unit comes with a 3.5mm to mains adapter and then a mains lead out of the other side of the mains adapter a little clunky and dare I say a little outdated a standard USB ‘C’ lead to a 13amp plug front would be less to pack for those on the move. I found that being plugged in while working got it fully charged in a tad under three hours.
Startup was a very rapid 6 seconds while shutdown was only 4 seconds.
The Acer Switch 5 SW512-52 is available from Amazon for £945.29.
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