Acer Aspire Switch 10th review.
At an event held in May this year, the Taiwanese company Acer showed many new products. Windows devices are having a hard time right now. Many users who previously surfed the Internet at home using laptops or desktop computers began to use more mobile tablets for the same purpose. And here preference is given to gadgets running iOS or Android, which have a convenient touch interface; in addition, they work for a long time without burdening the user with excess weight. Their Windows counterparts are losing ground, however, due to the emergence of inexpensive models, public attention to them is growing. Acer has a lot to offer customers.
Previously, the company offered affordable Iconia Tab W510, which at one time became the first compact 10-inch tablet in Russia, capable of replacing a netbook or a simple laptop. Such a gadget wins over the above platforms due to the fact that it offers full-fledged work opportunities. There will be no restrictions on installing programs; here you can get everything the same as on large devices, with greater mobility and less weight. True, the performance of such a device will not be the highest. However, in any case, the result is a practical symbiosis of compact size, decent capabilities and autonomy. Acer Aspire Switch 10 can be called a redesigned and improved W510. The continuity between them is easy to notice, similar design, capabilities, although the additions are quite enough to give the device a new name.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Operating system: Windows 8.1
- Processor: Intel Atom Z3745, 1.33 GHz
- RAM: 2 GB
- Data Storage: eMMC 64GB
- Connectors: microHDMI, microUSB
- Screen: 10.1 inches, 16:9, 1366 x 768, LED-backlit, IPS
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0
- Battery: 18 Wh
- Dimensions: 8.9 mm (tablet), 20.2 mm (tablet with keyboard), weight 590 g, including keyboard 1.17 kg
DESIGN
The tablet has retained the same proportions; the dimensions still allow you to carry the gadget with you on trips and travels. The Switch 10 itself is average in thickness; there are thinner devices of this kind, but due to its budget nature, you will have to limit yourself to what you have. The base of the case is made of matte silver plastic, and the entire back surface is made of aluminum. It's nice that there was no gloss here. In the photographs, the tablet may seem too modest, but the lack of shimmer on the body will please you during long-term use: no scratches, abrasions, and the surface itself will not be too slippery.
The tablet is two-color. The frame is made of light gray plastic, and back panel- made of aluminum in a darker shade. Moreover, usually in this price segment there are models made exclusively of plastic. Therefore, it is nice to note an exception to the rule; the device is perceived as more expensive than it actually is. This combination looks good and makes a universal option. The camera, which was previously located at the back, was abandoned here, so now the back of the device is smooth and even. There is nothing on it except the company logo.
The fact that Acer did not come up with any special style for the laptop, which can rightfully be classified as a gaming model. There are no flashy inserts here bright colors, some protruding parts or non-standard shapes. Perhaps this should be considered an advantage of the device, since not everyone wants to get something in the style of an intergalactic starship.
At the front, attention is drawn to the wide border of the black screen, which runs parallel to part of the silver body of the tablet. Above, when looking at the tablet in landscape orientation, the front camera lens will be located, and at the bottom there will be a touch button that is not backlit. Also at the bottom there are stereo speakers located in the corners. The power and volume keys are located on the left side; they are convex and easy to press.
DOCK STATION
The model received a redesigned stand. The loop for securing the tablet has decreased in size, which will appeal to those who are used to frequently carrying a gadget with them, but they have worked on the excess weight. The mount itself is magnetic, the device is fixed very tightly and will not fall out on its own if you shake it or do any other active actions with it. The keyboard block is made to match the tablet, with the same design: gray top and dark gray bottom. It seems like a small thing, but the complete device looks holistic and organic.
The hinge, as before, allows you to tilt the screen, choosing a position that is convenient for you. The manufacturer offers several scenarios for working with the device, there can be four in total. These are the tablet itself, tent mode, computer mode, and also presentation mode. I think that everyone can easily choose a comfortable position for themselves.
Actually, the first company to offer such unusual idea Lenovo has become a “changeover”, but Acer is also not lagging behind, launching a not very expensive transformer to the masses. The tilt angle is large, but at the maximum angle the tablet falls back, the part with the screen turns out to be heavier and more massive than the dock with the keyboard.
The keyboard has been slightly changed. This is immediately noticeable in the navigation key block. Previously, they were larger, but now they have been greatly reduced, in addition, combined with functional buttons. The same can be found in Acer laptops, the option is not the best, you will have to get used to it.
The keys are made of matte black plastic with a rough texture. They have an average stroke, the buttons are pressed softly, they lack elasticity when typing, a clearer response would be nice. This will be well felt by those who are used to working a lot with texts or documents. There is not much space between the buttons, and erroneous operations are possible.
The touchpad is compact, small area with average sensitivity, a separate mouse for navigation will be more convenient to use. Also, there are too hard clicks, which will be necessary to confirm actions. Essentially, everything is the same as in its predecessor.
CONNECTORS
Almost all holes are located on the right side. There is a microphone, a slot for a microSD memory card, a microUSB port, microHDMI and a connector for connecting a charger. There is a 3.5 mm audio port on the left side. At the bottom end there are mounts for the tablet, as well as the necessary port for connecting a unit with a keyboard.
Unfortunately, the tablet itself does not have a full-fledged USB connector, and there is no full-size HDMI, despite the decent thickness of the case. To work with multimedia you will need a special adapter, which is not included. The same applies to connecting flash drives. A wide variety of peripherals can be connected via microUSB and a special adapter, but it’s up to the user to figure out where to get it. Wireless profiles include support for Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi 802.11n. There is no 3G/4G modem here, but if necessary, you can distribute the Internet from your smartphone or buy a router.
SCREEN
New tablet Acer received a screen with a diagonal of 10.1 inches and a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. It has large viewing angles and uses an IPS matrix. The screen is touch-sensitive and supports up to 5 simultaneous touches. The display is made using Zero Air Gap technology, which according to Acer should make colors brighter and more saturated. There is no air gap in the tablet, due to this the image looks better, glare is significantly reduced compared to analogues.
In inexpensive models you shouldn’t count on Full HD resolution, this model is no exception. However, if you do not chase the density of points, then there will be no complaints about the device. While HD quality in smartphones and tablets is often criticized as not being high enough, the situation is different with Windows devices. The high-resolution interface becomes inconvenient, the data looks too small, and the device becomes inconvenient to use. Therefore in in this case A completely practical and compromise option is proposed.
Otherwise, everything is typical for such devices. The capacitive touchscreen is easy to operate and sensitivity is good. Of course, it will be more comfortable to work with small interface elements using a mouse, but the tablet will not let you down even in field conditions.
TESTS AND PERFORMANCE
The transformer has received a modern filling. It has a quad-core Intel processor Atom family Bay Trail, volume random access memory is 2 GB, built-in 64 GB eMMC memory. This is not much, but you can use the microSD slot using capacious drives.
Small cards with 128 GB capacity are available for sale. There is also a version of the tablet with an additional 500 GB storage. Using a hard drive, you can significantly expand the space for data. However, such a modification will not be supplied to Russia in the near future; accordingly, space is limited.
As before, you can see a significant performance difference between the Atom and the latest Haswell chips. The new tablet belongs to the BayTrail family of devices, which is significantly more powerful than the previous Clover Trail. The Intel Atom Z3740 can easily be called an energy-efficient chip; it is very good for a family of mobile solutions.
Futuremark 3DMark 11, points
HP Specter 13 x2 319 Acer Aspire Switch 10 233 ASUS Transformer Book T100 218 ASUS VivoTab Note 8 209 Acer Iconia W4 205 Lenovo ThinkPad 8 200Futuremark PCMark 07, points
Lenovo ThinkPad 8 2540 Acer Aspire Switch 10 2506 Acer Iconia W4 2484 ASUS Transformer Book T100 2432 ASUS VivoTab Note 8 2410 HP ENVY x2 1437Many people dislike Windows tablets because the active cooling system may make noise. Simply put, for having to put up with the fact that a fan lives in the tablet. But in this case there is no reason to worry, devices with Atom inside will not be disturbed by the whistling of coolers, they simply do not exist. The gadget itself heats up slightly even under load; in normal operation it does not cause any unpleasant sensations, the temperature is kept at a comfortable level. The tablet easily solves a variety of tasks; working with documents, watching videos or websites, it is, of course, capable of doing so. It's nice to get a full-fledged version of MS Office; you don't have to pay to purchase licensed software for work or school. It is clear that this is not gaming device, you can run something if you want, but if everything is going well with the old games, then with the new ones it’s much worse. If we assume that the comfortable level starts at 30 fps, then you shouldn’t count on it. This is a separate note for those who dream of getting everything at once for minimal money, miracles do not happen.
But if you are realistic and don’t want the impossible from a gadget, then you should like the tablet. It is equipped with the Microsoft Office Home&Student 2013 software package, so you don’t have to spend money on a license. On the road, you can work on documents or watch a movie - Switch 10 can easily handle this. Naturally, this can also be done on iOS or Android tablets, but the ability to fully use the entire x86 software base is undoubtedly a big advantage of the transformer.
WORKING HOURS
For your Acer tablet claims up to 8 hours of battery life. In practice, it turns out that in a mixed use cycle the device lasts about 6.5 hours. If you lower the brightness level from 50%, which was set during testing, to a minimum, you can get those same 8 hours. I think that for a tablet with full-fledged computer capabilities inside, this is a very worthy result. Moreover, it is worth noting that the battery itself is not that big, but, nevertheless, the operating time indicators are not inferior to the same ASUS, despite the fact that it uses a more capacious power source. In an hour of watching a video at maximum screen brightness in airplane mode, the tablet shrinks by 13%, so you can count on 7 hours of work in this mode, an excellent result.
Powermark, battery life (balanced), minutes
Dell Venue 8 Pro 308 Acer Iconia W4 304 Lenovo ThinkPad 8 289 Acer Aspire Switch 10 199Powermark, battery life (entertainment), minutes
Acer Aspire Switch 10 271 HP Specter 13 x2 243 ASUS VivoTab Note 8 180Powermark, battery life (productivity), minutes
Dell Venue 8 Pro 451 ASUS VivoTab Note 8 395 Acer Aspire Switch 10 387The power supply is small in size, comparable to those you can get with a regular tablet. The current strength is only 1.5 amperes, it is more common to see a higher value. For example, the competitor ASUS Transformer Book T100 comes with a 2A charger.
OPINION HI-TECH.MAIL.RU
The main competitor of the new product can be considered the ASUS Transformer T100, which has been selling well for many months. Which is better, Acer or ASUS, given that their capabilities are comparable? A matter of personal preference, I think so, although the new Acer looks more attractive in appearance, I like it better. The Acer Switch 10 has similar characteristics to its competitor, but the model wins in terms of design and materials, there is no glossy plastic, the option is much more practical. The starting price is 17,990 rubles, the same amount is asked for ASUS.
The family of netbooks, light and compact, left the market. Tablets like the Acer Iconia Switch A10 can be considered their continuation. Reasonable price, great capabilities, full services and no software restrictions. Constantly working on a 10-inch screen is quite tiring, so it is difficult to recommend such a device as a main one. However, as an additional assistant gadget for a work computer or home laptop, it will be very good; you can go about your business without having to take time off from pressing tasks.
I would like more storage space, but you have to be limited by the built-in memory, and it may not hurt to supplement the memory with an external microSD. Of course, it would be nicer to get a hard drive built into the keyboard, but we’ll have to put up with its absence until such a version is supplied to us. In addition, I would like to get more USB connectors in the case or full-fledged adapters included.
Now let's move on to the pros. First of all, there are no software restrictions; the entire application base accumulated for the Windows library over many years is at hand. Have a compact one on hand full-fledged computer comfortable. For example, if any Android or iOS tablet paired with a smartphone will only duplicate its functions to one degree or another, then such a device will help copy data to the phone and reflash it. At the same time, all the advantages are retained mobile device. Light weight, the gadget is slightly heavier than 1 kg, and we're talking about about a tablet paired with a keyboard.
Overall, the Acer Aspire Switch 10 deserves our award. It is worth considering its high-quality build, nice materials, good level of performance, as well as a reasonable price.
Alexander Pobyvanets [email protected]
The Acer Aspire Switch 10 comes in a slim cardboard box, the design of which immediately makes it clear that this is not an ordinary laptop, but a transforming device. The photos on the top of the package show that the display unit and the chassis base are two separate parts. Well, on the side of the box all four are schematically listed possible modes transformations - laptop, tablet, multimedia stand and “tent”.
The delivery set includes accompanying documentation, an 18 W power supply (12 V, 1.5 A) and a micro-USB/USB OTG adapter, which is designed to compensate for the lack of a full-size USB connector on the body of the Acer Aspire Switch 10 tablet part. Design of the unit power supply makes it easy to replace the plug with the one you need this moment, which frequent travelers will certainly appreciate.
Tablet
As we mentioned above, the Acer Aspire Switch 10 consists of two individual parts: “display unit”, which contains not only the touch screen, but also all the hardware and most connectors, as well as a docking station with a hardware keyboard and touchpad. Let's start getting acquainted with the device from the tablet part.
From a constructive point of view, the tablet body turned out to be quite complex, since the assembly involves four parts at once, and not two or three, as is the case in most cases. At the same time, the color and texture of the materials are selected in such a way that even the most demanding transformer owner will not feel any aesthetic dissonance. Note that the weight of the tablet is 585 grams, and the thickness is only 8.9 mm, while the weight of the complete tablet + dock set is only 1.17 kg.
Most of the front panel of the Acer Aspire Switch 10 is occupied by protective glass above a 10-inch IPS matrix with a resolution of 1366 by 768 pixels. Screen brightness is adjustable from 20 to 350 cd/m2, and automatic adjustment is also available based on light sensor readings. The capacitive touch layer supports up to 5 simultaneous touches; in addition, there is no air gap between it and the matrix (Zero Air Gap technology), which avoids glare.
It is significant that the developers did not use an unnamed material, but the most scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass 3. The glass panel covers not only the matrix, but also the area around it, approximately 1.5 cm wide. On the top of this edging you can find a webcam, and On the bottom there is a Windows touch button.
The next part of the Acer Aspire Switch 10 case, made of silver plastic in the color of metal, performs several tasks at once. Firstly, it acts as an additional edging of the front panel, which visually reduces the dimensions of the device, diluting the black color of the protective glass and, in addition, contains a pair of front-facing speakers. Secondly, the same part, with the help of a small chamfer, goes onto the sides of the body, improving the overall rigidity of the structure.
The top edge of the tablet is completely free; the bottom has a 9-pin proprietary connector for connecting to the docking station, as well as a pair of holes and magnets for fixing it. Despite the small area of this thin edge, all the necessary service information fits here. This solution deserves unequivocal praise, as it allows you to get rid of the annoying paper service stickers on the back of the tablet.
The left side of the Acer Aspire Switch 10 has an audio port, a power button with a built-in indicator, and a volume rocker. A small bulge on the top of the rocker helps you quickly understand that this part of the key is responsible for increasing the volume. A dot LED signals changes in the charging process - it starts glowing orange as soon as you connect the power supply and switches to bright blue when it reaches 100% charge.
On the right side there is a digital microphone, a slot for MicroSD memory cards (by the way, with support for the MicroSDXC standard, which ensures compatibility with cards with a capacity of up to 2 terabytes), a micro-USB port with OTG support, Micro-HDMI video output and charger socket.
In turn, the back panel of the tablet is also assembled from two light gray parts - a plastic edging with an extension in the area of the Wi-Fi module antenna and a textured aluminum plate that occupies the lion's share of the back of the device. The use of plastic made it possible to avoid signal shielding and at the same time simplify the shape of the metal part of the rear panel.
Well, metal adds a premium touch to the image of the Acer Aspire Switch 10, practically without affecting the cost of the device. Note that the developers used nanoprinted lithography (NIL) technology, which made it possible to obtain a stylish textured coating in the form of diagonally intersecting lines. At the same time, even the metal panel could not provide high rigidity of the structure; the tablet is quite easy to bend with your hands.
Dock station
In terms of functionality, the Acer Aspire Switch 10 docking station is very simple - it is a keyboard and touchpad with a locking mechanism, complemented by a full-size USB 2.0 connector. The body of the docking station is made entirely of plastic, with silver-colored material used on the working panel and light gray on the bottom.
The island-type keyboard layout is quite good for a 10-inch format; only a number of function keys and an arrow block have been minimized. The latter, traditionally for Acer laptops, consists of six buttons, since dedicated PgUp and PgDn have been added to the four standard ones. All six “arrow” buttons are twice as thin as the other buttons, but noticeably wider. The edges of the buttons, beveled towards the center, help to distinguish the boundary between them. By the way, the width of the symbol key is 15 mm, the height is 13 mm, and the distance between adjacent keys is slightly less than 3 mm.
The under-palm area is noticeably raised above the level of the keyboard substrate, and the touchpad, on the contrary, is slightly recessed into its surface. The dimensions of the touch panel are 9 by 5 cm, which is quite enough for normal work with the Windows interface. There are no dedicated touchpad keys; their role is played by the sagging lower corners of the touchpad.
The plastic bottom panel of the Acer Aspire Switch 10 dock does not contain anything particularly interesting; here you can only find mounting screws and anti-slip feet. It is with these legs that one ergonomic problem is associated - they can provide reliable slip resistance only if the display is tilted no more than 90 degrees.
After crossing this boundary, the far part of the docking station rests not on a wide silicone strip, but on two small plastic fangs, which do not save the transformer from unpleasant fidgeting on smooth surfaces. It is also significant that at tilt angles close to the maximum, the entire structure tips over, but this may well be a feature of the test sample that is absent in commercial samples.
The only USB 2.0 connector is located on the far side of the right side; this layout option is good for those who are used to using wired mouse. However, fans of wireless (including Bluetooth) pointing devices would probably prefer to see this port on the opposite side, where connected peripherals cannot interfere with the use of the mouse.
Transformation
The transformation of the Acer Aspire Switch 10 follows the standard scenario for 2-in-1 format models – “ display module” is completely removed from the dock, after which it can be used as a regular all-in-one tablet.
This option is definitely better than classic one-piece transformers, in which even in tablet mode you have to hold the “extra” part with the keyboard and everything else in your hands.
The tablet is secured in the docking station using a proprietary Acer systems Snap Hinge, built around two powerful magnets and a pair of plastic pins with small clips that snap into holes in the tablet.
To remove the tablet from the dock, you just need to pull it while holding the bottom of the transformer. This method is convenient because the user no longer has to look for and press the lock button, but due to this convenience, the reliability of the connection suffers - with a strong jerk, you risk dropping one of the parts of the transformer.
From the above description it is clear how exactly the Acer Aspire Switch 10 switches to tablet and laptop mode. The two remaining modes (media stand and “tent”) are possible thanks to the symmetrical fixation scheme, which allows you to insert the tablet into the dock either with the screen facing the keyboard or in the opposite direction. In this mode, it is convenient to use the touch interface and view movies and photos without being distracted by the keyboard, which is irrelevant in such cases.
The “tent” mode is the same media stand, but turned upside down so that the transformer rests on the table surface not with its bottom, but with the leading edges of the tablet and docking station. By the way, these edges definitely lack some padding, because active use tent mode will quickly lead to abrasions. This mode is used for the same purposes as the media stand, but in limited space - for example, in a cafe or on a folding table on an airplane.
Functionality
The Acer Aspire Switch 10 transformer is based on the new energy-efficient Intel Bay Trail-T platform, in particular, depending on the configuration, Intel Atom Z3735F or Intel Atom Z3745 processors can be used. These chips contain four computing cores with a maximum operating frequency of about 1.8 GHz and an integrated Intel graphics HD Graphics with DirectX 11 support.
CPU, GPU, Memory
Intel Bay Trail-T processors are manufactured using a 22 nm process technology and emit less than 4 W of heat in maximum load mode (Max. TDP) and only about 2 W in standard operating mode (SDP). Such low heat dissipation makes it possible to do without an active cooling system and has the most beneficial effect on battery life.
PCMark8 (conventional)
PCMark8 (accelerated)
The model is equipped with 2 GB of RAM and 64 GB of data storage, of which about 52 GB is available to the user. In nature, there are also configurations with a 32 GB system SSD and a 500 GB hard drive, but at the moment it is unknown whether such versions will be supplied to the Ukrainian market. Responsible for wireless communications Wi-Fi modules 802.11a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0+HS.
Battery Eater (classic mode / reader’s test)
From a built-in battery with a capacity of only 25 Wh, the Acer Aspire Switch 10 transformer was able to last more than three hours in maximum load mode and seven hours in reading emulation mode. Such autonomy is quite enough to work throughout the working day, if you do not forget about saving energy - turning off the screen backlight and switching to sleep mode during idle time.
Video review of the Acer Aspire Switch 10 2-in-1 convertible laptop
Results
As a result, the Acer Aspire Switch 10 is a very interesting 10-inch 2-in-1 transformer running the Windows 8 operating system. A fairly powerful and at the same time energy-efficient quad-core Intel Atom Z3745 processor from the Bay Trail-T family provides an almost perfect balance between performance and autonomy.
A resolution of 1366 by 768 pixels may not seem high enough, but for a 10-inch screen and the classic Windows interface this is the best option. We cannot fail to note the aluminum finish of the case, high-quality front-facing speakers, a full set of necessary connectors and a complete docking station, which, taking into account all of the above features, allows us to recommend the Acer Aspire Switch 10 as a good solution for work, study and entertainment.
Product provided by Acer, www.acer.ua
 | Acer Aspire Switch 10 (N9.L47WW.005) Notify when on sale |
| Class | Laptop |
| Design | 2-in-1 with removable screen |
| Screen diagonal, inches | 10,1 |
| Matrix type | IPS |
| Screen covering type | glossy |
| Screen resolution | 1366×768 |
| Touch screen | +(Multi-Touch) |
| Processor type | Intel Atom Z3745 |
| Frequency, GHz | 1,33 |
| Pre-installed OS | Windows 8 |
| Weight, kg | 1,17 |
| Dimensions, mm | 261.6×177.1×8.9 |
| Chipset | no data |
| RAM capacity, GB | 2 |
| Maximum amount of RAM, GB | no data |
| Hard disk, GB | — |
| SSD, GB | 64 |
| Optical drive | — |
| Graphics adapter, memory capacity | Intel HD Graphics |
| External ports | microUSB (for charging/syncing), 3.5 mm headphone jack, microHDMI, USB 2.0 (docking station) |
| Expansion slot | — |
| Card reader | microSDXC |
| WEB camera | 2 MP |
| Keyboard backlight | — |
| Housing material | aluminum/plastic |
| Case color | silver/silver |
| Network adapter | — |
| Modem 56K | — |
| WiFi | 802.11 b/g/n |
| WiMAX | — |
| Bluetooth | 4.0 |
| 3G | — |
| Battery capacity, mAh | 5 910 |
| Battery voltage, V | no data |
The ASUS Transformer Book T100TA has speakers located at the back, while the Switch 10 has speakers at the front. The body of the T100TA is made entirely of plastic, while the new product from Acer is partly made of metal. However, ASUS Transformer Book is also sold in a modification with hard drive, hidden under the keyboard. Considering that 64 GB for Windows and applications is the same as 10 m 2 for ten people, then an extra 500 GB of space can be a decisive factor for large number of people. And T100TA has more capacious battery, allowing it to play movies three hours longer, so nine hours instead of six. As for the rest, these are almost identical tablets at the same price.
conclusions
You can talk for a long time about who needs a tablet with Windows 8 on Intel Atom - schoolchildren, students, or generally all advanced people on the planet, but let's leave this work to the marketers of Microsoft and manufacturers similar devices and focus on the pros and cons of the Acer Aspire Switch 10.
Firstly, Acer managed to create a fairly stylish device, although you think so mainly looking at the only metal element of the case - back cover. But the plastic with a touch of “glitter” is a little disappointing.
The display makes an excellent impression. Of course, its resolution is similar to that of budget laptops, but the colors are rich, and the contrast and brightness are high. In other words, it will be difficult for an inexperienced user to distinguish its screen from the screen of an expensive ultrabook. Another nice feature of the Acer Aspire Switch 10 is the speakers, which are not located somewhere far, far away, but right here, on the front panel, in front of the user.
The method of attaching the keyboard is one of the most successful. No awkwardly placed latches, just one intuitive movement. Pull it towards yourself - and you're done. At the same time, we were not able to “accidentally” drop the keyboard, so its fastening is also reliable.
There are a lot of good words about the performance of the combination of the Intel Atom family processor and eMMC memory, of course, one cannot say voluntarily. However, the Acer Aspire Switch 10 is a quite responsive device, not as “thoughtful” as the first containers of “atoms” - netbooks.
Finally, it is worth noting another pleasant side of the Acer Aspire Switch 10 - it can work up to 6 hours while watching movies, and during games it will not burn your hands or bother you with the annoying noise of the cooling system.
The modern tablet market is highly segmented, and when choosing, users should first of all pay attention to the planned use cases. In addition to the operating system, devices differ in screen size, hardware platform and other design features. Models that combine the capabilities of a tablet and a laptop stand out thanks to the presence of a special plug-in keyboard with a touchpad. In this article we will get acquainted with the Acer Aspire Switch 10, which recently entered the domestic market.
This device consists of two elements - a tablet and a keyboard unit. The special mechanism for connecting them allows the manufacturer to talk about four use cases. In addition to the standard tablet and laptop configurations, “Tent” is offered, when the blocks are installed in a “house”, and “Display”, when the keyboard plays the role of a monitor stand.
The manufacturer classifies the device in the “Laptops” section. However, in our opinion, it would be more appropriate to consider it a tablet. The fact is that the second block contains only the keyboard. It does not provide a “desktop” set of connectors (except for one USB 2.0), built-in battery or storage. Even the charger can only be connected to the main unit. However, it's not about the name. Let's take a closer look at this model.
The following describes exactly the tested older modification of the series (SW5-011-17WL NT.L47ER.001). Stores may also offer models that differ in flash drive capacity, processor model, screen, battery, and wireless controller.
Specifications Acer Aspire Switch 10
- Intel Atom Z3745 processor
- Number of cores: 4
- CPU frequency: 1.33 GHz (up to 1.86 GHz in Turbo Boost mode)
- RAM 2 GB DDR3
- Flash memory 64 GB
- Operating system Windows 8.1 (32-bit)
- Display on IPS matrix, 10.1″, 1366×768 (155 ppi), capacitive, multi-touch
- Cameras: front 2.1 MP (Full HD)
- Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz)
- microSDHC memory card support
- Bluetooth 4.0
- 3.5 mm headphone/headphone jack, Micro-HDMI, Micro-USB 2.0 (OTG)
- Battery 25 Wh, 6500 mAh
- Accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, light sensor
- Tablet dimensions 260×176×9.2 mm
- Tablet weight 590 g, keyboard unit 520 g, power supply 105 g
The device uses an updated version of the Intel Atom Z3745 SoC. It differs from its predecessor (Z3740) mainly in the increased maximum frequency of the graphics controller. The chip has four x86 architecture cores (support for 64-bit mode is also present), operating at a nominal frequency of 1.33 GHz. Turbo Boost technology allows you to raise the frequency to 1.86 GHz if necessary. The minimum frequency at no load is 533 MHz.
The model's RAM capacity is 2 GB. On the one hand, working with Windows 8.1 is quite comfortable (considering the class of the device), but on the other hand, such savings on the part of manufacturers continue to look very strange.
The platform is not supported SATA interface, so the system drive uses an eMMC connection. The disk capacity is 64 GB. On the new tablet, about 48 GB is available to the user. Note the presence of a hidden 6.5 GB recovery partition. To expand the capacity, you can use microSDHC memory cards and USB drives. Despite platform support for version 3.0 USB interface, the tablet in question uses only 2.0.
The tablet part of the transformer is equipped with an IPS screen with a diagonal of 10.1″ and a resolution of 1366×768 pixels (density is 155 dpi). Multi-touch is supported (up to five simultaneous touches). The Intel HD Graphics controller in this SoC has a maximum frequency increased from 667 to 778 MHz. All other characteristics are preserved, including work with DirectX 11 and OpenGL 3.0, as well as decoding of modern video formats. It is possible to connect an external monitor via the microHDMI port.
The sound controller in the device is standard. There is a front camera based on the OmniVision OV2722 module with support for FullHD resolution for photos and videos (2.1 megapixels).
There is nothing unusual in the implementation of communication means in the model under consideration. The wireless controller is based on a Broadcom chip connected to the SDIO bus. It is capable of working with 802.11a/b/g/n networks in the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands with a maximum connection speed of 300 Mbps. Testing of real performance showed that the tablet is capable of operating at speeds of 55-75 Mbit/s depending on the range and direction, which is a good result in this class (the test was carried out with the Asus RT-AC56U router). Support is also available Bluetooth interface, which can be useful for working with a mouse or external keyboard.
It is worth noting the ability to work with wireless displays Windows 8.1. This technology can be used, for example, to view photos and videos or display presentations and documents.
The capacity of the built-in battery (according to diagnostic programs) is 25 Wh (6500 mAh). For a 10.1″ device this is not very much. Although it is worth remembering the relatively low screen resolution. The manufacturer talks about battery life for eight hours. Please note that there is no second battery in the keyboard unit.
If you set the requirements for a Windows tablet to have a 10.1″ screen and an Intel Bay Trail platform, then the choice will not be very large. In particular, here you can remember the Asus Transformer Book T100TA and HP Omni 10. Interestingly, there are also models from less famous brands, such as Cube, iRu and PiPO. However, they only have a screen resolution of 1280x800. The HP ElitePad 1000 is expected, but this device clearly belongs to a different class. For comparison, we included only the above-mentioned Asus and HP models in the table. In this case, there is no direct competition with models using Android or iOS. Solutions based on Intel Core processors offer the user a different level of performance and are also not competitors to the Acer Aspire Switch 10. For transformers, the table shows size and weight data for the main (tablet) part.
| Acer Aspire Switch 10 | HP Omni 10 | Asus Transformer Book T100TA | |
| Screen | IPS, 10.1″, 1920×1200 (226 ppi) | IPS, 10.1″, 1366×768 (155 ppi) | |
| SoC (processor) | Intel Atom Z3745 @1.33 GHz (64 bits, 4 cores) | Intel Atom Z3770 @1.46 GHz (64 bits, 4 cores) | Intel Atom Z3740 @1.33 GHz (64 bits, 4 cores) |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics | Intel HD Graphics | Intel HD Graphics |
| Flash memory | 64 GB | 32 GB | 32/64 GB |
| Connectors | Micro-HDMI, Micro-USB, 3.5mm headphone jack, USB 2.0 (on keyboard block) | Micro-HDMI, Micro-USB, 3.5 mm headphone jack | dock connector, Micro-HDMI, 3.5 mm headphone jack (on tablet), USB 3.0 (on dock) |
| Memory card support | microSD | microSD | microSD |
| RAM | 2 GB | 2 GB | 2 GB |
| Cameras | front (2.1 MP; 1080p video shooting) | front (2 MP; 1080p video shooting) and rear (8 MP; 1080p video shooting) | front (1.2 MP, support for 720p video communication) |
| Internet | WiFi | WiFi | WiFi |
| Battery capacity (mAh/Wh) | 6500 / 25 | 7700 / 31 | N/A / 31 |
| operating system | Microsoft Windows 8.1 | Microsoft Windows 8.1 | Microsoft Windows 8.1 |
| Dimensions (mm) | 260×176×9.2 | 260×182×11 | 263×171×13 |
| Weight (g) | 590 | 671 | 570 |
Note that the Asus Transformer Book T100TA is very similar in characteristics to the hero of this article, and the HP Omni 10 has a higher screen resolution and processor. It will be interesting to see how this affects performance and battery life test results.
Equipment
The transformer comes in a compact cardboard box. It is decorated using glossy varnish for photographs and looks quite good. On the bottom side of the package there is a traditional sticker with the name and characteristics of the device, so you can check the configuration before purchasing.
The delivery set includes a 12 V 1.5 A power supply, printed documentation (including in Russian) and a card with a number for activating Office for Home and Student 2013. The power supply has a “socket” format and replaceable plugs (included there is only one for our market), the cable length is about one and a half meters, which is not very much. Note the use of black glossy plastic for its body.
In the technical support section on the manufacturer’s website there are electronic versions documentation, including a complete user manual, and software updates.
The device has a one-year warranty. Except local warranty service, comes with a special international limited warranty. Detailed conditions are specified in the complete documentation.
Among the original accessories, the company offers for this model a case for the tablet unit (different colors are available).
Design
Windows tablets often differ significantly in appearance from their counterparts on other operating systems. It is possible that this is dictated by their focus on use “for serious work with familiar applications.”
The Aspire Switch 10 was no exception. Its overall dimensions are 260 × 176 × 9.2 mm, and its weight is almost 600 g. The body of the device is made mainly of gray matte plastic, only on the back panel you can see an aluminum cover that performs more decorative role.
The straight edges are reminiscent of the previously reviewed Acer Iconia W700 and Acer Iconia Tab W510. At the same time, the manufacturer did not use this feature - the tablet has “micro” modifications of the HDMI and USB connectors.
On the right side there is a microphone, a hidden reset button, a slot for a microSDHC card, microUSB with OTG support, microHDMI, and an input for the power supply. Given the lack of a charging input on the keyboard unit, the power cable is not located in the most convenient way in most cases. Its angled plug improves the situation a little. A similar note applies to other connectors that are clearly not designed for constant or frequent use.
On the left side you can find the headset input, the power button with a built-in indicator, and the volume rocker. The buttons are quite comfortable, press clearly, and are easy to find by touch.
There is nothing above. At the bottom there are holes for mounting on the keyboard unit and a connector for it. There are no special mechanical latches here - strong magnets are used. Moreover, they are located both on the tablet and on the keyboard.
The front panel is also quite traditional. Most of it is covered with black glass and creates the feeling of narrow frames. In fact, the screen itself is significantly smaller and in reality the distances from it to the edges of the case are approximately 19 mm on the left and right and 25 mm on the top and bottom. However, large fields also have a plus in the form of a more comfortable holding of the tablet without affecting the touch screen.
In the upper part in the center you can see the front camera window (there is no operation indicator), in the right top corner a brightness sensor is installed, and at the bottom there is a Windows touch button and stereo speaker grilles. Such placement of the latter will be useful for all scenarios for using the device.
In general, the impression of the design of the model in question is positive. Of course, there are certain comments regarding ergonomics, but there are no significant miscalculations here.
Keyboard block
The keyboard unit, as we wrote above, can hardly be called a docking station, since it has only one full-size USB 2.0 connector. There is no way to connect a charger or monitor to it, and there is no battery or additional storage in it either.
The dimensions of the block are 260 × 182 × 11 mm (excluding the fastening mechanism), and the weight is 520 g. As a result, the set of tablet and keyboard will have a thickness of 20-21 mm, and a total weight of about 1.1 kg.
Such parameters are one of the compromises characteristic of transformers. It is worth keeping this in mind when choosing a device. As an alternative, you can consider external keyboards with stands from third-party manufacturers, which will allow you to more freely approach the selection of both the tablet part and the keyboard.
The keyboard block is also made of gray matte plastic, which is slightly darker on the bottom. There are also rubber feet (two large round ones and one in the form of a strip) to securely hold the device on the table in “Display” mode.
If you use laptop mode, then the situation is less comfortable - the back strip is replaced by two plastic legs, and the weight ratio of the tablet and keyboard leads to the fact that when the opening is close to the maximum (a little more than 135 degrees), the tablet outweighs.
As a result, the laptop scenario turns out to be inapplicable in cases of limited space (only if you do not hold the structure with your wrists).
As for the “Tent” option, its stability in road conditions is also not good, since only the plastic edges of the keyboard and tablet “work” in it. There is no need to talk about opening the laptop with one hand.
In the far right corner of the keyboard block there is one full-size USB 2.0 port. This is the only one additional opportunity of this system component. It's a pity that there is only one port and that the third version of the interface is not used. Most likely, the reason is due to the limitations of the special electrical connector for connecting the blocks.
For a 10.1″ model, implementing a full-fledged keyboard is quite difficult, which also affects the efficiency of working with it. In the device under consideration, the total width of the island-type keyboard is 25 centimeters. Compared to the standard options, we note the use of a thin top row of function keys and a “compressed” “~/Ё” button. The main buttons measure 14.4 x 13.3 mm, but relatively wide spaces between them allow you to work with text quite quickly after some getting used to.
Note that there are combinations with the “Fn” button that adjust sound and brightness, disable wireless interfaces, switch monitor modes, disable the touchpad and other functions.
The touchpad measures about 90x50mm and is slightly recessed. Its surface is made of smooth plastic, so using the touchpad is quite comfortable. The built-in button is not very well implemented - too hard for such a compact device.
Screen
The tablet has a screen with a diagonal of 10.1″ (222×125 mm, 16:9 format), and its resolution is 1366×768 pixels, which gives 155 ppi. The touch sensor supports up to five simultaneous touches.
An expert assessment of the screen was performed by Alexey Kudryavtsev.
The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the brightness of reflected objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are slightly worse than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (we compare it with it below). For clarity, here are photographs in which a white surface is reflected in the switched off screens of both tablets (Acer Aspire Switch 10 - on the left, then they can be distinguished by size):
Visually reflected in Acer screen Aspire Switch 10 is a little lighter, which is confirmed by statistics from graphic editor- average screen brightness in the photo is 107 versus 96 for the Nexus 7. The doubling of reflected objects in the screen of the Acer Aspire Switch 10 is weak, this indicates that there is no air gap between the outer glass (also known as the touch sensor) and the surface of the matrix (OGS type screen). One Glass Solution). Due to the smaller number of boundaries (glass-air type) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of strong external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be replaced. The outer surface of the screen has a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (slightly more effective than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much more easily and appear at a lower speed than with regular glass.
With manual brightness control, its maximum value was about 340 cd/m², and the minimum was 22 cd/m². Maximum value not very high, but given the not-so-weak anti-glare properties, at least something will be visible on the screen in bright daylight. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. There is automatic brightness adjustment based on the light sensor (it is located in the upper right corner). IN automatic mode When external conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. The operation of this function depends on the brightness adjustment position. If it is 100%, then in complete darkness the auto-brightness function reduces the brightness to 110 cd/m² (it could have been lower), in an office illuminated by artificial light (about 400 lux) it sets it to 330 cd/m² (also a bit too much), in very bright environment (corresponding to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight- 20,000 lux or a little more) increases to the maximum, that is, up to 340 cd/m². If it is at 50%, then the screen brightness for the three conditions above is as follows: 65, 200 and 340 cd/m² (suitable values). If, when automatic brightness adjustment is turned on, the brightness control is set to 0, the brightness always remains at the minimum (22 cd/m²) value. As a result, the auto-brightness function works adequately. Just on minimum brightness(possibly close to it) there is backlight modulation, but its amplitude is less than 100%, and the modulation frequency is high - about 21 kHz - so the flickering of the backlight cannot be visually detected, and the presence of such modulation cannot in any way affect the comfort of working with this device.
This tablet uses a matrix IPS type. The microphotographs show a typical IPS subpixel structure:
For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.
The screen has good viewing angles without inverting shades and without significant color shifts, even with large viewing deviations from perpendicular to the screen. For comparison, here are photographs in which identical images are displayed on the screens of the Nexus 7 and the tested tablet, while the screen brightness is initially set to approximately 200 cd/m², and the color balance on the camera is forcibly switched to 6500 K. Test picture perpendicular to the screens:
You can see that there are small differences in color balance, but the image on the Acer Aspire Switch 10 is less saturated (note the blue napkin, grapes and bananas, for example). And a white field:
We note good uniformity of brightness and color tone. Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:
It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both tablets, but on the Acer Aspire Switch 10 the contrast has decreased to a greater extent due to the strong brightening of the darkest shades. Then the white field:
The brightness at an angle for both tablets decreased noticeably (by at least 4 times, based on the difference in shutter speed), but the Acer Aspire Switch 10's screen at this angle is slightly brighter. When deviated diagonally, the black field becomes very bright and acquires a violet or red-violet hue. A photo from the Nexus 7 shows this for comparison (the brightness of the white areas in the perpendicular direction is the same for both tablets!):
And from another angle:
When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is not ideal, since there are several areas along the edge with increased black brightness:
The contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is not very high - about 760:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 20 ms (12 ms on + 8 ms off). The transition between halftones of gray 25% and 75% (according to the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 30 ms. The gamma curve, constructed using 32 points with equal intervals based on the numerical value of the shade of gray, did not reveal any blockage in either the highlights or the shadows. The exponent of the approximating power function is 1.97, which is lower than the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma curve deviates from the power law:
At default settings and when running on battery power, Dynamic Backlight Dimming mode is enabled, which forces the brightness down on average dark images. It’s good that this mode can be disabled on the video driver control panel. That's what we did. However, just in case, we carried out a number of tests - determining contrast and response time, comparing black illumination at angles - when displaying special templates with a constant average brightness, and not monochromatic fields in the entire screen.
Color gamut narrower than sRGB:
Apparently, the matrix’s light filters mix the components with each other. The spectra confirm this:
This technique allows you to increase the brightness of the screen with the same energy consumption for backlighting. As a result, the colors of images - drawings, photographs and films - oriented to the sRGB space (and the vast majority of them) have reduced saturation. The balance of shades on the gray scale is good, since the color temperature is close to the standard 6500 K, and the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) is less than 10, which is considered an acceptable indicator for a consumer device. At the same time, color temperature and ΔE change slightly from hue to hue, which has a positive effect on the visual assessment of color balance. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)
Let's summarize. The screen does not have the highest maximum brightness, but has good anti-glare properties, so the device can most likely be used outdoors even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. At the same time, the user is relieved of the need to manually adjust the brightness, since the corresponding function copes well with this task, in addition helping to preserve battery charge. The advantages of the screen include a very effective oleophobic coating, the absence of air gaps in the layers of the screen and visible flicker, as well as good color balance. Significant disadvantages include strong black bleaching when the gaze deviates from perpendicular to the screen surface and a narrow color gamut. However, overall we think the screen quality of the Acer Aspire Switch 10 is above average.
Note that the Acer Aspire Switch 10 is equipped with a Micro-HDMI connector, which allows you to output images to an external device. This connector is miniature (narrower than Micro-USB), but has 19 pins. HDMI cables for such a connector are usually quite rigid, which during operation often causes the plug to become distorted in the socket and cause a failure in image transmission. After some time, this connector becomes loose and its use becomes impossible. In general, the performance characteristics of this method of connecting to external screen extremely low. The use of a Micro-HDMI connector is still somehow justified in the case of miniature devices such as phones, but in tablets it is necessary to use more reliable options such as Mini-HDMI, Mini-DisplayPort, or even the full-size HDMI version. Output modes are traditional for Windows (examples in the case of a monitor resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels): copy (clone) - an image in the center of the monitor measuring 1366 by 768 pixels, desktop extension - a second screen on the monitor with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels, only on the screen tablet or only to an external device - desktop on a monitor with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels, but there are artifacts of the desktop being redrawn.
Sound path and camera
Stereo speakers located at the bottom of the front panel allow you to provide sound in all operating modes of the device. From point of view maximum volume and frequency range indicators are average. In a noisy place, the volume may not be enough, and in musical compositions there is very little representation low frequencies. In any case, using high-quality headphones makes a significant difference.
The hole for the built-in microphone is located at the top of the right edge of the case. In fact, it does not have any specific polar pattern, since the sound is recorded equally when the sound source is placed on either side of the tablet.
The sound itself has a relatively low quality, noise and limited frequency range are noticeable. We have already seen similar behavior in another Windows tablet model. It is strange that manufacturers do not pay adequate attention to this issue, although for the device of this class This is a fairly popular use case.
If necessary, you can use standard wired telephone headsets with your tablet, which have not only headphones, but also a microphone (models from Apple and HTC were tested).
The tablet only has front camera, the rear went under the knife in the process of reducing its value. However, its necessity for tablets is perhaps debatable. But video communication is a more frequently used function than serious photography. The camera is based on the OmniVision OV2722 module, which has FullHD resolution, used for both photos and videos. We have seen the same module in other Windows tablets.
The video quality is relatively good only in sufficient lighting. Tablet screen light or even large monitor is clearly not enough to ensure the recognition of the interlocutor on Skype. But a sixty-watt light bulb corrects the situation. Interestingly, when taking photographs, the picture in a difficult situation becomes noticeably brighter, although at the cost of increasing the noise level.
Platform and performance
The device in question is based on the Intel Atom Z3745 SoC, which has four computing cores operating at frequencies up to 1.33 GHz (1.86 GHz in Turbo Boost mode). Like its predecessor, this chip supports DDR3-1066 RAM in dual-channel mode. But the graphics unit in this modification has an increased maximum frequency, which may affect the results in 3D tests. However, in any case, this platform belongs to the entry-level x86 solutions. In addition, it should be noted that there is not much variety in the segment under consideration and it usually does not make sense to choose a device based on performance. So most tests are more likely to be confirmation of already known information about the capabilities of the platform.
The first group of tests used the Futuremark-, PCMark 8, and 3DMark programs. For comparison, we present the results of Asus Transformer Book T100TA, HP Omni 10, as well as Dell Venue 11 Pro, which is a noticeably higher level in terms of positioning and cost (in particular, it uses a 10.8″ Full HD screen). All devices ran 32-bit versions of the operating system.
| PCMark 7 Scenarios | Acer Aspire Switch 10 | HP Omni 10 | Dell Venue 11 Pro | Asus T100TA |
| PCMark score | 2470 | 2695 | 2727 | 2316 |
| Lightweight | 1327 | 1619 | 1643 | 1234 |
| Productivity | 981 | 1209 | 1217 | 970 |
| Entertainment | 1723 | 1812 | 1835 | 1666 |
| Creativity | 4527 | 4972 | 5050 | 3898 |
| Computation | 6289 | 6795 | 6937 | 5373 |
| System Storage | 3480 | 3793 | 3886 | 3177 |
| Raw System Storage | 1177 | 1343 | 1529 | N/A |
In this case, the load goes mainly to the processing cores of the processor. These devices differ in their maximum clock speed, which has a noticeable effect on some subtests (Lightweight and Productivity), where Dell and HP models are about 20% faster than Acer and Asus. However, in real work you most likely will not notice this.
| PCMark 8 Scenarios | Acer Aspire Switch 10 | HP Omni 10 | Dell Venue 11 Pro | Asus T100TA |
| Home accelerated 3.0 | 1214 | 1206 | 1223 | 1185 |
| Creative accelerated 3.0 | 1059 | 1112 | 1019 | 1006 |
| Work accelerated 2.0 | 1254 | 1265 | 1270 | 1234 |
| Storage (System) | 3918 | 4276 | 4334 | N/A |
Note that PCMark 8 tests used OpenCL (Accelerated Run) technology. There is no significant difference in the main operating scenarios. As for the system storage, it is a little slower on the Acer Aspire Switch 10 than on other devices.
| 3DMark 11 Scenarios | Acer Aspire Switch 10 | HP Omni 10 | Dell Venue 11 Pro | Asus T100TA | |
| Entry | Score | 325 | 343 | 346 | 327 |
| Graphics score | 288 | 289 | 291 | 289 | |
| Physics score | 1085 | 1428 | 1543 | 869 | |
| Combined Score | 217 | 287 | 287 | 252 | |
| Performance | Score | 187 | 212 | 212 | 199 |
| Graphics score | 164 | 181 | 180 | 174 | |
| Physics score | 994 | 1360 | 1541 | 883 | |
| Combined Score | 161 | 226 | 228 | 190 | |
The scenarios in the 3DMark 11 test clearly intensively use the tablet's processor cores, so the Acer Aspire Switch 10 is noticeably inferior to its opponents. And even a higher clock speed of the graphics unit can only equalize the results in the graphics part of the lower template. The results of the Asus T100TA in this test were not obtained on a “clean” system, so you should not compare them directly with other participants.
| 3DMark Scripts | Acer Aspire Switch 10 | HP Omni 10 | Dell Venue 11 Pro | Asus T100TA | |
| Ice Storm | Score | 17340 | 15462 | 14532 | 15887 |
| Graphics score | 17785 | 14548 | 13620 | 16075 | |
| Physics score | 15947 | 19826 | 18987 | 15264 | |
| Ice Storm Extreme | Score | 10308 | 9044 | 9206 | N/A |
| Graphics score | 9422 | 7897 | 7990 | N/A | |
| Physics score | 15365 | 18408 | 19687 | N/A | |
| Cloud gate | Score | 1354 | 1255 | 1248 | 1220 |
| Graphics score | 1385 | 1184 | 1173 | 1226 | |
| Physics score | 1257 | 1595 | 1609 | 1249 | |
More favorable to mobile platforms the entry-level 3DMark benchmark shows that the graphics unit of the Intel Atom Z3745 is indeed faster than other models in terms of pure performance, however, in this class of devices, processor cores are often no less in demand for graphics applications.
In general, we were once again convinced that there are practically no significant differences in performance among the representatives of the Intel Atom Bay Trail family. Moreover, even the use of a single-channel memory controller has relatively little effect on real performance. These systems are quite capable of performing popular mass tasks, including the Internet and working with documents, which is largely due to the optimization of the latest generation of Windows. At the same time, it’s probably not worth considering such models as a replacement for universal computers or laptops in the general case. Yes, after connecting a large monitor and keyboard with a mouse, they are not much different from a PC, but devices with Intel Core offer a completely different level of performance. So the possibility of replacement is determined more by the requirements of the user and the software he uses, than by the features of the platform.
Additionally, we conducted several low-level tests, although in this case they are already redundant, since the above results leave no doubt about the correct implementation of the platform's capabilities.
The tablet's memory subsystem uses DDR3-1066 SDRAM chips. We have no comments on its implementation. The AIDA64 Cache & Memory Benchmark test showed indicators already familiar from previous materials - 11174 MB/s, 8455 MB/s and 9930 MB/s for read, write and copy operations, respectively.
The synthetic AIDA64 GPGPU Benchmark tests are one of the few that can notice an increase in the clock speed of the graphics unit. Judging by them, in the Atom Z3745 model it turned out to be faster not only than the Z3740, but also the Z3770.
The performance of the system drive is quite typical for this class of models. Let us remember that the Intel Bay Trail platform uses the eMMC interface for the disk. The Acer Aspire Switch 10 has a maximum sequential read speed of almost 150 MB/s according to the CrystalDiskMark test, and writes can be done a little faster than 45 MB/s.
In idle mode, the processor cores operate at a frequency of 533 MHz. The chip temperature does not exceed 40 °C, which is an excellent result. Load in the form of Stress CPU or Stress FPU scenarios in the system stability test of the AIDA64 utility Extreme Edition, leads to an increase in core frequency to 1.86 MHz, which indicates the activity of Turbo Boost technology. The core temperature rises to 62 °C. The load scenario on the GPU does not affect the frequency of the processor cores, and the temperature increase is less significant - up to 58 ° C. And only if all blocks (CPU, FPU and GPU) are used at once, the chip temperature will increase to 72 ° C, and the core frequency will occasionally decrease from a maximum of 1.86 GHz to the standard 1.33 GHz. Note that in all modes the increase in temperature on the case is practically not felt.
Autonomous operation
We started checking the battery life of the device by testing the iXBT Battery Benchmark v.1.0 methodology, adjusted for the use of a 32-bit version of the operating system. As for the screen brightness, it was recorded in all tests at around 100 cd/m². The tablet itself was tested; the keyboard unit was not connected. Two scenarios for using the tablet showed the following results:
| Load scenario | Working hours |
| Watch video | 6 hours 15 minutes |
| Working with text and viewing photos | 7 hours 30 minutes |
Additionally, we used two more scenarios. The first - watching 720p video over the network with the standard player of the operating system - is familiar to you from past tests of smartphones and tablets. In this mode, the battery lasted for 7 hours and 15 minutes. The second test emulates reading websites and consists of cyclically loading twenty materials from our site via Wi-Fi in the browser with a viewing time of 30 seconds for each. This scenario showed a result of six hours.
The battery capacity of the device is relatively small, and one of the main consumers is the 10.1″ screen. However, the battery life turned out to be relatively good. At low load intensity, the device can work all day.
Charging the device in sleep mode from a standard power supply takes about two hours. For those who like to travel, we remind you that you will most likely have to carry with you the original power supply, which has rather rare parameters and connector. A universal model for laptops with replaceable plugs cannot be used.
Software
The device has the Windows 8.1 operating system in the 32-bit version. Additionally, there is Office 2013 Home&Student, which is activated using the included key. In our case, we tested the version for the local market and both products used the Russian language. At the first start or after a reset, initialization and basic settings are carried out (region, personalization, etc.). Thanks to the presence of a recovery partition, no external drives are not required to reset the computer to its factory state.
Additional software includes multimedia, system and cloud utilities from Acer, Yandex services (in particular Money, Disk and Maps) and several other free utilities.
Acer, being a major manufacturer of a wide range of computing devices, tries to provide its users with unique opportunities related to working with its products. One of these services is a cloud system for working with documents, multimedia files and other user data. It is worth noting that other companies use a similar approach.
Learn more about Acer BYOC (Build) features Your Own Cloud - build your own cloud) can be found on the website. The system works with computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones and supports Windows (7 and above), Android and iOS operating systems. You can connect several devices to one account at once, and not only from Acer. As a result, the user gets the opportunity to use a common “cloud” media library, a common photo album, and access their documents from different devices. You can also access your computer's entire file system from your mobile device. True, checking the operation of the system with several devices showed that Current version does not always work predictably. Perhaps if you use only models from Acer the situation will be different.
The tablet also comes with a pre-installed panel for quick access to some popular system Acer settings Quick Access, a utility for copying and restoring the operating system, applications and documents Acer Recovery Manager (also allows you to create a USB system recovery disk and delete the corresponding partition on system storage), Identity Card for quick access to device data (model, version, serial number), Live Updater download program. If necessary, the majority third party utilities can be removed by freeing a little extra space on the system disk.
conclusions
The market for tablets running the Microsoft operating system continues to develop at a leisurely pace. These solutions do not have any obvious competition with other platforms, since the operating systems are very different, and direct comparison in terms of tasks solved and ease of use is almost impossible.
In the segment of models with a 10″ screen, which, especially if equipped with a keyboard, can be considered in a sense a new generation of netbooks, there are relatively few devices today. So the Acer Aspire Switch 10 family, announced this spring, clearly deserves the attention of users who require a universal, multifunctional solution with Windows.
Acer Aspire Switch 10 is based on last generation single-chip Intel Atom platform and has characteristics and performance quite familiar to the budget segment. The device has a distinctive, recognizable design, a good screen, a small thickness of the tablet part and an original system for attaching the keyboard unit. At the same time, it should be noted that the battery has a relatively low capacity, which did not allow it to show good results in battery life tests. There are certain comments regarding the selected format and location of the ports, as well as the functionality of the keyboard block.
There are several modifications of the device on sale, differing in hardware configuration. For the older model discussed in this article, the retail price at the time of publication was about 17 thousand rubles. The Acer Aspire Switch 10's competitors are Acer Iconia Tab W510/W511, Asus VivoTab Smart and, of course, Asus Transformer Book T100TA. The first two may be interesting availability of NFC, a second camera, a cellular module and GPS (in some models), but they use a less powerful processor from the previous generation. The situation is more complicated with the Asus Transformer Book T100TA. On its side is a high-capacity battery and a USB port version 3.0. At the same time, the screen of this device is a little worse, and in terms of the design of the connecting hinge, it is perhaps inferior to the hero of the article. When it comes to battery charging, it’s difficult to give preference to any of the models. So, to make a choice, you will have to take into account the less obvious features of the devices.
The main feature of the Acer Switch 10 is a 2-in-1 device with a detachable docking station (aka keyboard), which is held on by magnets. The mechanism for detaching and attaching the display is simple and elegant. This is what makes it captivating when compared with the rotating frames of the Dell XPS 12, the rotating frames of the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro and the HP Envy x360, the wiping keyboard of the Toshiba Satellite U920t and the Asus Transformer Book T100TAM with latches. I just took it and, when necessary, disconnected the docking station. In this case, the display is connected to the docking station in two ways: the display towards you and the display away from you. As a result, the user has four modes available:
- “laptop” - a classic small netbook with a screen and keyboard
- "tablet" - screen without keyboard
- “display” - available if you insert the display into the docking station with the screen facing away from you and rotate the device
- “tent” - place an almost folded laptop in a “tent” with the display facing out
It is difficult to assess the applicability of the last two modes, but they are unlikely to be popular.
Together with the keyboard, the device looks like a small, cute laptop. Without a keyboard, the Acer Aspire Switch 10 is a typical tablet. Its back panel is made using aluminum. Thanks to its texture of intersecting stripes, it attracts attention, and from a distance it looks like leather. The main part of the connectors is located on the side ends of the display. The speakers are located under the screen. Separately, we note that the Acer Aspire Switch 10 has only one camera - the front one.
Build quality is good by laptop standards. The display is covered with Gorilla Glass 3, and the keyboard backing is durable. I was surprised that the back panel is easily pressed in the center - we have not seen this on tablets before.
Dimensions and weight - 4.9
The Acer Aspire Switch 10 convertible is lightweight by laptop standards. If we compare it with tablets, then its weight is average. Weight without the docking station is 562 grams (the manufacturer claims 585 grams), with it – 1220 grams. The dimensions of the case with the keyboard coincide with the official documentation - 26.2 × 17.7 × 2.4 cm, without the keyboard - the thickness is already about 0.95 cm. It is slightly larger and heavier than the Asus Transformer Book T100TAM. However, both devices are quite thick. For example, the Acer Aspire V3-371 ultrabook with a thickness of up to 2 cm is much thinner than these transformers.
Keyboard
The island-type keyboard of the Acer Aspire Switch 10 with an unusual layout is inconvenient to use, mainly due to its small size. There was no room for a digital keypad, and there was no backlighting of the keys either. As on the Acer Aspire V3-371, all the arrow block keys are reduced in size. At the same time, Pg Up and Pg Dn were also placed closely above the “left” and “right”. You need to get used to it so as not to hit both buttons at the same time. The key travel is average, but, according to expert reviews on the site, pressing Acer keyboard Aspire Switch 10 could be fixed more clearly - the finger gets a little stuck when typing.
Touchpad
The touchpad is small (about 45 cm2), but sensitive, and it is enough to work with a small screen. For example, we could easily swipe from one corner of the screen to another without lifting our finger. The keys are hidden under the lower corners of the touch surface and click noticeably when pressed. Like the Acer Aspire V3-371, it clicks across the entire area, but the right button only works in the lower right corner.
Ports and interfaces - 3.3
Acer Aspire Switch 10 expectedly received a reduced set of ports and connectors:
- USB 2.0 (on docking station)
- Mini-jack
- Volume key
- Power key
- Windows key
- Power socket
- Micro-HDMI
- Micro-USB 2.0
- microSD card slot
All ports, except one USB, are located on the sides of the display.
The Acer Aspire Switch 10 also has Wi-Fi (b/g/n) and Bluetooth 4.0 support. The lack of a cellular communication module and GPS makes it more like a laptop than a classic tablet. At the same time, Acer Switch 10 also has modifications with a built-in modem.
Productivity - 1.5
The performance of the Acer Aspire Switch 10 is poor by laptop standards and average when compared to tablets. On the one hand, this is logical; after all, this is a 2-in-1 device. But it’s a little frustrating and even angry when everything starts to slow down during normal browsing while trying to run something else at the same time.
The Acer Aspire Switch 10 is equipped with a quad-core Intel Atom Z3735F processor operating at frequencies of 1.33-1.83 GHz. The amount of RAM is 2 GB. Graphics are provided by Intel HD Bay Trail. Multitasking and demanding programs are clearly not for the Switch 10.
The benchmark results are predictably low; the Asus Transformer Book T100TAM on the Atom Z3775 scored higher.
- 3D Mark 06 CPU - 1007
- 3D Mark 06 Total - 1611
- GeekBench 2.4 - 2297
- GeekBench 3 - 2191
The built-in video card supports Direct X 11, that is, the device can run “classic” computer games. But only primitive or ancient toys, preferably from the last millennium, will work normally. An attempt to play Dota 2 and LOTRO was unsuccessful. Fps even on low settings ranges from 15 to 30. When joining a raid in Lord of The Rings Online game and completely turned into a slide show at a speed of 2 frames per second.
For data storage on the Acer Aspire Switch 10, from 32 to 532 GB of memory are available:
- in the display - 32/64 GB of flash memory
- 500 GB HDD can be hidden in the docking station
There are also versions of the Acer Aspire Switch 10 with 64 GB of flash memory on sale.
Display - 4.9
The display of the Acer Aspire Switch 10 is clear and of high quality. Full HD resolution, Gorilla Glass 3 protection, high brightness and contrast, wide viewing angles - all this is pleasing to the eye. High resolution (1920×1200 pixels) along with a 10.1-inch diagonal provides high density pixels - 224 per inch (at the level of the MacBook Pro 15 Retina or the Sony Xperia Tablet Z2 tablet). In addition to the protective glass, the display boasts an effective oleophobic coating. The maximum brightness that we measured with a colorimeter is 397 cd/m2, contrast is 860:1, brightness distribution is 88%. The indicators are high by the standards of laptops and average for tablets. The display has excellent color rendition, the picture is rich and looks natural, but the color gamut is not ideal. Before the sRGB standard, the screen lacks deep blue and red colors. Please note that there are also modifications on the market with less clear screens(1280x800 and 1366x768 pixels).
Battery - 3.5
The battery of the Acer Aspire Switch 10 showed weak results (tests were conducted with the dock connected). The much more powerful Acer Aspire V13-371 even worked longer, and there is no point in comparing it with tablets. Under maximum load Switch 10 lasted only 2 hours 21 minutes, the same Asus T100TAM lasted longer. This is partly due to the clearer display and high brightness Switch 10 screen. In View Full The HD video transformer was discharged in just 3.5 hours, at rest - in 7 hours 5 minutes. Even the 13-inch HP Stream 13 lasted longer in our tests.