Acer Aspire Switch Alpha 12 Offers Well-Designed Budget-Conscious Laptop/Tablet Hybrid

If Microsoft’s Surface Pro is just out of your budget or needs, or you’re simply looking for efficient laptops under £300, the new Acer Aspire Switch Alpha 12 offers a good-for-basic-use, liquid-cooled Laptop hybrid that may suit you. While compromising on a crisper display and a more sensitive stylus, Acer’s addition to the competitive market of multi-use devices doesn’t break any new ground, but instead offers reliability, a good keyboard, and a well-thought-out design.

BUY NOW: Acer Aspire Switch Alpha 12

The Alpha 12 is comprised of a 12-inch touchscreen tablet—equipped with Windows 10—and a full-size magnetic keyboard. A nice design addition is a kickstand on the back of the touchscreen, allowing the display to be tilted at virtually any angle. The size of of a piece of letter/A4 paper, the whole system weighs only 2.9 lbs/1.3 kg. CNET reports that you might have to lug the bulky 11-ounce power adapter with you, should you need more than 5.5 hours of charge.

What’s standout in this Acer product is it’s liquid cooling system (Acer’s LiquidLoop Cooling System), eliminating the use of fans and rendering the laptop/tablet silent. HD video streaming can occur for long periods of time without the device overheating, and use as a literal laptop is a little more comfortable than other easily overheated machines. Overall, the device has a sturdy, durable design.

However, don’t expect the best when it comes to pen performance and crisp images. Acer has left out an OLED display, and the stylus, while decent for basic writing, does not have the sensitivity or response-time required for fast note-taking or more detailed creative work. Flaws aside,