Acer has recently revealed an affordable series of 2-in-1 devices sporting powerful specs, security features and Windows 10.
The most basic of the models is the Acer Switch One 10, and it comes with the most budget-friendly tag of them all. Nevertheless, the notebook can hold its own in a myriad of situations.
First off, it is a fully "convertible" device and can be used into the tent, pad (tablet) display and notebook modes. For the latter you will have to connect it to the keyboard, which also acts as a stand. Behind the 10-inch multi-touch HD screen sits one of the latest processors from the Intel Atom line. The only color option for the Switch One 10 is Metallic Gray.
Availability for North America will begin in July at a price of $199, rivaling affordable Chromebooks.
Next stop, the Acer Switch V 10. The device is also flexible and it can be used in the typical fashion for 2-in-1s. The Switch V 10 does come with a few tricks up its sleeve, however.
It comes with the USB Type-C port, allowing for lightning speed data transfers. It features dual-band MIMO 802.11ac Wi-Fi, which provides a rocket of wireless connections. The internal storage is a tad surprising, as the Switch V 10 holsters only 32 or 64 GB of internal storage.
The good news is that the keyboard dock provides a clean 500 GB of HDD space, as well as two full-sized USB-A ports. Those who treasure portability can purchase a sleeker keyboard.
During the this quarter of this year, North American customers will get their hands on the Switch V 10. The notebook comes in a few color options, namely Shale Black, Pearl White, Navy Blue, Peacock Blue and Coral Red. Pricing starts at $249 for the medium-range convertible.
Last, but not least, come the most powerful notebooks from Acer's new release: the TravelMate P Series.
Two devices line up here, both of which feature Full HD backlit LED displays: the 14-inch TravelMate P249 and the 15.6-inch TravelMate P259.
The two notebooks do lack some of the design flexibility of the previous models, but compensate with stronger specs. A strong nod goes towards the Intel's 6th gen Core processor, which is backed by DDR4 RAM (as much as 32 GB, no less) for processing power. A discrete Nvidia GeForce 940M takes care of visuals.
Predictably, the Acer TravelMate P249 and P259 cost the most, with the highest starting price asking for $599. North American users who want more power from Acer can get their hands on the devices starting Q4 2016. Customers from Europe, Africa, China and the Middle East will see it in stores in August.
Microsoft rolled out Windows Hello as a marketing name for its biometrics-based security system which was bundled in the release of Windows 10. The company took a leaf out of the mobile world and focused on fingerprint scanners in a period when a reduced number of laptops sported such security features.
Acer's upcoming line lands with Windows 10 onboard, meaning that Microsoft has a new place to wield its safety measure.
Late last month, Acer presented another interesting 2-in-1 laptop, the Switch Alpha 12, that features liquid cooling. As you can expect, it packs powerful specs and you can read all about it in our coverage.
