14 DAY TRIAL // Normally, tablets with detachable keyboards only have two so-called display modes (potential positions they can sit in), but Acer wanted to go a bit over the bar, so it added two more to the Aspire Switch 10.
And it did it through a single modification to the normal magnetic latching system that keyboard cases have nowadays: it made it reversible.
Normally, a keyboard can hold the tablet more or less upright, making everything look like a laptop, and it can also stick to the back, letting the device be used in tablet mode.
Acer Aspire Switch has these modes, sure enough, but it can also be arranged in a Tent mode (with the keyboard slightly folded up and the display turned around) and, finally, a mode where the display is only turned around but the keyboard is left alone.
We suppose you could say that Acer has transferred the positioning system of laptops with 360-degree hinges to the attachable keyboard of this tablet.
Other than that, the newcomer isn't all that amazing, although it does, at least, ship with a reasonable price, though some may argue on that.
For example, the Microsoft Surface 2 tablet, with NVIDIA's Tegra 4 T40 SoC and Full HD screen (1920 x 1080 pixels) ships for $449 / €449, while the ASUS Transformer Book T100 has a price of $349 / €349 despite being more or less identical, spec-wise, to the $379 / €379 Aspire Switch 10.
It's safe to say that the price difference can be attributed solely to the less than ordinary keyboard cover, although it might have to do with the CPU/SoC as well.
While we do know that ASUS's Transformer Bok T100 has a Bay Trail-T Z3740 from Intel, it's unclear what chip, exactly, powers the Acer Aspire Switch 10.
As for everything else, the Switch 10 has 32 or 64 GB storage, 2 GB of LPDDR3 memory and Intel HD graphics (iGP included in the Bay Trail-T SoC).
The HD screen (1366 x 768 pixels) is of the IPS variety (in-plane-switching, for wide viewing angles) and benefits from Acer's "Zero Gap" bonding tech, which minimizes glare. So while it won't be totally clear under direct sunlight, it should be visible enough if you go to the park and settle under the shade of a tree.
Acer is at a "turn around" point, according to CEO Jason Chen, and the Aspire Switch 10 is supposed to help it get back to profitability and steady growth. Since this is just the latest mainstream laptop/tablet device, we'll be waiting for the high-end ones.
