14 DAY TRIAL // Late last month, Acer pulled out a new tablet/laptop hybrid of the bag, called the Aspire Switch 10. The device comes with a reversible magnetic latching system that allows the machine to be used in four different modes.
But even if this machine has barely been launched on the market, the first problems have already started popping up. Acer currently only offers the 32GB model with 500GB of hard drive in the dock, but what about the 64GB version?
Anyway, let’s get back to the problem mentioned above. TabTech reports that the device’s touchpad suddenly stops responding properly for no apparent good reason. Only when the tablet part is removed, does the touchpad work without any problems for some time.
Hopefully, the mishap has arisen due to a software problem and not a hardware one, so Acer might be soon able to fix this by issuing a software update.
But given the fact that these problems have been present from the very beginning, we can't help but wonder about the quality of the product.
With this in mind, customers considering buying the Acer Aspire Switch 10 might be tempted to turn to the obvious alternative, the ASUS Transformer Pad T100, especially since ASUS is offering a 64GB version, which has been known to be the most popular choice among buyers.
For those who missed our earlier report, the Acer Aspire Switch 10 offers four different modes of use, including laptop/tablet mode, tent mode (with the keyboard slightly folded up and the display turned around) and presentation mode (where the display is only turned around but the keyboard is left alone).
Surely, Acer is not the first company to offer such a product, but the relatively reasonable price ($379 / €379) might make a difference here. We’re saying relatively because the Asus Transformer Book T100 is selling for $349 / €349.
The hybrid has a 10-inch HD screen (1366 x 768 pixels) of IPS variety and comes equipped with Acer’s “Zero Gap” bonding tech, which minimizes glare. So in theory, users should have no problem whatsoever taking this machine to the park on a sunny day.
According to Acer’s CEO Jason Chen, the company is at a turning point and the Aspire Switch 10 is supposed to be a rebound product, helping the device maker return in the customers’ preferences.
But since we’re seeing problems with the device already, we have to wonder if the new Aspire Switch 10 will manage to sell at all.