Windows 8 (Win8) may be the proverbial
second coming for Microsoft as they not only released a new operating system
after the much revered Windows 7, they also provided the manufacturers with new
guidelines that help them create PCs for the Post-PC era. The plan, of course,
is to incorporate touchscreen and a variety of tablet form factors. Acer is one
of the first on the bandwagon with its new Win8 products. Since it has a
reputation in creating something completely different, it comes as to no
surprise that the new Win8 devices are unique in its own quirky way. Indeed, we
have in our hands something that fits the bill - the new Acer Iconia W510.
Acer
Iconia W510 is a tablet, not one of those convertible laptops you've been
seeing lately
10in wonder
In the beginning, people associate tablets
with something sporting a ten inch screen, and that is what Acer is delivering
to consumers. The W510 is exactly that - a 10in device that is reminiscence of
older netbooks. Even from a distance you will think it is a netbook what with
the keyboard design taking a page from the original One series. You may be
forgiven that Acer dipped into their old pool of design concepts.
Ports and then some
Of course when you look closely enough you
will see differences. For example you will quickly find out that all the ports
are on the ‘screen’ part of the device (microHDMI, microUSB and microSD) and
there is only one USB port on the device. The damning thing is when you notice
there is a latch on the hinge - when you slide it to the side, POP – the screen
detaches. This is the moment of truth, when you realize that it is a
convertible machine.
All
the ports are on the ‘screen’ part of the device (microHDMI, microUSB and
microSD) and there is only one USB port on the device
Processor prowess
Powered by Intel’s latest Clovertrail
processor, the W510 is no slouch in processing power. For your information,
Clovertrail is Intel’s codename for their latest Atom processor. Don’t scoff as
the processor is powerful enough to playback your 1080p videos lawlessly. With
its 270 degree fold back position, it can be your best friend when you fly on
low cost carriers as the footprint is just nice enough for airplane trays. Of
course the biggest worry is that of the battery life. That my friends, is
something you do not need to worry at all. The tablet itself has a long battery
that can juice it up for 9 hours. The coolest part though is that the keyboard
also has a battery, which means there is another 9 hours’ worth of power to
use. So you get a total of 18 hours on a full charge! That is like lying from
KL to New York plus the immigration time.
Powered by Intel’s latest Clovertrail
processor, the W510 is no slouch in processing power
Decent scores
We ran our usual duo of benchmark –
PCMark07 and also Performance Test to see how good the tablet is. The W510
scored 1271 for PCMark07 and managed to get 286 for Performance Test. Notably,
there are some negative points about the W510 - the track-pad is hopeless and
there are only two USB ports - one of which needs to be converted from the
microUSB port. Other than that, for $704, this device is right now the best of
many worlds for Win8.
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Specifications
§ Price:
$649
§ Processor:
Intel Atom processor Z2760 Dual Core @ 1.8Ghz
§ Memory:
2GB DDR3 RAM
§ Storage:
64GB SSD
§ Operating
System: Windows 8
§ Display:
10”, 1366 x 768 pixels
§ Camera:
8 megapixels + LED Flash
§ Ports:
microSD slot, microHDMI, micro USB, USB 2.0
§ PCMark07:
1271
§ Performance
Test: 286
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