Another 2-in-1 hits the market with Acer’s Switch Alpha 12

Some call this the post-pc-era, and in that era there’s a rather common looking design hitting the stores – it’s not a tablet, it’s not a laptop, it’s being called a 2-in-1.  Acer today joined the field – announcing the Switch Alpha 12.

Apple claim the iPad to be a big part of the “post-pc-era” but the real question we should all be asking is “what is a PC?”

Microsoft’s entry into the hardware market with the Surface set a path for other manufacturers to follow, one they perhaps would not have forged on their own without Microsoft opening up an identifying the market space.

If we think back to the first Microsoft Surface, it was almost pitched to be head to head with the iPad as a Tablet.  But by the Surface Pro 4 and Surface 3 we clearly saw a switch to the “laptop alternative”

Acer President of IT Products Jerry Kao told EFTM Today that “Microsoft demonstrated there can be a market”.  “For me, it’s a challenge to take a risk to try something that new, but if there is someone else’s success in front of me there is less risk”

Once Microsoft started seeing success with their Surface product we started to see new products like Lenovo’s Miix, Huawei’s MateBook, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S Pro and now Acer’s Switch Alpha 12.

Looking at it today it’s got all the hallmarks of the other products, but Acer has done some tricky things to create a fanless product, yet it still packs Intel Core i processors.

They’ve created what they call “LiquidLoop” which is a thermal cooling technology allowing the device to be fan-free and as such has no vents on the sides.

The kickstand is more like an upside-down handle but does the work of the kickstand you’ve seen on the Surface and others which can be set at any angle up to 165 degrees.

A 12 inch screen with 2160×1440 resolution looks great, and they claim an 8-hour battery life.

Ensuring that 2-in-1 tag, the Switch Alpha 12 comes with a keyboard included which is just 5.85mm thin with the keys having a 1.4mm travel.

The Acer Switch Alpha 12 measures 292.1mm x 201.4mm and is x 15.85mm thick. It weighs in at 1250 grams with the keyboard connected.  As a tablet alone it’s just 9.5mm thick and weighs 900 grams.

Three storage sizes will be offered, at 128GB, 256GB and 512GB with a MicroSDXC slot for additional storage, and options for 4 or 8GB of RAM.

In the USA it’s going to be $599, we’ll have to wait till later in the year for Australian pricing and availability.

Trevor Long travelled to New York as a guest of Acer – Click here for Full details of commercial interests and disclosures