If you’re finding it hard to choose, Acer’s latest device could well be the ‘Alpha’ in the pack.
The Switch Alpha 12 is an impressive-looking (and good looking, too) 2-in-1 tablet. Powered by Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 processors, it has a 12-inch, touchscreen, with 2,160 x 1,440-pixel resolution. Ours was an i5 with ample 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD.
It’s thin and very lightweight, 1.26kg combined and 900g as a stand-alone tablet. Plus, it also comes complete with a magnetically-attaching, full-size keyboard, that’s surprisingly strong – if anything, a little too hard to separate! The neat kickstand just pulls out – no fiddly latches or buttons – and can hold and tilt the screen to the exact angle needed.
To top it off, two front-facing speaker provide some pretty good sound quality, and access and data transfer proved nice and easy via a USB 3.1port.
Strong and silent
So far, not too shabby at all. But after using it for a while, one thing becomes highly noticeable – it’s very, very quiet. Silent, in fact. Normally, that’s a sign of a low-power machine. Not so, the Switch Alpha 12, as the specs already show.
Why the lack of whining noise? Well, the fan-less design is achieved thanks to a space-agesque heat pipe cooling system to cool its high-performance CPU. Acer calls it the LiquidLoop Cooling System and it’s certainly a novel way to keep a slim tablet cool.
As for cost, starting at $1,399 (Education RRP for i3, 4/128) it’s very well priced and you get plenty for your money (including keyboard cover and stylus).
Strong and silent. That pretty much sums up the Alpha 12.
| Performance: |  |
|
Design: |
|
|
Affordability: |
 |
