I’m a big fan of portrait-mode thumbing as a keyboard input method. I’ve used it for over 2 years on my Galaxy Tab and it’s been fast enough and easy enough that I’ve posted a large number of blog posts with it. The 10 inch Acer Iconia W510 with it’s light weight and 16:9 format screen offers something close although it’s not perfect. An 8.9 inch Windows 8 tablet might be the way forward due to smaller size and a potential sub 500gm / 1lb weight but for the time being, I’m prepared to accept this over the Galaxy Tab due to having the obvious advantage of having full Windows available if needed.
Here’s a video showing portrait-mode thumbing input that I made this afternoon. The video was made in a lower-quality 4:3 to test video editing on the Acer W510. Rendering speed for a 3.5Mbps output was 2X real-time which is acceptable for short videos. I’ll be testing Windows 8 video editing apps in the near future to see if I can find a process that is a bit easier on the finger too.
Intel CloverTrail is a truly ground-breaking PC platform and the Acer W510 appears, in my 48hrs with it, to offer great ways to enjoy the new features of the platform along with amazing value. At least it does in Europe where the tablet and docking station can be had for €499 inclusive tax. I have the €599 version here which includes 64GB of storage.
I’ve been extremely impressed so far. It’s light enough to use in portrait mode using thumb input, it has battery life that will last you a full 24hrs in consumption scenarios or you can get creative and plug the dock in and work, like I am now, for a good 8hrs non-stop. This is not an ARM-based Windows RT device, this is PC. ‘Post-PC’ needs to be re-thought because the dynamic range of this PC takes it into more scenarios than any computing product before.
Although there are a number of slider and rotating screen Ultrabooks out there it’s the dockable slates that seem to interest the readers here the most. The Samsung XE700 / Smart PC Pro is available in a number of location now but it’s the Acer Iconia W700 that get’s the first round of reviews. Laptop Magazine and CNet have published their thoughts so make sure you read these to get a feel for weight, battery life, performance and features for this new phase of Window Tablet PCs.
After weeks of trying to get hold of a CloverTrail tablet through product managers, PR companies and marketing teams I’ve given up and bitten the bullet and bought one. The Acer W510, with 64GB and dock, will be with me soon and I’m excited to get right into the testing to find out what the platform is capable of.
At 499 Euro, including docking station and up to 18hrs battery life, the Acer Iconia W510 CloverTrail tablet (32GB) is somewhat of a bargain in Europe. Price and positioning is different in the USA but you can still get the tablet with 64GB storage for $599. It’s also the lightest Windows 8 PC in the world which makes it pretty interesting for mobile users. I took a closer look at the device in an article recently but today I was able to read through a full review from the good people at Tabtech.de. The original is in German but I’ve pulled out some of the important data for you.
This is the only offer I’ve seen on a CloverTrail tablet so far but it’s quite a deal. $399 buys you the Acer Iconia Tab.
You need to know up-front that you’re only getting 32GB of storage with this offer and that you should only expect around 16GB free but you do have a microSD slot available. Some of the savings could go towards a 32 or 64GB microSD card.
Maybe there’s just something I don’t quite get concerning Megan Fox and dolphins… but assuming I’m not so far out of the loop to understand what Acer is going for with their new Acer S7 commercial, I’ll just go ahead and say it: I’m lost.
One of the most exciting recent Ultrabooks, the Acer Aspire S7, was somewhat lost amid the huge number of Windows 8 Ultrabooks launched in the last few weeks. Now that the dust has settled, the 13″ version of the Acer S7 is available starting at $1350 and some early reviews have hit the web. If you’re looking for a premium touchscreen Ultrabook, you should certainly be checking out the S7!
I’m a big fan of portrait-mode thumbing as a keyboard input method. I’ve used it for over 2 years on my Galaxy Tab and it’s been fast enough and easy enough that I’ve posted a large number of blog posts with it. The 10 inch Acer Iconia W510 with it’s light weight and 16:9 format screen offers something close although it’s not perfect. An 8.9 inch Windows 8 tablet might be the way forward due to smaller size and a potential sub 500gm / 1lb weight but for the time being, I’m prepared to accept this over the Galaxy Tab due to having the obvious advantage of having full Windows available if needed.
