Acer Switch Alpha 12 is a $599 surface pro clone

Acer Switch Alpha 12 is a new 2-in-1 device that has taken design cues from Microsoft’s Surface Pro device line up. Acer did go 1-up by pricing this at just $599 and by including Acer LiquidLoop cooling to improve performance of the chipset. Switch Alpha 12 is also the industry’s first fanless 2-in-1 notebook powered by 6th Generation Intel Core CPUs (up to Core i7) and runs Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system. Acer Switch Alpha 12 will be available in North America in June starting at $599; in EMEA in May starting at €699; and in China in May starting at ¥5,999.

“The Switch Alpha 12 is part of Acer’s new generation of mobile 2-in-1 products that focuses on providing exceptional performance, while also remaining cool and quiet,” said Jerry Hou, general manager, Commercial & Detachable Notebooks, IT Products Business, Acer Inc. “This new Switch Alpha line takes the best aspects of our award-winning Switch 2-in-1 product line and adds new features such as a fanless design, an ultra-thin attachable keyboard and the latest in mobile computing performance.”

“The 2-in-1 category continues to grow with new innovative designs coming to market,” said Navin Shenoy, corporate vice president and general manager, Client Computing group, Intel Corp. “The new, 6th Generation Intel Core-powered Acer Switch Alpha 12 is a great combination of performance, no-compromise computing and long battery life, making it ideal for work as well as playing on the go.”

“The Acer Switch Alpha 12 2-in-1 with Windows 10 allows people to have choice to experience entertainment and productivity as a notebook or tablet, with full PC functionality,” said Peter Han, vice president worldwide OEM Marketing, Microsoft Corp. “Only Windows 10 can deliver more personal computing, help reinvent productivity and use the power of the cloud to make all of your personal experiences across devices familiar.”

Microsoft’s Surface Pro lineup of 2-in-1 computers paved the path for the industry to follow. There is no denying that Ultrabooks and 2-in-1 computers is the future for PC industry and is the only way to tackle the headache created by  Android tablets and Apple’s iPad lineup.

Acer Switch Alpha comes in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage options. Switch 12 comes with a kickstand, detachable keyboard, optional Acer Pen.  Detachable keyboard is available in standard and backlit options and is just 5.85mm thin. The keys have 1.4mm of travel (not the best but should be good enough for regular work). The trackpad is big in size and suppports Windows 10 gestures. The built-in U shaped kickstand can be used at any angle up to 165 degrees unlike the kickstand on Surface devices that has pre-set positions. The chassis is made out of anodized aluminum to make it sturdy and give remium look. Acer Active pen on the other hand comes with 256 levels of pressure sensitivity and is compatible with Windows Ink (coming in Windows 10 Anniversary update).

The display on Acer Switch Alpha 12 is 12″ in size and has 2160×1440 quadhd resolution. The panel is of IPS type and this will give wide viewing angles, which is very much necessary as the device will be used at different angles (when used as a tablet). There are dual front firing speakers. Coupled wth Acer TrueHarmony sound system, the speaker should provide rich audio experience (do not expect to shake the room).

For those who are looking for more ports, Acer is bringing USB Type-c dock that comes with a DisplayPort, HDMi, two USB Type-C ports, three USB ports, audio input for microphone and headphone jack. Acer ProDock Wireless suppoorts multiple customers with high speed 802.11ad wireless support (up to 4.6Gbps data transfer over 60Hz).

The Acer Switch Alpha 12 tablet weighs 900 grams and weighs 1250 grams when connected to the keboard dock, with dimension of 292.1 (W) x 201.4 (D) x 15.85 (H) mm (11.5 x 7.93 x 0.62 inches) when connected to dock.