Acer aces the Surface

Microsoftrsquos Surface RT was one of the most high profile devices launched in 2012 A tablet that came with a keyboard that could also be used as a cover it was considered one of the flagship devices for the companyrsquos new Windows 8 operating system And although the market has not quite warmed to it there are many who love the concept of a tablet that can also double up as a notebook mdash witness the convertible device flood However while most tabletkeyboard combinations cost a fair bit and pack in high specifications Acer has decided to tread a different path with its Iconia W510 a device that might have relatively modest specs but does not cost as much either In entirety the Iconia W510 comprises a 101 mdash inch display tablet and a full keyboard dock You can buy them together or independently The tablet itself is surprisingly compact mdash a 101 inch gorilla glass scratchproof display of 1366 x 768 resolution dominates the buttonless front which only has a soft key for Windows 8 And at 580 gm it is actually lighter than the iconic iPad although it is unlikely to turn as many heads In terms of specs it is relatively lightweight mdash it is powered by a dual core Intel Atom Z2760 18 Ghz processor mostly seen in netbooks has 2 GB RAM and comes with 64 GB of flash memory However it packs in a stack of connectivity options including WiFi Bluetooth HDMI micro USB NFC and also has a microSD card slot as well as an 80megapixel camera on the back At 88 mm it is slim enough to be carried in one hand and unlike the Surface which runs the watered down Windows 8 RT this one runs Windows 8 in all its glory And runs it well too The W510 boots up very quickly mdash in around twenty seconds mdash and we had no problems navigating the tiled interface of Windows 8 browsing the Web or playing multimedia files on it Mind you the processor does limit its utility for heavy duty tasks like HD gaming and video editing but as a tablet for those wanting to do a lot of Web surfing playing casual games the Angry Birds type and keeping in touch with their social networks it does a very decent job indeed It even ran Windows 7 software in Desktop mode without any problems Top that off with a battery life in the vicinity of 89 hours and we would called the W510 a decent tablet in its own right although the camera is ordinary at best and the sound a tad on the tinny side if loud enough A whole new dimension is however added to the tablet when docked with the keyboard No it is not as snazzy as the Surfacersquos magnetically attached keyboard cover nor as thin or colourful mdash this one is a mixture of steely grey and white It nevertheless is a proper keyboard and the tablet docks into it via connector which might seem a tad loose the tablet rocks a bit in it if you shake it but actually holds it steady enough The dock is flexible and you can rotate the tablet all the way to 295 degrees and use it as a stand if in the mood The keys are well spaced out and a bit bigger than you would find in a normal netbook although the trackpad could have been more responsive But it is what the keyboard adds to the tablet that really catches onersquos eye mdash it throws a full USB port into the mix and more importantly almost doubles the battery life yes it has a battery of its own of the tablet Docked into the keyboard we got about fifteen hours out of the Iconia W510 All this without adding too much weight the total weight of the W510 with a keyboard was about 13 kg which is about as much as an ultrabook Oh and the charger comes without a brick making it one of the most portable we have ever seen All of which makes the Acer Iconia W510 above being just a Surface clone Yes it might have a similar form factor but it runs a complete version of Windows 8 performs at a decent clip and has infinitely better battery life Some might frown at its price of Rs 36999 price for the tablet and Rs 48598 with the keyboard dock but it is not too bad a deal when you consider the level of portable computing performance the whole unit delivers You can choose to carry just the tablet around or carry both tablet and keyboard as one unit when typing beckons and power outlets are few and far between It might not be as sleek or as hyped but in terms of performance the W510 aces the Surface RT A good option for those who want a device that can work as both a tablet and a notebook and without making a hole in their pocketu00a0