fbpx

Acer Aspire Switch 10 Review

The Acer Aspire Switch 10 is one of those new breed of netbooks that is small in size, modest in price, but big on features and performance. It features a 10.1-inch touchscreen display, powered by an Intel Atom quad-core CPU, capable of changing into four different modes, and starts at under Php20K. With that in mind, is the Switch 10 worth the money? Find out by reading our full review below.

switch10_1

Yugatech 728x90 Reno7 Series

Design and Construction

During our first impressions, we wrote that we’re unimpressed with the Switch 10’s design. However, after a couple of weeks of using it, the device’s aesthetics and form factor grew on us and we started to appreciate the edgy feel and industrial look. To put it simply, it’s more utilitarian than decorative.

switch10_7

The Switch 10 comes in two parts: the tablet and the keyboard dock. The tablet part handles all the heavy lifting as it houses everything that it needs to work. It features the 10.1-inch IPS LCD on the front, plus the Full HD webcam right above it and two speakers below.

switch10_5

On the left side are the headset jack, power button and volume rocker. While on the right we have the microphone, microSD card slot, microUSB port, microHDMI, and the charging port. Take a look at the bottom and you’ll see the magnetic port and two slots to accommodate the keyboard dock.

switch10_6

Speaking of the keyboard dock, it only hosts the chiclet keys and USB port on the right side. There’s no extra battery or hard drive so it’s only there to boost your productivity and aid the tablet in changing into four different modes as seen in the photo below.

switch10_2

Switching modes is an easy task thanks to the magnetic port. If you want to use it as a tablet just pull it out from the dock and if want to use the keyboard again just align the tablet and the magnetic port will snap it back into place with no effort required.

switch10_8

Overall, the Switch 10 is a joy to work with. Some might find it a bit cramped but we found ourselves using it more often because it’s easy to lug around and doesn’t take up much space. In addition, the keyboard is quiet, the trackpad is smooth, and the touchscreen is very responsive which are great for a wide variety of tasks.

Display

The Switch 10 is equipped with a 10.1-inch IPS LCD with a resolution of 1366 x 768 or equal to 155ppi, and Acer’s Zero Air Gap technology so images appear crisp and vibrant with good viewing angles. In addition, it also features the Acer Lumiflex which optimizes your screen’s visibility especially when used outdoors.

switch10_9

At 10.1-inches, it’s not exactly the ideal display size if you’re going for maximum productivity especially if you need to work with multiple windows. But if you’re just browsing social media networks, watching movies, or working on MS Word or PowerPoint, the Switch 10’s display size will suffice.

Multimedia

Thanks to its good display and dual front speakers, the Switch 10 is a good multimedia companion. When watching movies, we prefer using it in tablet mode or tent mode for better handling or stability.

switch10_4

Sounds coming from the speakers are audible and crisp but a bit weak when it comes to loudness. So if you’re going to use this for movies or video calls, we suggest using an external speaker or a good pair of headphones.

Software

The Switch 10 comes with Windows 8.1 with free MS Office Home and Student 2013 out of the box along with a few pre-installed apps like AccuWeather for Windows 8, Amazon, Kindle, TuneIn Radio, and Zinio Reader. Also included are Acer’s utilities like the Acer Docs, Acer Media, Acer Photo, Acer Portal, to name a few.

switch10_ui1

switch10_ui2

One of the most useful tools included is the Acer Quick Access which brings up a menu of toggles for WiFi, Bluetooth, Adaptive Brightness, Optimized Display Scaling, and LumiFlex. For the purist, there’s also a toggle to allow the Switch 10 to automatically boot to desktop instead of Metro.

Performance

Powering the Switch 10 is a 1.33GHz Intel Atom Z3745 quad-core processor, Intel HD Graphics, 2GB of RAM, 32GB SSD (22.3GB usable), and Windows 8.1. It boots up and shuts down really quick while the performance is smooth and very responsive especially when it comes to basic tasks like working on MS Office and Internet surfing. We extracted its Windows Experience Index and it showed a base score of 4.2 with the bottleneck at the Desktop graphics department.

switch10_wei

With that in mind, don’t expect the Switch 10 to run blazingly fast on hardware-demanding software. It will be able to run Photoshop and some light PC games but it won’t be as fast compared to a notebook with a better CPU and dedicated GPU.

Battery Life

We ran our routine battery test on the Switch 10 using a 1080p movie file playing in Airplane mode at 50% brightness with a headphone plugged in at 50% volume. The result is 8.33 hours worth of playback which is good for long haul flights. But when it comes to a normal work day with a little gaming on the side, it was able to last an average of 6 to 7 hours.

Conclusion

To conclude, the Acer Aspire Switch 10 is an embodiment of what a new netbook should be. It has a great build, portable design, affordable price tag, and capable of multiple modes – a feature that is mostly found on more expensive laptops.

switch10_3

There would be trade-offs of course, like the smaller display size, limited internal storage, single USB port, and limited performance. But based on the pros, users like businessmen, travelers, students, and other professionals who need to do some work on the go will definitely appreciate what the Switch 10 can offer.

Acer Aspire Switch 10 specs:
10.1-inch IPS LCD @ 1366×768 pixels
1.33GHz Intel Atom Z3745 quad-core processor
Intel HD Graphics
2GB DDR3 RAM
32GB eMMC internal storage
up to 64GB via microSD card slot
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, 2.4GHz and 5GHz, 2×2 MIMO technology
Bluetooth 4.0
micro USB 2.0 port
micro HDMI port
USB 2.0 port (on dock)
Full HD webcam
Windows 8.1
MS Office Home and Student 2013
1.29 lbs (weight)
Php19,990

What we liked about it:
* Portable size
* Metallic build
* Multi-mode capabilities
* Good display quality
* Sub-Php20K price tag
* Good performance for its caliber
* Good battery life

What we didn’t like:
* Small display size
* Small keyboard
* Only one USB port available
* Weak speakers
* Limited internal storage (22.3GB usable)

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 976 other subscribers

22 Responses

  1. Avatar for Pey Pey says:

    After reading this review last August 2014, I actually bought this laptop.. pero ngayon I can say na I am not completely satisfied. And i dont think it is suitable for students since 22.3gb lang siya. Ang dami din nagiging problem palagi like yung touch screen and keyboard na minsan nagloloko and you have to restart the computer for it to work again. The battery life doesnt last din as what ive expected kahit sinasabing 8 hours. ????

  2. Avatar for jjfc jjfc says:

    Meron naman nang T200 sa pilipinas ehhh…. But 25k nga lang.

  3. Avatar for yoga for beginners yoga for beginners says:

    Simply desire to say your article is as surprising.
    The clearness in your post is simply excellent and i can assume you
    are an expert on this subject. Fine with your permission let me to grab your feed to keep updated with forthcoming post.
    Thanks a million and please keep up the rewarding work.

  4. Avatar for opinions on the opinions on the says:

    With havin so much content do you ever run into any problems of plagorism or copyright violation? My site has
    a lot of completely unique content I’ve either written myself or outsourced but it appears
    a lot of it is popping it up all over the web without my
    agreement. Do you know any techniques to help protect against content from
    being stolen? I’d certainly appreciate it.

  5. Avatar for Boom beach Hack free Boom beach Hack free says:

    We’re a group of volunteers and starting a new scheme
    in our community. Your web site offered uss with valuable
    information to work on. You hhave done a formidable job and
    our entire community will be grateful to you.

  6. Avatar for e liquid uk e liquid uk says:

    I am a lecturer at a leading institution and have made your web-site a compulsory read amongst my pupils.
    It’ll aid them considerably with their current essay assignment.

  7. Avatar for alternative energy alternative energy says:

    Useful information. Lucky me I found your website by accident, and I’m shocked why this
    coincidence did not happened earlier! I bookmarked it.

  8. Avatar for http://www.qianssf. http://www.qianssf. says:

    It is advisable for discussing your personal injury case with the person who may possess the correct skills and are not amateurs.
    Denver residents who are involved in a motor vehicle
    accident should for their own protection contact qualified legal
    representation before signing any papers or speaking to anyone other
    than law enforcement. The senior attorney will maintain ultimate responsibility for your case, but the junior
    attorneys will do most of the legal legwork to bring the case to a
    point where it is ready for trial.

  9. Avatar for Kristofer Kristofer says:

    Amazing steam showers, we had a unit installed approximately 5 years ago and
    so it could possibly do with replacing, never get a dull or boring old regular form of shower again

  10. Avatar for aqualussoantoniostea aqualussoantoniostea says:

    gone through the information on this site quite a bit, planning to take the plunge before long and acquire a steam
    shower cabin, most likely after the holiday season

  11. Avatar for beach themed beach themed says:

    Beach themed bedding does not have to be limited to
    shells. In summary, whatever you do, don’t be a nag about anyone’s addiction to smoking.
    Honeymoon suites are not just for just-married couples.

  12. Avatar for weight reduction weight reduction says:

    Emergency physician ultrasonography for evaluating
    patients at risk for ectopic pregnancy: a meta-analysis.
    Additionally, your fat reserves are now being used up.
    Fiber intake is extremely important, as is water intake and
    having regular bowel movements.

  13. Avatar for lawrence lawrence says:

    Is this capable of wireless display?

  14. Avatar for Ramz Ramz says:

    I have this kahapon with 500gb hdd + 32gb eMMC xa @19,990 i was very impressed with its design kasi ung OS nya pang desktop and pwede gawing tablet so far ok naman ung performance and the good thing is ung OS nya is sa eMMC na 32gb naka install with so its far better performance than HDD with 5400rpm and ung 500gb hdd naka partition sa drive D. and i was able to tweak it na ung mga mabibigat na programs and user files like documents, desktop, downloads etc. ay sa drive D. papunta para hindi ma puno ung 32gb eMMC so ung naka install sa eMMC ay windows and metro programs lng…try this guys..

    Thanks for the review..

  15. Avatar for pelvic floor pelvic floor says:

    s activities include tobacco leaf procurement and processing, product manufacturing, distribution and responsible sales and marketing.
    an experience that opens your eyes, softens your heart, and quiets you a little bit.
    Kegel exercises were started by the American physician A.

  16. Avatar for Lian Lian says:

    Sir Sa Acer dito Sa super lee. Dumaguete ang Switch 10 nila. may 500gb sa Dock tapos 18kPlus lang.

  17. Avatar for Lan Lan says:

    Swap ko to sa lenovo miix 2 ko . Naliitan ako sa 8 inch ng miix 2!

  18. Avatar for ROA ROA says:

    I am currently using this one for my everyday tasks such as typing, surfing, playing, etc. I chose this over the ASUS T100 because it has bigger keys and a better form factor. Plus the build quality is very much improved compared to the T100. It actually retails for only 17,990 when paid with cash or straight credit card. There is also a version with a 500GB HD in the keyboard (same with the T100) for 22,990. When buying a new tablet or a netbook, better choose this over any android tab or even iPad. A fully functional Windows OS beats any other OS in terms of functionality. Although apps in the Windows Store are still a bit scarce, you can install the ones that you can install on regular laptops and PC’s (since this is not a RT version). Issues with this one are: sometimes, the touch screen doesn’t work when booting it up, although it can easily be resolved by restarting; and sometimes, the keyboard is the one that doesn’t function, but still it is easily resolved by reattaching it. It also heats up quiet fast, especially when doing heavy tasks such as gaming, but I think that’s already expected. The battery life might also become an issue for some, since it pales compared to the 12-hour battery life of the T100.

    • Avatar for kuroro kuroro says:

      +1 for this review . Thanks ROA!

    • Avatar for machamecha machamecha says:

      +1 as well.

      I was planning to buy the T100, but I ended up with the Switch 10 because of the better keyboard. This is my first netbook and I’m very happy with it. Although it’s not as fast as my previous Core notebook, experience-wise it’s pretty solid. But I have an issue with the Windows and Volume button, which I hope Acer will be able to fix soon. Also, sana they placed an extra battery on the keyboard dock.

    • Avatar for Zobel Zobel says:

      This + 4TB external HDD = win

  19. Avatar for Daniel Daniel says:

    much more useful than any Android or iOS tablet out there. Full-fledged OS in a tablet-laptop form factor + cheap price.

Leave a Reply
JOIN OUR TELEGRAM DISCUSSION

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *