Acer Iconia W700 – An Ultrabook & Tablet Crammed Together

The launch of Windows 8 was not looked forward to by followers of the mobile and desktop OS world alone. Many an eye was on the way Microsoft would port its operating system for use on tablets and laptop cum tablets. Keeping the latter functionality in mind, one probably cannot find a better device at the moment than the Acer Iconia W700.

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First Look

The W700 does not intend to deceive anyone with its looks. Right from the word go, it is obvious that that this neat little machine’s USP is the hybrid design, which means it can be used both as a conventional laptop as well as a touch gestures enabled modern day tablet. Having said that, it is amazing how Acer has managed to squeeze the W700 into such a thin frame. Although it still doesn’t look like a conventional tablet, ala the iPad, it still is thin enough to draw comparisons with Microsoft’s very own Surface RT. The W700 weighs at a rather light 2.1 lbs., which makes it lighter than the Sony Duo 11. These sort of devices are most often targeted at buyers who are constantly on the move, who are sure to appreciate the nimble size of the W700.

Features of Full-Fledged Laptop

Its weight might be twice that of conventional tablets but what you get in return are some amazing features that are worthy of a proper laptop. There is USB 3.0 connectivity and even a mini-HDMI output. The W700 also sports high resolution cameras at the front and back sides, which is in keeping with other competing tablets.

Fantastic Display

The display on the Iconia W700 is full HD (1920×1080) capable. The images and text produced by the display are nothing short of gorgeous. However, the touch experience is a bit problematic when using desktop apps. It takes a good amount of practice before you are able to put your finger on the right button since they are rendered so small.

Other Features & Ergonomics

Acer includes a Bluetooth keyboard with the W700 but a mouse is curiously absent, which means all pointing operations need to be accomplished using the fingers only. There is also no sight of the keyboard trackpad.

In spite of the many features, it’s tough to ignore the size and bulk of the W700. It is an 11.6 inch device sporting a 16:9 ratio display, which means working in landscape mode is always going to be tricky. Although portrait mode makes up for that, it is not capable of rendering all documents in their complete width.

Having said that, the Iconia W700 still makes a lot of sense, if you are looking for a tablet that offers the performance of a full-fledged laptop powered by Windows 8.

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