Acer’s Switch Alpha 12 to combat Surface Pro on price

The Switch Alpha 12 looks to deliver all the features of the Surface Pro 4 without breaking the bank.

The Acer Switch Alpha 12 is good but laptop use is not ideal. Picture: Krishan Sharma.

Acer has launched its first salvo against Microsoft with the announcement of the Switch Alpha 12 that looks to deliver all the performance and features of the Surface Pro 4, but at a significantly cheaper price.

Though the Alpha shares a lot of similarities with its big name rival right down to the fabric-infused ultra-thin attachable keyboard, Acer has implemented a few engineering feats of its own.

The Taiwanese PC maker has built a custom liquid-cooling system for the Alpha, making it the first fanless 2-in-1 to use a sixth-generation Intel Core i7, Core i5 or Core i3 (Skylake) processor that should make it whisper quiet even under heavy load.

The beefier processor gives the Switch Alpha 12 a leg-up in performance over other Windows thin-and-lights in its class and the new MacBook, which uses Intel’s less powerful but more battery-friendly Core M processor.

Acer says its cooling system is capable of keeping the CPU at stable temperatures without affecting performance and also rates the battery life at a fairly decent eight hours, but we’ll have to wait until we get our hands on a review unit before we can test the company’s claims.

Acer’s U-shaped kickstand has an anti-slip coating on its base to hold the display upright and can be adjusted to any angle up to 165 degrees, so it can be used either on a desk, lap or on the tray table of an aeroplane. However, in my brief hands-on, I found using the device in a comfortable laptop position meant I had to rest the base of the stand rather precariously on the edge of my knees, which suggests the Alpha might not be suited to those on the tall side.

Using the Alpha on a desk, on the other hand, felt solid, with the 12-inch display remaining stable while I navigated the Windows 10 touchscreen user interface. I also didn’t encounter any stability problems using the Alpha in its ­reclined writing position with Acer’s optional Pen stylus.

Acer doesn’t skimp on the 2160 x 1440 resolution IPS display ­either. The display looks crisp and vivid while retaining a decent level of visibility in the sun-soaked demo room.

Like the Surface, you can connect the Alpha to an optional dock via the on-board USB Type-C port, turning the 2-in-1 into a workstation. At 900 grams on its own and 1.2kg with the detachable keyboard, the Alpha weighs slightly more than the Surface Pro 4 and its aluminium chassis does not look or feel quite as premium as the magnesium alloy build of Microsoft’s 2-in-1.

However, these missteps are easy to overlook when you consider the aggressive price point. Acer will be selling the Switch Alpha 12 in the US for just $US599 ($780) with the keyboard included, which makes it almost half the price of a base model Surface Pro 4 after you take in to account the $US129 Type Cover keyboard attachment.

In Australia, the same Surface Pro 4 starts at more than $1500 and, while the company has yet to reveal local pricing, we don’t see any reason why Acer won’t undercut the Surface by a significant margin here as well.

Acer also announced the Chromebook 14 for Work that the PC maker says is the fastest Chromebook on the market.

It’s powered by a Core i5 processor, boasts a 12-hour battery life and features a rugged design that includes a spill-resistant keyboard and military spec compliance that has been tested to withstand drops of up to 122cm.

It’s also the world’s first notebook to feature Corning’s new Vibrant Gorilla Glass, providing corporate customers the flexibility to customise the top cover with their company logo.

The Chromebook 14 for Work might be rugged but it’s not exactly the prettiest notebook around, with a chunky chassis made up almost entirely of plastic. The Gorilla Glass lid also picks up fingerprints very easily.

Acer plans to roll out the Chromebook 14 to its enterprise, government, small business and education customers in the US and Europe from next month for $US349, with a local release later in the year.