Acer unveils its own Surface Pro clone and new Windows 10 laptops
Every tech company seems to be releasing its own version of Microsoft's Surface Pro.
Acer is the latest company to flatter the house that Bill Gates built. At its annual global press conference, the computer maker announced the Switch Alpha 12, its take on the tablet-convertible concept epitomized by the Surface Pro 4.
SEE ALSO: Acer's premium Chromebook 14 boasts up to 14 hours of battery life
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The Switch Alpha 12 is a liquid-cooled, fanless 2-in-1 laptop, which Acer claims is silent during operation. The 12-inch screen has a Quad HD display with 2,160 x 1,440 resolution. A keyboard cover comes with the device — a notable difference from how Microsoft sells its Surface Pro tablets.
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Acer also announced a pair of laptops. The S13 is a 3.13-pound Windows 10 laptop with a 13-inch full HD (1,920 x 1,080) resolution display. There's also an optional touchscreen model for extra. Battery life is rated at up to 13 hours. It costs $699.
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The R15 is a 15.6-inch convertible laptop made from glass fiber and silver particles. The display is full HD (1,920 x 1,080) and IPS with wide viewing angles. It comes with sixth-generation Intel Core processors (Skylake), Nvidia GeForce 940MX graphics and up to 12GB of DDR4 RAM.
Newly refreshed
In addition to the new Windows 10 laptops, Acer also refreshed its existing consumer laptops with newer, faster specs.
The F 15 is a 15-inch laptop with a new premium metal cover, available in five colors, Skylake processors, Nvidia GeForce GTX950M graphics with GDDR5 VRAM and DDR4 RAM.
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The 14-inch E14, 15-inch E15, and 17-inch E17 also have the latest Skylake processors, Nvidia GeForce GTX950M graphics with GDDR5 VRAM and DDR4 RAM. It comes in seven different colors.
The ES 15 has Intel's new chips as well and comes in three colors.
For workers
Acer didn't announce much for office dwellers, just the "Chromebook 14 for Work." This is a variant of its recently unveiled Chromebook 14, but with Chrome for Work applications and security that businesses want.
This work Chromebook features a 14-inch display with Corning Gorilla Glass, Intel Core i processors, a durable body, a spill-resistant keyboard and up to 12 hours of battery life (two hours fewer than the non-work version).
For gamers
Acer also unveiled three new devices in its Predator gaming line of PCs. The Predator 17x gaming laptop comes with a 17-inch screen and a triple-fan cooling system.
The Predator G1 is a desktop gaming machine with a sixth-gen Intel Core processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX graphics (configurable up to the powerful Titan X) and up to 64GB of fast DDR4 RAM.
The Predator Z1 is Acer's first curved gaming monitor. It features a 27-inch display and NVIDIA's G-Sync technology.
