Dubai: The Acer Iconia W700 has the power of a laptop in a tablet package but its desktop cradle and Bluetooth keyboard make it more versatile.
The 11.6-inch full HD IPS screen is powered by an Intel Core i3 processor at 1.40GHz and with 4GB RAM. Out of this only 3.82GB is available for users.
It runs on Windows 8 Pro and houses 64GB SSD storage for faster boot.
The disadvantage of the Intel-powered tablet is that it is heavier and bulkier than Android versions. The W700 feels extremely large and uncomfortable to hold it in one hand. It weighs around one kilo.
However, the build quality is superb — the single-shell aluminum back case is strong and looks premium.
The tablet has only one USB3.0 port and a HDMI port but does not have a microSD slot for storage expansion.
The biggest plus of this tablet is the desktop cradle, even though it is made of cheap plastic. It has three USB3.0 ports and the charging port. But the flimsy stand of the docking cradle is such that you will not get good viewing angles as it cannot be altered. Otherwise the tablet has a viewing angle up to 178 degrees. The docking cradle does not have a built-in battery.
The cradle has a male USB connector for plugging into the USB port on the tablet and a charging slot while the dock features a specially designed sound tunnel that guides and amplifies the sound from the bottom of the tablet, without need of extra speakers.
The Bluetooth keyboard is made of plastic but the keys are well placed and it is easy to type fast.
Switching between the desktop mode and Windows 8 metro tiles is fast and seamless with a dedicated button at the bottom of the screen.
The tablet has a 5MP rear camera with no LED flash. The camera takes mediocre snaps and night shot is ruled out. The colours are okay when taken in bright sunlight but otherwise it is washed out and grainy. The 1080p video recording looks pixelated. Watching Full HD videos from YouTube is great with no lag.
The 1.3MP front webcam can only be used for video conferencing.
Surfing the web and scrolling pages are fast as it has an i3 processor that is powerful enough to run serious heavy-duty apps but playing heavy-duty games is not seamless.
Regarding connectivity, it has WiFi and Bluetooth but no 3G, 4G or NFC.
The speakers at the bottom of the device come with Dolby Home Theatre v4 technology. Both speakers are compelling even at full volume. The speakers provide decent mid-to-high frequencies but low-end frequencies are not clearly audible.
Talking about battery life, the 4,850mAh capacity battery lasts more than six-and-a-half hours of heavy use which is average when compared to a tablet, but looking at a laptop angle it is good. It does not charge through USB port and is priced at Dh2,799.
