Acer Launches Iconia W4: First Usable Windows Mini-Tab?

Acer was the first device maker to come up with an 8-inch tablet called Iconia W3 that has Windows 8 in its crippled RT version as its operating system (OS). But, due to the below average screen, bulky appearance and expensive pricing, it remained largely unpopular.

The Taiwanese company has brought out a successor to W3 named the Iconia W4 that promises to chunk out the drawbacks of the predecessor. It comes with Windows 8.1, the latest version of Windows available, reports Anupam Saxena of Times Of India.

Design, Build and Display

Acer Iconia W4 weighing 415 grams looks heavy and bulky when compared to the iPad mini or any Android tablet. The 8-inch display panel is raised to a little extent on the frame. A hardware button is provided just below the display to help you access the Windows Start screen at the tap of a button. The Power or screen-lock key is located at the top edge.

The 2MP front-facing camera is placed at the top in portrait mode while the 5MP camera is provided at the rear. The rear camera does not come with an LED flash so it's not possible to click acceptable pictures in low light conditions.

Acer Iconia W4 has an 8-inch LED multi-touch display (1280 x 800 pixels). The manufacturer has taken in user’s feedback and has improved the screen. Colours look bright and viewing angles are good too. Text and graphics look sharp and crisp as well. But, the only drawback with Iconia W4 is that the display is very reflective and not suitable for outdoor use. The tablet sports a 5-point multi-touch control too.

Hardware and Performance

Under the hood, Acer Iconia W4 is powered by a 1.33GHz quad-core processor from Intel coupled with 2 gigabyte of RAM. For graphic support, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD GPU is made use of.

It was reported that the tablet performed well in daily tasks like web browsing, playing casual games, using Office, and watching HD videos. The tablet can handle games like Jetpack Joyride and Angry Birds, which can be downloaded from the Windows Store.

For casual use, the tablet delivers about 7 hours of battery backup with the screen on full brightness and when connected to Wi-Fi. It can be charged with any micro-USB charger. A 64GB variant of the tablet provided about 40GB space expanded up to 64GB via a microSD card.

Software

The tablet presents a good Windows 8.1 experience. You can run all applications like Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop or Tally on a regular Windows PC or notebook. Iconia W4 also has Office Home and Student 2013 edition pre-installed. Apps like Acer Docs, Acer Media, Nero BackItUp, Evernote Touch, Amazon, Kindle, newsXpresso, TuneIn radio and Skype are already installed for the user.

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Acer Launches The First 8 Inch Windows 8 Tablet At 30,499

Acer India launched a new breed of Windows 8 powered touch enabled devices, remarkably slim and designed to take the avatar of dual functionalities. With the tablet and touch - notebook computers marking the advent of a new era, the company expects 80 percent of its products to be on touch technology by 2015. Customers are moving to a touch-centric way of computing for most of their everyday tasks, such as web browsing, checking email, and entertainment. The new line of mobile products will shape the company’s focus on redefining the computing experience through progressive design.

Acer Iconia W3
The Iconia W3, an 8.1-inch design tablet provides an unprecedented tablet experience, with a design that is compact enough to use comfortably in one hand for reading and web browsing. With a screen large enough for entertainment and desktop applications it’s ideal for professionals, students and families who want the ease of use of a one-hand tablet and the power packed Windows 8 experience along with seamless access to Microsoft Office 2013 including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote.

The Iconia W3’s design makes it incredibly useful for productivity in several different ways. The slim and sleek device weighs 540 grams and is only 11.35 mm thin making it easy to take anywhere. The device pairs with an optional full-size Bluetooth keyboard that holds the tablet upright for typing and then conveniently docks to the tablet to lay flat for easy, screen-protected transportation. The keyboard mirrors the size of those found on larger 13.3-inch notebooks, so it is comfortable to use and ensures working on documents and presentations even more convenient.  The Acer Iconia W3 is designed with a virtual keypad sized for optimal thumb typing. The device will be available from 30,499 onwards.

Aspire P3 Ultrabook
Acer Aspire P3 Ultrabook delivers all the benefits of an Ultrabook in a unique design that easily transforms into tablet-mode. Today, many users are puzzled choosing between notebook, hybrid, convertible or tablet designs while selecting a mobile computing device. The Aspire P3 takes care of all the above user features without compromising on the performance. Running on Windows 8, the Aspire P3 is the ideal mobile computing device for users who want to create and consume content.

Weighing only 1.3 kilograms and measuring 0.77-inches thin, the newly defined mobile PC delivers on the promise of Ultrabooks with excellent performance and long battery life in a highly portable form factor. It adds the many benefits of tablet with a design that allows the touch-screen display to be used freely or in the keyboard-case. This gives Acer customers enhanced mobility as well as more ways to enjoy their device using touch for the latest apps, viewing photos, keeping in touch and having fun.

The new Acer Aspire P3 Ultrabook makes touch computing even more powerful by providing customers with the responsive performance, fast boot times, and long battery life they want in a mobile PC. Plus, the form factor of the Acer P3 adds the productivity to ensure all-day usefulness beyond the fun in tablet mode. The Aspire P3 will be available from 54,499 onwards.

Touch-and-type Aspire R7 notebook
The Windows 8 powered Aspire R7 notebook a desktop replacement features a 15.6" Full HD 1920x1080 touch screen made for the new computing lifestyle, which increasingly combines touch and type. With a repositioned keyboard and the revolutionary Ezel hinge that moves the display forward and into different positions, the Aspire R7 makes the combination of touching the screen and using the keyboard more intuitive and natural. With four modes of operation, the R7 can easily be used as a conventional notebook, a pad, a display, or switched to Ezel allowing the screen to float over the keyboard at various angles. This enables users to work where they want and how they want: seated or standing, at a desk or on their lap. The Ezel hinge makes it easy to flip the display over, and to touch or type while creating, browsing or sharing content. The Aspire R7 will be available from 74,999/- onwards.

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