Acer Aspire Switch 11 Review

Lisa Gade reviews the affordable Acer Aspire Switch 11, a 2-in-1 Windows 8.1 convertible with an 11.6” 1080p IPS touch screen, optional Synaptics pen and a Core i3 processor. The Switch 11 is the evolution of the popular Switch 10, and we look at the model with an Intel Core i3 Y series Intel Haswell CPU, 4 gigs of RAM and a 128 gig SSD that sells for $499 to $599. There’s an Intel Atom version for $100 less. The Switch 11 is the affordable alternative to the MS Surface Pro 3, and it boasts a keyboard dock that’s more rigid and conventional. The tablet weighs 1.87 lbs. (3.42 lbs. with keyboard attached) and it’s fanless for silent operation. You can use it as a laptop, a tablet, in tent mode or presentation mode like a Lenovo Yoga, but unlike the Yoga laptop series, the keyboard detaches. It has dual band 802.11n WiFi with MIMO, Bluetooth 4.0 and a 32 watt-hour battery.