Acer at IFA 2014: new 2 in 1

Like Asus, Acer is not one of the companies making the most noise at the IFA in Berlin. But that doesn't mean that they don't release interesting products, especially for the Windows ecosystem.

There are no new product categories, but renovations within what we already knew: we have two new convertibles, another two 2 in 1 and a cheap tablet (149 euros) thanks to Windows 8.1 with Bing.

Acer Aspire Switch 10 and 11: 2 in 1 for 300-400 euros

"

We start with the 2 in 1 of the range Acer Aspire Switch These devices have a removable hinge that allows us to separate the keyboard and screen or fold them to put them in tent mode. Of course, they all have full Windows 8.1."

Within the Switch 11 series, we find two models: the SW5-171, Full HD screen with Core i5 and 128 GB of magnetic disk; and the SW5-111, with a 1366x768 display, Intel Atom quad-core, and 64GB of flash storage. As you can imagine from the name, both have an 11-inch screen.

As for the Switch 10, Acer proposes a new model (SW5-012) with a 10.1-inch Full HD or HD ( to choose), made of Gorilla Glass. The thickness is 20.2 millimeters with the keyboard (8.9 without it), not too remarkable. We will not expect much in performance: Intel Atom with 2 GB of RAM. Storage is also sparse (32 or 64 GB flash drive).The main advantage would be the inclusion of Office 365 when buying the laptop.

At the price they don't stand out especially: from 329 euros the Switch 10, and from 399 the Switch 11 models. They would arrive in Spain in September and November respectively.

Acer Aspire R: convertibles with various modes of use

Raising the bar a notch we have the Acer Aspire R range of convertible notebooks. There are two new models: the R 13 and the R 14, the former more focused on entertainment and the latter on productivity.

The R 13 feature double-turn hinges that they allow six modes of use: portable, ezel (the one you see in the image), lectern, panel, tent and screen. In other words: you will be able to use the position that is most comfortable for you.

The displays are 13.3-inch, Gorilla Glass 3, available in Full HD or WQHD (2560 x 1440 pixels). The former are IPS panels, while the latter are IGZO to minimize power consumption.

In terms of performance, they offer Intel Core i5 or i7, SSDs up to 1TB and up to 8GB of memory. Its weight is 1.5 kg, which is not bad for what they offer.

The Acer Aspire R 13 will be available soon, at the end of 2014 in Spain. The price, yes, is somewhat expensive if the double hinge does not call you much: from 899 euros.

The Aspire R 14 is somewhat more traditional and features a unique 360-degree hinge. The screen, despite being larger (14 inches), has only HD resolution. In return they gain in performance: they offer Intel Pentium, i3, i5 or i7 processors; up to 12 GB of RAM and nVidia GeForce 820 M graphics on some models.Too bad they only offer 500GB or 1TB magnetic drives and don't have SSDs.

Like the R 13, they will arrive at the end of 2014, although the price of the most basic model will be lower: 499 euros. We do not know how the prices of the most advanced models will be, but it does not seem to want to compete much in that sense.

Iconia Tab 8 W, Windows 8.1 with Bing for 149 euros

Acer also comes with a cheap Windows tablet under your arm It's called Acer Iconia Tab 8 W , it has an 8-inch IPS screen (HD resolution), 9.75 millimeters thick, 370 grams and a quad-core Intel Atom to power it up.

Following the trend of many manufacturers, the tablet does not include a normal USB port: only a microUSB and a microSD slot. With what it does have are two cameras, one front and one rear; and a battery with eight hours of autonomy.

But what this tablet really stands out for is its price: 149 euros with one year of Office 365 Personal included Quite cheap for what it offers, a complete Windows 8.1 capable of running any program - within the power limits of an Atom, of course. It is, of course, a good way to stand up to Android tablets in the same price range, although we will have to see how it behaves in reality.