Acer iconia tab w700 bluetooth not working. Review and testing of the Acer Iconia W700 tablet. Design, ports and ergonomics

Acer Iconia Tab W700 tablet has arrived in our test lab. The tablet was first introduced back in the summer of 2012, but it still does not lose its relevance and is sold at very attractive prices. Tablet comes with full Windows 8, large 11.6-inch screen and processor Intel Core i5. It turns out a full-fledged computer in a compact format. Read all the details in our review.

Characteristics Acer Iconia Tab W700
Products webpage	Acer Iconia W700 Official Page
Retail price	from 19.6 thousand rubles (64 GB, without docking keyboard)
operating system	Windows 8 (upgrade to Windows 8.1)
Display	11.6 "IPS Full-HD (1920 × 1080) Multitouch
CPU	Intel Core i5-3317U
Graphics core	Intel HD4000
RAM	4 GB DDR3 SDRAM
Storage device	128 GB SSD
Wireless data transmission	WLAN 802.11 a / b / g / n Bluetooth 4.0
Camera	Front: 2 MP Rear: 5MP
Sound	Dolby Home Theater stereo speakers
Interfaces	1x 3.5mm mini jack 1x micro-HDMI 1x USB 3.0
Battery	4850 mAh
Dimensions	295 x 191 x 11.9 mm
The weight	950 g

Appearance

The Acer Iconia Tab W700 looks solid. This is provided by both the large screen and the solid aluminum body. The screen is protected by scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass. The assembly is really high quality. There are no backlashes or sagging of the case. Around the glass, which protects the screen, there is a rubber gasket that prevents dust from entering. An interesting feature are the grids that cover the speakers. They are red here.

The tablet is quite thick. The thickness is 11.9 mm. The thickness is not too large, and this drawback can be forgiven given the fact that they were able to accommodate both the filling and the battery from a full-fledged laptop. The Acer Iconia Tab W700 also weighs quite a lot for a tablet - 950 g. You get tired if you hold it with one hand.

There are not many connectors and control buttons in the tablet. On the left side there are (from top to bottom): microphone holes, micro-HDMI connector, full uSB port 3.0 and charging connector. Above are the screen orientation lock button and fan holes with a cooling radiator. On the right side there is a 3.5 mm headphone jack, a volume rocker and a power button with an LED for notifications. At the bottom there are two speakers and one more microphone. Above the screen in the middle is a 2-megapixel front-camera, LED indicator of the camera operation, as well as a light sensor. Below the screen is the "Windows" button to return to the home screen. At the rear, at the top, there is a 5-megapixel camera also with an LED indicator for operation.

There are two fan holes, but this is done for symmetry, in fact there is only one fan. It is located under the right grate. The cooling system works almost constantly, even while reading the fan turns on and off. And the fan makes a strong and loud noise, since the sound does not irritate the ears. The noise is very annoying. It may be related to our test sample.

Contents of delivery

The Acer Iconia Tab W700 has a very good package bundle.

Inside the box, besides the tablet itself, there is a docking station with a built-in USB hub, wireless bluetooth keyboard, power supply, microHDMI-VGA adapter, instructions, warranty card, Windows recovery discs.

The docking station is a stand for your tablet. She herself is made of plastic, quite large and thick in size. The design looks a lot cheaper than the design of the Acer Iconia Tab W700 itself. There are corresponding holes for the speakers that "redirect" the sound forward. The design allows it to be used for landscape and portrait orientation. But the angle of inclination cannot be changed. And the standard angle in landscape orientation is small - the tablet screen looks as if it looks into the chest, and not into the face. The docking station has a built-in USB hub. It has three USB 3.0 ports. Unfortunately, it only works when the dock is connected to the network. For this, charging from the tablet is used.

The keyboard is good, membrane type. It looks stylish, the key travel is nice and quite large for portable devices... The keyboard does not flex when pressed. It's comfortable to work behind her. The keys are white, so they get dirty quickly. We have to wipe them down quite often. Black lettering on the keys. Russian letters are not highlighted in a separate color. Function key labels with the use of the Fn button are gray. The keyboard has 66 keys. Standard size keys. The distances between them are a little narrower than the standard, but not much - you will not miss, typing blindly. The arrows are half-high, with the up arrow positioned close to the Shift key. You have to get used to it. The F1-F12 keys are available by pressing the Fn key. The only thing that upset was the position of the Delete key - it is in the place of the call key context menu... This is unusual and inconvenient. The keyboard connects to the tablet via Bluetooth. Powered by four AAA batteries. There are two indicators - battery charge and bluetooth connection... Both the keyboard and dock are rubber-padded and non-slip on the table.

We have a copy with such a delivery set. There are also tablets on sale with a case that has a built-in keyboard.

Software

The tablet was preinstalled with Windows 8. The system offered to upgrade to Windows 8.1. After the update, the tablet began to react poorly to touching the screen and generally "slow down". The situation is corrected by reinstalling the drivers, which can be downloaded from the official support site.

The Windows 8.1 used is no different from the desktop version for a laptop or desktop computer, everything is familiar. Although the system is still designed for mobile devices. Only by controlling gestures does it become convenient to invoke the menu with charms (swipe from the right edge of the screen), close metro-style applications (swipe from the top edge), invoke the task manager, etc.

Screen lock functions are unusual. The tablet goes to sleep, and it takes time to unlock (about 1.5s). Keep this in mind, because if you press the power button twice, the tablet will not wake up. But in this sleep mode, the tablet practically does not consume energy and can lie for a long time.

In Metro mode, the tablet is easy to use. Thanks to the touch screen, the system can be operated with various gestures. In windowed mode at the standard scale, everything is very small (Full-HD-resolution on the screen is 11.6 "). You can work comfortably only at a scale of 150%. Then you can safely touch the buttons on the screen. But in this case, the screen fits quite In addition, not all applications support scaling, because of this, the picture in them is blurry. In fact, the window mode is not intended for finger control. If you set the scale to 125%, then enough information is included, and the size of the icons is acceptable In this case, it is convenient to operate with a mouse and keyboard.

There are still quite a few useful apps in the Windows Store compared to other platforms. Many popular mobile applications no ports for Windows 8 (games: Dead Trigger, Need for Speed; Instagram app). Some applications have ports, but they are less functional, for example, a client of the popular social network Vkontakte. But in this case, this is not such a big problem. The Acer Iconia Tab W700 has a full-fledged Windows, not an RT version, that is, you can run standard.exe applications. However, they usually do not involve finger control. You have to connect a mouse.

Performance

Since we have both a tablet and a device with a full-fledged Windows 8, we will conduct testing using a combined method.

Below are screenshots of CPU-Z.

Windows Performance Index

First of all, we evaluated the system performance using the built-in Windows performance index. Only in Windows 8.1, the results are not displayed anywhere. They are contained in the system file.

The result is good. 4.9 points for a compact tablet. The result is determined by the smallest value. In our case, the weak link is the graphics core. All other components have an even better result.

CPU performance

The next step was performance testing with the built-in benchmark of the popular WinRAR archiver, which loads all the processing cores of the processor.

The result (~ 3254 kb / s) is good for a mobile device. For comparison, the recently tested one showed a result of only 730 KB / s.

Intel Core i5 3317U chip performance acer tablet We tested Iconia Tab W700 using Linpack from MetroBench package. Results are reported in millions of floating point operations per second (MFLOPS).

Average performance: 920 Mflop / s - this is the best result among the tablets we tested, but the processor is Intel Core i5, not intel Atom. And ARM's rivals are noticeably behind.

GPU performance

The 3DMark Ice Storm benchmark uses benchmarks that simulate 3D games as well as synthetic GPU and CPU benchmarks.

In standard mode, the results are not even displayed. The maximum possible values \u200b\u200bhave been exceeded. In Unlimited mode, we were able to get results. The results are excellent for a tablet. But compared to Microsoft's competitors, the Acer Iconia Tab W700 is slower than the Surface Pro. Slower than both the updated second version and the first.

Performance graphics subsystem we also measured using a cross-platform benchmark - Relative Benchmark.

The performance is high. This is the best result among the tablets we tested.

JavaScript performance

We used the SunSpider benchmark to test JavaScript performance.

The result is impressive: 228ms (less is better). Record again.

Network performance

We tested network performance using IxChariot. The tablet was about 1 meter away from the access point. The maximum available network mode (802.11n) was tested, at this time no other active transmissions were carried out.

And here the result is excellent: 55 Mbps. No wonder the aluminum tablet has a plastic insert on the back for the wireless module.

Games

All games from the store run without problems on the tablet. No lags are noticeable - everything is smooth and clear. You can control using the touch screen, and using the tablet tilt (position sensor), and using the keyboard (for example, in the game Asphalt 8, you can try all three methods).

But Acer Iconia Tab W700 with full-fledged Windows 8, not RT-version, so we will not dwell on games from the Windows app store, let's try to run full-fledged games from the Steam store.

Sid Meier's Civilization V

This popular strategy has been adapted for touchscreen control. At startup, you can select the appropriate Touch-mode. It's convenient to play. It's interesting to just try it. For example, to select a unit or to press any control button, you do not need to move the mouse - you can immediately click on the desired place with your finger. You can also use multiple-finger gestures, such as zoom. At maximum settings, the game, of course, slows down - it's still the built-in HD4000 graphics core, and the native screen resolution is Full-HD (1920 × 1080). But at medium settings, you can play quite comfortably. Only big cards are not loaded immediately, but this problem also exists on more powerful configurations. Unlike a laptop, it is comfortable to play while lying in bed or sitting in a car / subway.

GestureWorks Gameplay

At the moment, most games do not involve finger control. But there is a solution for them too. There is a GestureWorks Gameplay app that adds a virtual joystick to the screen. You can create a set of virtual buttons yourself, you can use ready-made ones from the site.

This makes the controls "playable". Better to see once than hear a hundred times. Everything becomes clear from the next video.

Shooters are not so convenient to play without tactile feedback - the gameplay is similar to mobile shooters (Modern Combat). But in games where cursor accuracy is not so important, it is really convenient to play: Skyrim, Portal 2, Assassin's Creed and any races. We appreciated the work and functionality of the program using Portal 2 as an example.

Portal 2

The game itself is not particularly demanding on the hardware, the system produces a sufficient amount of FPS even at the "native" resolution. In this game, in most cases, you need to think more than react quickly, so you can play with the on-screen joystick and control buttons. Game speed is slower than with a keyboard, but worth it. It turns out a game for a tablet with adjustment to your grip and finger length. You can play these "adult" games on the road. It's comfortable. Quest lovers may like this. For PC good games there is much more of this genre.

It turns out on the tablet you can normally play "adult" games from the PC. Then why buy a separate laptop or desktop computer for games? We evaluated the tablet's performance in several popular games that you can play while sitting at a table, docking the tablet, plugging in a keyboard and mouse.

We launched World Of Warcraft Lich King. This game behaved a little strange - 24 fps at low settings and a resolution of 1366x768, 23 fps at maximum settings and a native resolution of 1920x1080. The performance of the Acer Iconia Tab W700 should be sufficient for undemanding popular games such as WOW, CS and Dota. The screen has a high resolution, but a relatively small size. But don't forget about the micro-HDMI connector - you can plug in a large monitor and play if that's important to you.

In the game Mafia II at minimum settings, the built-in benchmark showed 11.9 and 22.0 FPS at 1360x768 and 640x480, respectively. I even managed to launch Grand Theft Auto IV, although the built-in benchmark did not load, I managed to start the game itself. The game settings indicated that the system allocated only 100 MB of video memory, and the game requires at least 300 MB. Therefore, although the game was loaded and produced a sufficient number of FPS (there were no visible jerks and delays), the textures did not have time to load, and the car in the game was driving through the "emptiness".

You won't be able to play demanding games on the Acer Iconia Tab W700. At the moment, the technologies are not developed enough to fit a sufficiently powerful configuration in such a compact case and provide it with sufficient cooling.

Camera

Like most other tablets, the Acer Iconia Tab W700 is equipped with dual cameras. The back one with a matrix resolution of 5 MP and the front one - 2 MP. The front camera is good, you can see everything clearly, and when moving the picture is not blurred, only in poor lighting the picture becomes grainy. For video conferencing, it is definitely enough for you.

photo gallery. The video can be downloaded uncompressed (20 MB).

The rear camera is perfect for capturing moments when nothing else is at hand. Photos are grainy and blurry even in good lighting. The camera is located in the corner, so it is difficult to navigate when photographing close objects. There is no flash.

I was pleased with the additional microphone, which really suppresses noise. The test clips filmed a street during the day. It is quite noisy there, but there is no background noise in the videos.

Below is an example of a front camera shot and video. You can see all test photos in the photo gallery. The video can be downloaded uncompressed (52 MB).

Video

Since April 2013, we have been using a new testing methodology for testing multimedia devices. It is split into several parts.

• Popular formats - common video formats and codecs. It is recommended that their support be evaluated first.
• DVD and Blu-ray Disc Images - check playback of full DVD / Blu-ray images, including menus. Recommended if you store your media library as images
• Rare formats - less common formats, but still relevant
• Ultra HD 2K and 4K - formats with an eye to the future. In 2013, ultra-high definition video will gain popularity

Testing was done with Media Player Classic after installing the K-Lite Codec Pack Mega.

Popular formats
Film / video	Notes	Test result
Borat / Borat (XVID AVI)	mPEG-4 Visual Video (XviD Advanced [email protected]) 1095 kbps 608 × 336 25 fps, MP3 audio 2 channels, no subtitles	Success
Back to the Future 3 / Back to the Future 3 (XVID AVI)	mPEG-4 Visual Video (XviD Advanced [email protected]), 4.5 Mbps 1280 × 720 23.976 fps, Dolby Digital (AC3) audio 6 channels, no subtitles	Success
Donald Duck (FLV)	Flash Video, video Sorenson Spark 303 kbps 400 × 300 29 fps, MP3 audio 2 channels, no subtitles	Success
Once Upon a Time in a Bakery (Yeralash) (FLV)	Flash Video, H.264 / AVC video ( [email protected]) 640 × 360 25 fps 487 kbps, audio 2 channel AAC (LC), no subtitles	Success
Smeshariki. New Adventures (FLV)	Flash Video, H.264 / AVC video ( [email protected]) 854 × 480 25 fps 566 kbps, audio 2 channel AAC (LC), no subtitles	Success
Mamma Mia! (MKV)	aVC / H.264 video ( [email protected]), 13 Mbps 1920 × 800 23.976 fps, audio 6 channels Dolby Digital (AC3), DTS, subtitles	Success
Movie Despicable Me 2 (MKV)	WebM, video VP8 1920x1056 23.9 fps 1.9 Mbps, audio 2 channels Vorbis	Success
Pixar - For the Birds (MKV)	WebM, video VP8 640 × 344 23.2 fps 504 kbps, audio 2 channels Vorbis, no subtitles	Success
Space Station (MOV)	AVC / H.264 ( [email protected]), 1.5 Mbps 854 × 480 25 fps, 2-channel AAC (LC) audio, no subtitles. Checking MOV playback	Success
Roller Cars 2 / Cars 2 (MOV)	AVC / H.264 ( [email protected]) 8.4 Mbps 1920 × 800 23.976 fps, audio 2ch AAC (LC)	Success
Disney Nature (MP4)	MPEG-4 video AVC / H.264 ( [email protected]) 1920 × 800 23.976 fps 4.4 Mbps, audio 2ch AAC (LC)	Success
History of Violence (MP4)	MPEG-4 video AVC / H.264 ( [email protected]) 720 × 408 1390 kbps 25 fps, AAC audio (HE-AAC) 2 channels, no subtitles	Success
Movie Transformers Dark of the Moon (WEBM)	WebM, video VP8 1920 × 1080 25.0 fps 5.6 Mbps, audio 2 channels Vorbis	Success
Union is strength (WEBM)	WebM, video VP8 640 × 360 29.0 fps 379 kbps, audio 2 channels Vorbis, no subtitles	Success
DVD and Blu-ray Disc Images
BBC: The Private Life of Plants (DVD)	MPEG-2, 720 × 576, Dolby Digital audio 6 channels, subtitles Checking DVD Playback from ISO Image	Success
House of Sand and Fog (DVD)	MPEG-2, 7.6 Mbps, 720 × 576, DTS audio 6 channels, Dolby Digital 6 channels, subtitles Check DVD playback from a folder on a disc. Checking Dolby Digital and DTS tracks. Checking menus and chapter navigation. Checking subtitles.	Success
Book of Masters (Blu-ray AVC / H.264)	0005.m2ts, AVC / H.264 ( [email protected]) 1920 × 1080, up to 39 Mbps 23.976 fps, DTS MA audio, Dolby Digital (AC3)	Success
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (Blu-ray, VC-1)	0000.m2ts, VC-1 ( [email protected]) 1920 × 1080 23.976 fps, 15.1 Mbps, Dolby Digital (AC3), DTS, subtitle	Success
Sky Captain (Blu-ray, MPEG2)	00002.m2ts, MPEG2 ( [email protected]) 1920 × 1080 18.9 Mbps 23.976 fps, Dolby Digital, DTS, subtitle	Success
Rare formats
Harry Potter Parody (AVI DX50)	MPEG-4 Visial (DivX 5) 998 kbps 640 × 480 29.97 fps, MP3 audio 2 channels, no subtitles	Success
Nuclear Explosion (AVI DIVX)	MPEG-4 Visial (DivX 4) 798 kbps 352 × 240 25 fps, no sound, no subtitles	Success
Movie from Nikon D300s camera (AVI M-JPEG)	M-JPEG 1280 × 720 (16: 9) 22.7 Mbps 24 fps, mono PCM audio, no subtitles	Success
Movie from a Fujifilm camera (AVI M-JPEG)	M-JPEG 640 × 360 (16: 9) 6.9 Mbps 30 fps, mono PCM audio, no subtitles	Success
Movie from the miniDV SONY camera (AVI DVCPRO)	DVCPRO 720 × 576 (16: 9) 24.4 Mbps 25 fps, 2ch PCM audio	Success
The Resident / Trap (MKV)	AVC / H.264 ( [email protected]), 6 Mbps 1280 × 544 23.976 fps, audio 6 channels Dolby Digital (AC3), subtitles. Checking header compression (Header Stripping). ReFrames high level check (12)	Success
The Avatar (extract) (1080p 60 fps MKV)	AVC / H.264 ( [email protected]), 43.4 Mbps 1920 × 1080 59.88 fps, audio 6 DTS channels, subtitles. Checking 1080p 60fps video playback	Success
Monsters on Vacation (1080p High 10 MKV)	AVC / H.264 (High [email protected]) 4.4 Mbps 1920 × 1058 23.976 fps, Dolby Digital audio (AC3), subtitles. Checking playback of Hi10p clips	Success
Movie from HDV-camera SONY (MOV)	HDV 1080i (MPEG2 HD [email protected] 1440) 1440 × 1080, 25Mbps 25fps, 2ch PCM audio	Success
Roller Kharkiv (MPEG2)	MPEG Video (Version 1, BVOP) 384 × 288 2,800 Mbps 25 fps, MPEG Audio (Version 1), no subtitles	Success
Nevzorov "Hell" (MP4)	MPEG-4 Visual ( [email protected]) 352 × 288 25 fps, AAC audio (Version 4) 2 channels, no subtitles	Success
Sanyo HD2000 video clip (1080p 60fps MP4)	MPEG-4 AVC / H.264 ( [email protected]), 24.1Mbps 1920 × 1080 59.94 fps, 2ch AAC audio. Checking 1080p 60fps video playback	Success
Movie from AVCHD-camera SONY (MTS)	AVC / H.264 ( [email protected]), 17 Mbps 1920 × 1080 25 fps, audio 6 channels Dolby Digital (AC3), subtitles. Checking support for AVCHD MTS files	Success
TV show (RM)	RealMedia, video RealVideo 4 320 × 200 386 kbps, 29.9 fps, audio 1 channel 64.1 kbps Cooker	Success
Crash Manga (RMVB)	RealMedia VBR, video RealVideo 4 640x480 408 kbps, 29.9 fps, audio 2 channels 96.5 kbps Cooker	Success
TV commercial about the love of sweets (WMV)	WMV3 / VC-1 350 kbps 360 × 288 23 fps, WMA audio (version 2) 1 channel, no subtitles	Success
Ultra HD 2K and 4K
Further Up Yonder (MOV)	MPEG-4 AVC / H.264 ( [email protected]), 14.8 Mbps 2048 × 1152 25 fps, 2 ch AAC audio. Checking playback of MOV 1152p 2K clips	Success
576 Megapixels by Philip Bloom (MP4)	MPEG-4 AVC / H.264 ( [email protected]), 25.3 Mbps 2048 × 1080 23.976 fps, 2ch AAC audio. Checking playback of 1080p 2K clips	Success
Further Up Yonder (MP4)	MPEG-4 AVC / H.264 ( [email protected]), 32.0 Mbps 2048 × 1152 25 fps, 2ch AAC audio. Checking playback of 1152p 2K clips	Success
TimeScapes (MP4)	MPEG-4 AVC / H.264 ( [email protected]), 33.1 Mbps 2560 × 1440 23.976 fps, 2ch AAC audio. Checking playback of 1440p 2K clips	Renouncement
Italy (MP4)	MPEG-4 AVC / H.264 ( [email protected]), 41.3 Mbps 3840x2160 23.976 fps, 2ch AAC audio. Playback Verification of 2160p 4K Ultra HD Clips	Renouncement
New Zealand (MP4)	MPEG-4 AVC / H.264 ( [email protected]), 40.5 Mbps 4096 × 2304 23.976 fps, 2ch AAC audio. Playback Verification of 2160p 4K Ultra HD Clips	Renouncement

With the exception of Ultra HD 4K, the tablet coped well with all video formats from our video library. Acer Iconia Tab W700 can be connected via micro-HDMI to a large TV in the living room and get a full-fledged Smart TV with support for a large number of video formats. In addition, the kit includes a microHDMI-VGA adapter, thanks to which you can connect a projector to a tablet at a conference.

Battery life

The Acer Iconia Tab W700 has good battery life. It has a 4850 mAh battery, but, unlike Android tablets, the battery here has a higher output voltage, and therefore the capacity cannot be compared in mAh, you need to compare in Wh. No such information is provided on the official website. But the main thing for us is the final working time. We got 7.5 hours of watching the movie at maximum brightness. In reading mode, the tablet will last for 11 hours. In our tests in play mode, it took less than three hours to discharge. But it was the Unigine Heaven test, which completely loads the system and discharges it as quickly as possible. For a day normal use the tablet was always enough.

Charging the Acer Iconia Tab W700 from a full-fledged laptop, 65 W, so the tablet charges quickly.

Conclusion

Computers are becoming more mobile every year. First to replace stationary computers with a system unit the size of a large box, laptops came, then laptops became thinner and lighter - ultrabooks appeared. The next step was tablets on full-fledged Windows 8, which are in no way inferior to their "big brothers" in their capabilities. A prime example of this concept is the Acer Iconia Tab W700, which is equipped with a full Intel Core processor. This gives it the performance of a desktop computer, unlike Intel Atom tablets. At the same time, all the filling fit into a relatively compact body weighing less than a kilogram.

With this size and performance, some compromises had to be made: the tablet is equipped with an active cooling system and, unlike ultrabooks, has only one USB 3.0 port. The main thing is that Acer did not pursue the minimum weight and installed an impressive battery in the case, which is enough to fully use the tablet for a whole day, or sometimes two.

I liked the tablet screen very much. IPS matrix with excellent viewing angles, Full-HD resolution at 11.6 inches. He's just great. The quality of the picture, its clarity, color and brightness are excellent. It is a pleasure to watch movies, pictures, read on such a screen. The high resolution does not fatigue your eyes.

The tablet's performance is more than enough for all mobile applications, it is not enough only for modern high-performance games. Ultrabooks are equipped with exactly the same hardware and have the same performance, although they are less compact.

These Windows tablets are the most versatile. They are convenient to use for both work and leisure. Complete Microsoft Office, Adobe Dreamweaver for work, you can watch any movies (there are codecs for x86-processors for most formats), and you can play not only games from the store, but also from a "big brother", for example Portal 2 or Civilization V. The last opportunity is remembered most. What else do you need from a tablet?

At the moment it is best tablet, of those that have been in my hands. Of course, I want an even thinner body and longer battery life. Hopefully it will be in an updated version of the tablet with a Haswell processor.

The Acer Iconia W7 is available on the market in several trim levels. There are two models available - W700 and W701. The first comes without a 3G module, the second has it built-in. There are three complete sets for each model on the Russian market:

• With Core i3 processor, 64Gb memory
• With Core i3 processor, 64Gb memory + docking station + keyboard
• With Core i5 processor, 128Gb memory + docking station + keyboard

The main advantage of the Acer Iconia W7 over competitors such as Microsoft Surface Pro, Samsung Ativ smart PC pro was the price. Acer cost around 30-35 thousand rubles, while competitors - for 40-45 thousand rubles. The Acer W7 is now leaving the market, but the tablet is available on sale. Let's wait for the updated Haswell version in our test lab and hope that it will have the same tasty performance / price ratio.

Advantages of Acer Iconia Tab W700

• IPS Full-HD display
• High performance
• Fast SSD
• Windows software support including Office
• Solid design and quality build
• Micro-HDMI output, full USB 3.0 port
• The ability to play "adult" games from a PC

Disadvantages of Acer Iconia Tab W700

• Large weight and dimensions
• Rear camera
• Loud fan noise in our test unit

Part 1. Equipment, design, performance

Modern technology allows manufacturers to create almost endless product variations different classes... For a tablet, they usually take a single-chip system, add several memory chips, charge with a battery, sprinkle with connectors, antennas, cameras and other trifles and cover with a touch screen. So there shouldn't be any problems with “inventing and doing”. For example, take a look at the current catalog of Acer: it contains 17 lines of notebook-class devices, and each line has several modifications (and one even has more than 40 (!)).

But it is much more difficult then to sell your creation and make money on it. The key to the success of a particular product is a unique combination of characteristics and cost that will be interesting to a certain circle of consumers. Achieving an accurate hit is almost impossible. Even if you conduct surveys and research, actively work with consumers, then by the time the model is released, it turns out that the market has already changed, and together with users and their needs, and competitors are not sitting still. The choice is also hindered by the fact that in most cases for any product you can find an analogue that has one or more characteristics that will be better. On the other hand, there are noticeably more consumers (in quantitative terms) than models on the market, so that even for the most unusual devices, if desired (and the right price policy), buyers can be found. Here you can cite the example of "remartphones" with screens over five inches or mobile workstations with powerful processors, RAID arrays and a couple of professional video cards in the format of a very large and heavy laptop.

Interestingly, a similar situation occurs in other areas. You don't have to look far for examples: the recently presented "Brand New Range Rover" (by the way, this name also intersects with a well-known product in IT) combines unique off-road qualities and premium interior design. It is difficult to imagine that supporters of style and comfort will overcome fords up to 90 cm deep or have a need for a cross-country angle of about 30 °. And vice versa - if you have already gone for a drive on stones, then the presence of precious woods in the interior trim will hardly worry you.

Moving on to the object of today's article, we can say that in terms of form factor it is a tablet, in terms of configuration it is a candy bar, and in terms of hardware configuration it is an ultrabook. It is quite difficult to buy such an ambiguous device “just like that”. However, if the user has a clear idea of \u200b\u200bthe tasks and usage scenarios that need to be solved, then it may very well be that the Acer Iconia W700 will be the best choice for him.

Tablet package

The device comes in a fairly large box (44.5 × 24 × 12.6 cm) - for some models of modern laptops it can be used twice as small. Considering that we are considering a tablet after all, the large size of the package indicates a good package. And indeed it is. But first, let's talk a little about the design of the box. It is surprisingly very simple - a large photo with partial lamination and a name on the front side, barely visible options for mounting on a stand, the name of the tablet manufacturer and the Intel logo on the silver ends.

You can also see the QR code for the promotional video and the link to the product description. From it you can find out that in total there are three modifications of the W700 on the Russian market, differing in the processor, volume solid state drive and a complete set. Detailed information on the configuration of a specific device is given on a special sticker. In general, the box is quite stylish. But, in our opinion, it was worth adding a little more bright elements. Moreover, the weight of the kit of almost 4.5 kg still does not correspond very much to the “airy” design in white and silver tones.

Inside the main package in numerous compartments and boxes there are: tablet, power supply and cable, leather Case, stand (of two elements) for stationary work, wireless keyboard, Micro-HDMI-VGA adapter, white cloth for cleaning the screen, a quick user's guide (in Russian), a set of CDs with software. We'll talk about the tablet design in the corresponding section, and here we'll look at the rest of the delivery. The power supply looks good: a fairly small size, white matte plastic, a cable (also white) about 180 cm with Velcro for packaging and a thin (3 mm) connector for connecting to a tablet. But this beauty is spoiled by a power cable - one meter, three cores of 0.75 mm², a three-pin plug capable of withstanding 16 A 250 V. Apart from some peculiarities of local standards, this decision is very difficult to explain. Considering that 65 W is required from it, something simpler and more convenient could be implemented.

The leather case has a beige color and a soft gray lining. Feels like it will be good at protecting the tablet screen from damage. Installation is easy, the tablet is held firmly in the case. Additional design elements include a silver manufacturer's logo. The package leaflet contains options for using the cover as a stand. There are three positions in total: one almost horizontal for working with on-screen keyboard and two "higher" ones for watching videos and other similar operations.

When installed in the case, all tablet controls remain accessible and usable. The only exception is the external camera: normally it is closed with a Velcro pocket. So if you suddenly want to take pictures with your hands on the road, you must not forget to open the lens. Maybe this is not very convenient, but there is additional protection. Note the presence of a pen or stylus mount (not included).

The complete stand is designed for stationary installation on a desktop. It consists of two elements, combining which in different ways you can implement one of three options for placing the tablet: in portrait mode, in portrait mode with one of two tilt angles (for working with an external or on-screen keyboard). The elements themselves are made of matte white plastic, there is some silver paint and rubber inserts for a secure fit on the table. All tablet controls and connectors, except the external camera and USB port, remain accessible. Speaker holes are provided for efficient sound transmission. The stand itself has an input for a power supply and an indicator of its connection, as well as three USB 3.0 ports. The latter are implemented through a hub and work only with an external power supply.

Based on the foregoing, it seems that this design can be used as an office docking station with power, mouse, keyboard, portable drives, network adapters and other peripherals connected. But with an external monitor, not everything is so good - the Micro-HDMI connector remains only on the tablet itself, and simply installing the tablet into the dock will not be enough to connect an external device. From a design point of view, in some cases the stepless tilt or the more accessible USB port may be lacking, and the width of the front corner may seem too wide.

An office PC kit would be incomplete without a keyboard. The Acer Iconia W700 uses an external wireless model with Bluetooth interface. From the photographs, many will notice the similarity with the version of another well-known manufacturer, but in fact the similarity is precisely external. The case material of the keyboard in question is plastic. The main part is painted in silver, the buttons themselves are matte white, the symbols on them are painted in black, additional functions are highlighted in gray. There are Bluetooth and charging level indicators on the top edge. A hardware power switch is provided to conserve batteries (2 × AAA). In case of loss of connection or the need to connect to another device, there is a "Connect" button. There are rubber feet on the bottom of the keyboard, on which it stands very firmly, despite its low weight (400 g). The possibility of changing the angle of inclination is not provided.

The physical dimensions of the keyboard correspond to the format of a tablet and 11.6 ″ laptops (field width - 277 mm, main buttons - 15 × 15 mm). A quite reasonable question arises: was it worth making a keyboard of exactly this size and with only five rows of buttons? Since if we are talking about effective work on the table, then "more" (within reason) usually means "better." Perhaps, in this case, the equipment with just such a compact option is justified. If the user needs it, he can choose a suitable model for himself, and the standard one is quite efficient as a semi-mobile version. Moreover, its weight is small (400 g with batteries). By the way, the orientation of the tablet on Windows 8 also affected this element: in addition to the usual keyboard shortcuts for controlling the player, brightness / volume and video output, the keyboard has several new ones for working in this version of the operating system.

It's a pity we decided not to add a mouse. Perhaps the "hand of Microsoft" is visible here, which is trying to develop the popularity of the touch-interface of the new windows versions... But for stationary use of a device with a relatively small screen size in the traditional interface of the operating system, the usual mouse is still preferable today.

A final note on packaging concerns the operating system and software recovery CDs. With the cost of a regular 32 GB USB 3.0 flash drive at 800 rubles, forcing the user to look for an optical drive somewhere in case of problems is at least strange. At the same time, the built-in drive does not have a recovery partition with a full system image, although this is good from the point of view of increasing the volume available to the user.

Design

Anything other than a "rounded rectangle" is very rare today in tablets. Acer Iconia W700 is no exception. The dimensions of the device are about 295 × 192 × 12 mm, and the weight is 940 g. For the 11.6 ″ format this is not bad, but it is difficult to compare with traditional tablets in these parameters. These numbers are more similar to those of some models of ultraportable notebooks and ultrabooks, such as the Acer Aspire S7. But it should be noted that the choice in this category is not that great.

The main body material is aluminum. No paint is used, the matte finish is quite pleasant and beautiful. The grain is larger than that of the known unibody devices, so it will be comfortable to hold the tablet. At the back, in the upper part, you can see a strip of white plastic, fortunately not glossy, behind which, apparently, are the antennas of the wireless interfaces.

Slightly lower, on the left, there is a 5 megapixel camera window, near which there is an indicator of its operation. The lens itself is slightly recessed, so you can safely put the tablet on the table.

The front side is almost completely given to the tablet screen, the manufacturer does not indicate the material of the outer cover. Around it is a low rubber rim, which serves to protect the screen. Note that the body itself is noticeably larger than the matrix - the frame is about 2 cm at the top and sides, 2.5 cm at the bottom. At the top in the center is the front-facing camera with an activity indicator, and at the bottom there is a windows button, clicking which returns the user to the start screen of the Metro interface (hereinafter, we omit the note "formerly known by the name").

On the top edge there is a sliding non-locking screen rotation lock switch. Rotation works in applications that support this function, including the traditional desktop, the orientation is determined by the built-in sensor. Also visible here are the two grilles of the active cooling system. At the bottom you can see stereo speakers, and in the center is a hidden hardware reset button for the device.

The left side was chosen for the microphone, Micro-HDMI output, USB 3.0 port and charger input. The last two connectors are used when the tablet is docked.

There is a power button on the right, it can be used to turn on / off and put the device to sleep / wake up. It has a built-in battery charging indicator, but it does not work in all power saving modes, which is not very convenient. Below there is a volume rocker and a standard headphone or headset jack. With some diligence, next to them on the display frame, you can see the light sensor window.

In general, the design can hardly be called original, but the device looks quite attractive. A thin metal frame on the front gives the tablet a sleek look. However, given its rather large size and thickness (visually it seems smaller due to the bevel on the bottom surface), I would like to see more ports: for example, USB, microSD or even Thunderbolt.

Hardware configuration features

For comparison with other solutions on Windows 8, we present a table of their characteristics, familiar from past testing.

	ASUS VivoTab TF810C	ASUS VivoTab RT TF600T	Acer Iconia W700	Sony VAIO Duo 11
Screen	11.6 ″, Super IPS +, 1366 × 768 (135 ppi)	10.1 ″, Super IPS +, 1366 × 768 (155 ppi)		11.6 ″, IPS, 1920 × 1080 (190 ppi)
CPU	Intel Atom Z2760 @ 1.8 GHz (2 cores, HT and TB support)	NVIDIA Tegra 3 T30L @ 1.2 GHz (4 cores + 1 auxiliary, ARM Cortex-A9)	Intel Core i3-2365M @ 1.4 GHz (2 cores, HT support) / Intel Core i5-3317U @ 1.7 GHz (2 cores, HT and TB support)	Intel Core i3-2365M @ 1.4 GHz (2 cores, HT support) / Intel Core i7-3517U @ 1.9 GHz (2 cores, HT and TB support)
GPU	Imagination SGX545	GeForce ULP	Intel HD 3000/4000	Intel HD 3000/4000
Flash memory		32 or 64 GB + cloud storage 32 GB (3 years)	64/128 GB SSD	128/256 SSD
Connectors	Micro-HDMI, 3.5 mm headset jack, two USB 2.0 (on docking station)	Micro-HDMI, 3.5mm headset jack, USB 2.0 (on docking station)	Micro-HDMI (includes a VGA adapter), 3.5mm headset jack, one USB 3.0 (on a tablet, not available when docked) and three USB 3.0 (on a docking station)	HDMI, 3.5 mm headset jack, two USB 3.0, Ethernet, VGA
Memory card support	microSD / SDHC (up to 64GB)	microSD / SDHC (up to 64GB)	no	SD / SDHC (up to 64GB)
RAM	2 GB	2 GB	4 GB	6/8 GB
Cameras		rear (8 Mp) and front (2 Mp)	rear (photo - 5 Mp, video - 1080p) and front (photo - 0.9 Mp, video - 720p)	rear (photo - 2.4 Mp, video - 1920 × 1080), front (2.4 Mp)
the Internet	Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi (optional - 3G and 4G LTE)	Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi, Ethernet
operating system	Microsoft Windows 8	Microsoft Windows RT	Microsoft Windows 8	Microsoft Windows 8
Dimensions * (mm)	294 × 189 × 8.7	263 x 171 x 8.3	295 × 191 × 11.9	320 × 199 × 17.9
Weight without and with docking station (g)	675/1340	538/1036	940	1300

* - according to the manufacturer's data; For ASUS and Acer devices, thickness is shown without docking station.

We thank the Russian representative office of the company
for the equipment provided for testing

The tablet came to us in a huge dense light gray package, the dimensions of which (440x235x125 mm) would envy many shoe boxes from under boots. But before I tell you what is included in the complete kit, it is necessary to explain what options and specifications there are.

The most affordable version of the Acer Iconia Tab W700 will cost 25,000 rubles. For this money, you buy a tablet with an Intel Core i3 processor and a 64 GB SSD-drive, and you get a case as a gift. A complete set of a tablet on a Core i3 + 64 GB SSD will cost 28,000 rubles, and for 35,000 a version of the "tablet" on a Core i5 + 128 GB SSD and a complete set are available.

Full set includes:

• The tablet
• Mains charger
• HDMI to VGA adapter
• Docking station with stand
• Bluetooth keyboard
• Case
• Multiple DVDs (!?) For System Recovery

Each item is neatly packed into cardboard compartments. However, after unpacking the entire box, I could not find a place for the leg from the docking station, since it has a curved shape and therefore practically does not fit anywhere with ease. Memories surfaced: as a child, I disassembled the telescope, but again I could not assemble it correctly. I think everyone has had such situations :)

Positioning

After the eighth microsoft versions Windows almost all companies involved in the production of tablets and laptops rushed to release their devices on this operating system. It seems to me that this is absolutely the right step, since there are more and more gadgets with touch screens: laptops are gradually being replaced by ultrabooks, and those, in turn, by tablets, on which Win8 looks more logical than desktops and non-touch laptops. Using Windows on tablets has become much more comfortable, since you definitely won't miss the huge and bright tiles, and to close the application, now you don't have to be a sniper, getting into a tiny cross.

Unfortunately, it is still difficult to determine the audience that will benefit from a tablet computer: tablets on Android or iOS are suitable for home use - they have less weight, dimensions, they practically do not heat up and do not make noise. You won't be able to play on the "Win-tablet" either - so far there are very weak fillings. The office usually has desktop computers... Alternatively, using a Windows 8 tablet in the field for specific tasks. Or, for example, for students who do not need to frequently edit documents, but it is desirable to have applications such as AutoCAD, MathCAD and other peculiar programs that are compatible only with the OS from Microsoft. However, the question arises of the cost of such "tablets". Students need it cheap and cheerful, but for the majority of students in universities 25 - 35 thousand rubles is a lot of money.

In general, I think that the positioning of such gadgets is somewhat blurry at the moment.

Design, dimensions, controls

Network adapter ... Consists of a cable with a plug (length - 100 mm, diameter - 6.5 mm) and an adapter itself (dimensions 88x65x21 mm) with a 1.5-meter cable (diameter 3.5 mm) for connection to the device. Input - 100-240 V, 1.6 A, output - 19 V, 3.42 A. Model: PA-1650-80.

Keyboard... Made of silver painted plastic. Dimensions - 286x130x7 mm (at the thickest point - 16 mm). There are only 66 keys. Made of white plastic. The size of each is 9x9x2 mm. Spaced apart by 3 mm. They have a clear pressure and a small stroke. Together with the batteries, the device weighs about 400 grams.

At the top of the front panel there are two indicators: battery charge and operation. Slightly to the right is a mechanical on / off switch. On the back there are four rubberized black legs, a Connect button (used to reconnect the keyboard) and a compartment for two AAA batteries.

Functional buttons F1, F2, F3…, F12 are called by combinations FN + Q, FN + W, FN + E…, FN + "]".

Dock station... It is a plastic box with dimensions of 300x270x30 mm. The model is called V1JV1. The inner part and the back are white, the front side is silver. On the left inside there are special connectors for power and USB. Additionally, there are three USB ports. Bottom - two cutouts for speakers. The tablet is inserted from right to left until it locks into place. For a stable position of the docking station on a horizontal surface at the back, you must insert a plastic foot.

The tablet... Frankly, I didn't expect Acer to make such a cool and stylish case for an ordinary tablet. It is made almost entirely of unpainted aluminum with a slightly rough matte finish. The sensations are very pleasant. The usual shape is a rectangle with slightly rounded edges. On the back there is a milky plastic insert. Behind it, apparently, are the antennas of the wireless interfaces.

As the case construction is monolithic (“unibody”), there are no complaints about the assembly: nothing backlash, no creaks, and even with strong twisting it does not crunch. After a month of using the W700, only a few shallow scratches appeared on its surface. The screen is protected by durable glass (according to some information - Gorilla Glass 2). By the way, a thin black rubberized strip runs along the edge of the display. As I understand it, it has two important functions: first, since it rises slightly, it protects the front side from damage; the second is shock-absorbing properties, i.e. when hitting the body, it reduces the impact of metal and glass contact. Fingerprints on the screen remain and are erased with great difficulty, and due to the fact that the surface is mirrored, the marks are very noticeable.

The dimensions of the Acer Iconia Tab W700 tablet are 295 × 192 × 12 mm, and the weight is 940 grams. That is, you need to understand that the device is not small and not at all light, you just don’t read books or documents on the subway, after 10-15 minutes your hand gets tired. You can't call the W700 a bedside one either: I personally find it more convenient to use a 650 g "tablet" from Apple or some even lighter plastic Samsung in such a situation.

On the front panel there is a peephole of the front camera and a small indicator of its operation, below there is a mechanical button (dimensions 20x6x1mm) "Start". It is quite tight, so you have to press hard. It is intended to return to the start screen or launch the previous application.

On the bottom edge there are two speakers hidden under six holes on each side and covered with a red metal grill. In the center is the hardware reset button of the device.

Standard 3.5 mm audio output for headphones, volume rocker and power button with indicator. They rise slightly above the body, are easily felt with your fingers, the stroke is small.

On the upper edge there are two grilles for the outlet of warm air (active cooling system) and a non-fixed (removed to the side and returned to its original position) mechanical screen orientation lock.

A power jack, a full-size USB port, microHDMI and a second microphone are on the left side.

On the back, on the left, there is a camera peephole and a small LED that signals its operation.

Overall, the Acer W700 has a very pleasant ergonomic design, presentable appearance and cool body materials.

Acer W700 and Samsung Note II

Display

The diagonal of the display of the tablet Acer Iconia Tab W700 is 11.6 inches. Its physical size is 256x144 mm, the aspect ratio is 16x9, the resolution is quite high for a similar diagonal - 1920x1080 pixels, while the density is 189 pixels per inch. It uses a high quality CineCrystal IPS matrix. The sensitivity and calibration accuracy are at a high level, the touch layer works out up to 10 simultaneous touches.

The viewing angles are maximum, the picture is not distorted at all, the brightness remains practically unchanged even under significant screen tilts. Brightness is adjustable in a wide range: from about 30 cd / m2 to 340 cd / m2. Naturally, there is a light sensor, it adjusts the brightness quite smoothly and quickly. The contrast is approximately 950: 1.

All screen settings are familiar to Windows.

Viewing angles of the Acer W700 display

Battery

The tablet has a 3-cell 4850 mAh lithium polymer (Li-Pol) battery. The maximum power supply is 65 W. The developer does not provide any data on autonomy. I used the tablet in different modes with different screen brightness. On average, the tablet “lived” for about 10 hours: the brightness was 50%, the synchronization of mail and Twitter was turned on, every hour for 20-30 minutes I browsed the sites, used the menu, launched office documents. While surfing the Internet, the device worked for about 8 hours - this is about 40% of the screen brightness, and all synchronization is turned on. If you want to watch a movie (HD 720p, sound output to headphones), then count on 5 hours at maximum brightness and about two hours if you “hack” into not the most resource-intensive toys. However, I tested the W700 on Need for Speed \u200b\u200bMost Wanted. With NFS "battery" sat down after 1.5 hours (maximum brightness, sound output to the speakers).

The most interesting thing is that the W700 lay in sleep mode for about two weeks and was not discharged by one percent.

I can't say that the numbers are amazing, but almost all Android tablets often have less battery life. I would compare the autonomy of the Acer Iconia Tab W700 with the Apple iPad 4, of course, if you do not "strain" the first one by 100%.

Communication capabilities

The device is equipped with wireless wi-Fi technologies 802.11 a / b / g / n (2.4 / 5 GHz) and Bluetooth 4.0. Both controllers operate on a Qualcomm Atheros (AR5BMD222) chip with a PCIe x1 interface.

During testing, no failures were observed: the Internet via Wi-Fi stably "reached" the tablet, and the keyboard via Bluetooth functioned without problems.

Memory

Unfortunately, the Acer W700 was not equipped with a card reader, and there is only one USB input. Those. having connected a USB flash drive, you will have to wait with the rest of the devices.

The storage is a high-speed 128 GB SSD from Toshiba. The model is called THNSNS128GMCP. Used 24-nanometer flash memory, SATA-III 6 Gb / s interface, consumption - 3.9 W. Brief technical characteristics:

• Maximum read speed: just over 400MB / s
• Maximum write speed: just over 230MB / s

Crystal Disk Mark Test

HD Tune Pro test

RAM in the device 4 GB (dual channel DDR3 SDRAM, 1333 MHz).

Camera

The device was equipped with two camera modules: the main one for 5 MP, the front one for 0.9 MP. Maximum photo resolution - 2592x1944 pixels, video - 1920x1080 pixels at 10 frames per second.

The quality of the photos is mediocre, it can be compared to the budget phones. There is automatic focusing and manual focusing. The minimum distance to the object is 30 mm. Video W700 writes no better: it greatly increases, the number of frames is only 10, the sound is gurgling and like a barrel.

But I liked the front camera. For communication in Skype is quite suitable.

There are few camera settings:

• Resolution
• Stabilization
• Brightness
• Contrast
• Focus (auto, manual)
• Exposition

Camera settings:

• Resolution (240p to 1080p)
• Stabilization
• Brightness
• Contrast
• Focus (auto, manual)
• Exposition

Video file characteristic:

• File format: 3GP
• Video codec: AVC, 10 Mbps
• Resolution: 1920x1080, 10 fps
• Audio codec: AAC, 132 Kbps
• Channels: 2 channel, 44 kHz

Number of Cores	2
Number of threads	4
Clock frequency	1.7 GHz
Maximum clock frequency with Turbo Boost technology	2.6 GHz
Intel® Smart Cache Technology	3 MB
Core to tire ratio	17
DMI	5 GT / s
Command set	64-bit
Instruction set extensions	AVX
Available options for embedded systems	No.
Lithography	22 nm
Max. calc. power	17 W

The performance index exposes the device to 5.4 points, the minimum value, which is naturally gaining a graphics accelerator. The processor is estimated at 6.9 points, memory - 5.9, graphics in games - 6.3, and hDD – 8.1.

CPU-Z data

The usual integrated graphics of the Ivy Bridge line of processors - Intel HD Graphics 4000 acts as a graphics accelerator. Compared to Intel HD Graphics 3000, HD4000 has been redesigned and offers DirectX 11 capabilities. Theoretically, it can show performance 60% higher than HD3000.

I think that neither the processor nor the video card really needs a broad introduction. Those who are interested - the following data: Mass Effect 3 (low quality) at 1366x768 produces 23 - 33 frames per second, Dirt 3 (low quality) - 22 - 28 frames per second, Deus EX HR - 19 - 31 fps , Battlefield 3 - about 25 fps. In general, you can, in principle, play, but at minimum settings and at low resolution.

When decoding FullHD video, there are no problems: videos are played smoothly without the slightest lags.

As for the noise, frankly speaking, even in the most difficult applications, the coolers did not overclock so much that they could be heard. Well, a warm breeze - yes, it came out.

Performance Test CPU

Performance Test 2D

Performance Test 3D

Performance Test Memory

Performance Test SSD

PCMark 7 benchmark

Software platform

The Acer Iconia Tab W700 tablet runs on the Microsoft Windows 8 64-bit operating system. I will not express my impression of the OS, since this is a purely subjective opinion. In general, cute and nimble, but not always intuitive and logical.

An additional interesting feature has become a corporate original graphic design for viewing photos, videos, documents and managing wireless interfaces. In order to launch this interface, you need to touch the screen with all fingers of one hand.

I would rate the volume of the built-in speakers at 4 out of 5: it is heard well at a distance of two meters, you don't have to strain your hearing. The quality is adequate considering that we have a tablet in front of us.

Conclusion

Conventional bulky laptops are gradually being replaced by lightweight ultrabooks with the same hardware, and over time they will be replaced by even lighter tablets. I love the current trend of making mobile devices easier to use, and the use of touch screens has played a big role in this. However, now is the turning point, when we already have powerful tablet computers, but they are still relatively large for comfortable use in any situation. Therefore, I believe that such devices are difficult to classify and clearly define the circle of consumers.

I liked the Acer Iconia Tab W700 gadget, first of all, by its appearance, body materials and high-quality screen. There are probably no negative points. If you think otherwise, please unsubscribe in the comments, I will read it with pleasure.

Specifications
Operating system
Operating system	Windows 8
Processor and Chipset
Processor manufacturer	Intel
Processor type	Core i5
Processor model	i5-3317U
CPU frequency	1.70 GHz
Processor core	Dual core (2 cores)
Cache	3 MB
64-bit processing	Yes
Hyper-Threading	Yes
Chipset Manufacturer	Intel
Chipset Model	HM77 Express
Memory
Standard memory	4 GB
Memory module technology	DDR3 SDRAM
Memory card reader	No
Data storage
Solid state drive capacity	128 GB
Solid state drive interface	SATA / 300
Optical drive type	No
Display and graphics adapter
Screen type	Active matrix TFT color LCD
Screen technology	CineCrystal
Screen format	16:9
Screen Mode	Full HD
Screen resolution	1920 x 1080
Matrix backlight technology	LED
Touch screen	Yes
Multi-touch screen	Yes
Graphics Controller Manufacturer	Intel
Graphics controller model	HD 4000
Graphics memory technology	DDR3 SDRAM
Graphics memory availability	General
TV card	No
Network and communications
Wi-Fi	Yes
Wi-Fi adapter manufacturer	Atheros
Wi-Fi standard	IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n
Bluetooth	Yes
Interfaces / ports
HDMI	Yes
Input Devices
Keyboard type	Touch keyboard
Keyboard	Yes
Positioning device type	TouchPad
Built-in devices
Microphone	Yes
Fingerprint reader	No
Software
operating system	Windows 8
Operating system architecture	64-bit
Battery Information
Number of sections	3-section
Battery chemistry	Lithium Polymer (Li-Polymer)
Battery capacity	4850 mAh
Power supply
Maximum supply voltage	65 W
physical characteristics
Form factor	Hybrid tablet
Height	11.9 mm
Width	295.0 mm
Depth	191.0 mm

Roman Belykh (

(6 Vote (s))

Review Acer Iconia W700 Tablet

As long as the manufacturing companies of equipment equipped with an operating room windows system 8, will not find out what users expect from a modern mobile PC, they will continue to release various devices in order to find optimal set qualities and characteristics for its products. But now we can safely say that hybrid tablet-notebooks are very popular. In the AV market, there have already been models with a weak Atom processor and quite strong devices with a Core i5 CPU, the characteristics of which are not inferior to powerful laptops. Therefore, at the moment, most users are forced to make a choice between the high performance of the tablet and its battery life.

Once we have already considered with a removable keyboard, and now we have to test the W700 model, the cost of which reaches 24,000 rubles. The Acer Iconia W700 is an 11-inch tablet that is essentially an ultrabook without a keyboard. Some might think the W700 is just a miniaturized copy of the W510, but they will be wrong. Unlike the W510, the new Acer does not have a detachable keyboard and docking station for charging the tablet, but it does have a modular stand to support the tablet in both landscape and portrait orientations. Let's put the Acer Iconia W700 to the test and see how the lack of a removable keyboard and docking station impacts and what the Core i5 processor costs.

Design

To be honest, we don't even know where to start, because the W700 is a tablet / laptop hybrid. First of all, you need to evaluate the convenience of the device when using it as an 11-inch tablet. The Iconia W700 looks sturdy enough thanks to its one-piece aluminum body. But at the same time, the tablet is too bulky: it weighs 2.09 pounds and has a body thickness of 0.47 inches. Basically, these parameters are due to the presence of a full-size USB 3.0 port, the thickness of which would not allow developers to create an ultra-thin case. The tablet also has a micro HDMI port, headphone jack, volume control, power button, screen orientation lock, and two speakers. In addition, an HDMI to VGA adapter is included in the package in case the user wants to connect a projector to the device.

The developers also took into account the presence of a processor in the Core i5 tablet, typical for powerful laptops, and added two deep vents along the edges of the case. Of course, under these conditions, all other Atom tablets that don't need ventilation would be significantly thinner and lighter than the Acer Iconia W700. Note that even some i5 tablets, including those with the same thickness, are lighter than the W700.

But who cares about a couple of extra grams when the tablet has high technical characteristics. At first glance, the W700 looks pretty good. Plus, it has a very comfortable stand that will support your tablet in landscape or portrait orientation. Unfortunately, the cradle won't be able to charge your device, but it has three USB 3.0 ports. ports that come in handy if you want to connect a mouse, dongle, or some other accessory. In this case, you can not remove the connected device, since there will be two more ports in stock. In addition, there is another USB plug on the stand that connects directly to the tablet itself. This makes the tablet very stable and will require force to remove it from the stand.

Plus, the back of the stand is detachable, allowing you to reposition it to suit your tablet's orientation. Unfortunately, the process of installing the device on the stand and changing its orientation are rather incomprehensible, although they are described in the instructions. For this experiment, we asked several people to change the orientation of the tablet on the stand. And all of them experienced difficulties before they achieved the desired result. In addition, the stand itself is very thick and has sharp edges that can easily scratch any fragile items in your bag. But, by and large, the stand is not so important, unlike the characteristics of the tablet itself.

But, nevertheless, when buying an Acer Iconia W700, it is worth considering all the components that you will have to constantly carry with you in order to enjoy the multifunctionality of the tablet. We have already mentioned the stand and the device itself. In addition, you will need the case that comes with the kit, as well as a wireless keyboard and mouse if you want to fully use the W700 as a laptop. Also, don't forget about the adapter. As a result, instead of a keyboard dock, you have to carry at least seven removable accessories, each of which takes up a lot of space. If Acer had followed the already trodden path and released its tablet with a docking station, then we would have received a very convenient device that includes a keyboard, charger, stand, several ports, and the only drawback would be the lack of the ability to place the tablet in portrait orientation.

Keyboard

Acer Iconia W700 comes with a Bluetooth keyboard. It is she who is built into the docking station of the previous model W510. The keyboard is designed in silver metallic with white buttons. However, compared to the W510 model, the W700 keyboard buttons are more prominent and larger, and typing will not take long. In addition, the keyboard has an activation mode switch, which eliminates the need to hold down the button to turn on the device.

It's a shame that Acer has ditched the docking station idea in favor of a separate mobile stand that needs to be reassembled every time. The previous model's docking station was a bit cramped, but we're sure the Acer developers could find a way out. We hope they will do so by the time the next model of this line is released.

It should be added that it would be very nice to include a mouse in the kit, since neither the docking station nor the separate keyboard from Acer have a touchpad that could replace the pointing device (many other manufacturers have already equipped their docking stations with such panels). We're sure most users would ditch the case that came with the tablet for the sake of a small mouse. Why even create a tablet with 1080p resolution and the ability to mount it in an upright position if you don't even have a mouse in the box? At this screen resolution, it is quite difficult to control the tablet desktop. We used the Logitech Rechargeable Trackpad to navigate the menus, but most users will likely have to run to the nearest store and buy some kind of manipulator to control the Windows 8 menu bars. Of course, if you are willing to spend another 1,500 rubles for your convenience, then such a question will not bother you.

Display

The Acer Aspire S7 Ultrabook is already on our list of favorite displays, so it's no surprise to see a high-quality monitor on the W700. It's still the same IPS 1080p screen with Gorilla Glass, although the 11-inch display looks even more striking compared to the 13-inch ultrabook. The image quality is noticeable both in desktop mode using the stand, and when viewing photos or tablet menus. Even at a maximum brightness of 350 nits, we had no problems with the monitor. The screen has wide viewing angles, and it's a shame that the tablet's stand does not allow you to adjust the viewing angle. A similar feature would come in handy for watching movies. Screen glare can be noticed at maximum brightness settings, but they are so slight that they won't distract you from your work.

Camera

From our past reviews, you probably already realized that we are not lovers of cameras on tablets. But to our surprise, the W700 was able to take some really decent shots. The tablet's 5-megapixel camera has autofocus and quick response. Even compared to the Samsung ATIV Smart PC that we reviewed recently, the W700's camera response time is significantly faster. And the quality of the photos themselves could pleasantly surprise. The camera reproduces colors realistically and we were even able to take some good shots despite strong lighting. Most other tablet cameras in such situations would produce exceptionally exposed frames. We specially posted a frame with a photograph of the sky for viewing, because it shows that the camera was able to preserve the natural blue of the sky, although for this we had to tinker with the settings. Of course, not all shots were of high quality, but you can still take some good photos.

Performance and battery life

Most of the W700's specs indicate good tablet performance. Acer has 4GB of RAM, a 128GB Toshiba hard drive, a Core i5-3317U processor with Intel HD 4000 integrated graphics. The same processor is found in many newer Ultrabooks. But, despite the characteristics similar to competitors, Acer Iconia W700, nevertheless, loses a little to ultrabooks when tested with PCMark 7. W700 initial boot takes 12 seconds, which is an average among other Windows 8 devices. And the read and write speeds (542 MB / s and 534 MB / s, respectively) calculated by the Disk Benchmark utility were so high that only the Acer Aspire S7 with a dual SSD in a RAID 0 configuration could overtake it. In addition, thanks to the two ventilation holes in the case, the tablet practically does not heat up.

The weak point of the W700 can be considered graphics performance, which, by the way, has never been strong point laptops or tablets. 3DMark06 scored 3548 points in performance, well below other devices running Windows 8. Even if you lower the tablet's resolution as much as possible, its graphics performance remains at a very weak level on par with the Aspire S7 and Dell XPS 12.

It's worth noting that the W700 has the same processor and touchscreen as most of the Windows 8 devices we've tested. But despite this, the tablet battery with three cells and 4850 mAh lasted an hour longer than other touchscreen Windows 8 devices. To be more precise, the Iconia W700 lasted 7 hours and 13 minutes without recharging. And all this time, we looped through the video file with local disk via Wi-Fi at 65% screen brightness. For reference, it took the second place in terms of battery life from 5.5 hours. That being said, the Yoga 13's body clearly allows for a much larger and more powerful battery than the W700. And some other Windows 8 tablets didn't last even four hours.

The Acer Iconia W700 looks even more advantageous compared to the lighter tablets with an ARM battery. You might say that such a comparison would not be fair at all, but, in fact, the difference in the batteries of these tablets is not that great. Especially when you consider tablets that have much lower performance. But the W700 will only benefit from such a comparison, because even ASUS Transformer Pad The TF300 lasted just an hour longer, and even 10 minutes. Of course, we admit that the Nexus 10 itself has very little battery life, but we don't know of any other tablet with a Core i5 processor that could come close to it. Usually high performance and the touch screen dramatically reduce battery life. Take, for example, with its 4 hours of work, and the sister W700, which has the same characteristics, but can last up to 7.5 hours! And that's truly incredible for such a powerful tablet with high performance.

Software

We think having two clouds of live titles is a bad sign for a tablet. Why do manufacturers demonstrate all possible programs and additions to the device, if it would be possible to get by with a simple and concise menu, with the ability to customize and correct it? On your tablet, you'll find apps like Amazon.com; Kindle reader; Netflix; iCookBook; Hulu Plus; 7digital streaming music service; Evernote; eBay; Skitch; ChaCha; StumbleUpon; Internet radio station TuneIn; Skype; Acer's CrystalEye webcam applications; Spotify; newsXpresso; and a trial version of the McAfee Internet Suite. In addition, the W700 has several built-in games, including Zeptolab, The Treasures of Montezuma 3, and Shark Dash. AcerCloud will allow you to copy and store information received when using IOS or Abdroid applications.Also there is a utility Acer Explorer, designed to list all installed applications tablet.

Configuration options and warranty

The Acer Iconia W700 will be sold in several variants. At RUR 24,000, you get 1.8 GHz, a Core i3 processor, and 64 GB of hard drive space, but still retain the same high-quality 1080p screen. For 27,000 rubles, the tablet will already be equipped with a Core i5 processor with the same 64 GB of memory. By paying another 3,000 rubles, the tablet's memory will increase to 128 GB. But at a cost of about 35,000 rubles, you will receive a Core i5, 128 GB of memory and licensed Windows 8 with a two-year warranty.

Whichever choice you make, the package will include a mobile stand and a Bluetooth keyboard. While most companies, including Samsung and Microsoft, continue to sell the keyboards separately, regardless of the tablet configuration. In this way, Acer hopes to be a strong competitor in the AV market.

Comparison

The Acer Iconia W700 is a truly amazing tablet / laptop hybrid. It has enough power to match Ultrabooks, while being mobile and miniaturized like all other tablets. Plus, its battery life is really amazing. But it seems to us that we need some illustrative examples to summarize.

Let's compare the W700 with the Surface Pro, which hasn't gone on sale yet but is already exciting the AV market. The Surface Pro will start at RUR 24,000 for a 64GB model. However, its Touch Cover keyboard will be sold separately. As with, we expect this keyboard to be stable enough and comfortable to type on. Plus, the Surface Pro's keyboard is smaller than the W700 and supports pen input, which Acer's tablet does not. The Surface Pro, however, lags behind the W700 in battery life.

ASUS TAICHI - 1080p dual-screen ultrabook is also a tidbit for all laptop enthusiasts, but it is not yet available in retail. We have already managed to get one of these devices for testing and we can safely say that ASUS TAICHI will become a strong competitor for the W700.

One of the best options that you can already find on store shelves is the Samsung ATIV Smart PC Pro, better known as the Series 7 Slate. At a cost of about 36,000 rubles, the tablet has a Core i5 processor, 128 GB of memory and an 11-inch display with a resolution of 1080p. It differs from the W700 only in pen input or finger control, and has the same S Pen app that you might find on the Galaxy Note 10.1. In addition, the Series 7 Slate is equipped with a keyboard dock that has a touchpad that can replace a mouse or other pointing device.

Suppose you occasionally need to use your personal computer in the mobile tablet mode. Why not then create a touchscreen ultrabook that can be used as a tablet if necessary? Something similar is offered by the Dell XPS 12, starting at 36,000 rubles. The Dell XPS 12 is slightly larger than the Acer Iconia W700, yet has a great 1080p screen and a very comfortable detachable keyboard that can turn the tablet into a full-fledged ultrabook. Due to the fact that manufacturers strive to reduce their devices as much as possible, the size of the keyboard also becomes dependent on the diagonal of the tablet screen. This means that even when buying a super-powerful and expensive device, you will have to reckon with a small and cramped keyboard, which often turns the typing process into a real torture. And there are hardly many people who want to see all user actions on the display from the outside of the tablet. Therefore, the W700 is again in the lead.

You can also take for comparison Toshiba Satellite U925t, which, among other issues, has a lousy build quality, a loud cooler, and a short battery life. Sony VAIO Duo 11 suffered from similar problems. Hence we can conclude that the Acer Iconia W700 looks very advantageous against the background of all the latest innovations.

Conclusion

At first glance, we didn't like the Acer Iconia W700 very much. It is too thick and heavy, and the massive sloppy stand spoils the appearance of the device even more. But if you drop all aesthetic preferences and look inside, you will be pleasantly surprised. A powerful Core i5 processor, astonishingly long battery life and a brilliant 1080p display all add up to a compelling picture. We did not expect such possibilities from a regular tablet at all. The W700 looks more like an ultrabook, as no tablet with an i5 processor will last seven hours of battery life.

Do not forget about the pleasant cost of the device. The starting price of the W700 is about 24,000 rubles. The package includes a wireless keyboard, stand and case. Compared to the Surface Pro, which costs 3,000 more for the same specs with the i5 and 64GB hard drive, the W700 clearly benefits from the keyboard. Perhaps this keyboard is far from ideal, but the very fact that it is already included in the price will delight customers disproportionately. Microsoft should learn from Acer on pricing.

However, the problem with the massive design of the tablet and stand remains relevant. A docking station with built-in keyboard and battery would have been more appropriate and organic. In order to use the Acer Iconia W700 as a laptop, you will need to carry up to seven different accessories with you, which take up a lot of bag space, and this is a significant disadvantage. If you opt for the W700, then we would recommend that you use the tablet case as a stand. In this case, you will lose three additional USB 3.0 ports, but save a lot of space in your bag. In the future, we hope to see an organic docking station that will greatly simplify the process of working with a tablet and make it a very strong competitor.

The Acer Iconia W700 is a very powerful quality tablet PC with an excellent screen. The W700 has a clunky design and many separate removable components, but this inconvenience is more than offset by the low cost of the device.

The idea of \u200b\u200busing a tablet with the performance of a modern ultrabook warmed the soul for a very long time. You can take this with you and always have a functional workstation on the desktop OS at hand instead of the iPad, which is limited in its capabilities. With the thought of acquiring an uncompromising device, I went to the store last year and purchased Acer Iconia W700... He was more powerful than MacBook Air , had an ultra clear screen and promised to be my best buy in 2013.

Lenovo Yoga

The world does not stand still. Modern requirements for mobile computers extremely high, and they are dictated not only by software. The release of touch-based Windows 8 rocked the industry with hundreds of different tablet / laptop hybrids to market. There are a lot of options: some unfold 360 degrees, others are divided into two functional blocks, others unfold like a transformer, the fourth flaunt built-in stands ... If you are looking for a modern and unusual touchscreen laptop, it is very difficult to make a truly informed choice: simply not enough money, to try everything and find a middle ground. And if you have to work with Windows, Apple laptops, for all their virtues, are not the most obvious option.

After reading dozens of reviews and videos, I decided on the choice of a tablet. The criteria sounded like this: I needed a powerful device that could have limited video editing and easily cope with Photoshop, as well as have a touch screen and a full-fledged OS compatible with all known programs. It was obvious that one should not look towards Windows RT: not a single well-known program for Windows works on devices with this operating system. So I ditched the attractive Surface RT laptop as well as its full-fledged Surface Pro due to the negative reviews and feedback from its users. The selection sharply narrowed to a few candidates, and I left the store with the Acer Iconia W700.

Design, ports and ergonomics

It's hard to believe that this tablet was released at about the same time as the iPhone 5. The design similarity to the Apple smartphone - white insert at the top and in full metal case - attracted from the showcase. Despite the fact that we are dealing with Korean manufacturers, the Acer W700 is indeed enclosed in a piece of quality aluminum with a brushed finish. Even the edges of the case on the front panel are erased at the same angle as in all modern iDevices. To the touch and in appearance, the W700 is somewhat similar to the closed MacBook Pro. In short, love at first sight is guaranteed on all counts.

There is metal on the back, and a thick piece of glass in front, protected from contact with the surface by a thin rubber insert along the edges, like around the display lid of MacBooks. It's a pity, but a large part of the front panel is occupied by an opaque black block, which has very little meaning. In the center there is a single physical "Start" key. It works every other time.

The main 5-megapixel camera with a microphone is located at the back. In the same place, the metal Acer logo shines and one can see one hundred and fifty-five nafig unnecessary stickers. The day when the manufacturers of Windows laptops will stop sculpting a wagon of wretched waste paper on their products is still very far away. In addition, this tradition is supported by Microsoft itself: so that corporate customers are not afraid of checks, a powerful sticker with a serial number is molded onto each computer. installed version operating system. So if you want to get rid of this ugliness, you will have to refuse to confirm the legality of the OS. It's the 21st century, and we collect some stickers. Kick-ass.

And yes, if you are not enough, pay attention to the side panels: there is also a sticker with the serial number of the device. It began to peel off from me on the second day, and I do not advise anyone to tear it off in order to preserve the guarantee.

In addition to stickers, there are many more useful things on the side panels. For example, a full-fledged USB 3.0 port. There is still not enough power for external HDDs, but is anyone interested in this at the time of purchase? There is also a micro-HDMI port for connecting to external displays, which sometimes did not work until the next reboot (I sin on drivers in Windows 8). We did not forget about the headphone jack, as well as the volume control buttons and the screen lock lever.

The bottom edge pleases with two round cutouts for speakers, whose protective inner mesh is painted red. The combination is good, but the speakers are sad: the iPad might even out-shout, but the MacBook Air will drown them out with one left. In addition, at high volumes, they wheeze and creak. And on the upper edge there are square holes for ventilation.

All this stuff is almost impossible to hold with one hand. The device, firstly, has a peculiar size (16: 9): it is even larger than the MacBook Air because of the frames around the screen. And secondly, it weighs almost a kilogram. Without the conditionally obligatory cover, with which one and a half kilograms are already obtained. Add here not the "thinnest" case - more than a centimeter - and we get a bad candidate for the role of a convenient device for use on the go.

Whenever you need to work with the tablet, you will have to stand still, put a huge aluminum tray on your arm bent at the elbow (otherwise only on the table), unlock it with a tight lever ... How many times have I tried to do something on this device on go, the conclusion was unambiguous: everything would be easier not only with the iPad, but also with any ordinary laptop.

But the W700 is so powerful that all of this can be forgiven. Or not?

Hardware, performance and Windows 8

I had two different modifications of the Acer Iconia W700 at different times. The first is almost uncompromising, audacious and theoretically very powerful: the processor Intel Core i5 Ivy Bridge, 4 gigabytes of RAM, 128 gigabytes of SSD storage and a good onboard video chip that allows you to play a bunch of games at low settings. The second is minimal, old, but sufficient for working and editing photos: Intel Core i3 Sandy Bridge, 4 gigabytes of RAM and 64 GB of SSD storage. And that, and another silently plugs the belt of any modern iPad in any possible performance test. The "hardware" in these machines is very decent, especially against the background of most competitors, who preferred to cram a helpless "stump" into their tablets - intel processor Atom.

But Acer did a very strange, inadequate act that negated all the advantages of the most powerful W700 models. In order to protect devices from overheating, motherboard specifically in these tablets significantly limits the performance of the new i5 processors (Ivy Bridge) - and at the same time their integrated video chips. As a result, it is not always possible to play good 3D games normally: for the first 30 seconds everything is fine, then throttling starts and the frame rate drops sharply under the plinth. Still: the frequency reduction is more than twofold - from 1.7 GHz to 800 megahertz (!). This is not a problem with older Sandy Bridge processors.

And then the question arises: why overpay at all, if under load there will be no difference between tablets? Therefore, having got rid of the powerful model, six months later I took the weakest one. By the way, Acer officially announced that it was not going to fix the problem and instead released P3, in which this problem is not manifested so clearly. Taking care of existing users at its best, thank you.

Homeworld 2

However, both tablets simply "fly" in Windows 8. All applications open instantly thanks to fast SSD-drives. Web pages load instantly. But the main thing is different. Here, on some kind of tablet, even such a large one, all the programs we are used to are working. No scanty mobile versions: only real Photoshop, real Chrome and Firefox, real AutoCad, real Microsoft Office, the real 1C ... When you first unleash these programs on the W700, the mere fact is pure technological ecstasy. As if this is it, the future, without compromises and unnecessary "gaskets". The iPad suddenly starts to seem like a child's play, capable of only 10% of the Acer W700's capabilities. Probably, somewhere in theory, everything really is.

But then, after a long bout of euphoria, you try to start working. Naturally, you want to work in a full-fledged Windows interface, and not in helpless "tiles" - otherwise you would have bought something simpler.

And then you slowly but firmly grab your head.

Working with an ultrabook tablet. Spoiler alert: terrible

There is a well-known axiom. Iron does not paint the device, but it software... The history of the Android OS and the half-dead Blackberry are the freshest examples of this. Despite the fact that almost all new Windows laptops come with touch screens, none of the mainstream and used applications are optimized to work with just one touch. It's not scary at all when you have a keyboard with a touchpad at your fingertips, or rather under the display. But if they are not, the real begins trash.

A photo The verge

Acer Iconia W700 has IPS-screen resolution FullHD, that is, 1920 by 1080 pixels. And it has excellent color rendition, certainly better than the new one. Only no joy from this. Do you think it is convenient to use the classic Windows shell on a 13-inch screen? Except for rare moments - no. And sometimes it's unbearably difficult. Even taking into account the fact that Windows has settings for increasing the scale of the interface (as in the MacBook Pro Retina), most third-party programs do not support these settings - and turn into a soapy mess on a clear screen. How do you get into this miniature button? How do I invoke this shortcut-only menu? Why doesn't this button want to be clicked, but works from a connected mouse?

I don't like unsubstantiated criticism. Here is a very illustrative example. We open Photoshop... Seemingly, with a touchscreen display, just sit and draw, highlight, and so on: the perfect environment for image editing. But here's the bad luck: you slide your finger over the drawing, and nothing happens. It turns out that Photoshop does not support editing via touch screenswithout Wacom pressure sensing technology. This is in Surface PRO, but not in many other tablet books. Imagine: it's been two years since Windows 8 and hundreds of touchscreen laptops came out - but Adobe didn't even hesitate to do anything.

The question arises: why then a touch screen, if there is no sense from it? Maybe something can be fixed?

Then it turns out that serious problems with software and hardware are often trivially insoluble. This is not the Mac community that scandals about every flaw in Apple products, not only finding ways to solve them, but also forcing the company to do the same. No friends, things are different in the PC world. The world doesn't give a damn about Windows laptops and their problems. Is something not working? Dance with a tambourine - "I also danced, and it helped me." Do you think a community of the same lucky ones will help you? Photoshop didn’t understand touch, and will not. But you will be advised to connect a mouse. Chrome didn't want to recognize multitouch gestures, so it never will. Google, sorry for the expression, spityour laptop. But you will be recommended to buy an iPad! Or use Internet Explorer - the only browser on Windows 8 that scrolls and scales pages smoothly. Which in itself says a lot.

Do you think anyone can fix the problem with a constantly torn Wi-Fi connection? It seems that this is a stupid marriage of the model: I successfully handed over my first W700 to the store and took the money a month later. In order to make sure in six months that the same is repeated on a new tablet of a different configuration. Even the community itself (+300 pages on w3bsit3-dns.com) itself does not know which drivers help and which do not.

Today everything works, but tomorrow Bluetooth does not turn on. Oops, it's time for me to reinstall the firewood - one more time. Once again. And here are these download, try. And yesterday on the forum they wrote that disconnect from these drivers happens much less often. Great, I just have no job, no personal life and infinitely much free time. At the same time, I'll rearrange something else.

No thanks.

Yes, the first two days with the W700 were great. I did things on it that were never possible with the iPad. This is power! So many possibilities! Opened iTunes and synced iPhone with tablet. Collected a video in a video editor. Used USB port for flash drives and Bluetooth for music. I pumped up torrents and cracked games. I'm kidding about the last points, of course. But the mood was similar. Only then the joy of the new toy began to give way to the search for practical use. Soon I sat down, thought, and everything fell into place.

Pointless gadget

As we already understood, for a full and versatile work with the Acer Iconia W700, you need to have a few auxiliary things at hand. At least a mouse. This time. We put it in the bag.

The keyboard still would not hurt - so as not to reach for the screen and not get bogged down with a virtual analogue. This is not an iPad with touch-based iOS. There is a keyboard in both the old and the new configuration of the tablet - either a hybrid built into the case (disgusting quality of the buttons), or a good external one, as in the photo.

By the way, I have a suspiciously similar keyboard from Logitech in my closet. So similar that there is no difference between them, except for the logo and color. Everyone seems to understand everything.

We now have two additional items in the bag. If you carry your tablet with you - otherwise it cannot be - it would be very nice to add a stand cover (+500 grams). This is either in a hybrid with a keyboard in new versions (scary and miserable), or without it, but much better quality (only in old trim levels). And that's three or four things.

If you suddenly need to connect external HDDs that require additional power, or use several USB ports at once, it makes sense to attach a docking station. In the new trim levels, it is absent at all - go out and buy key fobs-switches.

They seem to have forgotten nothing. Oh yeah, also a charger. Now look at all this and think with me. Why did you buy this tablet?

Not a tenant

The idea of \u200b\u200bWindows tablets without the possibility of hard docking of the keyboard and touchpad is absolutely unviable. This is a failed concept, which in its current version will not be saved by anything: neither an additional mouse, nor a stand, nor the same Bluetooth keyboard. Whatever you take with you and no matter how you place it, you will always subconsciously understand: be at your fingertips regular laptop, you would do everything several times faster. Not to mention how much space they would save in a bag - and the nerve-pounding effort needed to carry all that peripheral dump.

Avoid gadgets like fire and only present them to your worst enemies. Let them be undermined, not yours. Let them install buggy drivers, struggle with helpless tech support, butt service and swear at another program that doesn't want to work without a mouse. Do not repeat other people's mistakes: do not buy not only the Acer Iconia W700, but in general any such device. They are still not thought out, and you will become their beta testers for your own money and nerves.

This is not to say that all hybrid Windows laptops are bad. On the contrary: the concept of a keyboard base and a detachable tablet screen seems to be much more promising. Manufacturers know this, but so far none of them have found the answer to all technical issues: how to eliminate the backlash of the upper part of the tablet, how to achieve stability of the entire structure in the unfolded state ... Judging by the pace of solving these problems, everyone who wants to change a laptop for something even more functional will have to wait at least a year. Better two. And I wouldn't be surprised if Apple's device ends up being the first good laptop / tablet hybrid.

(5.00 out of 5, rated: 2 )

website The idea of \u200b\u200busing a tablet with the performance of a modern ultrabook warmed the soul for a very long time. You can take this with you and always have a functional workstation on the desktop OS at hand instead of the iPad, which is limited in its capabilities. With the idea of \u200b\u200ba no-compromise device in mind, I went to the store last year and purchased the Acer Iconia W700. He was more powerful than ...