Acer Aspire Switch 10 Hybrid Review

As we said at the beginning of this piece, the design of a system like the Acer Aspire Switch 10 is driven by a desire for versatility. Performance matters, as it does for any system, but focusing only on a convertible’s benchmark scores will lead you to miss the bigger picture. The over-arching question is, will the Switch be the system that goes wherever you do?

With that in mind, we think the Aspire Switch 10 2-in-1 convertible is about right for its price point and intended use. A rear camera would make the Switch 10 more useful as a tablet. Given that the Switch 10 is meant to be a go-anywhere, do-anything system, the lack of the rear camera stands out. But there is a lot to recommend the system. We like being able to split the device and ditch the keyboard in seconds. And when the keyboard is attached, it’s a worthwhile addition: it’s not the cheap, flimsy keyboard we used to see in old netbooks.

The Aspire Switch 10 is light and small, and it transforms into just about every shape you’re likely to need throughout the day – unless you need to hang it on hook. And, as long as gaming isn’t a priority, the Switch 10 is capable of handling ordinary tasks fairly well thanks to it's SSD and Windows 8.1. It doesn’t strike us as device that you’ll use as your main system (unless, perhaps, you’re a student on a tight budget), but the Aspire Switch 10 makes a nice, ultra-portable complement to more powerful system. If you have a desktop PC and need a highly-mobile system for when you’re out and about, the Aspire Switch 10 is worth checking out.