Acer Iconia W3, Aspire S7, Aspire R7, Aspire S3 - Computex 2013
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Promos
Acer's booth included their new 8.1" Windows 8 tablet, the Iconia W3, as well as the updated Aspire S7, and the all new Aspire R7, which has the touchpad above the keyboard! WD is posting daily updates from the show to their landing page here: wdc.com Sponsor Link 1: 15% off internal hard drives until June 16th, 2013 (US & EU only) with promocode "COMPUTEX2013" - wdstore.com & bit.ly Sponsor Link 2: Corsair Vengenace gaming peripherals. Quality peripherals with legendary Corsair customer service - corsair.com Sponsor Link 3: NCIX is my favourite Canadian computer store. They're my bros (almost literally. I have family that works there). They also ship internationally now! - ncix.com Join our community forum: bit.ly twitter.com @LinusTech
Acer’s Computex 2013 booth showcased a diverse lineup focused on Windows 8 devices, including the new 8.1 inch Iconia W3 tablet, the refreshed Aspire S7 ultrabook, and a novel form factor the Aspire R7 with a touchpad positioned above the keyboard. The presenter demonstrates the W3 as a full Windows 8 tablet with an 8 inch display, dual-configuration storage options, and an ambient keyboard dock that snaps into place for transport. He highlights that the W3 runs a full desktop and modern UI, ships preloaded with Microsoft Office, and is a pre-production unit not yet shipping until around the end of June. The segment transitions to a discussion of how the R7 departs from traditional notebooks with an easel-style mode and a re-positioned touchpad, designed to support both typing and touchscreen interaction, albeit with caveats about ergonomics for prolonged use. The coverage then shifts to the S3 and S7, comparing their target audiences, keyboard and surface materials, and the impact of hardware choices on price and performance, including the S7’s option for a discrete GT 735m graphics card and a rapid-resume 1 TB SSHD configuration. Throughout, the host contrasts form factor, battery life, and usability trade-offs to help viewers decide which model suits different lifestyles, from mobile productivity to content consumption and creative work. The overall takeaway is that Acer is betting on versatile, hybrid experiences that blend tablet-like portability with traditional notebook capability, targeting users who want Windows 8 flexibility in varying sizes and configurations, with more details to come as Computex coverage continues.
Topics · technology · laptops · tablets · computex · hardware-review · consumer-electronics
Questions answered
- What is the Acer Iconia W3 designed to be, and what are its key specs?
- The Iconia W3 is an 8-inch Windows 8 tablet with Intel Atom inside, 2 GB RAM, and 32 or 64 GB storage, plus a keyboard dock for portability. It runs both the modern UI and desktop environments and ships pre-loaded with Microsoft Office.
- What is the Aspire R7's distinctive feature and how does the easel mode work?
- The Aspire R7 features a touchpad positioned above the keyboard and can be used in a traditional notebook mode or in easel mode, where the keyboard remains usable while the touchscreen is used at an angle for interaction and viewing.
- When were these devices expected to be available?
- The devices shown were pre-production units and were not expected to be available until around the end of June 2013.
- What are some trade-offs highlighted for the S7 and S3 models?
- The S7 improves on battery life and typing comfort in later iterations, adds a higher-travel keyboard, and offers a discrete graphics option in certain configurations, while the S3 aims for a lower price with a glass-backed touchscreen but uses a plastic surface and lacks keyboard illumination.