Early indications of specs and performance suggest Acer may be onto something. Certainly, the Switch 7 Black Edition appears to have the credentials to match up to Microsoft’s device. It comes with the latest quad-core chipset from Intel and boasts discrete graphics. So, we are talking about some serious horsepower. It is worth noting the core specs are still unknown, but we do know the Black Edition is a 2-in-1 hybrid with a detachable keyboard. Acer is pitching the device as a laptop that comes with a 13.5-inch IPS touchscreen with Quad HD (2256×1504) resolution. One thing we associate with Apple and Microsoft laptops is also evident, the premium price. The Switch 7 Black Edition will cost $1,699 when it launches in North American in December. Microsoft and Apple have built a reputation for building high-performance hardware that looks excellent. This is entirely subjective, but we are not sure the images of the Acer machine show it to be an aesthetic wonder. More functional would be our assessment of the aluminum looks. Acer is promising some twists with the new laptop, starting with Windows Hello. The company has baked its fingerprint sensor into the power button. This is important as it makes Microsoft’s authentication technology a one-step process. Other laptops would need the user to power up the device before moving through the biometric process. With the Switch 7 Black Edition, this can be done with one press.
Power and Performance
Under the hood, the Black Edition gets Intel’s 8th generation Core i7 CPU into its svelte frame. This means there is some serious computing power. When coupled with Nvidia’s newest GeForce MX150 graphics, it makes for a potent package that on paper lives up to its Surface Pro killer billing. I have always argued that Microsoft wants Surface killers on the market. Indeed, the company develops the Surface products with a big red target on them. These are reference devices for OEMs to better and improve upon. Microsoft knows the ailing home computer market can only survive with OEM success. Yes, Surface sales are important to show the market is in place and customers are interested. But more important is OEM success to push Microsoft’s services (Windows 10, Officer 365, etc.) to as many consumers as possible.
