Acer unveils Back-to-School 2016 product line — includes a liquid-cooled covertible

At 11pm (GMT+0800) 21 April 2016, Acer unveiled a host of products in New York at its Acer Global Press Conference. Among the devices are the Predator 17 X VR Ready gaming laptop, Switch Alpha 12 2-in-1 and a series of commercial and consumer-oriented products.

Fanless and liquid cooling don’t usually go together in a single sentence, but that is exactly what the Acer Switch Alpha 12 2-in-1 convertible has, the Acer LiquidLoop™ cooling technology which allows the Switch Alpha 12 to be the first fanless 2-in-1 notebook in the world with 6th generation Intel Core processors. The Acer Switch Alpha 12 is the perfect candidate for a fanless liquid cooling system, as it further improves its versatility as a tablet. Unlike Android tablets, high performance Windows tablet (forget the Atom ones) always need active cooling and that detracts from the experience with the fan noise and what not.

The 12″ display sports an impressive 2160 x 1440 resolution powered by the Intel HD Graphics 520 integrated graphics. The Acer Switch Alpha 12 can also be used with a detachable keyboard and can even be equipped with an optional Acer Active Pen. If that is not enough, customers can connect their Switch Alpha 12 with a single cable to the Acer USB Type-C Dock, easily transforming it into a powerful workstation. This convenient and compact dock enables highspeed video, audio and data transfer and keeps the work area clutter-free with immediate connectivity to multiple displays and other devices simultaneously. It also has all the connections business users need, including DisplayPort, HDMI, two USB 3.1 Type-C ports and three USB TypeA ports, as well as audio input for microphone and audio output for speakers. The optional Acer ProDock Wireless can support multiple customers with high speed 802.11ad wireless 4.6Gbps data transfer over the 60GHz band. It also supports both 802.11ac and 802.11ad access and includes multiple port support including DisplayPort, HDMI, VGA and USB.

A versatile kickstand can be adjusted to any angle up to 165 degrees, offering a comfortable viewing experience. The Acer Switch Alpha 12 comes in a premium anodized aluminium chassis with fine brushed hairline texture. The Acer Switch Alpha 12 will be available in China in May starting at ¥5,999 (RM3611). Availability in Malaysia is yet to be announced.

If the Acer Switch Alpha 12’s 6th generation Intel Core CPUs and integrated graphics aren’t enough to satiate your need for speed, then you may want to take a closer look at the newly announced Acer Predator 17 X. Building upon the currently available Acer Predator 17, the Acer Predator 17 X swaps the CPU and GPU for the more powerful i7 6820HK overclockable mobile CPU and the full desktop NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 GPU. Besides the performance upgrades, Acer also threw in a proper RGB backlit keyboard, something which was sorely missed with the primitive implementation of keyboard backlighting in the Acer Predator 15 which we reviewed recently.

With all those performance, the display of the Acer Predator 17 X has also been upgraded to better take advantage of all the available horsepower. You can configure the Acer Predator 17 X with a 17.3″ 1080p or 4K display with NVIDIA G Sync technology. Or of course, take advantage of the VR Ready GTX 980 GPU, with some VR glasses for better immersion.

Availability in China will begin in May with prices starting at ¥39,999 (RM 24074). Malaysian mobile gaming enthusiasts may have to wait longer for it to be available.

The power and bling of the Acer Predator 17 X may be overwhelming for some. Even Windows OS may be a turn off for some users. The Acer Chromebook 14 is the first Chromebook with 6th generation Intel Core CPUs for better performance. It is also the first notebook to have a lid made of Vibrant Corning Gorilla Glass which opens up the opportunity to design a top cover with photorealistic images.

The 14″ display comes in either HD or Full HD resolutions, which will offer battery life of up to 12 hours or 10 hours, respectively. You will also have the option to get the Acer Chromebook 14 with a backlit keyboard if you frequently work in dark areas. The Acer Chromebook 14 is highly portable, weighing only 1.45kg and measuring only 2.24cm thick.

The Acer Chromebook 14 for Work endured rigorous testing to meet the demanding U.S. MIL-STD 810G military standard. This military specification testing validates the ruggedness, durability and quality of the Chromebook 14 for Work, as it tested 8 parameters: drop from the height of 48 inches (122 cm), high temperature, low temperature, humidity, vibration, rain, sand and dust. The keyboard is spill resistant so you can rest assured that it won’t die immediately if you accidentally spill some of your drink on it while working.

The Acer Chromebook 14 will be available in the US starting from May for a price starting from $349 (RM1365).

Pokdepinion: I am currently more interested in the more portable notebooks than the gaming notebook here, as I believe gaming notebooks have reached a certain limit of performance with current generation of hardware. Meanwhile OEMs are still trying to cram more performance into the portable chassis of the convertibles and today, a Chromebook.  Let’s see when they are made available in Malaysia, I will be sure to try them out!