Acer isn’t only offering a new notebook hybrid with its Aspire R7, but they’re also going to be releasing a new ultra-convertible ultrabook with its Aspire P3 which features an Intel Core i3 or i5 processor and an IPS display. Acer is calling this an ultrabook, but after spending time with it, it feels more like a high-powered tablet with a bluetooth keyboard attached to it.
One of the first things you’ll notice when you check out the Aspire P3 is how many uses you can get out of the device. You can use it as an ultrabook, then use it as a tablet to also be able to get rid of its keyboard and use it as a slate. How you’ll use it will depend on what exactly you need the Aspire P3 for at the moment and it’s good to see Acer didn’t skimp on a lower-end processor for this device.
When using it as an ultrabook, you’ll angle the screen on the Aspire P3’s keyboard, which turns out, is just a bluetooth keyboard. The keyboard itself didn’t feel great to type with as its keys were very shallow and didn’t provide much feedback when pressed. There’s also no trackpad on the Aspire P3, which means you’ll have to poke and prod your way through Windows 8 if you want to get anything done. Good luck trying to get anything done in desktop mode using only the P3’s touchscreen.
Using the Aspire P3 in its tablet mode is as simple as folding the screen over its keyboard. Using it in this mode and its Slate mode are pretty much the same, except its Slate mode makes it a bit more portable as you don’t have the added thickness of its keyboard. We could perform many of the activities you would expect when using a tablet or slate with the P3, and the response of the device was very quick and responsive.
The Acer Aspire P3 is housed within its bluetooth keyboard case, but it can be easily removed from its case if need be. Being able to pop in and pop out the Aspire wasn’t difficult at all, which certainly helps in its owner having the ability to convert it into another mode.
As I said earlier, the Acer Aspire P3 feels more like a tablet within a bluetooth keyboard housing, which isn’t quite what I believe an ultrabook to be. But its main selling point, being an ultra-convertible computer, is something it does well.
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