Two become One

Acer Switch Alpha 12

It is clear that Microsoft’s successful Surface Pro 4 was the inspiration behind the Switch Alpha 12. That said, the Switch Alpha 12 does have a few neat tricks up its sleeves to help it stand out. First of all, its integrated kickstand, which has a strip of anti-slip rubber for added stability, allows for more angles of adjustment.

But more important is the Switch Alpha 12’s fan-less cooling system called the Acer LiquidLoop. As a result, the Switch Alpha 12 is eerily quiet even under heavy loads. This is impressive considering the Switch Alpha 12 has a fairly powerful Core i7-6500U processor. In terms of design and dimensions, the Switch Alpha 12 tries as much as possible to mirror the Surface Pro 4, but falls short. The display alone is 920g, and with the magnetic keyboard attached the weight goes up to 1.25kg.

This means that it is noticeably bulkier than the Surface Pro 4. In spite of that, the Switch Alpha 12 is still really portable. The Switch Alpha 12’s display is the smallest here at 12-inches. But it outputs a fairly high resolution of 2,160 x 1,440 pixels. This means text and images are razor sharp. The display also shows good colors, but it is a little on the dim side.

The Switch Alpha 12 has a single fullsized USB 3.0 port and a USB Type-C port. The USB Type-C port supports USB 3.1 so it can be used for video, audio, data and even power. There’s also a microSD card reader, which can be handy for users who want to expand the Switch Alpha 12’s storage capacity. Since we are on the topic of storage, the Switch Alpha 12 comes with 256GB of SSD storage.

The Switch Alpha 12 is a capable performer and performed up to our expectations. We expect users to be perfectly happy using it for tasks such as web browsing, watching videos, and emails. The powerful Core i7 processor and speedy SSD ensured a smooth computing experience. What’s most enticing about the Switch Alpha 12 is its price. At just over two grand, it’s a lot of notebook for your buck.

ASUS Transformer 3 Pro

The ASUS Transformer 3 Pro is another doppelgänger of the Microsoft Surface Pro 4. It’s slightly heavier at 800g (Surface Pro 4 is 786g), but it’s a smidge thinner at 8.3mm (vs 8.45mm for the Surface Pro 4). But in the real world, with their logos removed, you would be hard-pressed to tell the difference.

The only way to tell them apart is the Transformer 3 Pro’s USB Type-C port - the Surface Pro 4 doesn’t have one (and neither do the Dell Inspiron 13 5000 nor Lenovo Yoga 910). Furthermore, the Transformer 3 Pro’s USB Type-C port supports the new ultra high bandwidth and versatile Thunderbolt 3 interface. It has a maximum bandwidth of a whopping 40Gbps and can be used to transfer and transmit data, video, audio and even power.

To take advantage of this powerful port, ASUS also sells an accessory for the Transformer 3 Pro called the Universal Dock. Not only does it provide power to the device, it adds numerous connectivity options such as a Gigabit Ethernet port, VGA and HDMI video ports, additional USB 3.0 ports, and even an SD card reader. While the Universal Dock is undoubtedly handy, it is quite pricey at $199.

Fortunately, unlike Microsoft, ASUS bundles a keyboard with every purchase of the Transformer 3 Pro. Called the Transformer Cover Keyboard, it is actually one of the best cover-type keyboards we have used. It is well-sized, has a generous 1.4mm of travel, and it feels wonderfully tactile and pleasant.

The trackpad has a glass cover and is smooth and responsive to use. The Transformer 3 Pro also comes with the ASUS Pen, which features 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity for precise doodling and quick note taking. Where the Transformer 3 Pro disappoints is in performance.

In our tests, we found significant throttling whenever the unit gets hot. As a result, it isn’t quite as quick as its rivals. The fans kick in quite aggressively too and are really loud. Nevertheless, the Transformer 3 Pro is a very capable hybrid that bridges the gap between tablets and notebooks.

Dell Inspiron 13 5000

The Dell Inspiron 13 5000 was refreshed earlier this year at Computex 2016 with a new design and then refreshed again recently with Intel’s new seventh generation “Kaby Lake” processors. This latest model is what we’re testing. The Inspiron 13 5000 is positioned as a more mainstream 2-in-1 notebook and as such eschew premium materials in its construction.

It doesn’t have a detachable display like some of its rivals either. Instead, the screen rotates 360 degrees and folds behind the keyboard. This means it is less comfortable to use as a tablet. But on a more positive note, this also means that the keyboard can be easily folded to act as a stand, which can be useful in certain situations.

The notebook chassis is mostly plastic, but you would be hard pressed to tell because it has a silvery gray matte finish that looks like brushed aluminum. That said, the quality of plastics used is very high, and the Inspiron 13 5000 doesn’t look tacky or feel cheap. At around 20mm thick and weighing slightly over 1.6kg, the Inspiron 13 5000 can’t match its more expensive rivals for portability.

However, it does come with rich features. The 13.3-inch display uses IPS technology, so colors are vibrant and images are sharp. It also has lots of connectivity options with a full-sized HDMI 1.4a port, a single USB 2.0 port, and two more USB 3.0 ports. Some of the thinner notebooks here only have a single USB port - proof that you cannot have your cake and eat it.

Even though the Inspiron 13 5000 is powered by Intel’s newest seventh generation Core processor, it didn’t manage to gain any performance advantage over its rivals. In fact, its scores on our test benchmarks were a little disappointing. Fortunately, the Inspiron 13 5000 redeems itself somewhat by being the most affordable device here.

For $1,599, you get a solid mainstream notebook that converts into a tablet and is comfortable enough to handle everyday computing tasks. In the grand scheme of things, that is hardly a bad deal.

Lenovo Yoga 910

The Lenovo Yoga 910 is an update of last year’s Yoga 900, now powered by Intel’s latest seventh generation Core processors. The Yoga 910 has an all-aluminum body and comes in two colors: silver and champagne gold. It is mighty slim, measuring just 14.3mm at its fattest point, and it is also really light at 1.38kg.

The Yoga 910’s display also does not detach from the keyboard. Instead, a specially designed “watchband” hinge allows the display and keyboard to be folded so that it converts into a notebook. The hinge is wonderfully crafted and is an interesting piece of engineering because unlike many other convertible notebooks, the hinge allows the Yoga910’s keyboard to be folded nearly flush against the back of the display.

Speaking of, the Yoga 910 has a 13.9- inch Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) IPS display. It doesn’t look quite as sharp as the display on the Acer and ASUS devices. That said, it is quite bright and colors are sufficiently vibrant and pleasant. Though it doesn’t have an ultra-high resolution display, the Yoga 910 does have some tricks up its sleeves.

To begin, it has a fingerprint sensor, which is useful for logging into the notebook. But perhaps more importantly, it has bountiful amounts of memory, with 16GB of RAM as well as a capacious 1TB PCIe SSD. As for performance, thanks to the new seventh generation Intel Core processor, generous RAM and speedy PCIe SSD, the Yoga 910 performed admirably and consistently scored the highest in our benchmarks.

However, the fan does get pretty loud at high loads. Although the Yoga 910 has two USB Type-C ports, one of them can only be used for power and the other is only good for video output. They don’t support USB 3.1 or Thunderbolt 3 standards, which makes them less useful than they should be. All in all, however, the Yoga 910 is a great 2-in-1 notebook. But it is most comfortable when used as a regular notebook rather than a tablet.