Shootouts

Affordable 2-in-1 detachable notebooks triple threat: Acer vs. ASUS vs. HP

By Kenny Yeo - 25 Sep 2015

Conclusion

Thoughts on affordable 2-in-1 devices

In many ways, the three devices that we have rounded up here are the spiritual successors to the netbook. They are relatively affordable and they can do just about anything a regular desktop or notebook can - minus gaming, of course. But they do have some of the same drawbacks that netbooks of the past did.

These three devices from Acer, ASUS and HP are viable and affordable alternatives to modern day iPads and Android tablets.

To begin, because of their compact size, typing on them needs quite a bit of readjustment, depending on how adaptable you are as a typist. The keys, for instance, are about 93% the size of regular keyboards, and though that doesn’t sound like much, the effects are quite profound and we are willing to bet that most users will have problems typing fluently at least in the beginning.

And despite generally being quite brisk to use, the gulf in performance between these devices and regular notebooks (like the Dell XPS 13 or even a Microsoft Surface Pro 3 or MacBook Air) is actually quite wide. Although the fall in flash memory prices has made it economically viable for brands to outfit these devices with faster flash storage, the same can also be said for most notebooks these days as well. Many brands are now offering SSDs in their notebook offerings and such models are pretty affordable too, often with prices beginning at around the S$1000 mark. As a result, these “entry-level” notebooks, despite their less powerful Intel Core processors, still feel pretty fast to use. In other words, although these affordable 2-in-1 devices have caught up to regular desktop and notebooks in terms of performance, users should expect to still see and feel a noticeable difference in performance.

However, there are some good things about these devices. Crucially, they are true and good alternatives to your iPads and Android tablets. The Acer Switch 10E, ASUS Transformer Book T300 Chi and HP Pavilion x2 are all comparable to any modern tablet out there today, in terms of both usability, price and design. We would even argue that they are more useful, since they run full Windows and can do just about anything a regular desktop or notebook can. This is good for users who are so used to or reliant on desktop operating systems and apps that they cannot pry themselves away to use either iOS or Android. Furthermore, they are all relatively affordable especially when you consider that the entry-level 16GB iPad Air 2 is S$688. The only quibble we have is that this trio of devices don’t feel as fluid as iPads and Android tablets. But we guess that’s a fair trade off given that Windows has more functionality and therefore requires more resources to run briskly.

So, the answer to the question that we posed to in the beginning, "can there really be a cheap and cheerful 2-in-1 detachable notebook?", is a resounding yes.

 

Final Analysis

In terms of performance, the three devices that we have rounded up here performed quite comparably. Though the ASUS Transformer Book T100 Chi had the lead on most of the benchmarks - thanks to its slightly faster processor - the fact is that you won’t notice the difference in real world usage scenarios. In fact, because of its higher resolution display, the Transformer Book T100 Chi would sometimes stutter when scrolling quickly. The high resolution display is really a double-edge sword, because even though images and text do look appreciably sharper and crisper on the Transformer Book T100 Chi, this has come at the cost of far poorer battery life and also a lesser fluid and responsive usage experience.

The ASUS Transformer Book T100 Chi has a stunning design and display, but that same display also means poor battery life and slightly sluggish performance in real world usage scenarios.

In other areas, the Transformer Book T100 Chi deserves praise for its high build quality and premium design. The chamfered diamond-cut polished edges are a nice touch and their device feels solidly put together. It’s also incredibly slim and light. However, these niceties come at a price because at S$599, the Transformer Book T100 Chi is priciest of the three here.

Unfortunately, some of the problems from the earlier Transformer Book T300 Chi are brought over onto this device. For example, the Bluetooth keyboard dock needs to be charged from time to time to work and does not draw power directly from the tablet display. Though the claimed battery life of the keyboard dock is adequately long, it’s still an inconvenience that could have been avoided. Besides, it’s not as if the Transformer Book T100 Chi’s tablet display has its own integrated kickstand like the Surface devices from Microsoft, which would allow users to use the keyboard dock away from tablet display. Another gripe we have about the Transformer Book T100 Chi is that it does not have a full-size USB port. Though this is unavoidable given the device’s slimness and ASUS does make up for this by providing a micro-USB to USB adapter, we think that they could have employed a similar design to the Pavilion x2 to get around this problem. The Pavilion x2 is not that much thicker, but it sports a full-sized USB port.

The Acer Switch 10E has excellent battery life and the benefit of a 500GB mechanical HDD. However, it's letdown by its relative bulk and heft.

The Acer Switch 10E is arguably the most functional and practical device. Performance is about on a par with the HP Pavilion x2 and only slightly behind the ASUS Transformer Book T100 Chi so there’s nothing much to say about it here, but it makes up for its average performance with some useful features. Firstly, it’s battery life is off the charts, clocking in at an impressive 7 hours and 42 minutes - an hour longer than its closest rival. And it offers the most storage and that’s because its keyboard dock actually houses a mechanical HDD. This means it can store more photos, music and videos than its rivals. It's a thoughtful touch by Acer and shows that you do not need to sacrifice on storage capacity just to have a 2-in-1 detachable device.

However, this does mean that the Switch 10E is considerably bulkier than its rivals. And this is the Switch 10E’s biggest problem. Bulkiness aside, it doesn’t look particularly attractive either. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But even if it does look a tad pudgy, it has a final redeeming feature and that’s its price. At S$499, it is the most affordable of the lot and considering all that it offers, we think it's good value for money.

It was a close fight, but the HP Pavilion x2 offers the best overall package. Pity that the trackpad can be erratic and frustrating to use.

It was hard to pick a winner, but the HP Pavilion x2 edges it for us. It does almost everything well and makes the best of what it has. For instance, even though it doesn’t have an aluminum chassis, HP has done a good job of masking that fact with a very good application of paint and funky colors, making the Pavilion x2 look not just more expensive than it really is, but also more fun and modern. What’s also great about the Pavilion x2 is how it manages to cram a full-sized USB port (and USB Type-C port) into the tablet display without compromising too much on the thickness and portability. Despite being the only device to have a full-sized USB port in the tablet display, it doesn’t feel much thicker at all - it’s a really good design. The Pavilion x2 is not just all about show either, performance is decent and battery life is pretty impressive too, coming at over 6 and a half hours.

Our only major issue with the Pavilion x2 is its erratic touchpad, which seems reluctant to cooperate with us no matter how we use it. Fortunately, this problem can be somewhat mitigated by using the touchscreen to perform inputs whenever the touchpad fails to play ball. It’s annoying to be sure, but not a complete deal-breaker in our books. And at S$549 it is priced in the middle of its two other rivals here, which is reasonable in the face of all that it offers.

Score Breakdown
  Acer Switch 10E  ASUS Transformer Book T100 Chi HP Pavilion x2
Design 7.0 8.5 8.5
Features 8.0 7.5 8.0
Performance 7.0 7.5 7.0
Value 8.0 7.5 8.0
Mobility 7.5 8.0 8.5
Overall 7.5 7.5 8.0
Price S$499 S$599 S$549

 

Final Ratings
HP Pavilion x2

Click here for detailed results break-down

Acer Switch 10E

Click here for detailed results break-down

ASUS Transformer Book T100 Chi

Click here for detailed results break-down

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