Technical characteristics
Displays: 2x 14 inches (1366×768, 16: 9), LCD, sensory (capacitive, up to 8 simultaneous touches), LED backlighting
CPU: Core i5-480M (2.66 GHz, L3-Cash 3 MB)
Chipset: Intel HM55
RAM: 4 GB DDR3-1066 MHz
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics
Hard disk: 640 GB (5400 rpm)
Optical drive: No
Connectors: 2x USB 2.0, USB 3.0, HDMI, VGA, LAN, Audio
Wireless modules: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 + HS
Battery: 4-secto, 3000 mAh
Autonomous work time: up to 3 hours
Additionally: Webcam (1.3 MP), USB carder
Operating system: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Dimensions: 34.7×24.9×3.2 cm
Weight: 2.72 kg
Price: 55,000 rubles
In Gamery No. 3/162, we talked about the Toshiba Librettow100 two-screen mini-laptop and some other computers, the creators of which tried to use the advantages of two screens. The Acer Iconia laptop presented at the end of last year is a modern and viable representative of this unusual appearance.
Acer is called “iconia” not a laptop, but a touchback, emphasizing that the device is fully focused on sensory input: two screens support up to eight simultaneous touches – and this is fundamentally changing the control principle and the potential of a portable computer.
To the eyeballs
Acer Iconia works on the basis of the processor Intel Core i5-480m with a clock frequency of 2.66 GHz, graphic chip Intel HD Graphics and equipped 4 GB of DDR3-memory. Such iron is enough to play HD-video and work with static graphics, especially since there is where to turn around: the volume of the hard drive 640 GB.
For a laptop of its class, iconia weighs a lot – 2.7 kg. Weight adds a second screen, and it makes Iconia not a very compact computer. The thickness of the device is more than three centimeters, and even despite this, the engineers had to sacrifice an optical drive, and the module for reading the flash cards is taken into a separate complete cardrider.
The quality of the screens, of course, the developers paid maximum attention. Iconia has two fourteen-inch sensory displays with a resolution of 1366×768, good viewing angles, LED lighting and excellent color rendering. The screens are protected by Gorillas highly durable, resistant to scratches.
The techbook is made in high-tech style. The case is chained in polished metal, on the top cover the engraving is "Acer". The side edges and the inner side of the device are made of black plastic, which imperceptibly passing into the glass of screens. The iconia opens by all 180 degrees and in a detailed form resembles two glued tablets. On the underside of the case are rather high rubber legs, which do not let the laptop slide.
Iconia hardware buttons of only two are the power button and the virtual keyboard call button; They are located on the ends of the loop, fastening the halves of the device. Everything else is a touch control: they put two hands on the screen – a keyboard appeared, made with five fingers of one hand a grave movement – a proprietary shell opened Acer Ring In the form of a ring.
All connectors are standardly placed on the side faces: on the left – two USB 2.0 and HDMI connector, on the right – audio defects, USB 3 ports.0, D-Sub and Lan. Blue LED power indicators, battery status and hard disk activity are traditionally on the front side closer to the left edge of the techbook.
You can connect to external networks or devices not only with a network cable: if the wired connection is not suitable, you can use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth-Iconia supports the most modern versions of these standards.
The laptop is running a 64-bit version Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium – compatibility with any media format is attached, and, as mentioned above, with such technical characteristics, watching a video in high resolution is not a problem. And since watching a high -quality video on a fourteen -inch display is not as pleasant as on a large screen, the engineers provided the HDMI connector through which the device can be connected to the TV.
Since the standard Windows interface is not very convenient to use for finger input, the developers came up with a couple of valuable additions for OS. Two additional buttons appeared on the cuttings of each window, one of which throws the window to the second screen (it works only if the screen keyboard is not launched there), and the other starts the window manager mode. In this mode, at the selected window, the corners are illuminated by large rounds, for which it is convenient to stretch it as if you wish, and buttons appear to quickly move the window between the screens.
In full contact
However, dragging windows from one screen of iconia to another, you will not see even the tenth of its rich functionality.
The laptop is equipped with an excellent set of applications that make work with sensory screens very comfortable and pleasant. The most noticeable feature of the Iconia interface is Acer Ring shell. This is a thick golden-sand ring that appears on the screen when you touch it with five fingers. Ring gives access to separate managers of illustrations, videos and music that help not to get lost in the deposits of media files and not bother with the installation of additional programs like ACDSee. The touchback also has its own touch browser, the interface of which is focused on finger input due to convenient placement and enlarged elements. The browser is perfectly complemented by the WebClip function, which allows you to make clippings from web pages and save them-so they once acted with newspapers.
Many users could like another thing from Acer Iconia arsenal – Socialjogger. This is a program for quick access to social networks. It allows you to view and add messages and media materials, but, unfortunately, it only works with Facebook, YouTube and Flickr. And if you, for example, want to circle yourself in the photo with a red circle and write next to “This is me!", Then it will come in handy ScrapBook. This is a simple and very pleasant drawing-an application without which no sensory device with a more or less large screen cannot be presented.
And, of course, a sensory laptop of the type of “iconia” can not get away from the gesture editor. This program allows you to record a set of gestures, which can then be used to quickly access various applications. Open Acer Ring, draw a pre -recorded sign from the center of the ring, and the program recognizes it and launches the corresponding application.
Buttons that are not
The screen keyboard, by the way, is a separate topic for conversation-it is not so easy to make virtual keys convenient, because they cannot be found to the touch and you cannot press. Nevertheless, the iConia keyboard is convenient almost in the same way as ordinary, physical.
We have already said that the tape screens support up to eight simultaneous touches. This feature even allows you to print a blind method, but you still have to look under the fingers from time to time: without tactile sensations, they strive to run away Jackpot Charm Casino to the side. Smart Keyboard "Iconia" recognizes when you press the keys, and when your hands just lie on the combinations of "Fuva" and "old". The convenience adds that the most frequently used keyboard combinations like Ctrl+C or shifts of the tongue are displayed into a separate block along the upper edge of the screen.
The virtual keyboard emulates the laptop keyboard in all details, including the absence of an additional key block, narrow F1-F12 buttons and multimedia functions available with pressed “FN” keys. The meaning of such authenticity is not very understandable – you can only justify the absence of a digital block (to fit it, I would have to make the main buttons much smaller). There is also color markings: buttons-modifiers and functional keys are marked with gray, and buttons “A” and “O”, on which they put the index fingers for blind printing-blue.
The screen keyboard is a little. For example, you can change the skin. Several dark and bright coloring options with stylish patterns are available, but if you wish, you can add your illustration. You can configure the audio signal when you press the keys, but it is a little to the point of it and it annoys more than it helps (and you can’t choose the sound, you can only turn it on/off or set the volume). There is also a function T9. She works like on the phone: they scored several characters – a pop -up hint appeared with a word from a built -in dictionary. Finally, handwritten input is supported, only you will have to draw symbols not with a stylus, but with a finger.
Interesting detail: under the screen keyboard is the window of the touchpad. This is a wonderful, although unexpected idea – after all, many are used to managing a laptop with a mouse. And aiming tiny buttons in several pixels easier than a cursor than a finger. And if you do not need a touchpad, you can remove it by placing a keyboard on the vacant space at a more convenient distance from the edge of the screen.
Energy crisis
Apparently, the deficiency of the intra -corps place was affected not only on the filling of the touchbag, but also on the capacitance of its battery. And how else to explain that such a resource -intensive unit was equipped with a battery for a miserable 3,000 mAh?
Nevertheless, the time of the autonomous operation of Iconia surprised us: if you do not twist the brightness of the screen to the fullest, you can watch the average duration of the film-the battery will be enough for one and a half to two hours. And this despite two gluttonous screens! But watching a movie on maximum brightness without an external power source is really not worth it – the full charge of the battery will be swallowed in about forty minutes. If you twist the screen and do not strain the electronic filling, you can sit in a chat for almost three hours or read news on the Internet for almost three hours.
The indicators are not the best, but this is more than we expected from such a laptop. In any case, there is no desire to constantly be in the immediate vicinity of the outlet – the mobile device remains mobile.
Acer iconia – unique gadget. It exists in order to please its novelty. I want to demonstrate it and proudly watch how everyone admires unusual opportunities. And when others get tired of admiring, the techbook will remain for you an excellent multimedia center.
Although it is not very convenient to work on the screen keyboard (despite all the efforts of the developers), and the working time is limited by a weak battery and brutal appetite, the traffic jam is quite capable of replacing the tablet and is suitable not only for those who love the surf on the Internet from the sofa, but also who often happens on the road.
However, first of all, Acer Iconia is designed for connoisseurs of unusual and most modern technologies. Only they will be ready to spend 55,000 rubles on an innovative device that is not very suitable for work, for games and for entertainment. The rest for this amount will be bought by two tablets from Apple or one, but a powerful gaming laptop.
Pros:
Conceptual little thing
The first successful serial model of a two -screen tramp
very competent and thought out software
good filling, various ports
Full Windows 7
Cons:
relatively expensive
Lesser time of autonomous work
relatively thick and heavy