Acer Swift 7 hands-on: A svelte and stylish laptop


HP, ASUS and Lenovo have all unveiled their take on Microsoft's always connected PC, and it's time for Acer to throw its hat into the ring. The company's offering is not just the thinnest in the category, but is also the skinniest laptop in the world. At least, according to Acer, anyway. At 8.98mm (0.35 inches), the Swift 7 certainly cuts a striking profile that I couldn't help but stare at.

Powering this slim machine is a seventh-generation Intel Core i7 processor, which is slightly slower than the eighth-generation CPUs other laptops are hitting the market with. That chipset was still perfectly capable of keeping up with my random app launches and browsing webpages when I played with a Swift 7 sample at Acer's suite, though. The only problem is, for $1,700, I expected a cutting edge chip and more than 8GB of RAM. It's several hundred dollars more than last year's Swift 7, although it does use an i7 chip instead of the i5 in the older model.

What you're really paying for is the superthin, attractive aluminum chassis. Not only is this Acer's first laptop with an embdedded eSIM, but it's also one of the first systems to use Intel's integrated XMM LTE radio with eSIM. Since carriers have yet to announce support for over-the-air data plans, you can use the onboard nanoSIM card slot to connect to data networks for now. The Swift 7 doesn't use a tray like you find on a smartphone; instead, you slide the card into an uncovered socket next to the power port.

The rest of the Swift 7's features are less noteworthy. I found the 14-inch display bright and colorful, and its Gorilla Glass covering made the lid feel sturdy. That's especially important for a device this thin -- despite its wispy profile the Swift 7 did not exhibit noticeable flex. The same goes for the keyboard -- for a laptop this slim, it's nice to see a setup with what felt like ample key travel (we don't know the exact depth yet). I had trouble reaching for the backspace key at times, but the buttons are otherwise well-spaced.

Acer said the Swift 7 should last up to 10 hours, according to its tests on MobileMark 4, which is a few hours more than last year's model. Those looking to connect an array of peripherals will likely be disappointed by the dearth of ports on the Swift 7, though. There are just two USB-C sockets on the left, in addition to the nanoSIM and power slots on the right.

As the connected PC ecosystem becomes more popular, we'll surely see laptops that get smaller, thinner and easier to tote around. Meanwhile, the Swift 7 stands out as a beautifully made, razor-thin laptop that is sure to turn heads.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

via Engadget RSS Feed "http://ift.tt/2qKQw2l"

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Evernote cuts staff as user growth stalls

Image
Note-taking app Evernote has fallen on hard times of late, culminating in its latest spate of job cuts impacting 15 percent of its workforce (54 employees). CEO Chris O' Neil -- an ex-Googler who took the reins in 2015 -- announced the firings at an all-hands meeting earlier today, reports TechCrunch . In a message on the Evernote blog , O' Neill admitted he'd set "incredibly aggressive goals" for the company in 2018. He continued: "Going forward, we are streamlining certain functions, like sales, so we can continue to speed up and scale others, like product development and engineering." The layoffs follow an exec exodus just weeks ago and the company's recent brand refresh (complete with a refined logo and wordmark). But critics are more concerned about its product, especially the free tier, which they claim lacks the perks to
Read more

The best air conditioner

Image
By Liam McCabe This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter . When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here . After six summers of researching, testing, and recommending window air conditioners, we've learned that quiet and affordable ACs make most people the happiest—and we think the LG LW8016ER will fit the bill in most rooms. This 8,000 Btu unit cools as efficiently and effectively as any model with an equal Btu rating, and runs at a lower volume and deeper pitch than others at this price. Little extra features like a fresh-air vent, two-axis fan blades, and a removable drain plug help set it apart, too. The LG LW8016ER is a top choice for an office or den, and some people will find it quiet enough for a bedroom, too. If our main pic
Read more

We won't see a 'universal' vape oil cartridge anytime soon

Image
Pre-loaded cartridges of cannabis concentrate are currently among the most popular means of consumption, and for good reason. They're discreet to use and easy to handle, a far cry from the dark days of 2016 when we had to dribble hash oil or load wax into narrow-mouthed vape pens by hand. But, frustratingly, an ever increasing number of oil cartridge manufacturers employ one-off design standards so that their products won't work with those of their competitors, thereby locking customers into proprietary ecosystems. We've already seen this with nicotine vaporizers -- which has a seen a massive rise in "pod systems" in the last few years, each outfitted with a unique canister and battery built to be incompatible with those of their competition. Is it too late for the burgeoning cannabis industry to set a universal standard for their product designs?
Read more