Acer unveils Aspire P3 and Aspire R7 convertible notebooks with Windows 8

Alongside the launch of the Iconia W3 tablet in India, Acer also announced two new convertible notebooks, the Aspire P3 and the Aspire R7.

Acer Aspire P3 comes with a 11.6-inch 1366x768 display with multi-touch and is powered by a third-generation 1.40GHz Intel Core i3 dual-core processor alongside 4GB RAM. It comes with 120GB SSD storage and connectivity options like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, HDMI, VGA, and a USB 3.0 port. A front camera and a microphone are thrown in for good measure.

The Aspire P3 comes with a battery rated at 6 hours of usage and measures 11.6" x 7.5" x 0.77". The Windows 8-running notebook weighs 1.3 kilograms and can fold into a tablet should you prefer to use it sans-the keyboard. The Aspire P3 will be available from Rs. 54,499 onwards.

Acer Aspire R7 notebook looks like a small all-in-one more than a traditional notebook with a multi-touch display that can 'float' over the keyboard at various angles (see the video below). The display can also be rotated to face away from the user, in case you want to give someone sitting opposite you a quick peek at your desktop.

Acer has made some interesting choices with the Aspire R7, like positioning the trackpad above the keyboard. This has been done to provide a better touch-and-type experience as the display is supposed to rest between the trackpad and the keyboard, bringing the touchscreen closer to the user. However, should you try and use the device in a more 'traditional' way, you have to rest your hands on the keyboard in order to get to the trackpad, which sounds like a typing accident waiting to happen.

The notebook can be folded to turn it into a tablet, though the keyboard assembly is not detachable, which adds to the bulk if you plan to move it around.

Acer Aspire R7 sports a 15.6-inch full-HD multi-touch display and is powered by third-generation 1.80GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor alongside 6GB RAM. It comes with 500GB hard disk and a 24GB SSD as well microSD card support. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI, VGA, 2 USB 3.0 ports, 1 USB 2.0 ports. Microphone and a front cam are included as well.

Acer Aspire R7 runs on Windows 8 and is rated at a platry 4 hours of usage on battery. It is priced at Rs. 74,999 onwards.