Design Analysis: Acer Aspire R7

Meet the Acer Aspire R7, an unconventional but purposeful Windows 8 tablet which reflects the changing consumer-computing landscape. It seems that creativity at traditional PC OEMs has given rise to a tablet/convertible Cambrian Explosion of sorts. From the exotic-looking (yet surprisingly intuitive) Dell XPS 12 to the no-frills workhorse, Lenovo Ideapad Yoga, not all species can survive to the next generation. Instead the best will remain as the world gets a better handle on how to build and use a Windows 8 device. How will Acer's new entry into the fray hold up? Lets look at some of its standout features!

Farewell, Trackpad

The Aspire R7 has taken a refreshing new look at the interface requirements for a Windows 8 convertible. While other companies have been content to slap on the traditional keyboard and trackpad from yesteryear, Acer has opted to make the trackpad optional and the keyboard the main event. In theory, I am all for this decision. The trackpad has been feeling a bit liked chopped liver as of late, thanks to the rise of touchscreen laptops & convertibles. Acer didn't fully commit to dropping the trackpad though, as you can still fold the screen in such a way that the it is accessible (albeit above the keyboard). My guess is that this awkward halfway mode will be used next to never, which begs the question of why Acer included it at all. Still, I have to applaud Acer for having the stones to make such a radical change and I hope that this orientation feels as good as it looks on paper
The next decision which jumps out at you is the unique hinging mechanism. The Aspire R7 features what Acer is calling the "Ezel" hinge, which enables traditional laptop mode, a more compact laptop which hides the trackpad (pictured), normal tablet mode, and a few other niche modes in between (for showing the person across from you that great new GIF). Laptop and tablet modes look solid, although the thickness and potential weight of this device may limit its usefulness as a daily tablet. The "compact" mode is really innovative though. By bringing the screen that much closer to the user, Acer encourages them to reach up and use the screen to navigate instead of relying on a trackpad. This is smart and in my opinion helps the user intuitively transition to Windows 8 which is not very anything-other-than-touchscreen friendly. Another benefit is that in "compact" mode, the device occupies less depth which should help users (myself included) who have found 15" displays historically difficult to work with in cramped spaces like airline seats. ArsTechnica points out the very real question of "What do I do with my wrists?" This is definitely a major downside to this approach and something that we'll have to see how users react to in the future.
The remainder of the spec sheet reads like your garden variety Ultrabook, sporting Intel Ivybridge CPU and Graphics and a standard HDD, though I hope this is user upgradeable to an SSD when it hits the market. All things considered, I can't wait to get my hands on an Aspire R7 and see how this bolder approach works out for Acer.
Sources:
Engadget
ArsTechnica
Photo used from All Things D