So you want a new tablet but can’t bear to say goodbye to your laptop? Well, now you can have both. At least that’s the pitch for the Acer’s Aspire P3, a Windows 8 tablet bundled with a Bluetooth keyboard case that offers the best of both worlds.
The P3 joins the ranks of a growing number of “convertible” Windows 8 devices that attempt to build on the tablet experience by offering the functionality of a traditional laptop. Such attempts have over the years largely fallen flat, with most failing to offer a compelling user experience in one or both functions.
There is stuff to like about the P3; it has a USB port and HDMI video output, which you won’t find on iPads, and offers a generous 120GB of internal storage (60GB is also available) for all your gaming and video needs.
With a bit of acclimatisation, the Windows 8 interface works just fine, although it's still playing catch-up to Android and Apple in terms of available apps.
But taken as a complete package, however, the P3 underwhelms; video on its 10.6-inch display is disappointing, with its 1366 x 768 resolution far below that of its high-end competitors. It’s pretty heavy too. The tablet on its own weighs 790 grams, compared with 652g for a standard iPad (and the even lighter iPad Air). The keyboard case, part of the P3’s raison d’être, takes the total weight to a whopping 1.3 kilograms.
Used as a laptop, the P3 is let down by its Bluetooth keyboard, which feels cheap and flimsy and has a noticeable lag. There’s no trackpad on the keyboard, so you’re obliged to rely on the touch-screen, which takes some getting used to, or a USB mouse.
While it’s nice that the keyboard and tablet connect wirelessly rather than via a docking mechanism, it means the keyboard needs to be separately charged, using a different cable to the one used to charge the main tablet.
It’s hard to recommend the P3 as a straight laptop replacement, unless you’re only going to use a keyboard on an occasional basis. And while the large storage capacity and external ports are nice to have in a tablet, its unremarkable display and the fact that it’s so darn heavy in its case does not make the P3 the perfect tablet solution either.
jeverington@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @Ind_Insights
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THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
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Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
While you're here
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
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While you're here
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As You Were
Liam Gallagher
(Warner Bros)
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Personalities on the Plate: The Lives and Minds of Animals We Eat
Barbara J King, University of Chicago Press
Three trading apps to try
Sharad Nair recommends three investment apps for UAE residents:
- For beginners or people who want to start investing with limited capital, Mr Nair suggests eToro. “The low fees and low minimum balance requirements make the platform more accessible,” he says. “The user interface is straightforward to understand and operate, while its social element may help ease beginners into the idea of investing money by looking to a virtual community.”
- If you’re an experienced investor, and have $10,000 or more to invest, consider Saxo Bank. “Saxo Bank offers a more comprehensive trading platform with advanced features and insight for more experienced users. It offers a more personalised approach to opening and operating an account on their platform,” he says.
- Finally, StashAway could work for those who want a hands-off approach to their investing. “It removes one of the biggest challenges for novice traders: picking the securities in their portfolio,” Mr Nair says. “A goal-based approach or view towards investing can help motivate residents who may usually shy away from investment platforms.”
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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RESULTS
2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,000m
Winner: AF Mozhell, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Khalifa Al Neyadi (trainer)
2.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Majdi, Szczepan Mazur, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
3pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: AF Athabeh, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
3.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: AF Eshaar, Bernardo Pinheiro, Khalifa Al Neyadi
4pm: Gulf Cup presented by Longines Prestige (PA) Dh150,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Al Roba’a Al Khali, Al Moatasem Al Balushi, Younis Al Kalbani
4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Apolo Kid, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muahiri
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
RESULT
Arsenal 2
Sokratis Papastathopoulos 45 4'
Eddie Ntkeiah 51'
Portsmouth 0
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• Remittance charges will be tackled by blockchain
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Tomorrow 2021
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Who is Allegra Stratton?
- Previously worked at The Guardian, BBC’s Newsnight programme and ITV News
- Took up a public relations role for Chancellor Rishi Sunak in April 2020
- In October 2020 she was hired to lead No 10’s planned daily televised press briefings
- The idea was later scrapped and she was appointed spokeswoman for Cop26
- Ms Stratton, 41, is married to James Forsyth, the political editor of The Spectator
- She has strong connections to the Conservative establishment
- Mr Sunak served as best man at her 2011 wedding to Mr Forsyth
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
More on Turkey's Syria offence
Editorial: Turkey using refugees as mere pawns in a dangerous game
Simon Waldman: Is Turkey creating another European migrant crisis?
Raghida Dergham: Russia is weighing its options against Turkey