This comes ahead of Microsoft’s formal unveiling of its latest operating System, Windows 8, which is largely expected to be revealed in four months time.

 

 

While the 10.1” Iconia W510 follows the conventional large size of tablets that Android tablet  manufacturers have favoured, the Iconia W700 brings yet another form factor variant to the 7”, 7.7”, 8.9” and 9.7” crop, as it boasts a sizable 11.6” display.

 

According to Engadget, the W700’s screen is full HD with an impressive 1920 x 1080 resolution, which is accompanied by three USB 3 ports, along with Thunderbolt and micro HDMI ports.

 

Additionally, the desktop replacement tablet ships with a multipurpose cradle that allows for several viewing options. When using it in landscape, it can be tilted up to 70 degrees for better viewing, or 20 degrees for convenient touch.Furthermore, it can be used vertically like a portrait for easy browsing and reading. The W700 also has three USB 3.0 ports for expansion.

 

Acer has billed this tablet is its “optimum-performance Windows 8 tablet for modern day explorers on-the-go, at home or in the office”.

 

 

 

Not to be overshadowed though, the Iconia W510 looks like the more agile tablet of the duo. Acer explained that the tablet boasts ‘tri-mode’, which allows users to touch, type and view. The company elaborated that aside from the conventional tablet mode, the W510 can be used in productivity mode.

 

Here, a detachable keyboard dock can be connected to the tablet for optimal typing as well as serve as an additional battery which extends the battery life up to 18 hours.

 

Rotating the tablet 295 degrees allows it to be used in presentation mode, which the company enthused is “excellent for watching a video, browsing a webpage or viewing a PowerPoint presentation (admittedly, the latter does not rank highly on our list of entertainment options).”

 

The keyboard dock further adds a USB 2.0 port to the mix of features, which includes microSD, microUSB and HDMI ports.

 

Additionally, the W510 boasts Always On, Always Connect technology, and is being billed as being an “everyday tablet with convertible functions, smartly designed for modern day explorers whose primary needs are freedom of usage for slate, keyboard and hands-free touch.”

 

 

Alas, more detailed specifications, with regards to processor, memory or capacity have yet to be revealed. However, with a speculated four months to go before Microsoft plunges headfirst into the tablet space, Acer’s revelation certainly look as though we will soon enough have yet another take on the hotly contested tablet market. 

 

For those who have become weary of the iOS or Android familiarity, hopefully this will add a fresh OS breeze to the mix.