IS THE AFFORDABLE CONVERTIBLE WORTH YOUR MONEY

The laptop space is always pretty saturated, and that makes it difficult for devices to stand out. But the Aspire 3 Spin 14 has announced itself quite convincingly as a slim convertible within the reach of students and amateur users.

- Sohil Nikam

ASPIRE 3 SPIN 14

I've been using it as my daily computer for the last three weeks and am ready to give you a full low-down on everything it offers. Here goes the review.

DESIGN AND DISPLAY

For a 14-inch laptop, the footprint of the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is pretty compact. The keyboard is nice and tactile, but unfortunately, it misses out on a backlight. Above the keyboard is a grille that looks like it's a speaker, but it's really an enclosure for this laptop's 360-degree hinge, which allows you to switch between laptop and tablet modes or a tent mode that's ideal for watching movies or TV shows without the keyboard being visible. Touchscreen support means you can use your fingers to scroll through articles or perform tasks like changing the volume. I found this kind of hybrid usage to greatly boost the user experience.

The transition from laptop to tablet is smooth and quick, but the device's weight of 1.7kgs doesn't make it easy to carry around in this mode. Coming to ports, Acer hasn't skimped out in that department. A couple of Type-A ports, a Type-C port, an HDMI port, a charging port, and a 3.5mm jack find their way onto the laptop. A 720p webcam has been placed above the display for video calling. The Aspire 3 Spin 14's display is a 14-inch panel with a WUXGA resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels and a 16:10 aspect ratio. This is an IPS panel with respectable brightness levels, but if you prefer working near a window, you might find yourself seeking some additional brightness.

PERFORMANCE AND BATTERY LIFE