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Acer Switch Alpha 12 vs Microsoft Surface Pro 4

Product Comparison: Acer Switch Alpha 12 vs Microsoft Surface Pro 4

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Acer Switch Alpha 12 (SA5-271P-38UZ) i3-6100U 4GB 128GB 2-In-1 Notebook

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Best Pick

Microsoft Surface Pro 4 128 GB, 4 GB RAM, Intel Core i5

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General Specifications

Brand

Acer

Microsoft

Model

Switch Alpha 12 (SA5-271P-38UZ)

Surface Pro 4

Origin

China

About the Product

This lightweight 2-in-1 uses a space-age heat pipe cooling system to cool its high-performance CPU, so you get powerful computing without ever hearing the whine of a fan. Sporting a powerful 6th generation Intel® Core™ processor1, the Switch Alpha 12 is the perfect blend of productivity, portability and flexibility.

Surface Pro 4 is ultrathin, fast, and versatile, the perfect balance of portability and power. With 6th Gen Intel Core processors and up to 1TB of storage, it’s built to run professional-grade software. And the PixelSense Display has stunning color and contrast that comes to life with Surface Pen and touch.

Key Specs

Screen Size

12 in.

12.3 in.

Operating System

Windows 10 Pro

Processor Speed

2.3 GHz

2.4 GHz

System Memory (RAM)

4 GB

Storage Capacity

128 GB

Battery Life

8 hours

9 hours

Acer Switch Alpha 12

Microsoft Surface Pro 4

Acer Switch Alpha 12

Microsoft Surface Pro 4

Acer Switch Alpha 12

Microsoft Surface Pro 4

Acer Switch Alpha 12

Microsoft Surface Pro 4

Acer Switch Alpha 12

Microsoft Surface Pro 4

Size & Weight

Height

0.62 in.

0.33 in.

Width

11.50 in.

11.5 in.

Depth

7.93 in.

Weight

2.75 lbs.

1.73 lbs.

Acer Switch Alpha 12

Microsoft Surface Pro 4

Acer Switch Alpha 12

Microsoft Surface Pro 4

Acer Switch Alpha 12

Microsoft Surface Pro 4

Acer Switch Alpha 12

Microsoft Surface Pro 4

Processor

Processor Model

Intel® Core™ i3-6100U

Intel Core i5-6300U

Number of Cores

Graphics

Intel HD Graphics

Intel HD Graphics 520

Number of Cores

Acer Switch Alpha 12

Microsoft Surface Pro 4

What customers say about "Processor"

Acer Switch Alpha 12 (SA5-271P-38UZ) i3-6100U 4GB 128GB 2-In-1 Notebook

I ordered the Core i3-6100U 2.3GHz model which in my option is one of the best Processors Intel has ever made.
The Intel i3 processor is pretty good for all my tasks, and I am almost a heavy user.
I bought the i3 version, and it still runs Netflix and youtube on Chrome at the same time with no buffering time.
The Intel core i3 processor is more powerful than I expected and worked well with Nuance Dragon Naturally Speaking. Word processing was trouble-free as was Skype.
However video production switching quickly bogged down which probably has more to do with the onboard Intel GPU than the CPU.
There is slight lag throughout the system unfortunately, but I have yet to try to do a full system refresh. Hoping to do that soon.

Microsoft Surface Pro 4 128 GB, 4 GB RAM, Intel Core i5

Very good performance considering I did not opt for the more expensive i7 Core chip).
I enjoy the speed of the processor and how fluent everything is.
The processor is plenty powerful, but the device is not designed to permit the addition or replacement of RAM.
I really enjoy the quick processor that come with it. There is no lag to anything that you click on. You don't have to worry about the screen freezing or anything like that.
I purchased the surface pro 4 with a i5 processor and I was giving the m3 processor

Memory

Type of Memory (RAM)

LPDDR3

Type of Storage

SSD

Card Reader

Yes

Card Reader

What customers say about "Memory"

Acer Switch Alpha 12 (SA5-271P-38UZ) i3-6100U 4GB 128GB 2-In-1 Notebook

The liquid cooling and ssd make for a silent and cool running machine.
This particular model has 4GB of RAM, a 128 GB SSD, and a Core I3 processor. It also comes with the keyboard!
It is so portable, and the SSD makes it very quick to boot up.
The 128 GB SSD is fast. It is probably just a standard SSD, with no special frills. I still use regular spinning hard drives on a daily basis, so the SDD speed was immediately noticeable.
Here's the thing to consider for would-be buyers: either live with the 4GB RAM & 128 GB SSD, look to a higher spec'd version, or look for something actually upgradable. If you can live with the unit as is for the life of the product, consider my rating a 4.

Microsoft Surface Pro 4 128 GB, 4 GB RAM, Intel Core i5

I have about 3,000 songs and 5,000 photos and have no memory shortage, so if you are an everyday user like me with basic needs, the 128GB is more than enough.
Mine is i5, 4gb ram and 128 ssd model. speed is excellent and pen is super responsive.
Exceptional build quality, great screen, terrific portability. (The only thing is, I'd probably go for 8GB RAM model going forward. The processor is plenty powerful, but the device is not designed to permit the addition or replacement of RAM.
For our use, the 128 GB of internal storage is more than adequate. The micro SD chip port allows doubling the data storage, and you can always plug in an external drive to store TBs of data. There is only one USB port, so you need to pick and choose what you want to plug in.
The SSD stopped working, completely bricking this device, about 15 months after I purchased it.
I looked into replacing the SSD, and while the SSD itself is easy to replace, you have to remove the screen to get to it, which is rather tricky.

Features

Display Type

IPS technology

10-point multi-touch PixelSense Display

Screen Resolution

2160 x 1440

2736 x 1824

Extras

1MP (Front camera), 1MP auto focus (Rear camera), TouchPad, Trusted Platform Module

TPM chip for enterprise security, Windows Hello face-authentication camera (front-facing), Stereo microphones, Stereo speakers with Dolby Audio Premium, Ambient light sensor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Magnetometer

What customers say about "Features"

Acer Switch Alpha 12 (SA5-271P-38UZ) i3-6100U 4GB 128GB 2-In-1 Notebook

I like that it can be used as a laptop or tablet.
The kickstand's adjustability and non-slip foot work well.
The magnetic docking is nice, I had an Asus transformer at one time with a docking station which was sometimes a pain.
The battery life is good, startup is super fast. Wasn't sure if I'd like the lighted keyboard but it comes in handy.
I'm used to a touchpad but I got a wireless mouse that was included with my case which is fine except that it takes up the only USB port.
Stylus is good, a little touchy, wish it had a sensitivity adjustment.

Microsoft Surface Pro 4 128 GB, 4 GB RAM, Intel Core i5

The screen is absolutely beautiful; text is sharp and clear, colors are correct, and the resolution is high.
The pen is great I don't need to get my greasy fingerprints all over the device and clean it every 5 seconds.
Display is a lot better than expected and shows crystal clear images.
The surface pen is amazing to use on the screen when taking notes or for just doodling
Battery life is around 8 hours, but it is way better than my laptop that only lasted around 2 and a half hours.

Connectivity

Bluetooth

Yes

Network

Wi-Fi 802.11ac

WI-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n

Number of USB Ports

USB Type C

Yes

Other Ports

Headphone/Microphone 3.5mm jack

Headphone/Microphone 3.5mm jack, Mini DisplayPort, Cover port, Surface Connect

Acer Switch Alpha 12

Microsoft Surface Pro 4

What customers say about "Connectivity"

Acer Switch Alpha 12 (SA5-271P-38UZ) i3-6100U 4GB 128GB 2-In-1 Notebook

With the USB port, I was able to run a 3d printer, program an Arduino & MSP430, connect a scanner, and transfer files
The ports have been really useful, especially if you have a usb-c dongle to expand that.
I also have an SD card reader I can plug directly into the laptop. It's lightweight and very portable.
Only one USB port.
USB-C is not a charging port.

Microsoft Surface Pro 4 128 GB, 4 GB RAM, Intel Core i5

The magnetic charging port is a nice touch...no fishing around if you're in the dark; it just pulls the end of the cable right in.
Great, it works very well. But need go to Microsoft shop to upgrade the software before I can connect it with Wifi and Bluetooth. My daughter like it very much.
Can handle multiple USB inputs significantly better than surface pro 3.
Would like to have USB-C charging ability. I'm concerned that if I forget my charging cord that I'll be stuck.
When I first tried to set it up, I had some connection problems, and my touch wasn't working. But I immediately called tech support and they helped me get everything set up and I haven't had any issues since.
Only con will probably be that it only has one USB port. Therefore, I'll be looking to buy the surface dock for it eventually.

Warranty / Certifications

Manufacturer Warranty

1 year(s)

Certifications

Other Information

MSRP

899.99 $

799.00 $