Is Acer’s New Iconia Tablet PC Worthwhile to Rent?

In the world of tablet PCs, there have been several contenders. Between the Apple iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab, HP Slate 500, Dell Streak and others, the market is becoming saturated with options developed by tier one providers.

They’re not quite as powerful as standard laptops yet, but they’re getting close. With Google’s Android 3.0 OS and Nvidia’s Tegra 2 processor, some reviewers are claiming comparable performance.

And the markets have shifted to welcome this new evolution in technology. Laptop market shares are slipping and manufacturers are considering shying away from this bellwether medium to a new, tablet-centric focus.

It was only a matter of time before second tier manufacturers got on board, and such is the case with Acer. Its clamshell-style tablet, the Iconia-6120 Touchbook will be available for shipping next month.

Since we rent out tablets, it behooves us to stay abreast of any new developments -- so we took a closer look at what the Iconia has to offer.

The Iconia Touchbook packs an Intel i5 processor, 4 GB of memory, a 640 GB SATA hard drive and a 1.3 megapixel HD webcam – impressive stuff, for such a little package. It has USB, HDMI, and Ethernet ports – which is no less than can be expected, these days.

The Iconia is designed to open up like a book, almost, with its two thin, touch-enabled, LED-backlit displays serving as both a makeshift screen and keyboard. It’s about 14” long and it reminds me, in some ways, of a Nintendo DS (only more elegant).

The touch-sensitive screens, made of Gorilla Glass, are meant to be durable and resistant to smudging. And a thin, anodized aluminum body heralds the titanium-style designs of Apple’s products.

Some reviewers have pointed out a drawback in the lack of a decent GPU. Apparently, the Iconia Touchbook will rely on Sandy Bridge’s integrated graphics accelerator.

And early reviews claim that while the Iconia is fun, and “interesting,” it’s actually a bit slow in use. And the touchpad, digital keyboard is annoying.

A writer over at CNET asked the most obvious question before I could get to it: “Why would anyone need a dual-touch-screen laptop?”

Excellent point. And for nearly $1,200, I am disappointed enough to not bother with this one. As for me, I’ll be holding out for a product developed by a tier one provider. And I would advise any businesses looking for a good, reliable tablet rental to do the same.