Acer R7-572

by Dan Stout


I'm in love with this new computer. I haven't had a convertible tablet since my old Toshiba Portege died five or six years back. 

I picked up an Acer R7-572 after being drawn in by its vibrant 15.1" -N-trig-pressure-sensitive-general-bad-ass screen.  My old Toshiba had a Wacom digitizer, but I've found that the combination of capacitive touch and N-trig makes for a much more intuitive interaction. For example, in Manga Studio I can draw with the pen, then slide, rotate, and resize the canvas with my left hand. This mimics the real world ability to attack a canvas/paper from multiple angles, a technique that was technically available before, but in a much slower, more cumbersome form. 

I also was able to pick up the Acer at a steep discount, around $500 refurbished. Looks like it didn't sell enough units.... perhaps because it wasn't marketed right, perhaps because it couldn't overcome the Acer stigma. I've only had it a couple weeks, but it seems to be a well-built, solidly engineered device.

The largest issue is the placement of the touchpad, which has been moved above the keyboard. I use a usb mouse in the office, so it doesn't bother me there. When using the R7 to draw, the trackpad placement is an advantage, as I can still access keyboard hotkeys if I choose. (I can slide my hand between the back of the collapsed screen and the keyboard. It kind of feels like playing the accordion, and I sometimes pretend I'm Weird Al Yankovic. I mean, I did that before, but even more now.)

The Acer Aspire R7-572 can be researched in depth at http://forum.tabletpcreview.com/

I'm Dan Stout, a joyfully collaborative storyteller who loves rocket ships, dinosaurs, and monsters that skulk through shadows.