Acer TravelMate C202TMi slides into view

By Rory Reid on 16 December 2005, 11:35am

There aren't many devices that can top a convertible tablet PC for impressing your fellow commuters. Everyone thinks it's an ordinary laptop until you rotate the lid 180 degrees, lay it flat against the keyboard, and begin scribbling on the touch-sensitive screen.

Never one to rest on its laurels, Acer has unveiled a new tablet design that makes the traditional twisting mechanism look dated. Instead of swivelling, the screen on the Acer TravelMate C202TMi slides backwards and upwards to reveal the keyboard.

The device looks more like an all-in-one compact PC than a laptop, helping it stand out from the crowd. Acer says the C202TMi will come with a screen protector, which is just as well, because we think the constantly exposed screen could get scratched in transit.

The device is highly portable thanks to its 12.1-inch screen, but at 2.5kg it's on the heavy side. To its credit, it has a commendable specification, which includes a 1.7GHz CPU, 512MB of RAM and an 80GB hard drive, all for around £1,100. -RR