The Porsche Design Acer Book RS is a gorgeous laptop computer with quite a bit using on its slim shoulders. With a reputation like that (Porsche Design is owned by the identical mum or dad firm as automaker Porsche AG), it’s naturally anticipated to mix efficiency together with fashion. The lofty costs—$1,400 for the bottom mannequin and $2,000 for the “premium package”—additionally carry some strain to ship. Will this product rise to defend its good title? Partner Acer’s appreciable ability at making laptops is a strong place to begin.
Announced Wednesday and obtainable in December, the Porsche Design Acer Book RS does seem to convey sports-car aptitude. The lid for its 14-inch show is manufactured from 3k carbon fiber for lightness in addition to aesthetics. The all-metal, CNC-machined chassis has diamond-cut edges, an accent largely reserved for different premium merchandise just like the HP Spectre x360 14.
AcerThe Porsche Design Acer Book RS has an all-metal, diamond-cut chassis.
The specs are what I’d name high-end mainstream relatively than performance-oriented—this isn’t a gaming laptop computer—however inside that context they’re largely good:
- CPU: Intel Core i5-1135G7 or Core i7-1165G7
- Memory: 8GB or 16GB of dual-channel LPDDR4X SDRAM
- Storage: 512GB or 1TB of PCIe Three NVMe SSD
- Display: 14-inch, 16:9 FHD IPS with 100 p.c sRGB colour gamut, Corning Anti-Microbial Gorilla Glass, and 340-nit most brightness
- Graphics: Intel Iris Xe built-in, or elective Nvidia GeForce MX350 GPU
- Connectivity: Two SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps Type A, one Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, headphone jack
- Networking: Wi-Fi6 (Gig+)
- Dimensions: 12.52 x 8.24 0.63 inches
- Weight: 2.65 kilos
A couple of particulars of the configuration stunned me by their un-Porsche-like quaintness. The show’s 16:9 facet ratio has been the everyday spec for some years, however we’re seeing the highest-end laptops with which the Book RS will compete, just like the Dell XPS and the HP Spectre, transfer towards a way more productivity-minded 3:2 facet ratio. There’s nothing incorrect with FHD (1920×1080) decision, however premium competitors is providing 4K or OLED choices (or each). On the opposite hand, high-res screens kill battery life, whereas the Book RS guarantees as much as 17 hours on a full cost.
The MX350 graphics are discrete, however it’s Nvidia’s entry-level product for laptops. Don’t count on to run video games at max settings on the Porsche Design Acer Book RS, however it ought to be capable to deal with low or midrange settings.
The Book RS can be nearly adorably sq. by providing two USB-A ports and only one USB-C (Thunderbolt). I’d perceive retaining one of many older kind issue, however why solely one of many newest technology? That single Thunderbolt port might discover itself working extra time to run an exterior show or two, connect with quick exterior storage, or maybe use a third-party USB-C charger—the Book RS seems to return with a quaint barrel charging port as nicely.
AcerThe Porsche Design Acer Book RS sticks to a conventional clamshell kind issue (its predecessor was a swanky convertible), and much more conventional barrel cost port and USB-A ports (together with one Thunderbolt).
At the identical time, the Book RS has, maybe properly, not tried to perform fairly as a lot as its predecessor promised. The unique Porsche Design Book One, which debuted at Mobile World Congress in 2017, appeared decided to upstage what was then essentially the most unique laptop computer obtainable (and undoubtedly one of the costly), Microsoft’s Surface Book. Like the Surface Book, the Book One provided a removable show, and it additionally had a really spectacular, gearlike 360-degree hinge that made the Surface Book’s personal rounded, non-convertible backbone look clunky.
Given the restrictions of laptop computer expertise on the time, nonetheless, the Porsche Design Book One’s precise efficiency didn’t stay as much as the look (or justify its very excessive value). We hope to see the Porsche Design Acer Book RS regain its household’s honor if we’ve an opportunity to evaluate it.
