Looking for a laptop with all the convenience of a convertible Chromebook yet the processing power of something a little more robust? We’ve been checking out the Acer Aspire R 15 convertible notebook for the last couple of weeks and it’s pretty much everything you could want in a laptop (and then some). Check out our thoughts, then read on for tech specs and more!

Do More with the Acer Aspire R 15 convertible notebook

*As noted above, we received the Acer Aspire R 15 convertible notebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are our own.

In our house, tech pretty much reigns supreme. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to support my family! Of course, work isn’t the only reason we love our tech so much.  We probably have more devices per person than most families, yet every single one has its own “go-to” purpose. For example, I use my All-In-One desktop computer for writing, my Acer Chromebook for “couch work” and entertainment, my tablets for games, reading or quick work tasks and my phone for, well, talking & texting only really. I can’t work on a tiny screen like other people can! My son has a laptop that he uses for gaming and another Acer Chromebook that he uses for school work.

Then there’s my husband. Up until recently, he was using an older (yet still functional) laptop and two older desktops. He was also living 700 miles away. We recently got back together after a long separation. Originally, we were planning for him to travel back and forth for visits, then move back in together in the spring. After one visit and two weeks apart again, though, we decided that wasn’t going to work for us. He moved back home last week. Since he flew back, he couldn’t really fit his desktops. I wanted him to have something newer to work with since he’ll be doing a lot of photo and video editing for Pretty Opinionated. Before he moved back, I had the Aspire R 15 shipped to him (I wanted to see how easy it was to travel with).

What’s so special about the Acer Aspire R 15?

The Acer Aspire R 15 convertible notebook is, as the name implies, a flexible notebook that lets you move it into various positions for different tasks. For example, you can set it up like a traditional laptop for everyday work and play, then move it into a tent position to watch movies. It’s relatively lightweight and incredibly durable, so you can tote it pretty much anywhere (including through multiple airports to move 700 miles away) without breaking your back or worrying about it.

Here are a few of the tech specs that matter the most to us:

• Ability to use it in FOUR different modes. As mentioned above, it can be a traditional laptop and a tent. It can also act as a tablet and a display mode with the keyboard face down. No matter what position it’s in, the audio comes out the right spot. It reverses channels depending on how you have it set up. Of course, since you can use it in so many different modes, it does come with a touchscreen.

• Powerful 6th Gen Intel Core Processor. Since Rich uses the laptop for everything from photo editing to streaming movies, he needed something that can actually keep up with him. The Aspire R 15 has a 6th gen Intel Core i5 processor so you get both premium performance and a good battery life (depending on what you’re using it for). The notebook also comes with 8GB DDR4 memory and a 1TB hard drive.
• Stays nice and cool. The case is designed to stay cool to the touch. Since I’m SUPER paranoid about notebooks heating up and setting fire to the bed (I know, it doesn’t happen often, but remember, I have anxiety disorder and worry about things that most other people don’t even think about), I really appreciate this feature!
• Beautiful display. The Acer R 15 comes with a 15.6” full HD display (1920 x 1080 resolution) with IPS technology, so it always has a crisp, clear image. Some reviewers on techy sites said that it has a bit too much reflectivity. I think it really depends on how and where you position it. Just about any screen can be too reflective in the right conditions. We haven’t noticed this problem so far.

• Plenty of ports! First, you’ll find a USB Type-C port, which not only provides data transfer up to 5Gbps but doesn’t care which way you put the cable in. That means no more fiddling back and forth to get it in just right. You’ll also find enough other ports to connect all your devices, including an HDMI port so you can hook it up to your TV.
• Backlit keyboard. I think this is one of my favorite features since I am not a typist. I taught myself to type by hunting and pecking, then just sort of learned where all the keys are over time. I can type pretty fast (70+ WPM), but I still need to look at the keys to find the first one before I get going. The backlit keyboard helps me find what I need in the dark when I’m using Rich’s laptop.
• It’s pretty! While this isn’t so much a tech spec, the Acer R 15 is very nice to look at. It has a metal top cover with a special coating to stop your fingers from smudging it all up. The entire notebook is just sleek and gorgeous, right down to their patented hinges and ports that just blend right in.

The only thing that Rich didn’t love about the Acer R 15 is the trackpad. He is used to buttons for right and left clicking, and he did find the trackpad a little too sensitive when it comes to certain things. This can easily be remedied by using a USB mouse at home. On the go, though, it does take some getting used to.

Overall, the Acer R 15 is a great on-the-go notebook! So far, it’s been able to handle just about everything that my husband has asked of it, from streaming movies to playing games that usually cause my desktop to lag. I also want to mention that Acer has incredibly customer service. I haven’t had to call them about this particular device, but my son’s older Chromebook cord stopped working and after a quick email, they had a new one to me within a few days. Every time I’ve had a question for Acer, I’ve been able to get an answer right away.

Visit the Acer website to learn more about the R 15 and their other great notebooks (and Chromebooks!). While I think this model is plenty fast enough, if you feel like you need even more speed, they do have another model with 12GB RAM and an i7 processor. Check out both models here. After three great experiences with Acer in a row, I’m definitely considering them for when I need to upgrade my All-In-One (which will be soon!). I’m eyeing up the Aspire Z3, so if anyone has any experience with it, let me know please?

Do you have an Acer? Tell me what you love about it!