Acer Spin 5
MID-RANGE IS ONLY A FRAME OF MIND.
ACER’S SPIN LINEUP of laptops spans across multiple categories and operating systems, with the Spin 5 claiming the mid-range Windows 10 laptop slot. With a total of four different screen orientations, the Spin 5 doubles as a tablet or a movie streaming screen just by rotating the display.
The Spin 5’s exterior isn’t something that’s going to attract a lot of attention, but it sure is svelte. The brushed metal on the lid and the silver bezels around the housing look sleek. Overall, the Spin 5 measures 15.9 x 32.4 x 22.6 cm and weighs 1.6kg. It’s small enough to toss in a backpack or messenger bag and not weigh you down.
There’s a decent amount of ports on the Spin 5, going from HDMI, USB-C, and two USB 3.0 ports on the left to an SD card reader, headphone jack and a USB 2.0 port on the right.
With the Spin 5 display’s ability to rotate nearly 360-degrees, putting the power button next to the keyboard isn’t the best place for it. Instead, there’s a volume rocker and power button on the right side of the housing.
The keyboard keys are evenly spaced and have just enough play in them to make an easy transition from, for example, Apple’s wireless keyboard to the Spin 5.
One of the most important aspects of any convertible laptops is its hinges. The hinges need to be sturdy and reliable, while also smooth and easy to manipulate. Adjusting the Spin 5’s screen and rotating it from tent mode back to standard laptop orientation is seamless, and there’s very little bounce or movement with the display when typing on the keyboard.
The speakers are just below the display, sandwiched between the two hinges. There’s plenty of volume, but the sound is easily distorted and hollow.
We couldn’t even get through a trailer for season three of Stranger Things without distortion with the Spin 5’s volume set to 50%. Lower levels ease the distortion, but then you’re left balancing volume level with ambient noise and distortion.
It suffices to say that headphones are your best bet if you plan to watch video or listen to music on this laptop.
On paper, it’s clear the Spin 5 isn’t a workhorse that can power through multiple programs taxing its resources for long periods of time. The Spin 5 is very much a laptop that’s designed to handle routine tasks without any hiccups, and indeed, the Spin 5 does just that.
Benchmarks are a good baseline to judge a device off of, but real-world use is, ultimately, what really matters. For the most part, the Spin 5 keeps up with whatever we throw at it. With multiple browser tabs open, Spotify streaming and the occasional stylus use, we never felt like we were asking too much from the Spin 5.
The Acer Spin 5 is a fine laptop for someone who needs nothing more than something capable of keeping up with basic computing tasks. However, the Spin 5 offers a cut above ‘basic’ with its FHD touchscreen and decent battery life.