Acer’s Aspire U5 all-in-one folds flat, but isn’t a true tabletop PC (hands-on)

Acer’s latest all-in-one desktop feels a bit like one of the recent run of tabletop PCs. The Aspire U5 has a IPS 23-inch 1,920×1,080 display that folds down and back on a kickstand until it lies flat. From there it acts as a tabletop display, pointing straight up from your desk or coffee table.

The big difference between this and true tabletop PCs such as the Lenovo Flex 20 and HP Rove 20 is that the U5 doesn’t include a battery, which would allow it to be picked up and go from room to room as an oversized tablet. Instead, even in tabletop mode, the U5 is tethered to a power cable.

Keeping in mind that this is more of a traditional all-in-one with some flexibility rather than a true tabletop PC, I still thought the folding kickstand was very well-engineered. Unlike most big-screen kickstands, I was able to raise and lower the Aspire U5 easily with one finger, and the kickstand movement felt smooth and precise.

The 23-inch screen has an anti-fingerprint coating, which should be helpful, as the main reasons you’d want to fold a screen like this down into tabletop mode is to interact with maps and photos, or play finger-friendly games such as air hockey.

Acer Aspire U5 all-in-one (pictures)
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Configuration options will include Intel Core i3/i5/i7 processors, and discrete graphics options up to the new Nvidia GeForce GTX 850M, which is a decent mid-level gaming GPU. Like many all-in-one PCs, it includes an HDMI input, so you can use the HD display with a game console or other media device.

The Acer Aspire U5 is coming in late June, starting at $999.