LAS VEGAS: The next-gen 10.1in quad-core tablet from Acer looks to be a considerable step up from previous models released by the firm.

Not only does the tablet boast some impressive specifications, but the design looks much better than the existing Acer A500 Iconia Tab and the build quality feels sturdy too.

The Acer will follow in the footsteps of the Asus Transformer Prime, and ship with the Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM.

We were impressed with the speed of the Acer during our hands on, and when pinching-to-zoom there was no redrawing and the device handled HD video playback comfortably.

The tablet comes with a 10.1in display with a 1920x1200 resolution and on the brightest setting it was reasonably bright in low lighting.

Acer claims the screen quality is better than most IPS displays on the market and the viewing angle on the tablet was impressive as we were able to view text and video when the device was flat on the tablet and we looked at it side on.

Acer will pre-load Android Ice Cream Sandwich on the device and has added some of its own customisations. Top of the list includes the Acer Ring - which allows users to access applications quickly from the lock screen by pressing and holding on the screen and choosing the app they want to open.

With a weight of around 650g, the device is comfortable to hold. However, we feel that Acer could have done more to trim a few grams off the device especially as Apple and Samsung are expected to release ultra-portable next generation tablets soon.

An area where Acer usually impresses is connectivity. The latest tablet continues this trend and will include HDMI, micro USB and micro SD ports, catering to almost everyone's connectivity needs. The Iconia tablet will also be compatible with the firm's newly announced AcerCloud service, although we did not get to see this in action.

Acer has made what looks to be a competent Android tablet and all it is missing now is a name, release date and price. If the latter can be competitive, and the device has a good battery life, this could gives the big boys a run for their money.

Acer is gearing up for an October launch of the very first ultrabook, and V3 got some hands-on time with a system that may tempt many early adopters and business users.

The S3 is 13mm thick and comes with a 13.3in HD screen and a chiclet keyboard, so comparisons are inevitably going to the drawn with the MacBook Air. The aluminium/magnesium alloy chassis feels strong but looks rather plain when compared to the Air. We also think that the trackpad is rather on the small side.

The S3 weighs 1.4kg, so it's reasonably lightweight and just a few grams heavier than the 13in MacBook Air (1.35kg).

Under the hood, the Acer is expected to ship with Windows 7, a choice of Intel Core i5 or i7 processors, 4GB of RAM as standard and an SSD or HDD depending on preference.

USB and HDMI ports are located on the back, which also houses the air vent so that the base does not get hot.

Asus, Lenovo and Toshiba ultrabooks are also set to offer similar form factors and specifications, and Acer is looking to differentiate by including Instant On and Instant Connect technology.

Instant Connect can boot the device from sleep mode in 1.5 seconds and from hibernation in six seconds. We tested this in sleep mode and the claim was bang on. Interestingly, even ultrabooks with HDDs will come with a small SSD to enable this quick booting time, although Acer is unclear about the capacity of these SSDs.

We asked Kristof Houben, a product manager at Acer, about cold-boot times, and he told us that the S3 will have boot times consistent with standard Windows 7 laptops. But he pointed out that the platform has been designed so that it does not need to be turned off.

Meanwhile, Instant Connect automatically connects to previously used Wi-Fi networks in 2.5 seconds, much like the Mac OS X Lion operating system.

S3 buyers can expect up to seven hours of battery life if they opt for the full SSD storage option. This is under the eight hours that Lenovo claims for the U300s ultrabook and the nine hours that Samsung touts for the forthcoming Series 7 Chronos laptop.

Acer has no plans to ship different screen sizes this year, but Houben said that different models are likely to appear in 2012.

Of course, Acer is also aiming to be the first to market. The manufacturer will start shipping the S3 from October starting at £699 and going up to £1,099.

Overall, the S3 looks a promising piece of kit, but we have yet to be convinced that it's better than the MacBook Air. With Microsoft hyping Windows 8, it remains to be seen whether consumers will buy an ultrabook now or wait a little bit longer for a next-generation model with a touch-screen operating system.