We've seen our fair share of laptop-meets-tablet hybrid devices, some have left us hot, others cold. Acer's latest foray into the Windows 8 fold is the Aspire P3: an 11.6-inch device that's a balance between Ultrabook and tablet.

The thing we like the most about the P3 - which Pocket-lint has been playing with at Acer's global launch event in New York - is just how easy it is to detach the tablet from its keyboard dock. It simply pops in or out of the provided frame and that's it - not connectors, wires or anything like that to deal with.

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When docked the tablet rests in a notch on the base of the dock and this is what provides the backbone strength to sit upright. But as it's just resting there it can be a little flimsy should you have it on your lap while typing, but this is typical of other such devices, including Microsoft's Surface. This does make it quick to fold up quickly, and there's an outer-lining that has a suave business casual look to it, and there's even a loop for adding an electronic stylus. Whether the stylus is included will depend on the region according to Acer representatives that we spoke to.

READ: Microsoft Surface RT review

When detached from the dock and used as a tablet the P3 is less than 2cms thick and under 1.4kgs (the dock adds an extra 200g or so), but there's little compromise on the power. At its core the P3 is powered by Intel Core i3 and i5 processors depending on which model you choose. We were swiping through screens, typing in documents and watching videos no problems.

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The 1280 x 720 resolution screen is bright and responsive so it's ideal for a variety of tasks and the IPS display means the viewing angle is decent too.

Other specs include SSD storage of either 60GB or 120GB SSD for fast access to your content, while front-facing 720p webcam and rear-facing 5MP camera is also on board. There's just the one USB port however - we'd have liked to have seen at least one more built-in to make for more versatile use.

Unlike the imminent Microsoft Surface Pro release the Acer Aspire P3 comes in at a sensible price point: £599 in the UK for the base model. Nay bad - looks like this could be a hot contender in the hybrid market.