Notebook - Tablet hybrids

With Windows 8 coming out soon focusing around touch interfacing, do you guys think that we will see a lot more notebook - tablet hybrids or will they still be a niche market?

I ask this because I am currently in the market for a tablet, but right now I don't really want to lay down the money because I would like to use Microsoft Office with it, and I would like one with a real keyboard (although this can be solved with cases).

And also, what are your opinions on these?

 

I had an Asus T101MT "netvertible" that I used for a bit in school.

It had so much potential to be super useful. It was a great form factor. The ability to draw makes doing math and engineering schoolwork possible on your computer. It became my main computer for a couple months because of its size and potential. But the downsides were that it had a finnicky resistive touchscreen that wasn't 100% accurate and the fact that, because it was a netbook, it was sooo slow. Also, since it had a touch screen, it was quite a bit more expensive than other computers with the same specs.

But ever since then, I've said that my dream computer will be around that size, have a good touch screen, be cool/quiet, and be capable of gaming/production work. I'm really interested in devices like the Asus Transformer Prime now, but as much as I like Android, we're still not talking about "serious" machines with that OS.

 

you have many to choose from. Just get a REAL notebook convertible tablet. It's not a niche and they have been around for many years. you can buy right now a tablet that plays crysis and it's cheaper then an ipad.
you really need to check tabletpcreview forum.

 

I am really looking forward to the Yoga

 

Do you guys think tablet/laptop hybrids are the way of the future/going mainstream with Windows 8?

The Yoga design is by far the best tablet/laptop hybrid out there... it's simple, yet gorgeous. I could see that design being a lot more common in years to come.

 

I'd say it is the future but Windows 8 has some huddles to get past.

1) Apps - lets face it, the Windows 8 ARM tablet are the ones that are gonna rival the iPad and Android Tablet in terms of price. But with the minimal amount of apps on the Windows platform, there isn't really much reason to get one >_>

2) Price - Windows 8 x86 tablets are gonna be expensive. I'd say at least around $1000. The Yoga itself is said to be price around $1,900 in the UK. Maybe if they were running an AMD APU it can be priced around $800 or less. But still they are pricey for what they offer.

3) Battery life - battery tech has not evolved that much at all. The battery life on Intel processors still sucks compare to those on mobile devices.

Thats just my 2 cents

 

Intel claims that alot of convertible tablets are in the pipeline based on ultrabook specs so perhaps we will see a revival of this segment. I tend to think that "convertible" tablets are the way, i swear every person I see in the airport has purchased a keyboard for their iPad, which means they essentually lug around a laptop, and often next too, under or on top of their iPad is a PC notebook. So a ton of these people are actually hauling around 2 laptops. When the fad dies down I think they are going to realize that doesnt make much sense nor is it lighter.

If a singe device can consolidate these peoples lives I think that people are going to like that. I have always said an extended battery is better than hauling around multiple devices. Kinda like people who have MP3 players and phones.

All the apps on tablets like ios and android mean nothing at all when the one single app you actually need resides on windows.

I would say wait it out they say alot of interesting things will roll down the pipeline soon. If windows 8 runs well on arm we can expect that asus might drop a transformer like windows 8 device in the mix. 16 hours of battery and office aint bad.

 

Inspiron Duo is such a device. I honestly think it was designed for windows 8 since it has a high enough screen resolution to handle snapping metro apps side by side, something that is uncommon in the windows tablet segment.

 

The battery and CPU just need to be a little better and it would of been perfect. Maybe a little thinner too

 

Yeah, I really don't see tablet-laptop hybrids exploding UNLESS the portability and battery life is there. Otherwise, what advantage does it have over say, getting a 15" fullsize notebook with a tablet such as the Kindle Fire or iPad?

 

Student here with a Fujitsu laptop convertible. They went to Wacom for the pen technology instead of doing it in-house like everyone else (lenovo, HP, etc), and that's a really good thing. Further, I gave it some upgrades to make it as much of a desktop replacement as I could. It runs my Solidworks and renders great. Photoshop and Premiere are instantaneous. Plays DX11 games like Civ 5 at medium graphics. Functions as a blu-ray player for a 1080p television. My notes/sketches are saved as files on a hard drive instead of as pieces of paper in a notebook/bag that get disorganized/lost. It's the computer version of a swiss army knife.

I never understood why so many people look at tablets as just a high-tech way to display book pages or play simple flash games. The potential of Tablets is not in becoming Angry Bird consoles, but becoming professional workstations that are portable, durable, and offer the ease and flexibility of touch input and the precision of pen input. Solidworks/AutoCAD drawn with a wacom pen directly on the screen is really, in so many senses of the words, computer aided drafting.

 

While I love the idea of my asus transformer and the fact that it can be a laptop or a tablet, I would honestly prefer the standard twist and lay down vs the detachable option. With how thin and light things are these days there is no need to have them separate IMHO.

 

What does everyone think of the Microsoft Surface Notebook - Tablet Hybrid?

 

Though not quite a hybrid, the surface looks like one of the best offerings in the pipeline for the release of W8 in the fall. There is a lot of discussion on the TabletPC site. I prefer the hybrid design of the Samsung S7h with its solid base and pen dock.

 

I definitely consider the Surface hybrids (although they are certainly more tablet than notebooks), not only because Microsoft is marketing the keyboard as a major selling point, but also because the keyboards have a built in trackpad, making the use of a trackpad as a viable alternative to the touchscreen.

They are kind of on the other end of the Thinkpad X Convertibles, whereas the X Convertibles (Such as the X230T) are more notebook than tablet, the Surface is more tablet than notebook, but still a hybrid.

I'm actually extremely excited for the possibilities Windows 8 opens up.

 

I want a Surface for w8 pro. So badly.

 

mine won't be running windows.....yet. my notebook tablet is getting ordered very soon. The Asus padfone. I think its a very slick machine. When Acer releases the new net book touch, then I will run win 8.

Sent from my ARCHOS 80G9 using Tapatalk 2

 

This is awesome device! Shame that it is so expansive...

 

That's relative, buy a good tablet, mobile phone and net book and its much the same. Running it all together is a boon as I only need one data plan. Very slick.

I'm ordering 2, one for me and one for my father for work. Having two of the same device will be great for setting both of us up for work,

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Some new Notebook-Tablet hybrids coming along for Windows 8. The Sony looks really interesting.

The biggest thing banking on whether or not Windows convertible tablets will be successful is the battery life. Period.

Sony Vaio Duo:

Sony Vaio Duo 11: Business Windows 8-Powered Convertible?

A bunch of Samsung prototypes:

Samsung's dual-display Windows 8 laptop and other prototypes, hands-on -- Engadget

 

Switched On: Hail to the hybrids -- Engadget

Another article on Hybrids. These are going to be a major player once they get perfected.

Anyone think there is a chance that Apple creates one? They do not want to. They believe a tablet is a tablet and a notebook is a notebook, but what if Windows 8 ones come out and are successful? It would be a lost market for them, for sure.

 

Apple does not believe a tablet is a tablet, they believe if there is a lack of options then many consumers will simply buy both or all 3. Then they tell people that its because you cannot pull both off, but thats not it at all, of course you could not tell customers hey we are going to make alot more profit if we divide our products.

 

[edit: why is this thread in the cosmetic modification and custom build forum?]

Lenovo has given a ringing endorsement to convertible tablets with a six-device lineup. Lenovo knows the market well (most profitable Windows OEM), so if they think Windows convertible tablets will sell, they probably know what they're talking about.

Pricing of the Yoga is also MUCH better than feared.

THREE-MODEL THINKPAD TABLET LINEUP

Thinkpad Tablet 2, $650

Wacom-stylus-equipped 10" 1366x768 IPS tablet with a Clover Trail processor and a separate keyboard dock (no onboard battery or hinge, but probably a low price for the dock).

Thinkpad Edge Twist, $850

ULV Ivy Bridge processor powering a 12" 1366x768 IPS convertible tablet (keyboard doesn't detach). Swivel-style hinge. No Wacom.

Thinkpad X230t (Ivy), $1150

Full-power Ivy Bridge processor powering a 12" 1366x768 IPS convertible tablet. Includes Wacom stylus.

THREE-MODEL IDEATAB LINEUP

IdeaTab Lynx, $600

Clover Trail processor powering an 11" 1366x768 IPS display in a slate with a Transformer-style dock that also doubles battery life.

IdeaTab Yoga 11, $800

ARM processor and Windows RT (the "let's see whether this takes off with consumers or not" model) with an 11" 1366x768 IPS display with a back-bending hinge (usable either as a laptop or as a free-standing tablet, though not particularly nice to carry since it doesn't bend 360 degrees around).

Frankly, I suspect Windows RT will bust...but even if it does, the Lynx with the dock can cover the midrange consumer model as well as the base consumer.

IdeaTab Yoga 13, $1100

ULV Ivy Processor, 13" 1600x900 IPS display, back-bending hinge. Better specs/price combination than most ultrabooks that don't offer touch or a back-bending hinge...this should blow most ultrabooks out of the water and be a real shot across the bow of the $1200, 1440x900, no-touchscreen MBA 13.

 

$800 for an ARM based tablet with 768p screen. Not sure what customers lenovo knows so well. Lets hope for their sake that actual pricing will be much lower than MSRP.

 

ASUS released some weirder convertibles.

The ASUS has TWO, count them 2 screens. One in the place normally associated with laptops, and the other on the backside. While this is an interesting design, I think it is incredibly inefficient when it comes to price. The base model starts at $1299, most likely because of the 2 LCDs it requires. ASUS TAICHI 21 and VivoBook X202 go up for US pre-orders, spoil the party a bit early (update: VivoTab RT, too) -- Engadget

Another interesting one is the new Dell XPS 12. It takes the Inspiron Duo's design, but adds premium materials, a perfected design, and throws it out at market for $1199. Dell XPS 12 Windows 8 convertible priced at $1,199 and up, ships this month with pre-orders starting today -- Engadget

Is there any chance that Apple releases a convertible? It seems like they've been pretty set in stone about tablets being tablets and laptops being laptops. Nothing in between. But they have also shown that they can change their minds on a lot of stuff, like HDMI, and the rumored 7" tablet being all but confirmed for later this month.

What does everyone think?

 

Dell represents XPS12 ultrabook transformer.

 

I wouldn't be surprised to see apple responding to the surface (if it is a success) with a tablet version of the MBA. The ipad doesn't hold a candle to the surface pro, but the air does, and its already thin enough to be a tablet. Just slap a touch screen on where the keyboard and touch pad would normally be.

 

the Acer offerings are nice too. W510 and w700 are very nice.

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Microsoft surface is pretty awesm too....

But dell convertible seems a better option....

 

The Surface is 75% tablet, 25% laptop. The Dell XPS 12 is the opposite. Both have their place. They're also very different price points based on the different performance and screen resolution they offer.

The Sony Vaio Duo 11 is about 50% tablet, 50% laptop, but given the 1080p screen and Ivy Bridge processor, it's still priced like the XPS 12 instead of the Surface.

Apples and oranges. There's a market for each.

 

What's everyone's opinion on these now that more are out?

 

I think they're the future for a segment of people. There's plenty who are "entrenched" in Android and (especially) iOS tablets who wont move...fine.

But I think that a segment of the population would want to consolidate everything into one device. I'm part of that segment. Ideally I'd want to have a hybrid device to replace my old system.

As I posited in OT, a Mobile OS tablet will always feel limited due to the lack of a true "windowed" usage scheme. Windows 8 tablets allow for both overlapping windows and Metro app "snapped" view, so I can actually do two things at once.

I wouldn't have to leave my video app to respond to a IM. I'd be able to download everything straight to the storage of the device. Transferring videos and files to a Mobile OS tablet is a pain...you have to figure out what it can play, the screen size/specs, etc...do conversions. And it's SLOW to boot.

 

2013 is yet another year of continuous push for a tablet-laptop hybrid. Sony has been the most aggressive of the companies, with the Duo 11 and Duo 13. Haswell has fixed the biggest complaint about tablet-laptop hybrids, and that's battery life. This is an exciting year to be a consumer.

 

Interesting topic. I think all the hybrids are a bridge to the future. Some pushing of the envelope with wrist phones/pcs.
Everyone is looking for something novel, but also more practical for their specific needs. I have to hand it to Asus and the Transformer models. That obviously opened the door to more innovation.
It is not that pretty or particularly powerul. It's all about function and how you can do it on the cheap and still give most people what they need (not just what they think they want) in a portable device.
IMO, it kind of flies in the face of Windows RT which I was never enamored with. Too bad also, because I think MS would have had a real winner with a $500 full Windows 8 machine using the same packaging.
What they did with RT reminds me a 3 wheel car.

 

Windows hybrids running full Windows 8.x (not Windows RT) are as inexpensive as $349. That buys you an Asus Transformerbook T100, with a 1366x768 IPS display, Bay Trail processor that doesn't choke on word processing and other day-to-day tasks, 32 gb SSD, SD card expansion, detachable keyboard dock including trackpad, and license for Office Home & Student. It's the best value in the 2-and-1 market, and almost unbelievable value when you think about it. There's also a $399 model with a 64 gb SSD.

 

The Sony Vaio DUO 13 is your best bet.

1080p SCREEN
tablet/windows 8 slate hybrid
ssd storage
intel hd 4400
8 hour battery
3.5 pounds

its the neatest computer creation in terms of laptop/tablet hybrids.