TECH SPECIAL...Laptops develop a split personality

Laptops develop a split personality

Thanks to touch support built into Windows 8, there is a new range of devices called convertible notebooks, which want to fill the shoes of both tablets and laptops. These seem like attractive propositions because it’s like getting two devices for the price of one. I spent the last few weeks trying out three devices that are there in the market to assess how they work — both as laptop and tablet. Dell XPS 12 The Dell XPS 12 looks like a standard laptop until you see its screen swivel within the frame of its lid. Swivel the screen so that it’s facing away, close the lid and it turns into a tablet. As a laptop, the XPS 12 is a capable device. It is powered by an Intel Core i5 processor with 4GB of RAM. The keyboard has a rubberised finish, and typing is a pretty silent affair. As a tablet, however, it is heavy to hold while playing games, or reading books. A typical tablet like the iPad weighs just 652g. The XPS 12 weighs 1.5kg. Acer Iconia W510 The Iconia W510 is made up of two parts — the keyboard and the screen. This 10inch screen fits into the keyboard via a hinge mechanism. The device looks a bit wobbly, but during actual use, the hinge proved to be quite sturdy. The device has a 10inch screen, even with the keyboard attached, and is quite light. It is also the ideal tablet when the screen is pulled out. On the flipside, the small size means that the keyboard is cramped, giving the feeling of typing on a netbook. The W510 is powered by a dual-core Intel Atom processor, which is less powerful than Intel’s Core series of processors. While simple applications will run smoothly, the ride will get bumpy if you load programs like Photoshop. As a result, the W510 feels like using a convertible netbook, albeit with better construction, software and battery life. Samsung Ativ Smart PC Pro The lid of the Samsung Ativ Smart PC Pro is a full-fledged tablet housing the entire processing unit of the device, that slides into the base. Unfortunately this base, in comparison, is too thin and light. The difference in weight is so much that when you keep the device in your lap, the slightest movement can topple it over. The device is equipped with an Intel Core i5 processor, which can handle most tasks with ease. As a tablet, it is more comfortable to use than the Dell XPS 12, since it has a 11.6inch screen. At 857g, it is heavier than other tablets, but not by much.

R Krishna DNA  Mar 17, 2013