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ASUS Transformer Book review: meet ASUS’ first detachable Ultrabook

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For a while, it looked like ASUS’ Transformer Book would turn out to be vaporware: after debuting to much fanfare a year ago, it encountered numerous delays, and even missed the crucial holiday shopping season. Now it’s finally here, priced at $ 1,499 with a Core i7 processor, a 13.3-inch (1080p) screen and a detachable keyboard dock housing both a spare battery and a 500GB hard drive. The problem is the timing: Intel is about to launch its new Haswell chips, and here’s the Transformer Book, arriving on the scene with a lofty price and a year-old CPU.

It’d be easy enough to tell you just wait for a refresh, which is how we’ve been ending all of our PC reviews in the weeks leading up to this year’s Computex. But it’s still worth investigating whether the Transformer Book (aka the TX300) is a compelling idea. Though we’ve seen many tablet hybrids (the Surface Pro, etc.), they’ve mostly had smaller 11-inch screens. So what happens when you take that form factor and stretch it to accommodate a bigger screen — and a more spacious keyboard? And how does it compare to all those convertible options out there, like the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 or the Dell XPS 12? Let’s have a look.

Gallery: ASUS Transformer Book review

Filed under: Laptops, Tablets, ASUS

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Ask Engadget: best sub-$1000 Ultrabook?

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Author: Christen Arquette

We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is from Meredith, who needs a new Ultrabook so she can go to Law School. If you’re looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I’m going to law school and I’ll need a new laptop. Since I’ll be commuting with a long train ride each way, I’m looking for a sub-$ 1000 device with Windows, a long battery life, SSD and it has to be lightweight. I don’t need anything too powerful as I’m not doing any gaming, but something that’ll work reliably for the next three years would be ideal for lecturers, web browsing and word processing. Is there a bargain to be had now, or should I wait for back-to-school Ultrabooks to come out? Thanks!”

In your humble narrator’s position, waiting a few months for a Haswell device, which promises significantly increased battery life might be a wise choice. However, if you’re not too fussed about a touchscreen device, then our laptop expert feels that Samsung’s Series 9 might be the way forward. Of course, this isn’t just a private enquiry, so let’s share this out with the wider community and see what they can come up with. It’s Ask Engadget, folks, you know the drill.

Filed under: Laptops

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NEC launches VersaPro VX business laptop, VG Ultrabook in Japan

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Author: Brandon Zimmerman

You probably won’t ever see these latest NEC computers hit retailers on this side of the Pacific, but if you do your laptop shopping in Japan, it’s time to listen up. NEC’s just flooded the market with a bounty of fresh models, all likely destined for corporate IT departments, and maybe a few homes.

There are a few additions to the Mate series, including an MG all-in-one, along with ML, ME and MB slim towers. Then, on the portables front, there’s some VB, VH, VD and VA notebooks, followed by two standouts: a VX laptop for 138,500 JPY ($ 1,400) and a VG Ultrabook priced at a whopping 261,000 JPY (about $ 2,650). That first model is available with Intel Core i3 or i5 processors, a WXGA 15.6-inch LCD and integrated graphics. The pricey Ultrabook, for its part, can be had with a Core i5 or i7 processor, four gigs of RAM, a 1,600 x 900-pixel 13.3-inch LCD, integrated graphics and either Windows 8 Pro or Windows 7 (huzzah!). There’s plenty more to discover, of course, but we’ll leave that up to you. NEC loyalists can get their fix (in Japanese) at the source link below.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

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Via: Akihabara News

Source: NEC

Mystery 13-inch Sony Ultrabook slider pops up in horribly grainy YouTube video

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Author: Christen Arquette

We’ve already seen Sony take a stab at a Windows 8 hybrid in the form of the VAIO Duo 11, and now a clip has appeared on YouTube apparently showing an unannounced 13-inch Ultrabook slider with a 1080p Triluminos touchscreen display. Allegedly, the video is being used for training at UK retail chain Dixons, and in addition to repeatedly collapsing and opening the slim white and silver unit, the demonstrator plays around with a stylus in Microsoft’s Fresh Paint. There are a couple of text overlays near the end of clip, highlighting the “SurfSlider design,” backlit keyboard, ClearAudio+ and ActiveSleep tech, as well as its 10 hours of battery life. NFC is also said to be on board, along with an 8-megapixel camera with Exmor RS sensor, Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD. The incredibly grainy video is embedded after the break, and although we can’t verify its authenticity, we also can’t ally it to any known product.

[Thanks, Aiga and Christopher]

Filed under: Laptops, Tablets, Sony

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Source: YouTube, Notebook Review forums

Acer announces Aspire P3, ‘the world’s first ultrabook convertible’ (hands-on)

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Author: Melissa Shroeder

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Acer’s making a big Windows 8 play at its event today in New York city, announcing a handful of unique devices including the new Aspire P3. Acer calls the P3 an “ultrabook convertible,” and that’s a fairly apt description: it’s a tablet and detachable keyboard dock running Windows 8, with a Core i3 or i5 processor. It reminds us a bit of the Surface, with the clip-on keyboard and pen support. Acer claims its the first of its kind, though that may be semantic: we heard about the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix months ago, though we’ve yet to see it in stores.

Acer calls the P3 the perfect device for consumption and creation, an increasingly common trope among Windows PC manufacturers. It has an 11.6-inch HD display, weighs 3.06 pounds, and is…

Good deal: Acer’s Aspire S7 ultrabook drops to just $899

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Author: Nancy Kennedy

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There’s no denying that the Acer Aspire S7 is an attractive-looking machine. It’s a super-thin ultrabook with a 1080p display that rotates 180 degrees, and when we reviewed it, we found there was a lot to love. If you can look past the weak speakers, limited 4GB RAM, and pretty dismal battery life, the S7 is the perfect minimalist notebook.

One thing stopping us from overlooking the S7′s faults was its slightly high price tag — the 11.6-inch model launched at $ 1,199, while a fully-specced 13.3-inch machine would set you back $ 1,649 — but the Microsoft Store is running a promotion that takes care of that. You can now pick up the 11.6-inch S7 for just $ 899, while the Core i5 and Core i7 13.3-inch models will set you back $ 999 and…

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Lenovo to modernize ThinkPad brand with redesigned T431s ultrabook (hands-on)

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Author: Stefanie Jenkins

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A ThinkPad — whether it was made 20 years ago by IBM or just last month by Lenovo — is instantly recognizable: the black boxes with a red TrackPoint nub in the middle have changed over the years, but they’ve been some of the most consistent pieces of hardware in an ever-changing industry. Lenovo is now undertaking one its most significant efforts in recent history to modernize the brand while very clearly maintaining that ThinkPad look. It’s starting with the T431s, a redesigned ultrabook in the famed T series that the company is announcing today and plans to release this April for $ 949.

The ThinkPad T431s isn’t the first ultrabook in the T series — its predecessor, the T430s, took that distinction last year — but it builds on…

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Samsung Series 5 UltraTouch review: a solid, if slightly overpriced, mid-range Ultrabook

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Author: Gabe Hall

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If you read our latest laptop buyer’s guide, you may have noticed we included a lot of high-end PCs. Which makes sense: we’ve been quite busy reviewing flagship devices since Windows 8 went on sale last fall. We’re talking the best Microsoft’s partners have to offer: twisting screens, dual screens, 8-second boot-up times. That’s been fun, and we’re pretty sure those are the more interesting products to read about, but even so, we decided it’s high time we started reviewing some more mid-range systems — you know, those models that don’t cost $ 1,200.

So, in the coming months, you’re going to see us review more of these everyman systems, in addition to those lustworthy flagships. First up: the Samsung Series 5 UltraTouch. We’ll admit, we’re a little tardy here, as this went on sale late last year, but if you’ve never heard of it, it’s basically last year’s Series 5 Ultrabook with a touch panel appended. For the money ($ 800 and up), you get some modest specs (Core i3 / i5 processors with hybrid storage and a 1,366 x 768 screen), though if our research is correct, those are the same basic specs you’ll find on most competing models. Given that, any display snobs can show themselves the door now, before we even get started. But what if you’ve been looking for a more affordable Windows 8 system? How does Samsung’s entry stack up?

Gallery: Samsung Series 5 UltraTouch review

Filed under: Laptops, Samsung

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Ultrabook, round two: can Intel control the future of the laptop?

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Author: Charity Woods

Intel Kirk Skaugen interview

There aren’t many companies that can set a new direction for the entire computer industry. Right now, three come to mind: PC manufacturers march to the beat of Microsoft’s Windows drum, and many follow Apple’s design. The third is Intel, which influences the market behind the scenes with ever more powerful processors and aggressive marketing campaigns.

In 2011, Intel told every PC manufacturer that it needed to have an answer to Apple’s MacBook Air, and offered $ 300 million, among other persuasions, to help OEMs develop and market new designs. Intel called it the ultrabook, and specified a set of ultrabook requirements in terms of thickness, responsiveness, and battery life. The manufacturers complied. While some PC vendors champed at…

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CES 2013: Laptop and Ultrabook roundup

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CES is done for an additional year, however prior to we could drop the mic, we should create a reminisci-package to sum up the week in notebook computing. This year’s show was chock-full with Ultrabooks, leading lots of to believe that full-fat notebooks are going the way of the Dodo. Nevertheless, Intel’s Kirk Skaugen feels that rumors of the notebook’s demise at the hands of the Ultrabook are substantially overstated– seeing the latter as merely a part of the total mobile PC firmament. Intel announced its power-sipping Haswell architecture and revealed its highly preferable North Cape reference design, which offered us a tantalizing glance of what future equipment can be like. Nonetheless, prior to we get to that, we have to handle the hardware striking shops this year, so if you ‘d such as to understand even more, follow us after the break.

Continue reading CES 2013: Laptop and Ultrabook roundupFiled under: Notebooks, Samsung, HP, LenovoComments

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