Switched On: Hinging on success

Posted on 19/05/2013 by Ross Rubin

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

DNP Switched On Hinging on success

The announcement of the Acer Aspire R7 was the best example of the company's assertion that it was moving from computers designed with touch to computers designed for touch. But if having a fancy, even unprecedented, hinge is what defines a touch-optimized notebook, Acer is a bit late to the party.

Last October, Switched On discussed the role that laptop-tablet hybrids -- namely convertibles and detachables -- would play in the differentiation of Windows 8 devices. Both types have seen their share of support. Detachables have included HP's Envy x2, ASUS' Transformer-inspired VivoTab and Microsoft's Surface. (Dell's XPS 10 is available only with Windows RT.)

Filed under: Apple, Microsoft

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The brutal, exaggerated death of the form factor phone

Posted on 24/02/2013 by Sharif Sakr

This year's Mobile World Congress is bound to be frenetic with phone news. That's why we're about to brave Barcelona's rain, airline strikes and pickpockets (no offense, dear BCN) in order to stay up-to-date. But if there's one aspect of mobile phones we're not counting on to provide much excitement, it's their fundamental physical design or form factor. We're in the grip of the monolith, the concrete slab, the plain rectangle, with its full touchscreen and a couple of buttons here and there, and that grip is so tight that even the pickpockets are slightly shocked when they haul in something with a physical QWERTY.

But the point of this piece isn't merely to plot the decline of form factor diversity. It's actually to argue that the current monotony is probably only temporary, and that signs of a revival are already in the air. Read on and we'll do our utmost to convince you.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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NEC’s LaVie Z Ultrabook has definitely lost weight: just 875 grams and priced from $1,600 in Japan

Posted on 03/07/2012 by Sharif Sakr

No one complained when we reported NEC's initial claimed weight of 999 grams (2.2 pounds) for its LaVie Z Ultrabook, but it turns out that statistic is brutally unfair. The 13.3-inch laptop actually tips the scales at just 875 grams (1.9 pounds) thanks to the magnesium lithium alloy used in its 0.59-inch chassis -- not bad when you consider that there are still 1.3kg netbooks wandering the planet. Of course, in line with Intel's official Ultrabook spec, you're getting a minimum Core i5-3317U processor (yes, that's Ivy Bridge) and 128GB SSD, plus USB 3.0, SDXC slot, HDMI out and a claimed battery life of 8.1 hours. There's no word on US pricing yet, but that base spec will set you back ¥130,000 ($1,600) in Japan, while the top model with Core i7-3517U and 256GB SSD will add another ¥30,000 ($375) to your bill.

NEC's LaVie Z Ultrabook has definitely lost weight: just 875 grams and priced from $1,600 in Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Jul 2012 10:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba unveils Windows 8 concept devices, details stay hidden

Posted on 05/06/2012 by Sharif Sakr

If you're looking for pricing, specs, availability and all that good stuff, then you've come to the wrong place. What we have here is a gallery of photos revealing Toshiba's various concepts of what Windows 8 devices ought to look like. There's a Transformer-style tablet with detachable keyboard dock -- a form factor we're seeing plenty of at Computex right now. There's also a slider PC that looks rather like the MSI Slider S20 we played with earlier. Finally, perhaps the most conservative of the bunch is a clamshell laptop design with a touchscreen. So yes, as concepts go none of these are especially pioneering -- but at least Toshiba will know it can't dally in bringing its ideas to market and hitting a competitive price point.

Dana Wollman contributed to this report.

Gallery: Toshiba Windows 8 concept devices (hands-on)