Hasta La Gadget!

It’s tough to forget the ASUS TAICHI: out of all the Windows 8 convertibles we’ve seen (and we’ve seen a lot) this is the only one with two screens on board. In particular, it’s got one on the inside, which you’d use in regular notebook mode, along with a touchscreen on the outside that allows you to use the PC as a tablet. If you like, you can shut the lid completely and turn the machine into a slate-type of device, but you can also leave the lid open so that you’re mirroring your desktop, or displaying something different on each one (imagine the possibilities for presenters!). As an added trick, that outer screen also accepts pen input, though you’ll have to splurge on the highest-end configuration to get it with a stylus.

For now, ASUS is selling the 11.6-inch TAICHI 21 ($1,299 and up), though a 13-inch version is going to start shipping later this month. Hopefully, though, our review after the break answers questions you’d have about either model. Namely, what’s it like to use a machine with two screens, anyway?

Filed under: Laptops, ASUS

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Furniture that can be transformed into other pieces of furniture isn’t exactly new. I think the idea was inspired by the fact that most of us are cramped for space in our homes, and convertible furniture seems like a good solution to that. It’s not always done well, but the Sensei is one of the few that is executed almost seamlessly.

Not only is the Sensei a table, but it’s also two chairs as well. The catch is, it can’t be both at the same time; you have to choose between one or the other.

As two chairs, the Sensei features an asymetrical, futuristic design with a backrest that’s only supported on one side. If you’ve got enough stools to go around the room but not enough tables, then flip the chairs over to their sides and interlock them like so. The black and white cross at the center, forming a sort-of yin and yang right down in the middle. Once chairs are aligned, just push them together to close the gap in the middle, and voila! You now have a coffee table!

Uruguayan industrial designer Claudio Sibille, however, explains that part was accidental, since the Sensei was the product of “random geometric shapes” that he was playing around with on AutoCAD.

It’s an extremely elegant design, but unfortunately, it’s only a concept for now, with the Sensei you see here being a prototype that Sibille created of his design.

[via Core77 via Gizmag]

That recent update on Surface Pro give you jitters? Yeah, us too, which is why we fully expect x86 nomads will be looking afresh at the heavier, more established classes of Windows 8 hybrids and convertibles. Gigabyte’s latest entry into that crowded arena has just swung by the FCC, raising the likelihood of US availability while also showing off its 11.6-inch, 1,366 x 768 pivoting touchscreen wedded to a 21mm-thick (0.8-inch) chassis with a chiclet keyboard and large touchpad. The U2142 is built to contain a third-gen Intel Core i3 or i5 processor with integrated graphics, alongside up to 256GB of mSATA flash storage and 1TB-worth of HDD — a double helping that brings its weight to 1.5kg (that’s 3.3 pounds, or 50 percent heavier than MSI’s 11.6-inch slider). CNET Asia got an early hands-in October and learned that the convertible might retail for around $999, although it’s not clear what specs would come for that price, and it’s also worth bearing in mind that Gigabyte has yet to garner much of a reputation for build quality — even if that central hinge does look like something off an anti-aircraft gun.

Filed under: Laptops, Tablets

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Source: FCC, Gigabyte

It used to be that “convertible PC” could mean only one thing: a laptop whose display swiveled around, folding down into tablet mode. Now that Windows 8 is here, though, the category has become a bit muddied. How else to describe our recent collection of reviews? In just the past few weeks alone, we’ve tested a laptop whose screen folds all the way back, an Ultrabook whose display flips inside the hinge and yet another with a slide-out keyboard. Anything goes — at least until consumers decide which form factor they like best.

But when Lenovo calls its new ThinkPad Twist a convertible, you can rest assured it’s using the old-school definition. As the name implies, it has a rotating screen that allows it to be used as a 12-inch slate. And, like all the business-friendly ThinkPads that came before it, it sports a well-engineered keyboard, a secondary set of touch buttons and, of course, that signature red pointing stick. Now, though, it runs a much more finger-friendly OS, and has a touchpad that can support all the new gestures in Windows 8. It’s one of several new touch-capable notebooks from Lenovo, but it’s the only one geared toward business users. So is this worth the upgrade from an older ThinkPad? And is it a better buy than Lenovo’s other Win 8 convertible, the IdeaPad Yoga 13? Read on to find out.

Continue reading Lenovo ThinkPad Twist review: an old form factor gets new life with Windows 8

Filed under: Laptops, Lenovo

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We just had the opportunity to get some hands-on time with MSI’s latest creation, the S20 Slidebook. This ultra light (2.3 pounds / 1kg) and thin (0.78-inches / 19.8mm) convertible Ultrabook runs Windows 8 (of course) and packs by an Intel Core i5 processor (Ivy Bridge) paired with 4GB RAM and a 128GB mSATA SSD. It’s made of white plastic and a silver magnesium allow with plastic antenna covers for the built-in WiFi a/b/g/n, Bluetooh and WiDi radios.

Take a look at the gallery below and stay tuned for our first impressions and video.

Developing…

Continue reading Hands-on with MSI’s S20 Slidebook Windows 8 convertible Ultrabook (update: video)

Filed under: Laptops, Tablets

Hands-on with MSI’s S20 Slidebook Windows 8 convertible Ultrabook (update: video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Oct 2012 19:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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