Hasta La Gadget!

The Surface that we have today is quite different from the Surface that Microsoft introduced in 2007. For one thing, the Surface tablets are way smaller than the old Surface, which was supposed to be a tabletop computer. A clever modder has built the closest thing we can have to the original Surface with the help of the touch-friendly Windows 8.

YouTuber slymick built a coffee table computer with a 40″ monitor – the same dimension as the display of the old Surface – and a touchscreen frame.

I’m not 100% certain, but judging from one of slymick’s earlier videos this computer has an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, 2GB of RAM and an Nvidia GT420 graphics card. Unfortunately he has not mentioned what kind of touchscreen frame he’s using.

Of course this computer doesn’t have the RFID-powered object-detection of the original Surface, which was a very large part of its appeal and functionality. But it does give slymick a desktop OS with native touch controls.

[via Ubergizmo]

Apple users working with their untouchable Mac computers will be pumped up to see that Mimo Monitors have brought forth a brand new USB powered-and-connected 10.1-inch monitor that works with OS X like a charm! This Mimo Magic Touch monitor is the first of many models that’ll be offered by Mimo Monitors ready to rock with OS X with just a download of a special driver. This model also works with Windows 7 and can be used as a display-only unit for Windows XP, Vista, and 2000.

The Mimo Magic Touch is the first model released by Mimo Monitors to be assured readiness to work with the official Mac OS X Touchscreen Driver distributed by Mimo Monitors as well. This driver works with Intel Macs only and is compatible with systems up to and including OS X Mountain Lion. The driver, incidentally, is an alpha release – but once the final version is ready for action, you’ll get that upgrade for free.

The folks at Mimo Monitors note that “that this software is proprietary and we cannot provide it without charging this nominal license fee.” This is why it’s not free, if you’d like to know. You’ll also get a free downloadable “Gesture Pack” that allows two-finger scroll, pinch / magnify, and rotate gestures galore. You can also download a “trial version” of the software from Mimo Monitors once you’ve got the Mimo Magic Touch if you’d like to be sure you actually want to work with it, too.

The Mimo Magic Touch is also a lovely touchscreen monitor on its own, working with Windows 7 with full touchscreen capabilities with a 1024 x 600 resolution display, an adjustable dock/bast, and connects with USB 2.0. This unit needs to be connected with a USB cord in order to function, but requires JUST the USB cord and no additional display cords to work. Neat stuff! You’ll be picking up the monitor for $299.99 and the driver for $35.00 USD.

Mimo Magic Touch brings touchscreen finesse to OS X is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

If you were thinking of continuing your Acer collection of computers with a Windows RT tablet, you’ll likely have to wait at least until next year while the manufacturer delays their plans and waits out the Microsoft Surface wave. With the Surface RT, reviewed by SlashGear just this past week, Acer is seeing a situation happen that includes items like Microsoft’s Times Square launch and is keeping their own efforts a secret for now. Acer’s own President has made it clear this week that they aren’t stopping research, but they are putting Windows RT-toting hardware on hold.

As Acer President Jim Wong told Reuters this week, “Originally we had a very aggressive plan to come out very early next year but because of Surface, our R&D development doesn’t stop, but we are much more cautious.” He also made it clear that they’ll be delaying not just until 2013, but nearer the second quarter of the year rather than the first. This is not that much of a difference for some consumers, but certainly a change for interested investors.

“Originally our plan was Q1, but now I don’t think it will be earlier than Q2. I don’t know what’s next, what Microsoft will do. We are watching how Surface is doing … How is RT accepted by customers, how Microsoft is aggressive on RT and on Surface, we don’t know… We want to see.” – Wong

Imagine if the rest of the Microsoft partners did this with their own hardware, waiting until the Surface Pro was released before they put out any sort of touchscreen device running Windows 8. Such a thing would force Microsoft to put their own hardware out early – never a great moment for a tech company no matter how you spin it. At the moment though it does appear that Acer is the only business stopping up production in light of the Surface RT.

Wong did note that he recalled Lenovo and ASUS bringing forward Windows RT tablets at $599 USD price points before Microsoft revealed their own $499 Surface machine. Their response was, of course, to make slight changes that allowed for slightly lower price points. Now continues the war of prices, we must judge, rather than destruction of hardware amalgamations. Prepare yourself for the inexpensive quality PC!

Acer Windows RT hardware depends on Microsoft’s Surface performance is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Although Microsoft’s Windows 8 launch will very likely go down in history as a positive turning point for the company, it wasn’t without it glitches. Specifically, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that Microsoft reps in Taipei found it difficult to navigate their own OS due to hardware issues with their demo devices — namely, new all-in-one PCs from Acer and ASUS. There were said to be issues with opening and closing apps, possibly due to the implementation of touch on such large screen sizes of 23-inches and over.

Well, we’ve just been fingers-on with both the 23-inch Acer Aspire 5600U and the 27-inch 7600U in London, and we can report that the touch interface was totally fluid. Moreover, the LCD displays maintained their natural colors very well when switching from an almost vertical 80-degree orientation to an almost-flat 30 degrees. These models come with Ultrabook innards starting with low-voltage versions of the Core i5 and the NVIDIA 630M, and they also come with HDMI-in and optional TV tuners so they can be used in a living room or kitchen situation. Pricing in Europe begins at 1,000 Euros for the 23-inch model, rising to 2,000 Euros for the full-spec 27-incher. Check out the video after the break and you’ll see that we asked our Acer rep for his view on what happened in Taiwan and, although he didn’t have first-hand knowledge of the event in question, he insisted that it was a storm in a teacup. Given our experience of the devices so far, we’re inclined to believe him.

Continue reading Acer’s Windows 8 all-in-ones cause big fuss in Taiwan, we go hands-on to find out why (video)

Filed under: Desktops, Acer

Acer’s Windows 8 all-in-ones cause big fuss in Taiwan, we go hands-on to find out why (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Oct 2012 07:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Today, HP announced the pricing and availability of a large portfolio of various Windows 8 PCs, as well as a tablet. Some of these products have previously been available with Windows 7, and have been relaunched for the latest upcoming Windows operating system. The devices utilize HP’s TouchSmart technology, and offer features such as Snapfish and HP Connected Music. Now, in a press release, HP has announced the devices’ pricing and availability.

First up are the consumer notebooks. The HP ENVY x2 is an ultrathin hybrid with a detachable screen for those times you need a tablet. It’ll be available in the US on November 14th starting at $849.99. Next is the SpectreXT TouchSmart Ultrabook boasting a 15.6-inch multitouch Radiance Full HD ISP display. This laptop will be available in the US in December starting at $1,399.99. The ENVY TouchSmart Ultrabook 4 has a 14-inch multitouch HD display and subwoofer audio; it’s available for preorder starting at $799.99. The HP Pavilion Sleekbook 14 and 15 models are available in the US, and start at $499.99 and $579.99. The HP ENVY m4 is available from Best Buy starting at $899.99. Finally, the Pavilion dm1, which offers 200MB of free mobile broadband data sans-contract, is available now starting at $499.99. You can check out our hands-on reviews of the ENVY TouchSmart Ultrabook 4, SpectreXT, and ENVY x2 here.

Next up are the all-in-ones and desktops, starting with the HP ENVY 23 (23-inch display, $999) and the ENVY 20 TouchSmart (20-inch display, $799). Both devices feature a 10-point multitouch HD display, and are currently available for purchase. The SpectreONE is a 23.6-inch non-touch all-in-one PC; it’s slated for release in November starting at $1,299. The Pavilion 20 AiO is a value system, currently available starting at $449. Finally, the ENVY Phoenix h9 desktop is aimed at those needing a bit of power, and is available starting at $899.

As far as business notebooks go, HP has included the EliteBook Folio 947m ultrabook, which is slated for launch on October 26th starting at $1,049. Last but not least is the HP ElitePad 900, which is the only tablet (excluding hybrid laptops) in the lineup. This slate is aimed at businesses, and comes with a free 50GB Box account. It’s slated for release in January 2013, with no pricing information currently available.

HP unveils lineup of Windows 8 PCs and tablet is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.