Hasta La Gadget!

Windows 8‘s finger-focus has spawned some interesting form-factors, and following in the footsteps of Lenovo’s IdeaPad Yoga comes the Panasonic Toughbook CF-AX2, a rugged twist on the 360-degree hinge concept we’ve been playing with here at CeBIT 2013. A compact 11.6-incher with a 1366 x 768 10-finger multitouch display, the CF-AX2 runs Intel’s latest Core i5 processor for lengthy runtimes – Panasonic claims up to eight hours on a single charge – and, thanks to some hot-swappable battery magic, allows you to switch out for a new power pack without shutting down.

That’s because there’s a smaller, internal battery inside the Toughbook’s compact footprint, which tides the CF-AX2 over while you drop out the first pack and slot in a second one. It’s a factor that will make the Toughbook particularly appealing to Panasonic’s target audience: mobile professionals who’ll also appreciate the drop and bump resilience.

Inside, there’s a Core i5 3427U processor and Intel HD 4000 graphics, and Panasonic has managed to accommodate no small number of ports despite the size. You get VGA, HDMI, two USB 3.0, ethernet, audio in/out, and an SD card reader, as well as the usual WiFi and Bluetooth (with a discrete switch to turn the wireless off).

The touchscreen is bright and responsive, and has a welcome matte finish for anti-glare purposes. It was certainly capable of holding up to the CeBIT show floor lights, which bodes well for outdoor use. Next to the webcam is a physical Windows button for use when you fold the CF-AX2 back into tablet mode (though it’s worth noting that it leaves the keyboard and trackpad exposed on the opposite side, the same issue as with the Yoga. The chassis is also somewhat plasticky, at odds with the ruggedized finish.

Panasonic is already offering the Toughbook CF-AX2 in Japan, with European sales kicking off this quarter.

Panasonic Toughbook CF-AX2 hands-on: Extreme Yoga is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

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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This week the Dell XPS 13 has been re-introduced with a Full HD iteration, this version prompting the manufacturer to suggest that it’s not just the MacBook Pro they’re gunning for, it’s the MacBook Air. This device has already been revealed and released in a 720p edition – we reviewed it right here on SlashGear, in fact – and here in 2013 the Dell team is showing off not just the Full HD version, but an XPS 13 Developer Edition as well, this time with the same display as the original (now called “standard display”) but here based on Project Sputnik. And it’s all about definition from here on in.

The Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook with Full HD display option takes on a massive 1920 x 1080 resolution across its 13-inch display, this containing almost twice the amount of pixels compared to what Dell calls a “typical 720p display”. The image you’re seeing below comes from Dell and shows the XPS 13 in both of its non-developer editions. It’s made clear instantly how much more you’re going to be able to see in the same physical display size – hot stuff!

Also note above that yes, the physical machine sizes are the same, it’s no optical illusion. The amount of pixels inside the display allows for more to be shown from a standard app like Excel from Office 2013 (see our review of Office 365 for more info on that iteration of Excel). Dell also lets it be known that this version of the Dell XPS 13 offers a 72% color gamut vs the 45% color gamut on the “standard” panel.

Viewing angles have been bumped to 178 degrees up from 80 degrees on the standard panel – and it’s worth noting that each of these measures comes from Dell comparing the standard and the Full HD panels on the Dell XPS in a general way. They’re all just a little bit subjective when it comes down to it since it’s really up to your own eyes to decide how much more excellent one panel is compared to its predecessor. The display has also been amped up to 350 nits in its Full HD iteration, this “up to 75% brighter than a typical 200-nit display.”

Dell notes in their press materials for the Full HD XPS 13 that the unit is “often judged against the MacBook Pro 13, but in terms of size and weight, the MacBook Air 13 is a more realistic comparison.” The folks at Dell note that the XPS 13 is smaller than the MacBook Air 13 “as it fits a 13-inch screen into something barely bigger than an 11-inch footprint.” This machine is getting ready to be unleashed upon the public this Spring, aka “in the next few weeks” – stay tuned for more details, pricing, and hands-on action.

Bonus! This device is also offered from Dell starting at $1,449 USD working with Ubuntu – fun stuff for all!

Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook Full HD edition guns for MacBook Air is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Ultrabooks are extremely sexy devices that walk in the path that the MacBook Air pioneered, and it does not seem as though this path is going to end anytime soon, which is a good thing, really. We have word that Sony has just made available their desirable Vaio T Ultrabooks available via their online store as well as on Best Buy. Just to recap, the Vaio T series was flaunted in both 14” and 15” flavors at the recently concluded CES 2013, so it is nice to see them Sony’s store in the form of a pre-order.

The 15.5-inch Full HD touchscreen display on the Vaio T15 will be powered by 3rd generation Intel Core i3-3227U, i5-3337U and i7-3537U processors, and depending on the processor type of your choice, you will have to fork out $770, $950 and $1,150, respectively. Shared specifications include an Intel HD 4000 graphics chipset, HDMI out, USB 3.0 connectivity, 4GB RAM, a 24GB SSD and 500GB hard drive, as well as a DVD burner. Of course, higher end models will see additional RAM thrown into the mix with a 256GB SSD to boot.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Lenovo ThinkPad Helix Misses February Release Date, Super WiFi For Free Suggested By Government,

Sony was mum on most of the details of the VAIO T15 and a touch-upgraded T14 when they appeared at CES. We won’t have to wait until the spring launch in the US to know what some editions of the Ultrabook will carry, though. At least for Japan’s February 9th release, the T15 won’t be running any Haswell-based parts — the top-spec system carries a 2GHz Core i7 from the current generation, a BDXL drive and a 1TB hybrid hard disk. The touch-ready T14 will be just as modest with a 1.8GHz Core i5, a DVD burner and up to 750GB of hybrid storage. We wouldn’t be shocked to see performance boosts to either PC before they cross the Pacific, but we at least know what to expect as a baseline.

Filed under: Laptops, Sony

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Source: Sony (translated)