ASUS VivoTab RT, Windows 8 on ARM

Subject: Mobile | October 31, 2012 - 06:59 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: winRT, vivotab rt, asus

When The Tech Report last talked about the VivoTab RT they were focusing on the new OS and its features and usability but they didn't touch on the device its self.  That has been remedied with this review which highlights the usability of the device along with some specifics like split screen mode and battery life.  They held off on running benchmarks which in a way makes sense as the limited usefulness of WinRT machines will mean that some cellphone benchmarks would provide information but not many of the usual PC benchmarks will ... we already know it won't play Crysis.  Check out their overview before you pick one of these up if you are not positive you want one.

"After spending the weekend with Asus' Tegra-powered VivoTab RT, we've posted our initial impressions of the convertible tablet."

Here are some more Mobile articles from around the web:

Mobile

• Dell XPS 12 Review @ TechReviewSource
• Samsung Chromebook (XE303) Review: Testing ARM's Cortex A15 @ AnandTech
• Microsoft Surface popped open, poked, prodded @ The Register
• Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, Retina) Review @ TechReviewSource
• Asus Vivo Tab RT Review @ TechReviewSource
• Ipad Mini vs Nexus 7 vs Kindle Fire HD @ The Inquirer
• Toshiba Satellite U925t Review @ TechReviewSource
• Cyberpower X6-9120 Gaming Notebook @ Bjorn3D
• Microsoft Surface @ AnandTech
• Android 4.0 update improves Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 performance @ Hardware.info
• Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Tablet @ Tweaktown
• Toshiba Satellite P845-S4200 Review @ TechReviewSource
• Samsung Series 9 @ Hardware.info
• Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Review (T-Mobile) - The Phablet Returns @ AnandTech
• 2x Dell XPS 15 review: Core i7 or Core i5 @ Hardware.info
• MSI GX60 Gaming Laptop @ Kitguru
• Vaja Leather Suit for Macbook Pro 15'' Unibody Review @ Madshrimps
• Matrox DualHead2Go External Multi-Display Adaptor Review @ OCC
• Sony Xperia T Android Smartphone Review @ HardwareHeaven
• Apple Ipad Mini first impressions @ The Inquirer
• Windows Phone 8 @ Hardawre.info
• EE 4G @ The Inquirer

Video Perspective: Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 Windows 8 Ultrabook Preview

Subject: Mobile | October 30, 2012 - 01:17 PM | Ryan Shrout
Tagged: yoga 13, yoga, ultrabook, Lenovo, Ivy Bridge, Ideapad

Earlier today we got in the new Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 13, an Ivy Bridge Core i5 Ultrabook with a very distinctive display panel that works as a laptop, a tablet, a tent and in a stand mode.  Basically, think of the Lenovo machine you saw from CES with the screen that wraps around the back. 

After getting the notebook in I recorded a quick 15 minute hands-on and overview video that I thought I would share in preparation for our full review coming later!  Enjoy!

NEC Launches LaVie Y Windows RT Tablet in Japan

Subject: Mobile | October 28, 2012 - 03:59 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: windows rt, tablet, nec lavie y, nec, ideapad yoga

NEC, a Japanese IT services and products company, is launching a convertible laptop similar to the Yoga 11 from Lenovo that we covered previously. The NEC LaVie Y is an 11” laptop that incorporates Lenovo’s 360” hinge to allow it to transform into slat mode when folded down or operate as a traditional laptop. The device measures 298 x 204 x 15.6 mm when it the screen is folded down over the keyboard. Further, it weighs in at 1.24 kg, or approximately 2.7 pounds.

Similarly to the Lenovo Yoga 11, the LaVie Y will run Microsoft’s Windows RT operating system. The convertible notebook will be powered by an Nvidia Tegra 3 system on a chip (SoC) along with 2GB of RAM, and a 64GB SSD. NEC has reportedly packed a decent-sized batttery as well, as the company is claiming up to 8 hours of use.

Wireless connectivity options include 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0. External I/O ports include USB 2.0, a 5-in-1 card reader, and HDMI output. Other specifications include an 11.6” touchscreen display with a resolution of 1366x768, a full QWERTY keyboard, and a touchpad. A 1.3 megapixel webcam is nestled above the display as well. The device comes in a two-tone color scheme: black for the keyboard and display bezel, and a silver color for the hinge and bottom of the tablet.

According to Engadget, the LaVie Y will be available for purchase on November 22nd, and the US pricing would be close to $1,136 should you import it. Needless to say, many Americans will want to wait it out for the Lenovo Yoga 11 which should be cheaper in the United States. For readers in Japan however, this might be worth checking out if you are into the Yoga-like form factor!

Read more about Windows RT tablets at PC Perspective

Asus Zenbook Refresh Introduces Several New Ultrabooks

Subject: General Tech, Mobile | October 28, 2012 - 03:18 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: zenbook, windows 8, ultrabook, nvidia, laptop, Ivy Bridge, GT650M, GT620M, asus

Asus has announced a refresh of its Zenbook lineup of Intel-powered ultrabooks to accompany its new VivoBooks and VivoTabs running Windows 8. Available next month, the PC OEM is introducing six new laptop SKUs with Ivy Bridge processors and dedicated graphics cards from NVIDIA. Specifically, the Asus Zenbook UX21A, UX31A, UX32VD, UX42VS, US52VS, and U500VZ ultrabooks are coming soon with the refresh.

The UX31A Ultrabook with touch display

The new Zenbooks will have Ivy Bridge processors, up to 10GB of memory, and up to NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M graphics. They maintain the aluminum chassis of Asus’ previous generation ultrabooks but up the hardware ante. The company has expanded the lineup to include models with 11.6,” 13.3,” 14,” and 15.6” IPS displays, backlit keyboards, and multitouch trackpads. The U500VZ and UX31A can even be outfitted with capacitive touchscreen displays.

The ASUS UX42VS Zenbook

The VX42VS further includes an optical drive, but otherwise the Zenbooks source of storage lies in solid state or hybrid hard drives. Interestingly, the UX32VD and U500VZ can even be configured with two 256GB solid state drives in RAID 0 (Ryan’s favorite kind of RAID).

The ASUS UX52VS Zenbook

The following chart outlines all the known specifications. Note that several of the ultrabooks are not listed on Asus’ website yet so exact dimensions are unknown for the UX52VS and U500VZ in particular.

*onboard + 1 x SODIMM

All of the new Zenbook laptops will be available in November and will come with Windows 8. Pricing will range from $699 to $1999 for the premium model (The U500VZ). Specific pricing details should become available closer to launch.

ASUS Launches Line of VivoBook Laptops Running Windows 8

Subject: General Tech, Mobile | October 26, 2012 - 01:05 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: windows 8, vivobook, laptop, asus

Asus has launched a line of VivoBook laptops to accompany its series of convertible Vivo Tab Windows 8 and Windows RT tablets. Initially, there will be two VivoBooks available around Windows 8’s October 26, 2012 launch date that will come in 11.6” and 14” screen sizes with the VivoBook X202 and S400 respectively.

The VivoBook series will focus on multitouch input available on a lightweight laptop chassis. They will have a similar tapered design as the company’s Zenbook laptops, and will use metal for the chassis and a glass screen rather than plastics. SonicMaster audio, and 32GB of Asus WebStorage space (for three years) also come standard with all VivoBooks models.

The X202 VivoBook

Interestingly, the specifications put the laptops just out of ultrabook territory, which should mean cheaper starting prices. Both the X202 and S400 will have processor options spanning Intel's lineup from lowly Celeron 847s to its Core (Ivy Bridge) series. However, the X202 will be limited to a top end of Core i3 while the S400 will be able to utilize up to a Core i7 processor. Both further feature 5400 RPM hard drives, though the S400 will have a 24GB caching SSD option to speed up general performance. Also, the X202 and S400 will come with multitouch displays and large trackpads. While Asus made no claims on the S400, they have stated that the X202 will have a trackpad normally used on a 14” laptop despite the X202 being a smaller 12” model. The larger trackpad will allow for easier gesture control of Windows 8, according to the company.

The specifications for the X202 and S400 VivoBook touch-enabled laptops are as follows:

Of course, the laptops will come pre-loaded with either Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro. The X202 measures a bit over 0.85-inches and the S400 is slightly thinner at approximately 0.82-inches. On the other hand, while the S400 is thinner, it weighs more at approximately 3.96 pounds versus the X202's 3.08 pounds.

The X202 is in stock at Amazon now, and should be availabe at other retailers soon. The Core i3-3217U (1.8GHz) version has a listed price of $599. On the other hand, the S400 with an Intel Core i5-3317U (1.7GHz) has a list price of $699.99. Unfortunately, pricing on the other models is still unknown, though you can expect the Pentium and Celeron powered X202 and S400 VivoBooks to be cheaper – it is jsut how much cheaper they will be that is still up in the air.

These do appear to be interesting machines if you are considering a new Windows 8 computer and want more of a traditional laptop form factor than the dockable tablet announcements that have dominated the news.

What do you think, would you use a touch panel on a laptop?

ASUS TAICHI - Perfect Blend of Ultrabook, Tablet, Uppercase

Subject: General Tech, Systems, Mobile | October 23, 2012 - 02:55 PM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: taichi, asus

ASUS has just officially announced their new TAICHI mobile computer which they are branding as both an Ultrabook and a Tablet. What differentiates this device is that it contains two 1080p touchscreens on either side of the laptop lid. When the lid is closed it is a tablet, when the lid is open it is a standard Ultrabook with a monitor facing away from the user.

The real difficulty is explaining use cases for potential buyers. Having done some high school teaching in the past the first usage which comes to mind is creating surveys and quizzes without a projector. Since a simple bar chart tends to have larger details it should be quite visible even on an 11.6” display. If you are teacher who tends to do a lot of “clicker” demonstrations it might be particularly useful as you would be able to modify the question on your screen and show the answer on the reverse.

In terms of a regular laptop it has quite a few nice features: Core i5 or i7 processor, an actual Intel HD 4000 GPU, USB3.0 for practically full-speed external drives, and a 128 or 256GB SSD. It is expected to have 5 hours of battery life when browsing the internet wirelessly. I am satisfied with 4GB of RAM but frankly these days it would be good to get a little more.

Prices start at $1,299 and go up to $1,599 for the i7 with a 256GB SSD. Availability starts November.

Press blast after the break!

ASUS VivoTab RT Tablet and Keyboard/Dock Released with Tegra 3

Subject: Mobile | October 23, 2012 - 02:54 PM | Ryan Shrout
Tagged: windows rt, vivotab rt, tegra 3, asus

Let the onslaught of new Windows devices continue, this time with the announcement of the ASUS VivoTab RT, a Windows RT-based tablet powered by NVIDIA's Tegra 3 SoC.  We have seen the VivoTab RT leaks and pictures for several months including a price listing just last month, all of which seem to have been spot on. 

One of the flagship Windows RT devices, the ASUS tablet utilizes an NVIDIA Tegra 3 SoC running at up to 1.3 GHz in either dual or quad-core mode.  You can see more background information on the processor itself in our story from September of last year when the product was first announced. 

The tablet has a sleek design with a 8.3mm profile (0.32 in), 525g weight (1.15 lb) and 10.1-in Super IPS+ screen with a 1366x768 resolution behind scratch-resistant Corning Fit Glass.  It will be available with either 32GB or 64GB of internal storage and will start at $599 with an included keyboard dock. 

As we saw with ASUS Transformer series of tablets, the VivoTab RT will have an optional keyboard dock that includes a trackpad and nearly doubles the battery life of the machine.  Below is the full spec sheet as provided by ASUS:

When docked, ASUS is claiming a total of 16 hours of usable battery life and with the inclusion of the Office Home and Student version of Microsoft Office 2013 RT, you should actually be able to use this tablet for content creation and business purposes - something we haven't been fond of claiming on Android or iOS based tablets.

If you are curious to learn more about the VivoTab RT we'll be doing a live streaming run through on the device on our PC Perspective Live! page at 4pm EDT / 1pm PDT, so be sure to join us!! 

Missed the live stream?  Here is a replay so you can enjoy seeing our experiences for a solid hour of usage including SmartGlass!  Also, make sure you pay attention to the first few minutes as we explain the pricing.