Ultrabook or Tablet

ASUS TF700T-B1-GR 10.1-Inch Tablet

2012-08-15T22:37:00.002-07:00

ASUS TF700T-B1-GR 10.1-Inch Tablet

Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700T

ASUS TF700T-B1-GR 10.1-Inch Tablet (Gray)

ASUS TF700T-B1-GR Specifications :

Operating System: Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) Platform
Display: 10.1-inch WUXGA IPS capacitive pressure-sensing multi touch display. 178° viewing angle (1920 x 1200) protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 2
Chipset: NVIDIA Tegra 3 Quad-core T33@ 1.6GHz
Wireless: 802.11 b/g/n
Memory: 1GB DDR3
Storage: 32GB eMMC Flash
Camera: 2 megapixel (front); 8.0 megapixel (rear)
Speakers: Built-in stereo speakers with ASUS SonicMaster Technology
Card Reader: Micro SD Card Reader
Input/ Output:
- 1 x Micro HDMI
- 2-in-1 audio jack (headphone/mic-in jack), internal mic
Battery: 25 W/h Li-polymer battery (up to 9.5 hours)¹
Dimensions: 10.35" x 7.12" x 0.33" (W x H x D)
Weight: 1.32lbs

See more Product Description from amazon.com at ASUS TF700T-B1-GR 10.1-Inch Tablet (Gray)

ASUS TF700T-B1-GR 10.1-Inch Tablet (Gray)

ASUS TF700T-B1-GR Features :

10.1-inch WUXGA IPS capacitive pressure-sensing multi touch display for brilliant Full HD entertainment and intuitive navigation. 178° viewing angle (1920 x 1200) protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 2
Powered by NVIDIA Tegra 3 4-plus-1 Quad-core processor @ 1.6Ghz with 12-core GPU for low power consumption and the highest performance
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS with Adobe Flash support and over 500,000 downloadable applications on the Android Market.²
Front (2MP) and rear (8MP) cameras for face-to-face video chats and on-the-go video and picture capturing.
Optional Docking station with QWERTY keyboardadds additional 4.5 hours of battery life, to instantly turn the Transformer into PC mode with up to 14 hours of battery life.¹
Ultra-slim and light (.33" thin and 1.32lbs light) with stylish swirl design

Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700T Review

ASUS TF700T-B1-GR Comparison :

Nexus 7 vs. Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700 Comparison Smackdown

Apple New iPad vs. Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700 Comparison Smackdown

Customer Review :

ASUS TF700T-B1-GR 10.1-Inch Tablet (Gray) is very slick in both style and design. I would compare it to the elegance of the Ipad. The device is also very light, and I have no problems holding it hours on end. Even while reading e-books and supporting it on my chest its lighter then a real book. Watching 1080p videos on this is incredible and the built-in speaker sounds pretty good too.

Ok, for starters, I'm not some blind fan-boy trying to boost the hype behind
ASUS TF700T-B1-GR 10.1-Inch Tablet (Gray) . I'm more the type to tear it down if it wasn't worth every penny I paid for it. I have been using Android for several years and am very familiar with it's pros and cons.

I have to say, honestly, I haven't touched my laptop or netbook and have barely used my phone (for anything other than calls) since I got my Infinity (and dock.) Truth be told, I'm using it to write this review.

See more customer review and buy the best price ASUS TF700T-B1-GR 10.1-Inch Tablet (Gray) from amazon.com

Google Nexus 7 Tablet (16 GB)

2012-08-15T21:30:00.004-07:00

Google Nexus 7

Google Nexus 7 Tablet (16 GB)

Google Nexus 7 Description :

7 1280x800 HD display (216 ppi)

Back-lit IPS display

Scratch-resistant Corning glass

1.2MP front-facing camera

16 GB internal storage (actual formatted capacity will be less)

1 GB RAM

WiFi 802.11 b/g/n

Bluetooth

Quad-core Tegra 3 processor

Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)

4325 mAh battery (Up to 8 hours of active use)

See more Product Description from amazon.com at Google Nexus 7 Tablet (16 GB)

Pros :

Excellent High Resolution Display
Good Performance
Great Battery Life For Smaller Tablet

Cons :

Limited Storage Options
No Rear Facing Camera

Google Nexus 7 Comparison :

compares the specs of the Google Nexus 7 to five other tablets chart from PCWorld :

Nexus 7 16GB unboxing, comparison test and first walk-through

Customer review :

Google Nexus 7 Tablet (16 GB) is my 1st tablet, I uses it mostly for surfing with Chrome browser, Video watching with YouTube and Netflix, Video calling with Skype, playing game, and reading eBooks. This tablet so far, satisfied my needs. I like this tablet over iPad, Kindle Fire, Samsung tab 2 because of
- Portability, 7-inch size has less weight and rests comfortably in my hand. I have a lot of cargo shorts and pants and it fits in those pockets.
- Zippy quad-core processor and DDR3 memory give me smooth and responsive interactions
- The front camera video quality (720) isn't bad with Skype
- It has a GPS for the Google maps
- High resolution 7-inch screen (the other 7-inch tablet with the same screen resolution that I know of is the tmobile SpringBoard tablet but its price is much higher (wireless carrier rip-off))
- Lastly, the rubbery back of the tablet gives me pretty good grip

Where do I begin? I pre-ordered the Google Nexus 7 Tablet 16 GB version directly from Google Play. Since it arrived, I have barely put it down. Setup was easy and it synced flawlessly with my Gmail account, automatically downloading apps I had purchased for my android phone. The touchscreen is very responsive and the system is extremely fast. "Buttery" is a great way to describe it. No lag whatsoever. It is light, but also feels durable. So far, the descriptions of the battery life seem accurate - about 10 hours of web surfing. I had heard about the improved voice searches, but I had no idea they would be this good. It has answered every question I have tried, even with my southern accent. Previous attempts on my android phone were not nearly as successful. This Google Nexus 7 Tablet (16 GB) is an excellent product.

See more customer review and buy the best price Google Nexus 7 Tablet (16 GB) from amazon.com

ASUS Zenbook Prime UX31A-DB51 13.3-Inch Ultrabook

2012-08-15T00:21:00.001-07:00

ASUS Zenbook Prime UX31A-DB51 13.3-Inch Ultrabook

ASUS Zenbook Prime UX31A-DB51 13.3-Inch Ultrab ook ASUS Zenbook Prime UX31ATechnical Details : Processor
Processor	Intel Core i5-3317U Processor
Processor Type	Dual-Core
Clock Speed	1.7 GHz
Max Turbo Frequency	2.6 GHz
L3 Cache	3 MB
Chipset	Intel HM76 Express Chipset
Memory
Standard Memory	4GB DDR3
Memory Standard	DDR3-1600
Memory Technology	DDR3 SDRAM
Storage
Hard Drive	128GB SATA III SSD Drive * Free recovery disk and a hidden partition in the hard drive allow users to reformat the hard drive and reinstall the operating system and pre-loaded software as when it was shipped.
Card Reader	1 x SD Card Reader
Display & Graphics
LCD Display	13.3" IPS Full HD (1920 x 1080) anti-glare panel with 350cd/m2 brightness and 800:1 contrast
Graphics Controller	Integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000
Video Camera	1 HD 720p CMOS Module
Network & Communication
Network	Integrated 802.11 a/b/g/n Bluetooth 4.0 support (on WLAN+ Bluetooth 4.0 combo card)
Interfaces/Ports
Interface	2 x USB 3.0 ports 1 x micro HDMI 1 x Mini VGA 1 x SD Card Reader 1 x Headphone-out jack (Audio-in Combo)
Keyboard	286mm frameless illuminated Chiclet keyboard
Audio
Audio	Built-in Speakers And Microphone Bang & Olufsen ICEpower
Software
Operating System	Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit
Power
Battery	50 Whrs Polymer Battery
Power Adapter	Output : 19 V DC, A, 45 W Input : 100 -240 V AC, 50/60 Hz universal
Physical Characteristics
Dimensions	12.8" x 8.78" x 0.12"~0.70" (W x D x H)
Weight	2.86 lbs (1.3 kg)
Accessories
Included Accessories	1 x Leather Sleeve 1 x Power Adapter 1 x Mini VGA to VGA 1 x USB to RJ-45 Adapter

See more Product Description from amazon.com at ASUS Zenbook Prime UX31A-DB51 13.3-Inch Ultrabook

ASUS Zenbook Prime UX31A-DB51 13.3-Inch Ultrabook

Product Highlights

1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U Dual-Core
4GB of DDR3 RAM
128GB Solid State Drive
Integrated Intel HD Graphics
13.3" Widescreen IPS Antiglare Display
1920 x 1080 Native Resolution
802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
Bang and Olufsen ICEpower Speakers
Integrated Webcam and Microphone

ASUS Zenbook Prime UX31A-DB51 13.3-Inch Ultrabook

ASUS Zenbook Prime UX31AComparison :

Comparing the 7 new 13.3" Zenbooks, UX31A and UX32 series

The UX31A are all Asus "Zenbook Prime" which features IPS FHD display and SSD drives, and Ivy Bridge CPU.

Here are the key difference within these 4 models:

UX31A-XB72: Ivy Bridge I7-3517UE 3rd gen CPU, 256GB SSD with TPM(trusted platform), Windows 7 Professional

UX31A-DB71: Same CPU as above, same size SSD as above but no TPM, Windows 7 Premium instead of Professional

UX31A-AB71: Same CPU as above, 128GB SSD with no TPM, Windows 7 Premium instead of Professional

UX31A-XB52: CPU is Ivy Bridge I5-3317U 3rd gen CPU, 256GB SSD with TPM, Windows 7 Professional

UX31A-DB51: CPU is Ivy Bridge I5-3317U 3rd gen CPU, 128GB SSD with no TPM, Windows 7 Home Premium instead of Professional

The UX32 series a bit more complex to compare, few observations, UX32 series only have 48W battery compared to 50W on the UX31A and use hybrid drives instead of pure SSD

Here are the key difference within these 3 models:

UX32VD-DB71: best of these 3 with IPS FHD, i7 Ivy bridge i7-3517UE 3rd gen CPU, 500GB hybrid with 24G SSD, dedicated graphics GT 620M 1GB

UX32A-DB51: standard HD display(not IPS) at lower res than above, i5-3317U as opposed to i7 above, no dedicated graphics

UX32A-DB31: same standard HD display as DB51, 2nd gen CPU of i3-2367, 320GB hybrid hard drive, various accessories not included

Customer review :

My second laptop doesn't have any problems. I'm getting about 5 hours of battery life while doing light programming and listening to music on auto-brightness (there's a brightness sensor) which sets the display at about 60 percent brightness indoors.

I received ASUS Zenbook Prime UX31A-DB51 13.3-Inch Ultrabook a few hours ago and I'm going to give my first impressions on the device.

I ordered this Zenbook Prime UX31A-DB51 ultrabook from Amazon and received it promptly and in perfect condition this week. The i5 proc (newer "ivy bridge" model) has plenty of power for my use (and for almost any average use), and for what I'm using this for, I also don't need more than 128GB of storage, so I decided to go with this model instead of the DB72, which has the i7 proc and 256 SSD.

See more customer review and buy the best price
ASUS Zenbook Prime UX31A-DB51 13.3-Inch Ultrabook
from amazon.com

Ultrabooks or Tablets

2012-08-15T00:21:00.000-07:00

Ultrabooks or Tablets

They’re both lightweight, portable computers. And they both have high-quality screens that are ideal for playing back media and visual entertainment. So what’s the difference between a tablet and an Ultrabook device? It’s easy to be flippant and say it’s the keyboard, especially as Ultrabooks are set to acquire touchscreens, GPS positioning and other sensors thus far associated with phones and tablets. But there’s a bit more to it than that.

Tablets or Ultrabooks : similiarities

While at a first glance you could be tempted to say that these are very different computer devices, if you look closer you will find a couple of important similarities too.

First of all, both ultrabooks and tablets are extremely thin, light and therefore very portable. Practically, all of the ultrabooks already released or due to be released soon measure 0.6-0.7 inches thick, which is just over the iPad 2’s depth.

Secondly, even though you can’t say that they look very similar, both ultrabooks and tablets have a very strong aesthetical sense, being targeted towards people who care how they look and how their ‘’properties’’ look as well.

Surprisingly enough, the number of ports and connectivity options is also very similar, with both tablets and ultrabooks usually featuring no more than two USB ports, as well as microHDMI, Bluetooth and Wireless.

That’s pretty much all the common ground we can see right now between ultrabooks and tablets and, while some of you might find a couple of extra similarities, we wouldn’t want to stretch these.

Tablets or Ultrabooks : differences

As you might expect from the number of similarities found earlier, the number of differences is very large and important.

First of all, tablets don’t usually come with physical keyboards, like ultrabooks do, but sport touchscreens. That is probably the biggest disadvantage that slates hold right now, giving that they are less functional than a regular laptop or an ultrabook and it is pretty difficult to accurately and quickly type on the iPad 2 or just about any other tablet at the moment.

Another tablet disadvantage refers to the hardware, which is clearly inferior to the ultrabooks’ tech specs. The iPad 2, for instance, as we already mentioned, features a 1 GHz processor and 512 MB of RAM, while most ultrabooks come with snappy 1.6 or 1.7 GHz chipsets and with 2 GB of RAM.

In terms of storage space, as well as in terms of screens, ultrabooks are again better, featuring higher-resolution displays and larger solid-state drives.

As for the software, the tablets and ultrabooks are again very different, but it is pretty difficult to clearly state which one is better. Ultrabooks run Windows, as any other laptop, while tablet PCs run Android or iOS (the iPad 2).

On the other hand, tablets are lighter and more portable than ultrabooks, usually weighing somewhere around 1.2-1.5 pounds (ultrabooks go for 2.4-2.9 pounds). They have rotating screens as well, which could prove very nice when traveling.

The battery life is also superior when talking about tablets, with the iPad 2 being able to easily run for nine or ten hours between charges. Ultrabooks are themselves pretty capable in terms of autonomy, but can’t go for more than six hours on a single charge.

Finally, in terms of pricing, ultrabooks are clearly more expensive, going for 1,000 dollars or even more. Tablets, on the other hand, usually go for 400-500 bucks, but can be bought for as little as 200 dollars as well.

What is Tablet ?

2012-08-10T10:45:00.000-07:00

What is Tablet ?

The tablet computer has made enormous strides in the last few years. Thanks to popular tablets like the iPad*, the thin, touchscreen-operated computers have become the weapon of choice for many computer users as they offer a great experience when browsing the web or using one of thousands of specialized apps.

Tablets vary by their power and operating systems. Processors like the Intel® Atom™ provide considerable power for the current generation of tablets, and some tablets have dual core processors, including the Motorola Xoom* and Asus Eee Transformer*.

Tablet operating systems

Most tablets use a special operating system designed to make the most of a touch interface, this gives the tablet the cool interactive feel that makes them fun and useful. A good operating system is an important part of a great tablet computer.

Popular tablet operating systems include the Honeycomb* version of Google Android*, mobile versions of Windows 7* and XP*, and Apple's iPad OS*. All of these operating systems have distinct advantages and disadvantages and all feature proprietary app stores which expand the capabilities of tablets.

Apps include everything from games to specialized word processors and even instruments. Generally, apps make use of a tablet's touchscreen to deliver an experience that a user couldn't get from a typical computer. A touchscreen is a very intuitive control system, so tablet manufacturers try to deliver the most easily accessible operating systems and apps possible to make sure that tablets offer a different experience from what a user would get from a laptop or netbook.

Android or Apple? What Operating Systems are Available for Tablets?

An important tablet feature to consider is operating system, otherwise known as a 'platform'. There are currently three choices available, Android, BlackBerry, and Apple.

Operating systems are the framework and interface of the tablet, and represent the experience you will have when you interact with your tablet. It is important to carefully consider each to ensure you get the best out of it, and how well the system handles the tasks you want to execute.

Key highlights of the current operating systems available at Staples include:

Android

True multi-tasking, meaning you can do multiple activities such as email, web surfing and video chat at one time on the same screen
Full Adobe Flash support, allowing users the full rich experience of the entire internet
Strong integration across Google's rapidly growing services such as the Android Marketplace, Maps, eBooks and more.

BlackBerry

Wireless connectivity to existing BlackBerry smartphones for real time access to email and calendar plus 3G access. This uses your existing data plan - so no incremental monthly charge for 3G connectivity
Seamless pairing with BlackBerry servers allowing for enterprise level performance and security
Full Adobe Flash support, allowing users the full rich experience of the entire internet

When considering your OS give some thought to the types of software and applications (or apps) you are likely to use. Availability of apps and software varies depending upon which OS your tablet runs. This area will be one of the most important considerations as you determine which tablet is right for you.

Why Buy a Tablet?

Tablets are taking the computing world by storm. They are the latest trend that gives you internet capabilities, access to email, video chat and allows you to capture images and video while on the go. These multimedia devices are designed to be portable, with small dimensions and a lightweight design. They also give you control by navigating around the device using the touchscreen display or stylus pen.

Whether you are a student, business professional or just love technology, tablets have something for everyone. The best devices offer a responsive touchscreen that quickly obeys your every command. You can take notes, send emails and create documents or slideshows anywhere, anytime. Using the built-in cameras, you can capture images at a moment’s notice or even communicate via video chat with anyone around the world.

What is an Ultrabook ?

2012-08-09T07:33:00.001-07:00

What is an Ultrabook ?

In the later half of 2011, the term Ultrabook was starting to be used by a number of companies for a set of new laptop computer systems. Then in CES 2012, Ultrabooks were one of the big product announcements with pretty much every major computer company offering up models to be released later in the year. But just what exactly is an Ultrabook? This article delves into this question in an attempt to help sort out the confusion buyers may have in coming months while searching for a laptop.

Ultrabooks are designed to feature reduced size (less than 2.1 cm thick) and weight (usually less than 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs)) without compromising performance and battery life. They use low-power Intel processors withintegrated graphics and unibody chassis to fit larger batteries into smaller cases.

What Makes an Ultrabook Different?

Quick startup: Going from hibernate to keyboard interaction must take 7 seconds or less. Resume from sleep should be even faster than that.
Long battery life: The minimum for a single charge of the battery is 5 hours, and some models promise up to 8 hours.
Thinness: Ultrabooks need to be less than 21mm (0.82 inch) thick. Most models that have come out so far are much thinner.
Enhanced security: The laptop firmware has to support Intel’s Anti-Theft and Identity Protection technology.
Powered by Intel: You didn’t expect Intel to allow AMD CPUs, did you?

Why buy an Ultrabook ?

The single biggest reason to get an Ultrabook is that it makes computing on the go infinitely more convenient. Ultrabooks are nearly as portable as tablets while retaining the performance of full-sized computers. And an Intel requirement that all Ultrabooks should have at least 5 hours of battery life means that, with light use, they will last most of the day on a single charge.

Some staff on our publication have now switched almost exclusively to Ultrabooks when needing to work while travelling, typically on trains or aircraft (or taxis on the way to a meeting). Ultrabooks can be carried in a smaller bag and when you use them in a public place are not as intrusive. One staff member recalls an occasion from a previous era when a fellow passenger on a train complained about being scalded (literally) by jet of very hot air shooting out of the side of a big 15.6in laptop the staffer was using. That will never happen with an Ultrabook because of its much lower heat output, which also means there will no whirring fans and attendant noises.

Tablet-like characteristics

People have taken to tablets for many reasons, but one of the biggest is "instant on," or virtually instant access to apps and data. Although Microsoft claims that Windows' resume from sleep function is now very quick (3-4 seconds) the truth is that it's highly inconsistent and most people still shut down their notebooks after each use, which means at least a minute or more waiting for the system to boot up. Ultrabooks are required to implement Intel's "Rapid Start Technology" which writes the contents of RAM to NAND flash memory at sleep time, ensuring it can be read back in a couple of seconds. In short, when you want to do something on an Ultrabook, your apps or data are no more than 2-3 seconds away. Brilliant. And a cold boot takes no more than 20 seconds compared to a minute or more for a normal laptop.

Ultrabooks have performance comparable to that of full-sized laptops

In a direct,head-to-head battle, the low power Intel Core processors in Ultrabooks would lose against full-power ones in a standard laptop. However, processor speed is not the whole story. Ultrabooks have excellent performance because they combine the processors with solid state drives, which speed up boot and application load times from 50% to 300% and more. The end result is that the Ultrabook CPUs are not hobbled by the kind of slow mechanical hard disk drives found on full-sized notebooks and are able to deliver performance that belies their low-voltage, super-slim, super-light status.

We saw this for ourselves first-hand, not in our labs running synthetic benchmarks, but on the production floor. We were able to test the Acer, ASUS and Toshiba Ultrabooks in the APC office (using them as our daily machines for magazine production work instead of our standard, corporate-issue desktops) and they were able to handle it. This meant they ran all day with lots of Office apps open simultaneously (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), multiple browsers and intensive programs such as Photoshop and InDesign running often, too. The Ultrabooks handled it.

Expect much better reliability

Ultrabooks are built more like telephone and tablets to incredibly fine tolerances, so that all that componentry can fit inside the amazingly thin cases. Because Ultrabooks are so slim, the cases need to be stronger so they're made of ultra-strong alloys, and in the case of the ASUS UX series, use unibody construction, where the entire case is milled from a solid block of metal (just like the MacBooks). Since there are no mechanical drives, there's fewer moving parts to break down. And critically, because Ultrabooks use components with a lower thermal output, they can stand up better to the great destroyer of computer parts: too much heat or poor heat dissipation.

Ultrabook or Tablet

ASUS TF700T-B1-GR 10.1-Inch Tablet

ASUS TF700T-B1-GR 10.1-Inch Tablet

Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700T

ASUS TF700T-B1-GR 10.1-Inch Tablet (Gray)

ASUS TF700T-B1-GR Specifications :

ASUS TF700T-B1-GR Features :

Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700T Review

ASUS TF700T-B1-GR Comparison :

Customer Review :

See more customer review and buy the best price ASUS TF700T-B1-GR 10.1-Inch Tablet (Gray) from amazon.com

Google Nexus 7 Tablet (16 GB)

Google Nexus 7

Google Nexus 7 Description :

Pros :

Cons :

Google Nexus 7 Comparison :

Customer review :

See more customer review and buy the best price Google Nexus 7 Tablet (16 GB) from amazon.com

ASUS Zenbook Prime UX31A-DB51 13.3-Inch Ultrabook

ASUS Zenbook Prime UX31A-DB51 13.3-Inch Ultrabook

ASUS Zenbook Prime UX31ATechnical Details :

Product Highlights

ASUS Zenbook Prime UX31AComparison :

Comparing the 7 new 13.3" Zenbooks, UX31A and UX32 series

Customer review :

Ultrabooks or Tablets

Ultrabooks or Tablets

Tablets or Ultrabooks : similiarities

Tablets or Ultrabooks : differences

What is Tablet ?

What is Tablet ?

Tablet operating systems

Android

BlackBerry

Why Buy a Tablet?

What is an Ultrabook ?

What is an Ultrabook ?

What Makes an Ultrabook Different?

Why buy an Ultrabook ?

Tablet-like characteristics

Ultrabooks have performance comparable to that of full-sized laptops

Expect much better reliability