convertible tablet

IDC analyst slams Windows 8 device pricing

An IDC analyst doesn't like what he's seeing so far from PC makers and their pricing for Windows 8 products.

Lenovo and Acer this week began disclosing pricing for tablets and convertibles that range between $499 (Acer) and $1,099 (Lenovo). Bob O'Donnell, program vice president of clients and displays at IDC, doesn't think this kind of traditional PC pricing bodes well for the sales of newfangled hybrid devices.

"The problem is these things are priced way too high. Look at the history of tablet products priced above the iPad. Not pretty," he said … Read more

FAA may change in-flight gadget rules

Keep your seat belt fastened for Tuesday's tech news roundup:

The Federal Aviation Administration has formed a committee to reconsider its policy on when electronics can be turned on during a flight. But this does not include making a cellphone call, so no worries about noisy neighbors. This group will look into how (or if) today's smartphones and tablets interfere with communication and instruments, and perhaps future electronics could have some new certification standard that marks it as safe for use during a flight.

Android users might have to thank the Apple vs. Samsung trial for speeding up … Read more

Sony to debut Vaio hybrid tablet soon

Sony plans to debut a convertible Windows 8 tablet as soon as this week, a source tells CNET.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the same device that made an appearance today on the mobile news Web site Pocketnow, which published a series of images showing off a convertible tablet called the "Vaio Duo 11." … Read more

Lenovo boosts battery in convertible tablet/laptop

Lenovo's newest tablet/notebook features Intel's Sandy Bridge architecture and longer battery life.

Announced today, the Thinkpad X220 convertible tablet/notebook will join Lenovo's upcoming X220 notebook. Both products are the latest additions to the company's X series of ultraportable notebooks and tablet/notebooks with 12.5-inch screens, and both are slated to reach store shelves next month.

The X220 convertible starts at $1,199, while the notebook's starting price is $899. Though Lenovo is targeting both computers to individuals as well as companies, they are designed primarily for business users.

Outfitted with Sandy Bridge, … Read more

Dell Duo: Are Windows tablets on the rise?

There's the iPad, and there are Android tablets, but the most intriguing dark horse of them all might still be Windows 7. Despite many products we've seen that have been awkward grafts of Windows 7 touch technology, the imminent arrival of the Dell Inspiron Duo re-confirms that Windows 7 convertible tablets aren't dead yet.

However, are they shaping up to be better than what we've previously seen?

We reviewed the Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3t earlier this year, a well-designed but flawed convertible Atom / Windows 7 convertible tablet that felt bulky and slow. Recent designs such as the … Read more

Inspiron Duo's big debut: Nine months too late?

Dell's reveal of a 10-inch Netbook/tablet hybrid, called the Inspiron Duo, at IDF 2010 is a bit interesting: it has a funky flip-hinge built into its framelike upper lid, folds flat, and has a touch screen. But, we've seen this device before. In fact, it was shown behind supersecret closed doors, in a nonworking prototype format, back at CES 2010, along with other future-oriented NDA-covered items that seemed more concept than reality. Packing a dual-core Atom N550 processor, it's basically a Netbook/tablet with Windows 7 touch support, not unlike the Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3t.

Back then, … Read more

Get a Lenovo Netbook tablet for $399

If you're in the market for a Netbook, why not choose one that has a split personality?

I'm talking about the Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3t, one of the world's few convertible Netbooks. That means it starts out like a traditional model, complete with QWERTY keyboard and all that, but then magically transforms into a touch-screen tablet.

List price on this bad boy? A fairly steep $599 if you buy direct from Lenovo. But the company currently has them on sale, and a coupon code adds significantly to the savings.

Specifically, you can get the IdeaPad S10-3t Netbook tablet for $399 shipped (… Read more

Get a Lenovo Netbook tablet for $449.99

At the risk of enraging Apple zealots, I'm just going to come right out and say it: Why buy an iPad when you can get a convertible tablet PC for less money?

I'm speaking in particular of the new Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3T-0651, which Best Buy has on sale for $449.99 (plus $11.99 for shipping and sales tax in most states).

Even with those added charges, you get out the door for less than $499--the price of Apple's entry-level iPad model. The IdeaPad may not be as thin or sexy, but it can do so much … Read more

HP TouchSmart tx2z not good for art vault heists

This is a conversation I had with myself while watching episode four of "Dollhouse," in which one of the main characters is involved in the break-in and robbery of a vault filled with valuable works of art:

Me: Hey, I think that's the HP tx2z that guy's using. Me: Yeah, it totally is. Me: Wonder if he's using the multitouch to rotate his plans every time he changes direction? Me: Doubtful. The multitouch is slow and inefficient on that thing. Me: You wanna talk about inefficient, how 'bout that AMD Turion X2 Ultra Dual-Core ZM-86 … Read more

Intel's twist on the Classmate PC debuting at CES

Updated at 11:30 a.m. PT with pricing info.

Intel has a convertible Netbook on tap for the CES 2009 crowd assembling once again in Las Vegas next month.

Laptop magazine got a sneak peek at the newest version of the low-cost Classmate PC. It has an 8.9-inch swivel screen with touch and stylus input, a Web cam, and 1.6 GHz Intel Atom processor, 60GB hard drive, and Windows XP, with a few Intel touches to make XP work for the convertible form factor. So far, that includes Vision Objects Pen Input, which makes anything input via … Read more