Laptops

By Matt February 5, 2014 Read More →

Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro unboxing and first impressions

The Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro sits towards the top end of the multimode Ultrabook market and is the latest Lenovo model to enter this space. Lenovo have several ‘multimode’ models in their range but one thing that certainly sets the Yoga 2 Pro apart from the rest of the crowd is the amazing 13.3″ QHD+ display, that’s 3200×1800 pixels!

The Yoga 2 Pro comes in a variety of flavours including Intel i3, i5 or i7 processor, 128GB / 256GB / 512GB SSD and 4GB/8GB RAM. The one we have is the i5 with 256GB SSD and 4GB RAM.

Some of you may know that I already have the Yoga 13 and I use that quite often. The Yoga 2 Pro has a similar footprint to the Yoga 13 but is a little lighter and, as I mentioned above, has an amazing QHD+ display. In the video below I’m doing my best to demonstrate just how good it is!

So check out the video, I’m hands-on with the Yoga 2 Pro and take a look at the hardware before firing up the OS.

Posted in: Laptops, Tablets, Videos/Unboxings
Tags: Lenovo, Yoga 2 Pro

By Gareth January 31, 2014 Read More →

Two Chromebooks coming from Lenovo

Here is a bit of news for Chrome OS and Lenovo fans out there – the popular PC manufacturer has just announced two new laptops! The Thinkpad 11e and the Thinkpad Yoga 11e come in two versions, sporting Windows 8 and Chrome OS (wouldn’t it be nice if they could dual-boot?).

These Chromebooks are said to be aimed towards education, but they seem to be great options for the regular consumer too. Specs were not specified, but we do have some details you might want to know.

Lenovo ThinkPad 11e Chromebook

As the name entails, the ThinkPad 11e sports what is now the standard in terms of Chromebook displays. Of course, we are talking about an 11.6-inch HD, LED display. HD probably does mean 1366x768p resolution, which is what most other 11.6-inch Chromebook displays have.

You will also get “over 8 hours of battery life”, but that is not what makes the ThinkPad 11e special. Its main feature is its construction, which comes with a rugged nature. The laptop will feature “rubber bumpers, reinforced ports and stronger hinges.” It’s a Chromebook built to last.

Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 11e Chromebook

The ThinkPad Yoga 11e will not be as resistant, but it will be a much more functional and flexible (literally) tool. This laptop takes on Lenovo’s signature Yoga design, allowing a laptop to take on 4 different configurations. It adapts to the type of use you want to give it at any given moment.

You can transform Yoga laptops in the following configurations: laptop, tablet, tent and stand. You can see the image below to see examples.

The TinkPad Yoga 11e also comes with an 11.6-inch display, but it sports an IPS panel. This will give the screen much better viewing angles and color accuracy. It’s also important to note that this is the third Chroembook to come with a touchscreen! I know many of you will fancy that.

All versions are set to be released during the Spring of 2014. Price is a bit more vague – Lenovo says the Chromebooks will start at $349. Are you getting one of these bad boys?

Posted in: Laptops, News, Tablets

By Gareth January 30, 2014 Read More →

Samsung to halt Windows notebooks in favour of Chromebooks

Sources within the supply chain serving the South Korean electronics giant, are reporting that Samsung “will no longer launch conventional notebook models except Chromebooks” from 2015. ‘Samsung will no longer launch conventional notebook models except Chromebooks…’

The company was one of the first on the block with Google’s thin-client cloud-based OS, launching one of the first Chromebooks back in 2011. A refreshed version of their best-selling ‘Samsung Chromebook’ is rumoured to arrive near Easter, utilising an eight-core ARM processor.

A rumour like this is probably most unlikely however when thinking of Dell’s decision to discontinue shipping Windows 7 on their hardware there might be something in it. With that said, the report does give a potential reasoning for such a switch. Samsung expected to ship 17 million notebooks in 2013 but only managed to shift 12 million. As a result, insiders say the company has lowered its notebook forecasts for 2014 to 7 million units. Do it make sense to drop an entire platform when notebook and laptop sales are down and tablet sales are up?

Posted in: Laptops, News
Tags: chromebook, Samsung

By Matt January 25, 2014 Read More →

Do Laptop Tablets have Staying Power?

Last year, some 227 million tablets were sold and now they are more popular than smartphones when it comes to using the web. With almost 10% of visits coming from these devices, there’s a boom for them now, but will they still be popular in the future?

Currently, multimode and laptop tablet models are becoming the must have devices are they are ideal for both personal and business use. More portable than laptops, tablets have come a long way since humble beginnings back in 1989 with the GRiDPad. The amount of internet connected devices available is such that you can be diagnosed with a fear of not being connected – nomophobia. We have a look at what the future has in store.

The evolving relationship between humans and electronics

A smartphone seemingly isn’t a commodity anymore, merely something everyone is expected to have in order to send messages, pay bills and, well, live life. It is unsurprising that nomophobia is becoming a thing and relationships are becoming more intimate as wearables like smart watches and the innovative Google Glass continue to break new ground in the market. With analysts predicting that we’ll have (on average) five internet devices within the next few years, the falling prices mean that we have a different device for each activity. With phablets allegedly still a phenomenon to come and multimode tablets becoming a thing of the future, the crossover may have started.

Can laptop tablets break the market?

Quite a few tablets come with a keyboard now, and it is Lenovo who are breaking most of the ground and predicting that multimode tablets are the game changer moving forward. Microsoft obviously think this to be the case too as the Surface Pro 2 has been redesigned to be PC alternative that runs Office, a long battery and has a high performance. Some people have tried to suggest that the future of tablets isn’t healthy but the Aberdeen Group released a prediction that Windows 8 tablets will lead Android and Apple for market share this year as sales of tablets go into overload.

While the prediction says we are liking to have a number of different devices, they may still be required to do more than one job. If you’re getting a cheap tablet, then you know what it is for – and research from Ofcom has found that kids love tablets for browsing etc – then you know what you’re getting but there are calls for top-end products to be multimode – the Surface Pro 2, Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 2 and ASUS Transformer Book T100 are all good examples.

Today, keyboards are key accessories when it comes to tablets and that would suggest that the trend is here to stay. While all electronic devices have there place in the market, some smaller than others, the multimode tablets make for an appealing alternative to PCs – and even laptops. The touch experience is well loved and many manufacturers are looking to cash in on the trend. Laptop tablets are here to stay.

Posted in: Editorial, Laptops, News, Tablets

By Gareth January 21, 2014 Read More →

Just how safe is Chrome?

A big selling point of Chrome and more importantly Chrome OS is that Chrome extensions are meant to be clean and simple. A bragging community will tell you that you are safer than any other browser or Operating System. A bold statement that will surely have the sceptics investigating. What have they turned up? Problematic extensions!

Google is making a move to ban obtrusive extensions, because sometimes these can harm your Chrome experience. There is another recent threat Google is dealing with, though. Companies have been acquiring extensions from developers in order to turn them into adware clients. Google has banned a couple of these extensions: Add to Feedly and Tweet this Page. These were once popular extensions that helped users simplify some of the more routine online tasks.

Who is to blame? Are we seeing coders pushing extensions into the Google Store clean only to turn around a harvest vital information for the highest bidder? Not quite. In Add to Feedly’s case, the original developer, Amit Agarwal, was offered “a four digit” amount for his extension, which only took about an hour to code. Of course, he accepted and the transaction went smoothly. He regretted his decision when the new owner pushed an update to the extension. The new owner turned his helpful extension into an ad-serving machine. These were not regular ads either, they worked in the background and replaced links on every website! Original links were replaced by affiliate links without anyone’s knowledge.

How safe is Chrome?

Google’s new policies will help make this all better, though. If we have learned one thing, over and over again, it is that there is always a way for an OS to be corrupted by nefarious source. Google have been quick to act, have learned a lot from the experience and we can only hope that the whole Chrome architecture will return to the safe and reliable service we have grown so accustomed to.

Posted in: Apps & Games, Desktop Computing, Editorial, Laptops, News
Tags: Google Chrome

By Matt January 12, 2014 Read More →

Lenovo Ideapad Miix 10 unboxing and hands on

Lenovo have a wide range of ‘multimode’ devices on the market and we’re continuing to look at the entire range with the Ideapad Miix 10.

This Windows 8 computer can transform from laptop to tablet in seconds offering great flexibility and enables you to have the capabilities of several devices in one package. The keyboard doubles as a flexible case/cover but this can be removed completely should you wish to use it in naked tablet mode.

Those out there considering their first tablet computer may want to look at devices like this, running Windows 8, as they offer a good alternative to Android and iOS tablets on the market as they are capable of running desktop applications which is useful in the corporate environment and where business productivity is important.

In the video below you’ll see the Miix 10 in a little more detail, I’ll show you the hardware and how the keyboard works with the removable tablet unit. Not the normal unboxing as our review unit was a bit battered but otherwise it’s a full unbox and hands-on.

Posted in: Laptops, Tablets, Videos/Unboxings
Tags: Featured, Ideapad, Lenovo, Miix 10

By Gareth January 10, 2014 Read More →

Acer C720 Chromebook Unboxing video

The Chromebook of the moment has got to be the Acer C720. Currently being released in a number of different configurations featuring various amounts of RAM and storage, touchscreens and now colours.

Acer seem to have hit upon a winning combination of value, power and quality. What new edge does the Acer C720 bring to the table, despite options? Well, not a lot to be entirely honest, in terms of specification it’s really on par with all the other Chomebooks out there at the moment. However, the C720 does offer great value for money and seems to be the solid choice.

As always, I’m starting off the review process by recoding an unboxing video, which you’ll be able to see below. Here I’ll be showing off the hardware as well as taking a look at the OS and UI once we’ve booted up. A process that takes seconds!

Posted in: Laptops, News, Videos/Unboxings
Tags: Acer, c720, chromebook

By Gareth January 8, 2014 Read More →

Android or Windows at the flick of a switch from Asus

The new Asus Transformer Book Duet seems to be the real deal that many have promised over the years in that it can go from Windows 8 to Android literally at the flip of a switch (actually push of a button). Press the OS switch button on the Duet’s keyboard dock or tap the app on the touchscreen and it takes approximately 4 seconds to make the jump. Thanks to the Duet’s Intel Core i7 processor the Duet is plenty speedy. A list of other features show this ASUS as quite the capable 2-in-1 device.

A little more detail from their press release reveals:

ASUS Transformer Book Duet (TD300) delivers striking visuals on its 13.3-inch 1920 x 1080 Full HD IPS touchscreen display. This multi-touch display has a sensitivity and responsiveness that exceeds Microsoft’s requirements for Windows 8.1. For audio, it comes with ASUS SonicMaster technology for true-to-life sound through the tablet’s twin speakers.

In addition, Transformer Book Duet has a front-facing HD camera with a built-in digital mic for video chats. The tablet display has 128GB of SSD storage which can be supplemented by a 64GB Micro SD card, while the keyboard dock houses a 1TB hard disk drive. The dock is also home to USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports, a LAN port, and HDMI 1.4 output with 1080p support. In terms of connectivity, ASUS Transformer Book T300 has 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 with EDR.

It looks to be a pretty incredible 2-in-1, but my problem lies in the choices of Operating Systems. Before anyone gets ahead of me I’d like to say that I love both Android and Windows 8. I own a Nexus Tablet and have been using Android since ’09 with the OG Droid. I also own a Dell XPS 12 Ultrabook running Windows 8.1, so I’m very familiar with both OSs and appreciate them both equally. I also own a Lumia smartphone running Windows Phone and this is where my problem with the operating systems comes into play. As an Android user you will probably understand this issue I have with a Windows and Android duel boot machine.

I’m pretty much “locked” into the Windows 8 ecosystem. I use the word “locked” loosely because I’m really not locked into the ecosystem, I choose to use all the services just as I did when I was on Android. I can go back to Android in a matter of minutes without any real disruption, but why would I want to or need to? I have no real need to boot into Android. As a matter of fact, my tablet rarely gets any use beyond using Hangouts, so I just don’t have the need for a dual boot of Android and Windows. Android/Ubuntu yes, Windows/Ubuntu yes, Android/Windows no.

This issue will be further exaggerated when it comes to a dual boot smartphone running both Android/Windows (if it ever happens). To fully enjoy either OS, you really have to jump right in and get wet. Having one foot in Android and one foot in Windows is castrating the experience. Either you’re in or your out and most people are all in. Whether it’s iOS, Android or Windows Phone, consumers are tied into one ecosystem. In theory it looks interesting, but in practice it falls way short. Perhaps it’s just me. Perhaps there is a real market for Android and Windows running side by side with a press of a button or flick of a switch, but for me I’m just not seeing it right now. Android is quite capable of existing on it’s own just as Windows (Phone) is capable of doing all the lifting on it’s own.

Posted in: Laptops, News
Tags: Android, asus, windows

By Gareth January 7, 2014 Read More →

Lenovo has been thinking about the ThinkPad 8

Alongside the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, Lenovo yesterday announced a new ThinkPad tablet dubbed the ThinkPad 8. The ThinkPad 8 mixes things up a little by offering three unique configurations: Desktop, Tablet, and Tent. Tablet is obviously a portable mode while Desktop Mode requires an optional keyboard base. Tent Mode also requires an accessory, Lenovo’s Quickshot Cover.

The ThinkPad 8 features an Intel’s Z3770 (Bay Trail) quad-core CPU clocked to 2.4 GHz and Intel HD Graphics, with 2 GB of RAM, up to 128 GB of SSD storage, and an 8.3-inch 1920 x 1200 FHD display with 10-point multi-touch. Then there are the usual bells and whistles: WiFi, optionally 4G/3G, rear- and front-facing cameras (8-megapixel and 2-megapixel, respectively). There’s also MicroUSB 3.0, MicroSD, MicroHDMI, and MicroSIM (for 3G models).

Posted in: Laptops, News, Tablets
Tags: Lenovo, ThinkPad

By Gareth January 7, 2014 Read More →

The Toshiba Chromebook confirmed

We saw fairly concrete rumours of it last month and now it has arrived. Toshiba’s new Chromebook features a 13.3-inch screen at a common 1366×768 resolution. Like other Chromebooks, the Toshiba device is powered by a Haswell Intel Celeron 2955U processor clocking in at 1.4GHz.

Toshiba Chromebook Specs

13.3-inch screen (1366×768)
Intel Celeron 2955U @ 1.4GHz
Intel HD Graphics
2 GB RAM
16 GB SSD
2x USB 3.0
SD Card Reader
HDMI Out

The Chromebook weights 3.3 pounds and Toshiba are expecting up to 9 hours of battery life out of their first Chromebook. The larger screen size will appeal to some, however the 2GBs of RAM and 16GB SSD make very similar to almost every other Chomebook released recently. The design is somewhat reminisent of Samsung’s Chromebook range but in the end, it’s plastic.

The Toshiba Chromebook will retail for $279 in the US and will be available starting February 16. By which time we should have a cleared idea of what to expect from Samsung’s next Chromebook.

Posted in: Laptops, News
Tags: chromebook

Laptops

Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro unboxing and first impressions