I call the Samsung XE700 an Ultraslate. It’s effectively an Ultrabook in a tablet form factor and it comes with a Bluetooth keyboard and a docking station. It’s one of the most flexible, usable tablets I’ve seen in a long time and it’s also a design milestone. This is the first time I’ve seen desktop-class computing in under 1KG of tablet with a decent (for tablet PCs) battery life. It’s a 2011 design too which means with Ivy Bridge, those designs can move forward with smaller, lighter form facts and/or longer battery life. Once you’ve got all the electronics in the screen you can do some very cool designs including ones with detachable keyboards. Intel CFO Stacy Smith reveals in a video by The Street (below) that he’s seen such a design. We’re wondering if it’s this Compal design that we saw at CES.
Stacy Smith says “I just saw a design where the screen is attached magnetically to the keyboard. It comes off and actually all the computing is in the screen and so you have this great tablet experience but then you couple it back and then you have this great notebook experience.” Sounds like it could be one and the same device!
Stacy also mentions that a quarter of the 100 new design wins in the pipeline are ‘innovative devices.’ Hybrids, convertibles, swivel screen, touch capabilities he mentions.
One of those is definitely going to be the Lenovo Yoga which a lot of people are raving about. I’m not convinced about that design yet (1.5KG tablet anyone?) but I love where this is going and as we look forward to Haswell which will bring a huge advance in active standby power and thermal efficiency, we could get to a point where the really interesting hybrid designs aren’t running ARM or Atom at all.
YES! Finally! MORE, MORE, MORE!
Ultrabook in a screen is the dream. I need at least a 12.5%” screen, though; 13.3″ would be ideal.
Salivating…
Adam
Have you checked out the Samsung XE700? I hope to be getting it in for review soon.
Last year model or is there a new one? Great slate but pricey. Also resolution could be little bit higher.
I still prefer integrated (or detachable) keyboard and being able to put screen in an angle is a plus (instead of holding it or strain your neck looking down).
The Yoga I find interesting simply because there isn’t much else announced yet.
I’d consider (cancelled?) 7″ Viliv slate as UMPC as well though which is fine without keyboard (my S5 is getting outdated).
Well maybe i have to reevaluate the whole ultrabook push…
I could see limited success with pure slates and detachables, but not more.
They need to pursue it with Hybrids. The problem with pure slates is that it will always be compared against the iPad. It needs to equal/surpass the experience or it won’t happen. It’s not just battery life and responsiveness. And I can’t see a pure Windows slate being better on Tablet than the iPad.
Unlike Hybrids. Because the keyboard part is there all the time. Detachables mean you won’t have the keyboard part all the time, and Hybrids avoid that. I’d like to see more Letexo concept and Lenovo’s Ideapad like devices.
*I meant the Ideapad Yoga
Actually it’s really nice idea. 13″ Windows 8 Transformer prime. Believe it will make great success, because there are many people who don’t want to take two devices with them. Even if it’s not so light and slim like the iPad it’s a step in the right direction. Just imagine such a device in 5-6 years. 13″ iPad form with quad core processor, 10+h battery life and all feature + dock like the Transformer Prime who gives 10more hours of battery, probably video card for gaming and more storage. That’s what I call all in one everyday use gadget…