Hybrid cars have become almost commonplace, proving that performance and energy savings can comfortably co-exist. Now the hybrid craze is taking the computing world by storm. Will your next computer be an ultrabook?
Is the tablet becoming more like a laptop, or is the laptop becoming more like a tablet? The lines are blurring with the emergence of imaginative new technology permutations. And the resulting increase in functionality and portability is generating considerable excitement among gadget-lovers and those for whom computing-on-the-go is a work or personal necessity.
Some in the industry prophesied that laptops would become extinct as innovative new tablets gain traction with users, but hybrids are proving that’s not the case. Instead manufacturers are blending performance features to create a better product.
The new hybrids are exactly what their name implies – convertible two-in-one devices that offer the best of both a traditional laptop and advancing mobile tablet technology, in a whisper-thin and nearly-feather-light package. You get a smarter tablet plus a more versatile laptop.
Already several manufacturers have entered the market, among them:
Lenovo’s T430u Ultrabook, a business-oriented hybrid with an integrated fingerprint reader and Intel’s popular second-generation vPro security and management system.
Lenovo X1 Hybrid, just 16mm thick (or should we say thin?), which allows users to choose low-power media mode for accessing music, videos, etc. and high-performance Windows environment for full-scale computing capability.
- Two products from ASUS.
- Two products from Samsung.
- Dell Latitude ST Tablet hybrid.
- Gigabyte 3-in-1 tablet-laptop-desktop.
These “slate PCs” allow you to switch back and forth between keyboard and touchscreen mode. User options include sliding or rotating screens and cases that re-fold to reveal a new configuration. And as technology continues to evolve, look for possible trackpad integration instead of touch-screens, to accommodate users who don’t want to reach across the keyboard to do their work and can continue to use a pointing device for click-and-drag
And while we’re talking features, hybrids typically offer superior battery life capable of faster-than-ever recharging, further emphasizing their use-anywhere value.
Snazzy looks and snappy performance. What’s not to love about a new super-brainy and fashion-model thin device that can do more, better? Maybe your next computer will be an ultrabook.
