Microsoft's bold attempt to create an operating system (OS) for all devices--Windows 8 for computers shares a similar core as Windows Phone 8 for smartphones--will be judged next month with the general availability of Windows 8. The biggest thing about the new OS is a touch interface that's been designed to be as capable as traditional mouse and keyboard input. Unlike Windows 7's token touch support, Windows 8 promises to get it right this time.
PC manufacturers have responded to Windows 8 with a number of new touch-optimized designs. While we have seen some of these models at CES and Computex, most were revealed for the first time at the IFA tradeshow in Berlin recently.Â
Broadly speaking, the Windows 8 devices we have seen so far fall into three main types: Conventional laptops with added touchscreen support, clamshell designs that feature a detachable keyboard, and convertible hybrids with sliding and twisting screens. Some will also include stylus support. These concept devices shown by Samsung at IFA illustrate some of the possibilities that vendors are currently exploring.Â
The variety of designs has also thrown up different names for these devices. But whatever you call them--hybrids, convertibles, potato, potahto--touch is the common denominator. Here's a list of upcoming Windows 8 devices from major manufacturers.
Acer
(Credit: Acer)
The Taiwanese PC vendor had previously announced its S7 Ultrabooks at Computex. Available in 11.6- and 13.3-inch versions, these laptops should have standard Ultrabook specifications to complement their touchscreens (hands-on here). The Aspire M3 and V5 laptops also got upgraded with touchscreens. Â
Acer also showed off a couple of Windows 8 tablets, the Iconia Tab W510 and W700. The 10.6-inch W510 slate has a removable keyboard dock in the style of Asus' Transformer products.Â
Asus
(Credit: Asus)
Asus had showed off Windows 8 devices at Computex, but the company revealed the official model names for some of these computers at IFA last week. The Tablet 600, which runs on Windows RT, is now known as the Vivo Tab RT, while the Intel Atom-powered Tablet 810 is called the Vivo Tab. You can read our hands-on of the Vivo Tab here.
Of course, these two tablets were overshadowed by the dual-screen Asus Taichi. Introduced as a concept device at Computex, we remain skeptical about the Taichi, as Asus has yet to offer a compelling reason why it would be useful to have two full-HD displays--one on each side of the laptop lid. It's also likely to be more costly.
The Transformer Book, an Ultrabook with a detachable keyboard dock, and the Zenbook Prime UX21A Touch, which is basically the 11.6-inch version of the existing model, but with a touchscreen, seem to be more plausible bets that will make it to the market.
Dell
(Credit: Dan Ackerman/CNET)
Dell's big reveal at IFA was a pair of tablets. The more interesting of the duo, the XPS Duo 12, appears to be based on an older Dell design from 2010 that was perhaps too early for its time. With better specifications--the original had Netbook-class hardware while the new 12-inch version will come with a full-HD screen, magnesium alloy chassis and up to Core i7 processors--we are feeling more optimistic about the XPS Duo 12.
The other XPS 10 tablet appears to be a typical 10.1-inch slate with a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 chip running Windows RT. It comes with a keyboard dock accessory, turning it into a clamshell laptop.
Fujitsu
(Credit: Fujitsu)
The Japanese firm's hybrid PC, the Stylistic Q702, was demonstrated at IFA. This Ivy Bridge computer has a 11.6-inch IPS screen with a digitizer to support pen input. The tablet component itself is quite hefty at around 850g, though the device supports features desired by business users, such as a fingerprint sensor, LAN port and optional wireless broadband.Â
Given the company's experience in building tablet PCs (of the old-school, convertible variety), Fujitsu will no doubt be one to look out for when it comes to business hybrids. However, we aren't sure that its efforts will have quite the same appeal to the mainstream consumer.
HP
(Credit: HP)
The biggest PC vendor by market share announced three new models with touch support, two of which will be heading our way in Asia. Like many of the Windows 8 devices highlighted here, the Envy x2 (hands-on here) features a removable keyboard dock. This 11.6-inch hybrid is powered by a next-gen Intel Atom chip and comes with support for a digitizer and NFC technology.
The company also revealed that it was adding touchscreens to two Envy models, the Spectre XT TouchSmart and the Envy 4 TouchSmart. The upcoming 15-inch Spectre XT TouchSmart also comes with a full-HD display, which addresses the mediocre resolution on its Spectre XT Ultrabook. It apparently also gets a Thunderbolt port, making it a high-end Windows 8 Ultrabook to look out for.
Meanwhile, the 14-inch Envy 4 TouchSmart appears similar to its current incarnation, but with the added weight that the touchscreen brings.
Lenovo
(Credit: Lenovo)
Although Lenovo revealed some of its upcoming laptops at IFA, they were surprisingly non-touch versions. To be fair, the company was one of the first to announce a hybrid with the IdeaPad Yoga (read our preview here) while its Windows 8 ThinkPad Tablet 2 has also been introduced.Â
Given that its competitors have touch-capable laptops in the works, we expect Lenovo to have similar plans. Perhaps with the sheer number of products introduced--Lenovo also showed three new Android 4.0 slates--the company is simply saving the announcements till another day.
Microsoft
(Credit: Microsoft)
The software giant made a surprise entry into the PC hardware business at a press event in June, but since its initial appearance, the Microsoft Surface has been elusive. Remarkably, despite the amount of buzz (mostly positive) that it generated, Microsoft has kept the product under wraps. We still do not know its full specifications nor its retail price.Â
What we do know is that Microsoft's move has definitely stirred up its PC partners. It could spur them to produce more competitive designs, or it could lead to dissent within the ranks of PC vendors. Consumers, however, should benefit from having a "reference design" endorsed by Microsoft, who presumably knows what works best with its operating system.
Samsung
(Credit: Scott Stein/CNET)
The Korean company was out at full force at IFA, with its new Galaxy Note 2 headlining its press event. Coupled with its announcement of the first Windows Phone 8 handset, Samsung's latest computers seem almost like an afterthought. The company did show off a couple of hybrids with detachable keyboards (read our hands-on here), which didn't seem that different from its competitors.
However, there was also a Windows RT tablet, the Samsung Ativ Tab, which is just one of a handful of devices known to be running the ARM version of Windows 8.
Sony
(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET)
Sony only had one hybrid on show at IFA, but the Vaio Duo 11 looks promising (and likely expensive). The 11.6-inch screen slides up to convert the tablet into its laptop form, though its specifications impressed us more. The display is full-HD and supports stylus input with an integrated digitizer.Â
And unlike the 11.6-inch hybrids we have seen so far, which are mostly using Intel Atom CPUs, the Vaio Duo 11 comes with an Intel Core-i processor, SSD storage of up to 256GB and NFC support.
Toshiba
(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET)
The Japanese PC maker revamped some of its existing models with touchscreens, but the highlight for us is this Satellite U925t hybrid (hands-on here). Like the Vaio Duo 11, this Toshiba hybrid is a slider design with Ultrabook specifications.Â
While it's slightly larger at 12.5 inches, it's still very portable at around 1.45kg.
Conclusion
While our CNET colleague in the US appears optimistic about these Windows 8 devices, we're adopting a wait-and-see attitude till we know more about them. After all, there's an important piece of information about these computers that's lacking: Pricing.
So far, only Samsung has put a price tag on its upcoming Windows 8 PCs. At around US$1,199, the Samsung Ativ Smart PC Pro with its Ultrabook-like specifications, appears more expensive than comparable laptops. The less powerful Smart PC, which runs on an Intel Atom processor, is tagged at US$749.Â
All these hybrid devices are expected to debut after the launch of Windows 8 in late October.
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