Pricing and a solid release date for the Asus Transformer Book Trio have yet to be announced, although Engadget reports that the device is expected to launch during the third quarter of this year.
2013年6月10日星期一
Asus' Transformer Book Trio Runs Both Android and Windows 8
Earlier this week Asus announced the Transformer Book Trio, which the company boasts as the "world’s first three-in-one mobile device." According to The Verge, the Trio can be used in tablet, notebook, or desktop mode, and the device as a whole contains two Intel processors that are made to handle Android and Windows 8, depending on configuration.
When using the tablet portion alone, a 2GHz Intel Atom processor powers an 11.6-inch 1920 x 1080 display to run Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. Once the tablet is attached to the PC Station dock, the operating system can be switched to Windows 8 with the push of a button. In this mode, users have access to a full keyboard and the unit becomes powered by an Intel Core i7 Haswell CPU. Battery life in this configuration is said to last up to 15 hours, and 750GB or 1TB of hard drive space is available for use — up from the 64GB SSD found in the tablet. The PC Station dock can also be connected directly to an external monitor for a more desktop-like experience.
Pricing and a solid release date for the Asus Transformer Book Trio have yet to be announced, although Engadget reports that the device is expected to launch during the third quarter of this year.
Pricing and a solid release date for the Asus Transformer Book Trio have yet to be announced, although Engadget reports that the device is expected to launch during the third quarter of this year.
Add a Wi-Fi hotspot to Windows 8 with Virtual Router Plus
Recently I spent a full week in a hotel, where I grudgingly paid for Wi-Fi so I could get some work done. Unfortunately, it was a per-device purchase: Only my laptop could get online. If I wanted Internet access on my phone (which had a weak indoor signal) and tablet (Wi-Fi only), I'd have to pay again. And again.
Hey, wait a minute, doesn't Windows let you set up a Wi-Fi hotspot to share its connection with other devices? It did, in Windows 7; it doesn't in Windows 8. Actually, the capability is still there, but enabling it requires some serious command-line tinkering.
Fortunately, I found Virtual Router Plus, a free utility that adds Wi-Fi hotspot capabilities to Windows 8. It works, but with a few important caveats.
First, be really careful during setup. The price of "free" here is that the installer comes packed with junkware. It's easy enough to bypass if you pay attention, but potentially troublesome if you don't.
On the first screen, choose Custom Installation, then uncheck the box below it. When you click Next, a pop-up will appear; click Cancel. Click Next again, then clear yet another checkbox. Now you're good to go with a clean install. Oy.
When you run the program, it'll pop open a help page in your browser, which you may need to verify whether you have the required device drivers. But skip that for now; instead, try using the utility.
To do so, give your network a name (i.e. SSID), then enter a password (to keep freeloaders out). Finally, choose the connection you want to share (which is probably whatever appears as the default). Now click Start Virtual Router Plus.
After a few moments, you should be able to detect your new network from your phone, tablet, or even another PC. But don't worry: your laptop will retain its own Internet connectivity at the same time.
As I noted before, the utility worked as advertised, but it did create one problem: I could no longer connect to the various virtual private networks (VPNs) I use. Your mileage may vary, and if you don't work with VPNs, you're golden. As for me, I unfortunately had no choice but to uninstall the utility to regain access.
Want something that's a little more reliable and comes with technical support? Check out Connectify Hotspot. It's not free, but it may be more hassle-free.
Hey, wait a minute, doesn't Windows let you set up a Wi-Fi hotspot to share its connection with other devices? It did, in Windows 7; it doesn't in Windows 8. Actually, the capability is still there, but enabling it requires some serious command-line tinkering.
Fortunately, I found Virtual Router Plus, a free utility that adds Wi-Fi hotspot capabilities to Windows 8. It works, but with a few important caveats.
First, be really careful during setup. The price of "free" here is that the installer comes packed with junkware. It's easy enough to bypass if you pay attention, but potentially troublesome if you don't.
On the first screen, choose Custom Installation, then uncheck the box below it. When you click Next, a pop-up will appear; click Cancel. Click Next again, then clear yet another checkbox. Now you're good to go with a clean install. Oy.
When you run the program, it'll pop open a help page in your browser, which you may need to verify whether you have the required device drivers. But skip that for now; instead, try using the utility.
To do so, give your network a name (i.e. SSID), then enter a password (to keep freeloaders out). Finally, choose the connection you want to share (which is probably whatever appears as the default). Now click Start Virtual Router Plus.
After a few moments, you should be able to detect your new network from your phone, tablet, or even another PC. But don't worry: your laptop will retain its own Internet connectivity at the same time.
As I noted before, the utility worked as advertised, but it did create one problem: I could no longer connect to the various virtual private networks (VPNs) I use. Your mileage may vary, and if you don't work with VPNs, you're golden. As for me, I unfortunately had no choice but to uninstall the utility to regain access.
Want something that's a little more reliable and comes with technical support? Check out Connectify Hotspot. It's not free, but it may be more hassle-free.
2013年5月30日星期四
Acer's new Windows 8 laptop aspires to high design
By now you know what a departure the tile-based Windows 8 operating system is compared with the many versions of Windows that preceded it. You may also be aware of some of the unconventional hardware that PC makers have come out with to exploit its flexible nature. Windows 8 was designed for traditional keyboard-oriented computing chores as well as for multitouch-tablet duty. But bouncing from one environment to the other is a key reason the new Windows has received such a tepid reception, and why Microsoft is readying a major update code-named Blue.
Which brings me to one of the more unusual designs to hit the market, the Acer Aspire R7.
The R7 is a handsome, albeit (at nearly 5.3 pounds) heavy, multitouch-based convertible Windows 8 laptop, available for a grand at Best Buy. It's fairly thick, too, especially for a computer without an optical drive.
The pluses: It sports a splendid-looking 15.6-inch wide angle full high-definition display. The keyboard is backlit, the innards fairly high-end. The unibody aluminum chassis also has a top-notch feel. Along the sides are your typical complement of buttons, ports and connectors, including 3 USB ports (2 of the USB 3.0 variety), card reader and an HDMI port. Inside there's 6 GB of memory, a 500 GB hard drive, and a 20GB solid-state drive. The four-speaker sound system, backed by Dolby Home Theater technology, is excellent. An HD webcam is standard issue.
So far I might be describing any reasonably equipped state-of-the-art laptop. But what makes the Aspire unusual — and in my view appealing to some but mostly a challenging sell — is its radical design.
The touchscreen is mounted on what Acer refers to as an "Ezel Hinge." This sturdy and clever hinge permits nearly as many moves as an Olympic gymnast. The screen can be flipped or reversed. You can position it so it floats over the keyboard at various angles. You can lay it flat. No matter the pose, the hinge keeps the display in place, which is especially critical if you're pressing your finger against the screen.
Such gyrations bring to mind another versatile Windows 8 laptop/tablet combination that I previously reviewed, the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13.
As with the Lenovo, Acer tries hard to be all things to all possible users. And as with the Lenovo, the design doesn't quite work in all cases.
There are four main positions on the Aspire: In notebook mode, the display is pushed back behind the keyboard, a more or less conventional pose. I like the way you can move the screen in or out a bit even as you try out different angles.
But Acer took an unusual step here. The keyboard and the not-as-smooth-as-it-could-be touch pad swap places compared with where they're normally situated. Acer's stated motivation in moving the keyboard to the front of the chassis closer to the user's body and positioning the touchpad above it was to make typing more comfortable and fluid. The company says that by having keys fall naturally under the fingers, you eliminate the need to hold the arms out and over the palm rest and touchpad when trying to type. I reckon Acer is also betting that you won't use the touchpad as much as you used to since you can touch the screen directly. Maybe.
But the design didn't really cut it with me. I'm willing to admit a lot of it has to do with how I've been conditioned to type on laptops all these years. Still, I didn't much like having to stretch above the keys to manipulate the touchpad, which for better or worse, I still call upon regularly. Plus, I'm accustomed to resting my wrist on an area below the keys.
A second Ezel mode has you pulling the screen toward you so that it almost floats above the keyboard. This lets you use the Windows 8 touchscreen and the onscreen touch keyboard without the physical keyboard getting in the way. You can position the elevated screen so that it lies flat — think of a tabletop secured by a pedestal. And there are some interesting use cases here: an architect drawing on blueprints for example, or two pals having a go at an Air Hockey game.
A third display mode lets you flip the screen over altogether. The computer is now propped up for watching a movie, admiring photos or sharing a presentation. I have no quibbles in this position.
I can't say the same for Pad mode. You pull down the touchscreen and lay it flat over the physical keyboard to use the machine as a slate. Well, that is, almost flat. There's an odd angled gap between the screen and the rest of the computer. The good news here is that you can prop up the screen at a slight angle to better see the machine if it is on your lap. But handing off the computer to another person is awkward — seemingly an accident waiting to happen — and the whole thing looks as if the designers took the day off.
I had other qualms. On separate occasions, the computer didn't respond at all when I typed on the physical keyboard, and on the onscreen touch keyboard. I had to turn off the computer and start over. Other times when I manipulated the display to change poses, the screen itself was slow to respond.
Though not specific to the Aspire itself, there are other things to keep in mind before plunking down money on any Windows notebook right now. That's because it makes sense to wait to see just what Blue turns out to be. And to wait for machines that incorporate the new set of chips from Intel that are due out soon that promise to dramatically bolster battery life.
In my harsh battery test on the Aspire — turning off power-saving measures, cranking the screen to full brightness, streaming a movie over Wi-Fi — the Acer delivered a little short of 5 hours, suggesting better performance under less-taxing conditions.
Give Acer its props for thinking outside the box. Only the company strayed a bit too far.
Which brings me to one of the more unusual designs to hit the market, the Acer Aspire R7.
The R7 is a handsome, albeit (at nearly 5.3 pounds) heavy, multitouch-based convertible Windows 8 laptop, available for a grand at Best Buy. It's fairly thick, too, especially for a computer without an optical drive.
The pluses: It sports a splendid-looking 15.6-inch wide angle full high-definition display. The keyboard is backlit, the innards fairly high-end. The unibody aluminum chassis also has a top-notch feel. Along the sides are your typical complement of buttons, ports and connectors, including 3 USB ports (2 of the USB 3.0 variety), card reader and an HDMI port. Inside there's 6 GB of memory, a 500 GB hard drive, and a 20GB solid-state drive. The four-speaker sound system, backed by Dolby Home Theater technology, is excellent. An HD webcam is standard issue.
So far I might be describing any reasonably equipped state-of-the-art laptop. But what makes the Aspire unusual — and in my view appealing to some but mostly a challenging sell — is its radical design.
The touchscreen is mounted on what Acer refers to as an "Ezel Hinge." This sturdy and clever hinge permits nearly as many moves as an Olympic gymnast. The screen can be flipped or reversed. You can position it so it floats over the keyboard at various angles. You can lay it flat. No matter the pose, the hinge keeps the display in place, which is especially critical if you're pressing your finger against the screen.
Such gyrations bring to mind another versatile Windows 8 laptop/tablet combination that I previously reviewed, the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13.
As with the Lenovo, Acer tries hard to be all things to all possible users. And as with the Lenovo, the design doesn't quite work in all cases.
There are four main positions on the Aspire: In notebook mode, the display is pushed back behind the keyboard, a more or less conventional pose. I like the way you can move the screen in or out a bit even as you try out different angles.
But Acer took an unusual step here. The keyboard and the not-as-smooth-as-it-could-be touch pad swap places compared with where they're normally situated. Acer's stated motivation in moving the keyboard to the front of the chassis closer to the user's body and positioning the touchpad above it was to make typing more comfortable and fluid. The company says that by having keys fall naturally under the fingers, you eliminate the need to hold the arms out and over the palm rest and touchpad when trying to type. I reckon Acer is also betting that you won't use the touchpad as much as you used to since you can touch the screen directly. Maybe.
But the design didn't really cut it with me. I'm willing to admit a lot of it has to do with how I've been conditioned to type on laptops all these years. Still, I didn't much like having to stretch above the keys to manipulate the touchpad, which for better or worse, I still call upon regularly. Plus, I'm accustomed to resting my wrist on an area below the keys.
A second Ezel mode has you pulling the screen toward you so that it almost floats above the keyboard. This lets you use the Windows 8 touchscreen and the onscreen touch keyboard without the physical keyboard getting in the way. You can position the elevated screen so that it lies flat — think of a tabletop secured by a pedestal. And there are some interesting use cases here: an architect drawing on blueprints for example, or two pals having a go at an Air Hockey game.
A third display mode lets you flip the screen over altogether. The computer is now propped up for watching a movie, admiring photos or sharing a presentation. I have no quibbles in this position.
I can't say the same for Pad mode. You pull down the touchscreen and lay it flat over the physical keyboard to use the machine as a slate. Well, that is, almost flat. There's an odd angled gap between the screen and the rest of the computer. The good news here is that you can prop up the screen at a slight angle to better see the machine if it is on your lap. But handing off the computer to another person is awkward — seemingly an accident waiting to happen — and the whole thing looks as if the designers took the day off.
I had other qualms. On separate occasions, the computer didn't respond at all when I typed on the physical keyboard, and on the onscreen touch keyboard. I had to turn off the computer and start over. Other times when I manipulated the display to change poses, the screen itself was slow to respond.
Though not specific to the Aspire itself, there are other things to keep in mind before plunking down money on any Windows notebook right now. That's because it makes sense to wait to see just what Blue turns out to be. And to wait for machines that incorporate the new set of chips from Intel that are due out soon that promise to dramatically bolster battery life.
In my harsh battery test on the Aspire — turning off power-saving measures, cranking the screen to full brightness, streaming a movie over Wi-Fi — the Acer delivered a little short of 5 hours, suggesting better performance under less-taxing conditions.
Give Acer its props for thinking outside the box. Only the company strayed a bit too far.
HTC Windows 8 tablet canceled
HTC is preparing a 7-inch tablet which will run Windows 8 but it has canceled its plan for a larger-sized tablet which would go head-to-head with the iPad, reports suggest.
The rumor comes from Bloomberg and unnamed sources but it isn't the first time we've heard about HTC getting ready to hop back into the tablet game with Windows 8. HTC has released a few Android-powered tablets before but none of these were very successful in the market.
The report suggests that the HTC Windows 8 tablet will utilize Windows RT, which is the version of the software which is designed to run on ARM chips. This gives you the live-tile interface which is familiar to Windows Phone 8 users but you won't be able to run older Windows apps.
The HTC Windows 8 tablet with a 7-inch screen is still reportedly going ahead and should be landing before the end of the year. The HTC Windows 8 tablet with a 7-inch screen is also reportedly going to powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, have a high-resolution screen, Wi-Fi, GPS and all the other features you'd expect from a device of this class.
The HTC Windows 8 tablet will be facing some stiff competiton. The iPad mini is the best-known tablet in this class and it continues to sell well. Additionally, the HTC Windows 8 tablet will be competing against the next generations of the Nexus 7, the Amazon Kindle Fire HD and whatever else other device manufacturers are planning to bring out.
It's unclear how much demand there is for Windows 8 RT, which means HTC will have to do a great job of promoting its tablet. It also won't really be able to differentiate its 7-inch tablet with a customized software layer like it does with Sense, so that will be another hurdle to overcome.
The rumor comes from Bloomberg and unnamed sources but it isn't the first time we've heard about HTC getting ready to hop back into the tablet game with Windows 8. HTC has released a few Android-powered tablets before but none of these were very successful in the market.
The report suggests that the HTC Windows 8 tablet will utilize Windows RT, which is the version of the software which is designed to run on ARM chips. This gives you the live-tile interface which is familiar to Windows Phone 8 users but you won't be able to run older Windows apps.
The HTC Windows 8 tablet with a 7-inch screen is still reportedly going ahead and should be landing before the end of the year. The HTC Windows 8 tablet with a 7-inch screen is also reportedly going to powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, have a high-resolution screen, Wi-Fi, GPS and all the other features you'd expect from a device of this class.
The HTC Windows 8 tablet will be facing some stiff competiton. The iPad mini is the best-known tablet in this class and it continues to sell well. Additionally, the HTC Windows 8 tablet will be competing against the next generations of the Nexus 7, the Amazon Kindle Fire HD and whatever else other device manufacturers are planning to bring out.
It's unclear how much demand there is for Windows 8 RT, which means HTC will have to do a great job of promoting its tablet. It also won't really be able to differentiate its 7-inch tablet with a customized software layer like it does with Sense, so that will be another hurdle to overcome.
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