There will be so many 2 in 1 on the market this holiday season...
I would like to be able to do a little gaming with my next computer, so all the Bay Trail ones are out of questions. However, if you can go by with less power, you can pick up one of the Bay Trail convertibles. They are way cheaper and looking very promising.
So, down to the Haswell ones for me. Here is the list:
Acer: R7
Asus: Transformer Book Trio
Dell: XPS 12
HP: Spectre X2
Lenovo: Yoga 2 Pro
Sony: Vaio Flip 13, Duo 13, Tap 11
For R7, I really like the form factor and price. However, it is too big.. I hope Acer comes up with a 13 or 12 inch version. It is stupid that they did not do it out of gate the first time.
Transformer book trio is intriguing, yet the idea of having two CPUs is a little messy and wasteful. Nonetheless, Asus is probably the most innovative OEM in Asia. Some of your Android users might like the trio.
Dell XPS 12: This one is tough.. Long battery, good speed, larger screen, seamless conversion... it all sounds so good. The only downside is the size and weight. it is a 12 inch screen in a 13 inch body and it weighs more than other 13 inch competitor. I am not sure I can deal with that. Pass...
Update: mkslive suggest to add XPS 11, it looks interesting. the information about this one is pretty limited though..
HP Spectre 13: The down side is that it has under powered CPU. And I do not like the idea of having to use a keyboard to stand up the tablet. Pass!
Yoga 2 pro: The issue for me here is battery life... It has highest resolutions screen, yet it is a little blindly high... 1080p is enough. the screen sucks the life out of the battery. it only last 6 hours playing video vs 1st gen surface pro's 4.5 hours. therefore, i will have to wait for the battery test to make my decision.
Sony Vaio Tab 11, Flit 13, Duo 13: Duo 13 throttles CPU, so pass. Tab 11 has under powered CPU, pass. Flip 13 is interesting. It is almost 1 lb less than XPS 12 yet has a larger screen. I hope Sony will not throttle the CPU and give it a 50 Whr battery. Then, it will be a strong candidate.
Update: Vaio Duo 13 does not throttle... the issue is that it only has one angle when opened...still pass
Here is what's left after the run down:
Vaio Fit 13: needs throttle free CPU with good battery life
Yoga 2 pro: needs good battery life
Acer R7: make a 11/12/13 inch version please
Update: Yoga 2 Pro is out of the race since it has single channel ram which hinders HD4400. The race now is between Sony Flip 13 and Surface 2 Pro.
As for surface pro 2, it will be a beast with power cover. 12.5 hr battery, un-throttled i5, 4/8 gig ram, with pen and build in kick stand. It is ultra-portable, ultra adaptable. tablet, laptop, desktop, you name it. bed, car, airplane, desk, couch, wherever. The only downside, however, the screen is a tad small. i will have to go to a store to check the current pro to make that final judgment about the screen size. i just wish the screen is 11.6 inch instead of 10.6 inch. 11.6 inch with 50 whr battery will be an instant buy. that being said, surface pro 2 is a strong candidate. it wins in power, battery life, portability and versatility. this is why it ended up on my shortlist.
what do you think?
update: surface pro 2 128GB pre ordered
I would like to be able to do a little gaming with my next computer, so all the Bay Trail ones are out of questions. However, if you can go by with less power, you can pick up one of the Bay Trail convertibles. They are way cheaper and looking very promising.
So, down to the Haswell ones for me. Here is the list:
Acer: R7
Asus: Transformer Book Trio
Dell: XPS 12
HP: Spectre X2
Lenovo: Yoga 2 Pro
Sony: Vaio Flip 13, Duo 13, Tap 11
For R7, I really like the form factor and price. However, it is too big.. I hope Acer comes up with a 13 or 12 inch version. It is stupid that they did not do it out of gate the first time.
Transformer book trio is intriguing, yet the idea of having two CPUs is a little messy and wasteful. Nonetheless, Asus is probably the most innovative OEM in Asia. Some of your Android users might like the trio.
Dell XPS 12: This one is tough.. Long battery, good speed, larger screen, seamless conversion... it all sounds so good. The only downside is the size and weight. it is a 12 inch screen in a 13 inch body and it weighs more than other 13 inch competitor. I am not sure I can deal with that. Pass...
Update: mkslive suggest to add XPS 11, it looks interesting. the information about this one is pretty limited though..
HP Spectre 13: The down side is that it has under powered CPU. And I do not like the idea of having to use a keyboard to stand up the tablet. Pass!
Yoga 2 pro: The issue for me here is battery life... It has highest resolutions screen, yet it is a little blindly high... 1080p is enough. the screen sucks the life out of the battery. it only last 6 hours playing video vs 1st gen surface pro's 4.5 hours. therefore, i will have to wait for the battery test to make my decision.
Sony Vaio Tab 11, Flit 13, Duo 13: Duo 13 throttles CPU, so pass. Tab 11 has under powered CPU, pass. Flip 13 is interesting. It is almost 1 lb less than XPS 12 yet has a larger screen. I hope Sony will not throttle the CPU and give it a 50 Whr battery. Then, it will be a strong candidate.
Update: Vaio Duo 13 does not throttle... the issue is that it only has one angle when opened...still pass
Here is what's left after the run down:
Vaio Fit 13: needs throttle free CPU with good battery life
Yoga 2 pro: needs good battery life
Acer R7: make a 11/12/13 inch version please
Update: Yoga 2 Pro is out of the race since it has single channel ram which hinders HD4400. The race now is between Sony Flip 13 and Surface 2 Pro.
As for surface pro 2, it will be a beast with power cover. 12.5 hr battery, un-throttled i5, 4/8 gig ram, with pen and build in kick stand. It is ultra-portable, ultra adaptable. tablet, laptop, desktop, you name it. bed, car, airplane, desk, couch, wherever. The only downside, however, the screen is a tad small. i will have to go to a store to check the current pro to make that final judgment about the screen size. i just wish the screen is 11.6 inch instead of 10.6 inch. 11.6 inch with 50 whr battery will be an instant buy. that being said, surface pro 2 is a strong candidate. it wins in power, battery life, portability and versatility. this is why it ended up on my shortlist.
what do you think?
update: surface pro 2 128GB pre ordered
Last edited: