Windows 8 is almost here, and with it comes a flood of new devices. One of the biggest changes with Windows 8 is that it could finally bring hybrid devices to the forefront. Up until now, most Windows hybrids have been decent as traditional desktop devices but have been limited when it comes to their touch abilities and the lack of Window 7 applications that work well with touch.

Lenovo is one of many companies diving headfirst into the convertible market. There are a few different offerings and each of them have their own unique aspects.

IdeaPad YOGA

The Yoga has a 13-inch form factor and can do a 360-degree flip in order to turn from an Ultrabook to a fully capable tablet. The Yoga 13 will start at $1,099 and features an Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 processor- depending on which price configuration you choose.

The new tablet/ultrabook also has a 1MP HD webacam, HD4000 integrated grahpics, and USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports. This is a lot to ask for a tablet, but the good news is that it a fully capable laptop solution as well.

Want something a bit smaller and thinner? A 11-inch YOGA model also existsa and is just 15.6-mm in thickness. This multi-touch device runs on Windows RT, which is a major distinction. For those that don’t know, this means it is more like a traditional tablet and can only run new Windows 8 apps— it won’t work with existing Windows (XP/Vista/7) applications and drivers.

This model has a an ARM processor, more specifically the NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core. It also has 2GB of DDR3 RAM, up to 64GB of storage, built-in 720p HD webcam, USB 2.0 connectivity and optional Bluetooth. The battery is rated at 13 hours. This model starts at $799– which could be considered a lot for a device that is basically just an Android tablet or iPad with a built-in keyboard.

IdeaTab Lynx

The third offering is a 11.6-inch IPS multitouch tablet doesn’t have a built-in keyboard that rotates, instead it turns into a laptop through a special dock connector. This model features a dual core ATOM processor at 1.8GHz, 2GB of RAM and up to 64GB SSD storage. There is also microSD, microUSB and microHDMI. The tablet itselft is more expensive than the iPad at $599- without keyboard.

Considering you get a similarly spec’d device that also has Windows legacy application support, it may or may not be worth it for you. Want the keyboard dock? It will cost $149.

The time for hybrid domination might finally be drawing near. What do you think of Lenovo’s offerings? Worthwhile or not?
Via: Lenovo

The post Lenovo Brings on the Windows 8 Convertibles appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The earliest tablets started out primarily as large and bulky laptops that could be converted in to ‘touch tablets’ through a swivel motion. This hybrid technology was bulky, killed batteries, and largely was kept back by poor touch performance and horrible software, although it did have a niche purposes for some businesses.

In recent years more robust tablet convertibles have started to surface that use Atom processors and Windows 7, or have “Windows 7” for laptop functions and “Android” for tablet use. None of these solutions have been particularly successful, but PC World argues that with Windows 8, this will all finally change.

For complex laptop tasks, Windows 8 utilizes desktop mode giving you the full experience of Windows, and for more touch-friendly abilities you have the Metro interface.

I personally tend to agree with the article’s assessment of Windows 8 and its use in hybrid solutions. Currently the only kind of hybrids that could exist are those that use a mixture of Android and Windows, which provides a clumsy experience. Windows 8 targets both tablet and PC audiences, so the creation of a type of computer that is useable as both makes a lot of sense. Additionally, Intel expects such convertible products to arrive sometime in 2012.

As far as Apple getting involved in such a device? Personally, I just don’t think such a desktop-centric hybrid device sounds like something that is up Apple’s alley.

In addition, it would likely require Apple’s next version of OSX to adopt even more features from iOS than Lion has already. I don’t know if such an investment in time and money sounds like the Apple thing to do, either.

In the end, hybrids will likely weigh more and have less battery power than tablets, but in an ultrabook format that will certainly find themselves at the very least, a niche market. Will convertibles overtake tablets altogether? Personally, I’d say not a chance. Only time will tell to see how well such Windows 8 convertibles are received in the marketplace.

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