Toshiba Announces Its Laptop- Tablet Hybrid

Toshiba Announces Its Laptop- Tablet Hybrid

Toshiba Satellite U925t

Toshiba unveiled on August 30th at the IFA conference in Berlin, a number of its new computer devices. But what caught the attention of most people is what everyone is anticipating to happen to computer devices in the coming months. It looks like it’s Toshiba’s response to what Windows 8 (set to be released on the 26th of October)is pitching big – “it’s all about touch”. Computer manufacturers are expected to come up with laptops that have a touch screen or maybe a tablet with a physical keyboard. Some may pull off a laptop where it turns into a large tablet if the screen is flipped in whatever way possible. And, that’s what Toshiba did with its Satellite U925t.

The Satellite U925t is a convertible laptop tablet that is very much unlike the older laptop hybrids which adopt swivel screens and have touch displays that are pressure-based. This hybrid has its keyboard as the base and when the screen is lifted from a hinge, you slide it towards the keyboard base and lock it in place to turn it into a tablet. It should be noted that this is however folded upwards and not downwards as most hybrids would. The screen can also be moved up to a 90 degrees angle and would stay in place even as you move it around. Just imagine a smartphone with a keyboard that slides out, only bigger.

Thin Hybrid with HD Touchscreen Display

The laptop-tablet is also lightweight at 3.2 pounds and .78 inches thick while the touchscreen is 12.5 inches in HD and made out of Corning Gorilla glass. The keyboard with a touchpad is backlit and is smaller than what Toshiba laptops would generally have. However, you may find this very reasonable when reaching for the touchscreen and not worry about erroneously sliding your wrist on any of the keys. And although it’s heavier than some of its counterparts, U925t still feels like a feather on your hand.

First Laptop to Adopt a Cinematic Display

Some of the key features of the hybrid laptop that you may want to consider include its main webcam in HD and the webcam at the back at 3 megapixels. Also, the company informed attendees of the conference that as a remarkable added entertainment value to the hybrid device, it is the first to have adopted a 12:9 cinematic display at a 1792 by 768 resolution. This means that you’d be able to project an image a lot bigger without distorting it.

Intel Core i5 and Rapid Start

The U925t also comes with above par hardware specifications. The processor is an Intel Core i5 with the Rapid Start technology to help you save battery life of the laptop-tablet. The SSD is at 128 GB and a quick DDR3 . It comes with 2 USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI and a 4.0 version Bluetooth technology. What could have been compromised with these specifications is the Ethernet connection port.

Other Specifications Including NFC and Freeware

An NFC or Near Field Communication is included with the laptop-tablet. You will find this on the left side with the tiny logo. The device also has a GPS, accelerometer, magnetometer, a gyroscope and an ambient light sensor which is very convenient when using the device in extreme lighting conditions.

Since this would operate on a Windows 8, expect applications that are largely tile-based. Some of these would be freeware or software that are on a trial period. This would definitely add-up to what seemed to be an overcrowded memory but then, a few tweaks or removal of these applications may free up some clutter.

Budget Laptop-Tablet

Toshiba says that this hybrid may be initially offered between $1000 and $1200. People however, are hoping that there would be more prices and configurations as soon as the laptop-tablet is offered to the buying public.

Other Toshiba Products

Other Toshiba products to look out for would be the affordable ultrabook Satellite U945 that would come with either an Intel Core i3 or i5 processor, depending on your choice. The Intel Rapid Start is also integrated with this ultrabook, has one 2.0 USB and two 3.0 USB ports. The U945 screen weighs at 4 pounds and comes with a 14-inch TruBrite display screen and would have an LED backlight. There is also the P845t that would also adopt the touchscreen functionality using Windows 8. This would come in the classic clamshell design and has a 14-inch display screen that comes in HD with a 1366 by 768 resolution.

For hosting concerns, Toshiba, beginning this month, would offer the Canvio Personal Cloud that would be compatible to Apple products, Android devices as well as DLNA equipment. With the Canvio Personal cloud, users can easily stream, store and share files remotely via the cloud. Plans are at $219.99 for 2 Terabytes (TB) and $249.99 for 3TB.

Toshiba is indeed putting up a good competition against its counterparts especially with the release of the laptop-tablet, Satellite U925t. This is something that you would want to look forward to its released on the 26th of October, the same day as Windows 8 would be made available for public purchase.