Showing posts with label 2-in-1. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2-in-1. Show all posts

The Microsoft Surface Book Hybrid

What is happening in the world of computing. It seems as if many of the high-end brands that pave the way with new technology are building something that has already existed for decades. Do you know what it is? A Laptop. Can a Laptop ever be replaced by a Tablet? With how much money is being thrown into new forms of glorified Laptop / Tablet hybrids it seems not. Too much beating around the bush.

The Microsoft Surface Book Hybrid

It reminds me of when computers first came out, and we saw all types of strange contraptions and hideous designs. This also happened with mobile phones! That's not to say that the new Surface Book is ugly, it looks great, but it seems like we're going through a similar transitional stage where all types of things are being tried. Well, not just tried and tested behind closed doors, but actually sold to the public.

So, what do the newer Surface Books have. Well, there are many to choose from. The latest is the PRO 7 if I'm not mistaken (reviews are not too good). The PRO 4 fares better with end-users. They are all super thin and have touch screens. Yeah, like a Tablet.

The screen on the model I'm looking at is 13.5 inches (ca. 34 cm) in diameter and is a massive 6 million pixels! It has a "Clipboard" feature which is basically the screen detached from the keyboard, complete with stylus pen to make writing and graphic related tasks more personal and creative.

The new Surface Book splits totally in half. The newer Surface Books can also fold up on itself (Fulcrum Hinge), so it's basically a Tablet and Laptop combined. It comes complete with Windows 10 Pro, Core i7 Processor, USB 3.0, Glass Trackpad (glorified mouse), 12 hours battery life, and has the capacity of being able to have 16GB RAM and 1TB of data storage space. See the video above to be swept off your feet (removed).

So now we have both a Tablet and a Laptop (hybrid) in one unit. It's not really anything new. Fair enough it looks great and is super powerful, but when are we going to see something really revolutionary.

Can Tablets take the place of Laptops? As the owner of a Tablet blog you would probably expect me to say yes, but the answer is no. Laptops will be made better, or with more power and a few quirks, like you are basically seeing here with the new Surface Book, but never eradicated. Not for the next few decades anyway.

Linx 10V64 10 Inch 4GB Tablet

Considered by some to be another poor mans Surface Book. The number ten just represents the screen size. This is the same for all the Linx models. And, just like the twelve-Inch 12V32 and 12V64 Versare (The one most people unfairly compare to the Surface Book / Pro), the 10V range is basically the same. The main difference only being the screen size / dimensions. So, in other words, if you want to read a review on the 10V or 12V series, you can basically choose either one and get most of the information you require. Even if you end up picking the model you weren't reading the review about. Other than a few features, they are pretty much identical.



However, you ended up here and expected to read about the 10V series, so I'll cover a few of the features / specifications for you to consider. There are two models to choose from "32" and "64". First the 32. This comes with 32GB storage, Windows 10 Home (32bit) and 2GB RAM. The 64 has 64GB internal storage space, comes with 4GB RAM and Windows 10 Home (64bit). They both use an Intel Atom X5 (Z8300) Quad Core Processor.

This Processor is decent, and the specification as a whole is fairly good. It will perform the basics rather well, and can handle a respectable level of multi-tasking, even some moderate resource intensive gaming. But don't be under any illusions, it's no Apple A9 or Snapdragon 820. However, for the price, and what you get within the overall package, the Atom X5 is an adequate processor.

Most people who buy a Linx tablet do so because they want to use the Windows Operating System. I'm a Windows user myself and actually prefer using it over Android. Especially for work related tasks. The great thing about the 10V models (and others) is that it has two modes available for the user to choose from. You can use it in Tablet mode or as a laptop / Desktop PC. The best of both worlds. One mode for work and one for play. The 1280 x 800 HD display, while a little on the dark side, is nice and sharp, portraying vivid colours and good clarity.

As mentioned in a previous post about another Linx model, from a connectivity point of view, the plus-side for Windows-based devices such as this is that they mostly all come with a full-sized USB port. Sometimes with a mix of several, such as a full size and a Micro. This model does benefit from the addition of a Micro USB also. And it has a micro HDMI port, too. Now, the build quality of the Windows based 10V64 is really good for what you pay, and the keyboard is excellent, (minus the trackpad) but this does not tell the whole story in terms of how reliable the device really is. Of course, no make or model is perfect, there are problems with many, and potentially any device. This one is no different.


Linx 10V64 Areas of concern



There are numerous reports about the sound output becoming non-existent. This faulty audio could be the result of a dodgy driver, a software conflict, or just bad build quality. The trackpad (mouse) has some users very frustrated. A tendency to be either too sensitive, or not very accurate / cumbersome is an issue that has been reported more than a few times. Some problems with faulty USB's has also been noted. One of the worst issues with Linx tablets that a lot of people complain about is their battery life. Linx tablets are well-known for battery duration issues.

Seems very strange because this complaint goes back years. Right back to the seven-inch models, yet they still don't seem to have truly fixed the issue. Even today with their latest releases, complaints about terrible battery life continue to pour in. They must use a very cheap quality battery, where the cells inside are not strong enough to retain a respectable duration of power once a few months, or in some cases weeks of recharging has taken place.

That's either the wrong battery capacity for how much power the system needs / uses, or cheap battery components being used to keep costs down. Either way, it needs to be sorted out. Sad really, because overall Linx do make a good product. Although, truth be told, the 12 series has taken a real battering lately in terms of bad reviews.


Other considerations



Windows 10 is not really a lightweight Operating System. It's actually a bit of a space hog. If you buy the Ten V32, you will quickly be asking yourself, where did all my internal storage space go!. The 64 is obviously better where space is concerned. And you can always add more space via SD card, so all is not lost if you go with the cheaper option. One thing to be aware of though, is that some programs on Windows can not be installed / run from an external device, like an SD card. So, bigger internal storage from the get-go (64 model) is recommended.

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