They flip, swivel, split, or twist into a laptop or tablet. But are they worth it?
he latest trend to hit end-user computing is the onslaught of hybrid or convertible PCs. Being multi-mode devices, they can function either as a tablet or as a laptop. It's easy to imagine the benefits such a device brings to the table. Use it as a tablet when you need to simply check your mail, watch a movie, do some casual surfing, etc. Use it as a laptop when you have to do some more serious work like creating a presentation, do heavy duty emailing, typing long documents, etc. These devices save you the trouble of juggling between two devices every time you want to create or consume content.
The concept and the benefits it promises definitely sounds very
exciting. In a quick poll we ran on our Facebook page to gauge people's
interest in these devices, we got some very encouraging results. About
48% of respondents definitely look forward to buying such a device.
Another 30% are in a wait and watch situation, and might buy if the
prices become more affordable. 19% plan to stick to keeping these two
devices separate, and the remaining 4% are waiting for Android/iOS based
hybrids and convertibles to appear in the market.
But besides the polls, are the current crop of hybrids and
convertibles out there really worth buying? This requires a more careful
scan of the what's currently available in the market and the
capabilities they offer, which is what our whole story is all about. To
start off, here are a few facts and figures of what's currently out
there.
Hybrid vs Convertible: What's the difference?
A major challenge we faced while covering these devices was that
there doesn't seem to be any clear definition for these multi-mode
devices. We've seen wild swings in their definitions, ranging from
ultrabook convertibles, to hybrids, to convertible tablets, to
convertible laptops, and so on. So to put things in perspective, we'll
use the term convertible laptops or convertibles for devices with
non-detachable screens, and hybrids for those with removable screens.
All convertibles/hybrids are Windows 8/RT based: The whole reason
behind the existence of these devices is the new OS from MS, which is
capable of running in both multi-touch as well as traditional 'mouse and
keyboard' modes. While the architecture of Windows 8 based devices is
Intel x86 based, that of Windows RT is ARM based. There are currently no
iOS or Android based convertible laptops.
Convertibles are more expensive than hybrids: This is largely because
convertibles that are currently out there have non-detachable screens
and are based on Intel's Core series of CPUs. Hybrids on the other hand,
are mostly based on Tegra or Intel Atom processors. The former can
therefore have more RAM, storage, and larger screen sizes. As a result,
their battery life is also comparatively lower. But being more powerful,
they can be used more as laptops than tablets. This makes them a good
choice for a corporate environments, provided you can afford them. As of
now, the average starting price of such convertibles is Rs. 60,000.
Convertibles are fatter/thicker than hybrids as well as tablets:
Since the keyboard is built into them, convertibles are bound to be
thicker, and in most cases, heavier than hybrids. This makes it more
difficult to use them as tablets, as your arm would tire out faster than
when you were using lightweight tablets. Hybrids on the other hand, let
you remove the screen and use it as a tablet, thereby making them more
lightweight and provide greater battery life.
Hybrids are like netbooks with multi-touch: Most hybrids are based
either on Intel's Atom or nVidia's Tegra processors. So even though
Intel has introduced the next generation of Atom processors code-named
Clover Trail, which are far more powerful and consume lesser power than
the earlier generation, they're still not as good as the Core series of
CPUs. So being Atom based makes hybrids far less powerful than Intel's
Core based convertible devices. So in a way, the Atom based hybrids are
like netbooks with multi-touch capability! You can do basic productivity
work on them, but don't expect to run Photoshop or other processor
intensive apps on them.
By the looks of things, hybrids and convertibles are definitely the
way forward for end-user computing devices. But, does that mean you
should pick up one of these devices instead of buying a separate laptop
and tablet? Or will there continue to be a market for individual
devices? On the other hand, can a tablet act as a replacement for a
desktop or laptop?
No comments:
Post a Comment