Asus Transformer Book T100
Fusing a 10.1in tablet with a docking keyboard, the Transformer Book
T100 swaps the Android OS of its stablemates for full Windows 8.1 and
puts Intel's new Atom platform, Bay Trail, at the helm. Intel's new
quad-core Atom is twice as fast as the previous generation, and even has
a little gaming power at its disposal. The T100 feels nothing like the
netbooks of old.
The 1,366 x 768 IPS display isn't the brightest out there, but it's
great for the money; the compact keyboard turns it into a usable netbook
hybrid with nine hours of battery life; and there's even a copy of
Microsoft Office Home & Student 2013 thrown in for free. If ever
there was a tech bargain to be had, the Asus Transformer Book T100 is
it.
Read more:
Apple Macbook Pro 13in with Retina Display
Apple's latest update to its Retina-equipped MacBook Pro 13in is
perhaps the finest laptop that money can buy. It's not as slender as the
best Ultrabooks - the newly slimmed-down model still weighs 1.55kg and
measures 18mm thick – but, gram for gram, it crams in more power and
all-round quality than any other laptop you care to mention. The arrival
of Intel's Haswell CPUs gives graphics performance a much needed boost
(a notable weakness of the previous generation), and battery life now
soars over 11 hours.
Elsewhere, the Macbook Pro oozes class: the Retina display remains
top-class, and increased application support finally allows it to start
delivering on it's potential. Factor in a very welcome price cut, and it
strides straight the top of our wish list.
Microsoft Surface Pro 2
The successor to the first Surface Pro
made some essential changes to the formula. Physically, the 10.8in
tablet hasn't changed a jot: the 920g all-metal body remains as
strikingly chiselled and as weighty as it ever was, but the addition of a
new two-position kickstand makes it far more usable on a desk, or on a
lap.
Inside, a CPU upgrade - to Intel's Haswell tech - keeps performance
spritely, while dramatically increasing battery life, and Microsoft has
calibrated the Full HD touchscreen for better colour accuracy.
Pressure-sensitive stylus input still comes as standard, and the range
of optional accessories, such as the Touch and Type Covers, and the
docking station, allow the Surface Pro 2 to masquerade as a laptop,
tablet or desktop PC. All-in-all, a serious tablet, and a classy hybrid,
for sensible money.
