When Apple launches a Macbook, it is a given that there would be expectations built and speculations made. MacBook Pro with Retina Display is no exception to this phenomenon. A lot was being said about this 13-inch laptop before it came in to the market. Now that the device is out and about, we had a look at its features and its working and we are providing you with the review.
Overall review of the device:
Design and features of the device-
The MacBook Pro is quite light and easy to be carried around. It comes with a 12.35 x 8.62 dimension. The thickness is of around 0.75 inches. This laptop weighs around 2.57 pounds. This laptop uses a new riff on unibody MacBook design and this makes it an extremely stiff as well as a solid machine. The lid has only one Apple logo on it. Apart from this, on the entire body of the laptop there is no cluttering because of branding. Apple has even removed the MacBook Pro insignia from under the screen. So the look of this laptop is pretty clean and slick. The keyboard is back-lit and comes with a glass multi-touch keypad. The left side comes with a new thinner MagSafe 2 power connector, a USB 3.0 port, a headphone jack, and two Thunderbolt ports. The right side has one more USB 3.0 port, an SD card slot, and an HDMI port. In this laptop, you can use the mini display port cables and the adapters with the Thunderbolt ports if you have an existing display or a projector.
Retina display of the device-
When the manufacture boasts about the display quality of the laptop, it goes without saying that the expectations are high. And Apple does not let you down with its retina display MacBook panel screen. The company has outrun any competition when it comes to the display quality. The native resolution of the panel is 2560 x 1600 and it makes the screen look stunning. With its 300 nits brightness, the screen is well suited for outdoor viewing as well. The screen has pretty wide viewing angles and thus a small group of people can comfortably watch a video without having to cramp in front of the screen. Remember that in order to take advantage of the retina display, the applications need to be optimized because otherwise if your run the apps, there is a lot of scaling effect.
Hardware of the device-
As stated earlier, the laptop as a thin and light built. The speakers are placed beneath the keyboard and they offer decent amount of volume and tone range. Occasional music listeners will be satisfied with the speaker quality in Macbook Pro. The bottom corners of the machine have four hard rubber feet protruding out, one from each corner. The retina display relies completely and exclusively on integrated Intel HD 4000 for the need of graphics. The bluetooth 4.0 on tap helps you with your shorter range broadcasting needs.
Battery life and performance of the device-
The performance of MacBook Pro with retina display is at par with its competitors. It is a good device when it comes to crunching numbers. The disk gives reading speed of up to about 430 MBPs while the writing speed was up to around 301 MBPs. The loading of files is pretty quick on this device. Even the applications get activated in a very little time in the Dock. The timings required for a cold boot to a log-in prompt is just up to around 15 seconds. Such fast speed will definitely be appreciated by people who spend most of their awake time in front of a laptop.
Apple representatives state that this device can give 7 hours of battery life. However, it is found that with a bright display, running looping video, and enabled WiFi, the battery drained few minutes faster than the claims. However, the battery life is still satisfactory.
Configuration of the device-
this device has two configuration options: you can either go for a dual-core 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5 processor with an 8 GB memory of the DDR3L. Your other option is to choose for a configuration which differs solely in the disk space (256 GB).
Pros of the device-
1. The best feature of this device is of course its display quality. It is way better than any other competitor in the market by far.
2. The battery life of this laptop is good.
3. With its thinner and lighter built, this MacBook is easy to be carried around during travels.
4. The designing of this laptop is very stylish and slick.
Cons of the device-
1. At 13 inches, the usable screen is smaller compared to other retina display models.
2. This device offers only 128 GB of storage.
3. The performance of this device is somewhat strained.
4. It is quite an expensive laptop and people who are on a tighter budget might not want to consider this option.
Verdict:
If you are fan of brilliant display and stylish looks, you can go for this MacBook. However, people with a tight budget might want to look at other options.
Android tablets are the new ‘must have’ devices of this generation. All the big names in the electronic market are competing to get a recognized space in the tablet world. Lenovo’s IdeaTab S2110 is one such latest effort by the company. It is a tablet with a keyboard dock. With a distinct approach towards display and the Android features, this Lenovo tablet is sure to attract gadget lovers who are looking for a comparatively lavish option.
Lenovo IdeaTab S2110 Review
Design of the product-
Unlike its earlier tablets, for IdeaTab S2110, Lenovo has abandoned the iPad like design. There have been changes made in the screen size as well as the display. Instead of going for highest resolution displays, this tablet comes with a 10.1 inch screen with 1280 x 800 resolution and a 16:10 ratio. The screen has 420-nit brightness with a built in IPS technology. The device comes with as good as 178 degrees viewing angles from any direction. So a small group viewing experience need not be cramped because of the excellent viewing angles. This tablet comes with a keyboard dock. Therefore the placement of buttons and the cameras is in such a way that it facilitates a landscape type of orientation. The rear facing camera is placed in the corner section of the tablet. It has the usual issue of all the corner tucked cameras: it creates a problem while attempting to center a subject in the frame. There is a volume rocker button present on the right side of the device whereas the power button is present up on the top. The plastic casing makes this tablet light and easy to be carried around.
The keyboard dock has the same plastic casing as the tablet but it does feel slightly heavier and more solid. The keys are pretty comfortable to type even for long hours. The touchpad gives slightly below the par working satisfaction especially if you compare it to Windows, OS X or Linux working systems. There are two USB ports and a three in one card reader in the keyboard dock.
Battery life and performance of the device-
The navigation around the tablet is bit slow and clumsy on Lenovo IdeaTab S2110, however, you can easily run the Android applications. Applications can be operated quickly and smoothly. The visual displays are easy on eyes and if you wish to disable them, Lenovo does provide you with the option. The tablet comes with as good as 10 hours of battery life with video playback. The keyboard dock provides an add on to the battery life. The tablet first drains power from the keyboard dock battery when you connect them together. So overall with the dock, you can get a battery life of up to 20 hours video playback or 30 days standby.
Pros of the device:
- This tablet comes with a very sturdy construction and yet the plastic casing makes it light to be carried around. Thus it is a suitable device to be carried during travels.
- The dock keyboard feature comes in handy when you wish to type for long hours.
- The design of this tablet is slick, thin, and edgy.
- It comes with full sized SD card and USB slot on the keyboard dock.
- The long battery life is very remarkable.
- It has a stylish and professional appearance.
- The display quality is brilliant.
- The 178 degrees of viewing angles from any direction make it possible for a small group of people to watch a video on the tablet without having to cramp.
Cons of the device:
- The use of touchpad can get clumsy and sluggish.
- Scrolling and navigation on the screen and in the application drawer has a little lag and can get a bit slower.
- The camera quality is not satisfactory.
- The tablet comes with matte finishing which could lead to smudging because of fingerprints.
Verdict:
The Lenovo IdeaTab S2110 comes with a solid build and slick designing. Plus the display quality of this device is brilliant. It gives wide viewing angles. The Android applications run pretty smoothly on this tablet. The battery life is great as well. However, navigation experience is sluggish and the camera quality too is not up to the mark. This tablet is quite expensive compared to its competition and thus is not a advisable option for people on a tight budget.
Dell XPS 12 is the newbie in the market of the Windows 8 hybrid ultrabooks. This interchangeable laptop cum tablet is the second in the series of shape-shifting laptops to come in the market. This convertible ultrabook has the similar flip and fold design as the Dell Inspiron Duo (Black) so that it can be converted from a laptop to a tablet and then back to a laptop.
Overall review of the product:
Design of the product:
The Dell XPS 12 has a a model designing which is more inclined towards the laptop features than the tablet ones. It comes with a 12.5 inch capacitive touchscreen LCD. The keyboard is a soft finishing magnesium device and the glass touchpad is comfortable to use too. The making of keyboard is such that you can comfortably type on it for long hours. There an aluminum rimmed design on both the deck and the lid which makes the ultrabook look trendy and slick. As stated earlier, this ultrabook is interchangeable laptop cum tablet. Its screen rotates (swivels) within the aluminum frame making it possible to be used as either a traditional clamshell laptop or as a tablet as per your need and convenience.
There is a screen rotation button on the left hand side of the XPS 12 screen. This side also has a 3.5 mm headphone jack, a volume rocker, and a sliding power button. The ultrabook weighs around 3.4 pounds and thus it is few ounces heavier and sturdier than the other ultrabooks which are available in this size range. The dimensions of this device are 12.5 x 8.5 x 0.6- 0.8 inches. Thus it does not require much space.
Display Quality of the Device
The Dell XPS 12 has top notch 1920 x 1080 Gorilla Glass display. This laptop gives amazing viewing angles of up to around 170 degrees in all the directions. The scrolling down experience on Windows 8 interface proves out to be magnificent. High resolution might dampen this experience slightly. But the picture quality and the vividness of the colors is worth a mention. The brightness is sufficient enough to make a pretty comfortable watching even in a dim lit room.
Sound (Audio) Quality of the Device
This laptop cum tablet comes with two side-mounted speakers which provide good audio effects. The bass is not of its highest quality but the speakers produce good enough sound effects so that there is definite distinction between low nodes, medium ones, and the high nodes. The in-built speakers will not provide sound loud enough to be heard in every corner of a large room but if you are sitting in a few feet’s distance of the device, you will get satisfactory volume levels.
Applications Running on this Device
Since the Dell XPS 12 has a Windows 8 interface, you can run a decent number of applications on this device. But the problem is the applications here are fewer than that in Apple’s App Store or Google Play. The pre-installed applications are kept to a bare minimal by Dell.
Software of the Device
The Windows 8 based interface is a convenient software to say the least. There are no unwanted short-cuts or customized icons by the ultrabook makers on the desktop. So the cluttering of the desktop is automatically curbed.
Pros of this Device:
1. It has an amazing display quality with 1920 x 1080p Gorilla Screen
2. Audio quality is decent enough for a laptop-tablet hybrid
3. The sturdy device is easy to carry around and is not too fragile
4. The looks and feel of Dell XPS 12 is pretty slick and stylish
5. It has considerably long battery life
Cons of this Device:
1. Dell XPS 12 provides a limited port selection
2. The design is more laptop-like and has lesser tablet-like features
3. It does not come with any memory card slots
4. The light sensor is slightly ambient
Verdict:
If you are a fan of swiveling laptop plus tablet hybrid then going for Dell XPS 12 is a good bet. You will get brilliant display quality with a comfortable keyboard and decent audio effects. However, a person who likes to have all the applications on his laptop/ tablet would not really like this device. Also remember that even though this ultrabook is easy to be carried around, it is more of a laptop than a tablet.
The wait for running Windows 8 on a tablet is over. ASUS (the company which already has garnered positive reviews for its state-of-the-art designs of the Transformer Pad series of the Android tablets) brings the ASUS Vivo Tab RT which is one of the first tab models to run Windows RT. This tab is an evolved version of the Transformer Pad Infinity TF700. With its slick design and the keyboard dock, the vivo tab can in fact be used as a mini laptop.
Overall review of the product:
Design of the device
This tablet is thinner than an iPad and is considerably lighter (it weighs just 1.19 pounds). The slick metallic design with rounded edges on the glasses makes it a stylish gadget. The dimensions of this device are 10.35 by 6.73 by 0.33 inches. As compared to its Android predecessor, the Infinity, this gadget is slightly narrower and lighter. This vivo tablet can be held comfortably in the hands and is excellent for reading vertically.
Hardware of the device
The metallic back and rubberized strip stretching across the top makes this tab as one of easiest of the lot to hold and carry around without fearing that it might slip through your fingers. The power button is on the top of the device. There is a volume rocker key on the top right hand side with placement so high that you do not hit it accidentally while working in a landscape mode. The micro-HDMI socket as well as the microSD slot are placed on the left edge. The rear side of the tablet consists of the speakers. Also this device features an 8 mega pixel camera which comes with a LED flash on the rear side. The front upper portion has a smaller 2 mega pixel camera which can be used for the purpose of video chatting.
Detachable keyboard
Taking many cues from the Transformer line, the ASUS vivo tab has a keyboard attached to the main device. However, this time there is a unique tweak in the design. There is a latch on the left side (lower edge) which gives you an option of detaching the keyboard from the keyboard dock. This is different from the earlier designs where in the latch was located in the dock itself. While the new design of the detachable keyboard looks appealing to the eyes, it is not user friendly as it takes a few clumsy attempts to release the latch.
Display quality of the device
This tablet comes with a Gorilla Glass screen which has a resolution of 1,366 x 768. The vivo tab has a Super IPS+ display. Thus the brightness of the device can go up to 600 nits. This kind of range is higher than most other laptops (and way higher than other tablets). Such brightness makes it easy for the user to use the tab neatly and easily even when outdoors. The excellent battery backup adds as a plus to support the brightness of the device.
Sound quality of the device
As compared to previous tabs in the Transformer line, the Vivo tablet has larger speaker chambers according to the company representatives. The speakers used are SonicMaster audio. As compared to other tablets, the bass quality of this one is pretty good. However, the volume is a little weak especially if you are in a crowded place, the volume is quite low.
Overall performance and verdict
The ASUS Vivo Tab RT is an impressive gadget with Windows 8 operating system, detachable keyboard dock, and excellent display quality. The Surface is not completely smooth operating; the opened applications tend to tile a little as you page through them. Also the swiping is a slow at times. All in all this stylish looking, thin, easy to handle device with long battery life and a good camera is a treat for Microsoft lovers as it gives you the access to applications like HuluPlus, Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja and Netflix.
The latest product from Sony, the Sony Vaio Tap 20 is a touchscreen desktop PC with multiple features. It is a hybrid which is both an Ultrabook as well as a tablet. The mixed in portability feature of this device allows it to be used as a regular mid-range desktop PC for 99 per cent of the time of its total use. The other 1 per cent of the time, you can unplug it and it will stay on till you take it to the other room and plug it back to a power source. It is an all-in-one transportable desktop. When unplugged, the device will stay on because of small power reserve but it needs to be connected to a power source all the times. This product is expected to hit the market by end of October.
The specifications of this device are as follows:
Operating System: Windows 8
Processor: Intel Core i5-3317U
RAM: 4 GB or 8 GB (optional)
WiFi: 802.11b/g/n
Native Resolution: 1600 x 900
Hard Drive Size: 750 GB
Hard Drive Type: SATA Hard Drive
Hard Drive Speed: 5400 rpm
Graphics Card: Intel HD Graphics 4000
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.0 + HS
Dimensions: 19.9 x 12.0 x 1.8 inches
Weight: 11.2 pounds
Price: $ 750
Review of the product:
This desktop is an all-in-one touch-screen PC which has an integrated (internal) battery. The best feature of this PC is that you can move it around the house without having to shut it down. Thus you can enjoy a large desktop in multiple rooms. This device provides a desktop with touchscreen features. Sony is thus calling it as ″a tabletop PC″. With its HD features, the desktop can be used for gaming purposes as well. The hinge and kickstand feature allows the use of this PC as an all-in-one desktop or a flat laid tablet like device.
Pros:
- It has a large (10 finger) screen
- It comes with a wireless keyboard as well as mouse
- Mixed portability which allows use of the desktop in more than one room
- Comes with an innovative hinge and kickstand
- It has an internal battery
- Provides little power reserve so the PC does not automatically shut down in case of power failure
- The design of this device is attractive with a fold back display
- Fully responsive touchscreen with wide viewing angles
Cons:
- The performance is sacrificed because of portability and mobile components
- The display is not full 1080p HD (Display resolution is poor- only 1600 x 900)
- Because of the thick built, the device is rather hefty and causes inconvenience
- The web-cam is grainy
- This device offers limited port selection
Verdict:
The Sony Vaio Tap 20 is a mixed portable desktop with multiple functions and a fully responsive touchscreen. The makers are raving about the device’s flexibility thanks to the innovative hinge and kickstand. However, this PC is built heavy and is hefty to carry around. Also the meager resolution of 1600 x 900 is unsatisfying. If you wish to have a limited portable desktop which you can use in multiple rooms of your house then you can give this device a thought; but do not think of it as a substitute to laptops.