We test nine new touchscreen devices
to see which one provides for using Windows 8
The tiles on the Windows 8 Start screen are
designed to be prodded with a finger, rather than clicked with a mouse, so
you’ll get the most from the OS if you use a touchscreen device.
Windows 8 tablets, unlike Android and Apple
ones, are designed for more than just surfing and viewing, and often come with
a keyboard either included, or as an optional extra. A hybrid is a cross
between a tablet and a laptop: like a laptop, its screen and keyboard are
separated by a hinge, but this is flexible enough to fold back on itself,
tucking away the keyboard to leave a tablet-like screen. We’ve looked at six
hybrids and three tablets to see which provides the best touchscreen Windows 8
experience.
How we tested
We tested how fast each device running a
full version of Windows 8 (all the hybrids and one tablet) performed a series
of Windows tasks, then compared it with a 3.4GHz Intel Core i7-2600 desktop PC
with 4GB of memory and a benchmark score of 1. The better a device performed,
the higher it scored. Because two of the tablets use the cut-down Windows 8 RT,
and don’t run standard Windows programs, they couldn’t run the benchmark
software, so couldn’t be compared to the other devices. We also looked at the
screens’ brightness and contrast (measured in cd/m2), and testes battery life
by looping a video and timing how long it took to drain the battery from a full
charge.
Lenovo ideapad yoga 13: $1,499.99
While other hybrid manufactures have gone
to town with intricate sliding mechanisms and ingenious flipping and rotating
screens, Lenovo’s Yoga 13 keeps things simple. It’s connected by an
ultra-flexible hinge that allows the lid to rotate a full 360 degrees and bend
back on itself fully, thus transforming into a tablet. This fixed hinge feels
solid compared to the more fiddly mechanisms on other hybrids in this Group
Test.
The simple design makes the Yoga 13
comfortable to use, particularly in laptop mode. There’s a large Synaptics
buttonless touchpad and our only complaint about the keyboard is that the keys
are slightly small. The wide, rubberized wrist rest feels comfy, too.
Lenovo
ideapad yoga 13
As you push back the display from the
laptop position, the Yoga 13 can strike a range of different poses. In ‘tent’
mode, the Yoga stands on its edges like a name card at a wedding supper. Lay
the base flat with the keyboard facing down and the hinge allows the
touchscreen to be titled back and angled to your optimum position. Fold it
completely flat to use as a standard tablet, and the keyboard and trackpad are
automatically disabled as the screen passes the horizontal, so there’s no
danger of typing random letters while you hold it. However, at 1.53kg it’s very
heavy, and the exposed keyboard and touchpad on the rear feel a bit odd, so
using it flat doesn’t feel natural. For casual surfing or watching videos,
however, the touchscreen and flexible hinge are a winning combination.
As
you push back the display from the laptop position, the Yoga 13 can strike a
range of different poses
The Yoga 13’s display is top quality. The
1,600 x 900 pixels resolution is lower than that on the Acer, Dell, Sony and
Asus models, which all boast Full HD screens. However, its image quality is
superb. The IPS panel’s wide viewing angle helps it look great in any position,
and while the vivid color reproduction has a slightly pink hue, it’s more than
a match for its peers. The 832:1 contrast ratio gives images solidity and
depth, and the LED backlight reaches an ample brightness of 325cd/m2, though it
was only seventh brightest in this Group Test.
Our review model had a 1.7GHz Intel Core i5
CPU. However, that was a pre-launch model and the Yoga 13 now comes with a
1.9GHz Intel Core i7-3517U. The 4GB of memory and 128GB SSD make everything
feel responsive, even while multitasking. With the slower Core i5 in place, the
Yoga 13 achieved 0.61 in our Real World Benchmarks, which put it in fourth
place. It runs the full 64-bit version of Windows 8.
The Yoga 13 came fifth in our light-use
battery, test, lasting 6 hours and 50 minutes, which should be adequate if you
don’t keep it running all day.
The
1,600 x 900 pixels resolution is lower than that on the Acer, Dell, Sony and
Asus models
The Yoga 13’s weakest element is
connectivity. Despite plenty of space around the laptop’s flattened edges,
there’s only one USB 2 port, one USB 3 port, an HDMI video port, a single 3.5mm
headphone jack and an SD card reader. There’s no Ethernet socket, so you’ll
have to rely solely on wireless via the single-band 802.11n and Bluetooth 4.
Verdict
Making a usable Windows 8 hybrid is all
about compromise, and Lenovo has got the balance just right. The double-jointed
hinge is flexible and durable, and there’s ample power twinned with a top-notch
IPS display.
Rather than creating an overweight tablet
with diminished laptop features, Lenovo has come up with a solid, attractive
laptop that doubles as an occasional, king-sized 13.3in tablet. The distinction
is subtle, but it makes all the difference.
The Yoga 13 isn’t perfect, but for $1,500
we think it’s the pick of the Windows 8 hybrids for now, if you want both a
laptop and a tablet.
·
Features: 8/10
·
Performance: 8/10
·
Ease of use: 8/10
·
Value for money: 8/10
Dell XPS 12: $1,948.99
The Dell XPS 12 converts from a laptop to a
tablet with one press of your finger. Open the lid, push firmly on the
display’s upper half and, with a soft click, the magnets and latches disengage,
allowing the panel to spin through 180 degrees. Snap the lid shut and the XPS
12 becomes a tablet. Alternatively, you can swing the base round and use it as
an adjustable stand.
In laptop mode, the XPS 12 has a handy
spill-resistant keyboard, with keys that light up in the dark. It’s also very
pleasant to type on. The glass touchpad has a silky feel that’s great to use,
and is flush with the wrist rest, making it easy for Windows 8’s swipe
gestures.
Dell
XPS 12
At 1.5kg, it’s heavy, which makes it less
convincing as a tablet, but it’s reasonably comfortable to hold, with ridges on
the base that provide good grip.
The display is superb. It’s 12.5in across
the diagonal, covered in strong Gorilla glass, and has a Full HD resolution.
The only downside is that standard Windows text looks minuscule, so you may
have to increase the text size to make it legible. We recorded a contrast ratio
of 681:1 and a maximum brightness of 395cd/m2, fifth brightest in this Group
Test. It achieved 0.65 in our benchmarks (third in this test), and its battery
lasted 6 hours 55 minutes in our light-use battery test (fourth overall).
Our review model came with a Core i7 CPU,
8GB of memory, a 256GB SSD and the full version of Windows 8. If you want to
pay less than $1,948.55, the hardware can be cut back to a Core i5, 4GB of
memory and 128GB SSD, but you’ll notice a reduction in performance.
It’s
12.5in across the diagonal, covered in strong Gorilla glass, and has a Full HD
resolution
Verdict: 8/10
The Dell XPS 12 gets lots of things right.
It’s attractive and powerful, and the display is excellent. However, despite
being both an excellent laptop and a workable table, its screen-tipping mechanism
doesn’t feel as sturdy as the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13’s. if you’re going to
spend this much money on a hybrid, we think it’s worth buying the cheaper
Lenovo model with its sturdier construction.
·
Features: 8/10
·
Performance: 8/10
·
Ease of use: 8/10
·
Value for money: 8/10
