I really liked the look of the HP Env X2 I tested at IDF 2012. The size and weight proportions are more conducive to mobile operations than some of the Core-based solutions and in addition, there’s a battery life advantage to be had over Core but it’s not quite up to replacing a desktop for most people so there’s a big trade-off. The ASUS Vivo Tab is the same, but looks even better!

I got hands-on at IDF and you can see that in the video below. I walked away very impressed and definitely interested in testing it further, especially as I’m a huge fan of ultra-mobile solutions.

The thing that really does it for me is that the tablet part of the unit really is a usable weight because it’s based on an Intel Atom Z2760 (dual-core 1.8Ghz with a TDP of around 8.5W) 17W TDP Core-based ‘transformer’ solutions have tablets that are just a little too heavy for me and that means I would rather have a fixed-screen touch Ultrabook at 1.1KG than a transformer-style one at 1.3-1.4KG. I also love the fact that we’re looking at Win 8 here. I’ve been testing smartbooks since the Compaq AirLife 100 (info) was around in 2010 and even thought the hardware is getting up to speed now, the Android operating system isn’t. Metro/Desktop Windows 8 was made for convertibles and the ASUS Vivo Tab fits perfectly.  Pricing will have to be competitive too.

Anyone else interested in one of these Atom-based units for ultra-mobile work or are you waiting for Microsoft Surface Pro with Core i5 goodness inside?