Following a tip-off that the Acer W4 might actually be shipping in Asia we took a deeper dive into search results and although we can’t confirm the Iconia W4 is shipping it does seem there are some prototypes doing the rounds. An article from Japan gives us some nice pics, comparison with the Iconia W3 and a look at the device manager. There’s an Acer Singapore product page ‘in the wild’ too.
The Acer Iconia W4 is being promoted as a portrait-mode tablet which makes sense given its handheld sizing. It looks like its slightly less wide. It’s not, but it is thinner, and it looks a lot nicer than the W3. Charging comes via MicroUSB port and there’s MicroSD and MicroHDMI…
Stereo speakers, mic, power and volume rocker also shown in the pics. Webcams have been confirmed as 2Mp (front) and 5MP (rear.) For those worries about the screen the article states that the screen is better than the screen on the W3, which was a major issue for many. Broadcom WiFi a/b/g/n module looks like it’s dual-band. As for the accessories, you’ve got the crunch folio and the keyboard stand. We’ve found some RRP pricing in Singapore. The crunch folio is SG$49 (US$40) and the Bluetooth keyboard with folio is SG$89 (US$70) which could make it quite attractive to travellers. With USB charging and the HDMI-out you’ve got a seriously capable, lightweight modular PC.
This is a post by Surface Pro 2 owner Hector Gomez who shares his battery life report after one month of usage…
When Microsoft announced the first Surface Pro it got hit with many reviewers claiming battery life was only around 3.5 hours. I personally got a good 5 hours, and yes, if I watched a lot of videos on it, it did drop down. Though I was able to get a full work day use out of it I accepted I would always have to carry the power supply with me for full-days of usage. That changed with the Microsoft Surface Pro 2…
At the Intel Software Summit this week I had the chance to use the ASUS Transformer Book T100 for a day. I was very impressed at the performance level, quality and battery life but handed it back thinking it would work better as a productive device in an 11.6-inch version – as long as the tablet was the same weight.
You’ll find a lot of praise for the T100 out there both from professional reporters and owners. It’s the biggest selling laptop on Amazon.com (currently $379 for the 64GB version) and we’re seeing a lot of activity for it here on the site. It’s kicking off the 2-in-1 category nicely and will account for a lot of consumer Windows 8.1 sales. Developers take note. (My estimate is that it will sell 0.5 million units before the end of the year if ASUS can keep up with stock demand.)
To add to my previous hands-on then, I was impressed by the USB charging. A lightweight charger is a bonus although charging speeds are fairly slow. It will rarely need charging in the day though because after 8hrs of a ‘on’ at a conference (with about 4.5hrs screen-on) I had 40% battery free.
I also got the chance to test WiDi. It works!
I will say a word about the keyboard and touchpad. I felt that I was really back in that awkward netbook zone again as I used it. it was cramped and the touchpad was very basic. it’s a shame because this platform supports productive working. A boost to an 11-inch screen and a larger keyboard could be the answer for those wanting the best in dynamic-range. Obviously the Dell Venue Pro 11 is a hot contender here, and available very soon.
The ASUS T100 is the rare thing that is a bargain AND a ground-breaking product. ASUS’ price is so aggressive that it will, without a doubt, catalyse a big 2-in-1 device category just like it did with the netbook category. This time round though I feel it’s going to be a bigger, longer-lasting category. There’s no device size or specification restrictions this time round. Where netbooks peaked at about 50 million sales a year, I expect the 2-in-1 category to be much bigger and to last much longer. Developers, pay attention because there are already app opportunities related to the T100.
Our Dell Venue 8 Pro has already been unboxed and reviewed but today we’ve got more detail for you. This 15 minutes video deep-dive into this ultra-mobile PC includes browsing performance, split keyboard usage, YouTube playback, Store app install, Desktop usage, Microsoft Word demo, Bluetooth Keyboard Demo and Steam Gaming Demo with Civ V. We’ve got another video on the Miracast / WiDi feature coming up too so stay tuned!
The Atom chip. Windows 8. For those seeking productivity and portability these technologies promised to fulfil that need but ultimately fell short. Intel’s Bay Trail CPU and Windows 8.1 are designed to finally meet those needs but do they really combine to produce the perfect storm for Windows tablets? The Dell Venue 8 Pro is the first of the new breed of Windows tablets out of the gate, does it have what it takes to satisfy the demanding needs of the professional on the go?
With 2560×1600 resolution, a digitizer, 38h battery, rugged build and more, this Baytrail tablet is unique. At the Fujitsu Forum today I had a change for hands on. The specs are already in the database here so let’s get straight on with the video and pics. Let us know what you think below but first, here’s the starting price, without keyboard. Approx. 1150 Euro.
Unfortunately the keyboard dock was not available for testing.
The ASUS Transformer Book T100 looks, before it’s available in most countries, to be a hit. Reviews have been good and the interest and buying levels appear to be high. Here on UMPCPortal it’s the #1 most viewed product in the database. On the huge Europe-wide price comparison engine Geizhals, it’s the #1 (we assume most-viewed product) in the tablet and notebook category. The really significant statistic is that it’s the number 5 bestseller in the laptop category at Amazon.com where customers have given it 4 out of 5 stars.
Over in Europe we’re seeing a couple of new models in the line-up which will interest those looking to store all their music and videos because they have a 500GB drive in addition to the 32 or 64GB main storage. The model DK007H adds the drive to the 64GB storage and the DK005H does the same to the 32GB model. 32GB + 500GB will cost the same as the 64GB model. The same price hike, 50 Euro, applies to the 64GB+500GB model. The hard drive is in the docking keyboard. (No, there’s no hint of a keyboard with additional battery!)
Back to the reviews we see that people are getting in to a few more detailed tests now. Gaming videos are appearing too. Kyle Muel has at least 12, [update 26! now] videos up. Crysis, Starcraft 2, Diablo 3 and Counterstrike are amongst them. FIFA 14 runs surprisingly well. MobileGeeks also have an ASUS T100 gaming video up.
One of my favorite articles about the ASUS T100 in the last few weeks has to be this one from Liliputing where Brad uses the ASUS T100 as a desktop for a day. “…you get a surprisingly capable workstation.” I’m using the Acer W510 with an external keyboard screen and mouse right now and although it’s fine for blogging, it’s got limits. The ASUS Transformer Book shows just how much of an improvement Baytrail is over Clovertrail. It’s a truly dynamic hardware and software combination which shows us the future of PCs.
In under 4hrs from posting this, at 4am PDT, we’ll all be able to start upgrading to Windows 8.1. Windows 8.1 updates are active in the Windows Store. That’s assuming you’re running Windows 8 of course!
Update: Windows 8.1 update download is 2.8GB. Servers seem to be coping though.
Windows 8.1 apps are already in the store waiting for upgraded users and one of those is the official Facebook app. Ta Da!
There’s lots more coming including IE11, new imaging and video apps and a new suite of built-in app upgrades. You’ll probably see a lot of new and upgraded third party apps too and that’s one of the yardsticks that people will be using to gage Windows Store progress. It’s important, no, critical that ISVs get a positive feel over the next few weeks and 8.1 rolls out and the new wave of modern form-factors roll out. That includes the ASUS Transformer T100 which some have already got in their hands today.
You should get the update notification through Windows Store when it’s available but be aware that availability could be tight, some locations may get it earlier than others, there may be firmware updates needed on some PCs and that the update process itself is going to take a long time. Installing the Beta on a Clovetrail tablet could take an hour or more. On an Ultrabook with a quick Internet connection you’ll probably be done in 20 minutes.
I’m ready and waiting to update to Win 8.1 with an Acer W510, Samsung ATIV 500T and an Intel developer Ultrabook…
