When Microsoft first announced the Surface tablets back in June 2012 they didn’t reveal much about the Surface Pro other than it would run an Intel processor and launch 90 days after the RT version launched on October 26. It wasn’t until November that Microsoft provided more info on price and hardware specifications. Last weekend I was lucky enough to pick up a retail version. Here’s my review.

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A 10” PC running a Core i5 CPU with 4hrs of battery life, in 2lbs of weight – that’s one amazing achievement. It’s the smallest Core-based PC you can buy and one of the lightest too. There’s no question that for road warriors, hot-deskers and those wanting one PC for everything, it’s got be near the top of the list. The reviews are  praising the WiFi performance and SSD performance, low-noise and build-quality so it seems that the Surface Pro has delivered one of the best possible all-round ultra-mobile PCs. For the consumer, it’s not your ideal tablet.

You’ll find all the specs, new videos and links to many reviews in our Surface Pro specs page.

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The Yoga 13 is a truly exiting form factor and a well-made device. It’s a good Ultrabook and yet there are serious issues to be considered. The Yoga 13 is missing a few features and fails on a few aspects related to the convertible form-factor and convergence. Read on for a full review of the Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 13.

This review written on the Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 13.

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I tried to bring you some information on the new Gigabyte S1185 slate the other day but pretty much failed! Let me give that another shot now with the help of news, images and videos from a few bloggers out at CES.

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The Verge have just posted a very interesting and detailed hands-on with the Microsoft Surface Pro. I sent out my  Surface Pro Performance Preview late last year but this hands-on, by Tom Warren, is worth taking a close look at too because it covers more than just the internals. You can read my thoughts below or just jump to The Verge.

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In the category that we like to call ultraslates (tablets based on an Ultrabook platform) we’ve got a new entrant today. The Gigabyte S1185 is an 11.6” full-HD tablet running Windows 8. Gigabyte have not made a formal announcement on their site or social media channels yet but some details are out there in CES-land. Interestingly the image shows a USB-attached keyboard which is not what we expected when we read ‘magnetic keyboard.’

The original keyboard image has been removed as it was from a different device. We’ll update when we have new info.

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This ground-breaking integration of Windows 8 and PC hardware will change the way you use a PC and it’s likely to be an Ultrabook-exclusive for much of 2013 and 2014. Connected Standby is ‘on’ for Windows 8 apps when the PC is ‘off.’ It means you can run Windows 8 applications like Skype to provide voice and video services when your PC is in your bag, and much more.

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Competitor to the Microsoft Surface Pro (and 4 other Core-based dockables,) the Samsung ATIV Smart PC Pro / 700T / XE700 hasn’t exactly got the market to itself but given Samsung’s history of making tablets we think they have a good chance of being one of the most popular brands in the category and when Samsung posts details about what’s going inside the SmartPC Pro you get the impression they have some confidence too.

Check out some of the key features inside the Samsung ATIV SmartPC Pro below and read-on for information on the first owner-feedback.

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Although there are a number of slider and rotating screen Ultrabooks out there it’s the dockable slates that seem to interest the readers here the most. The Samsung XE700 / Smart PC Pro is available in a number of location now but it’s the Acer Iconia W700 that get’s the first round of reviews. Laptop Magazine and CNet have published their thoughts so make sure you read these to get a feel for weight, battery life, performance and features for this new phase of Window Tablet PCs.

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Ultrabooks are all about getting full computing power in a lightweight, stylish and long-battery life solution.  Core i3, i5 and i7 ‘ultra low voltage’ platforms are the core of these systems but there are a few non-ultrabook solutions that use this platform and still provide a thin and light solution. One of them is a true alternative. It’s a tablet/docking station combo that I’ve written about before. The Samsung Series 7 XE700 and today the prices are looking a lot better than they did a month ago.

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I had time with the Series 7 Slate at IFA last month and was very impressed. Its simply the best Windows tablet I’ve ever used. When windows 8 comes along it will get even better. Light, powerful and thankfully, delivered with a dock and keyboard making it a true multi-scenario device.  Those of you thinking about an Ultrabook for ultra-mobile activities might want to take a look at this because it uses the same Core i5 platform. It will especially appeal to photographers due to the high-brightness screen and hot-deskers because of the dock. Everyone will appreciate the Core i5 CPU!

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The HTC Flyer I ordered on Friday has literally just arrived at the door and Im looking forward to ripping this open and seeing how it compares to the Galaxy Tab which is currently the most popular 7″ tablet on the market and has been a very good companion to me for over 6 months now. Expect an unboxing video soon. The Live Review will be held on Wednesday evening at 2100 CEST (Berlin.)

In terms of features, there are definitely a few to talk about and some that are unique to the Flyer ensuring at least some sales. The #1 feature is the digitizer input layer and active pen that integrates with a special input mode on the Flyer. Annotations and notes.made though this layer can be captured into the Evernote cloud storage, OCR and search application. It’s a well known and well trusted application and the integration will carry a lot of value. I hope a full Evernote license is included for offline notes.

There’s also the 1.5Ghz CPU to consider. It should provide a noticeable jump in performance over the Galaxy Tab.

There are two major issues to consider and either of these could be show-stoppers. Firstly, assuming you want to use a 7″ tablet for pen input (something I’ve never been a big fan of over the years that I’ve been reporting about tablets) you’ve got to remember to take the pen with you. There’s no integrated.storage which is really quite an issue. I’ll have to test that all-important palm rejection too.

Then there’s the price. As i write this, the Flyer 16Gb WiFi version is €499. The Galaxy Tab WiFi is available for €269. This issue will reduce over time as margins reduce but it may never catch up with the price of the Tab due to the screen technology used. You’ve got to be a pen-input fan that remembers to take the pen or someone that really really needs the extra CPU power.

Or are the other features worth considering? It’s true that not many tablets offer video content for download and streaming so HTC Watch will be an important service to check out. If the content and price is good, it’s a great feature. OnLive-CloudGaming is also a feature to check out. Dual-location on-frame buttons (that enable and disable depending on rotation) Skype video and HTC Sense are also unique features.I’ll also be interested in the ‘HD’ video recording  support and other hidden features that are sure to crop up.

On the downside, it looks like there’s no voice stack (I assume that includes SMS, MMS and Video calling (over UMTS) support. Its something I use a lot on the Galaxy Tab thatnks to Multi-SIM. I get the same number on my Tab and my smartphone.

Is there enough to entices people here? As time goes by and the price comes down into the same range as the Galaxy Tab and Acer Iconia Tab A100, I think there will.

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