Every major computer manufacturer is now offering Windows 8 Ultrabooks since the launch of the new operating system on October 26th. For many, Windows 8 is going to offer some welcomed improvements. For others it is going to offer little but confusion and frustration. RetroUI is a piece of software by Thinix which brings back the things you’ve gotten used to in Windows over the last many versions of the OS.
The UMPC was a failed 2006 attempt by Intel and Microsoft to build a market of portable, fully functional PCs. Unfortunately neither the OS or the technology was ready for consumers so the sector faded into the specialist market. In the meantime quite a bit has changed. The Atom platform has evolved and we’ve now got Windows 8. As a result the sector is coming alive again and it’s something we should all be keeping an eye on if we’re concerned about mobility and long battery life.
Today over at our sister site, UMPCPortal.com, we are fortunate enough to have a very early owner review of the Samsung ATIV Smart PC 500T, the lighter, longer battery life but less powerful brother to the Samsung ATIV Smart PC 700T.
Hector, the ATIV owner, has written a great review with images and three detailed videos. There some really interesting information about 10hr battery life, the digitizer and performance.
Check out the Samsung ATIVSmart PC 500T Review at UMPCPortal.com
Note: We don’t track the Atom-based devices at Ultrabooknews so if you’re interested in learning about PC devices in the mobile sector, check out the UMPCPortal product database.
The Samsung ATIV 500 and 700, also known as the SmartPC [details] and SmartPC Pro [details] haven’t haven’t been the easiest devices to track through tradeshow and launch events. First highlighted as the Series 5 and Series 7 slates the device names have been cleaned up a little now but we’re sure there’s at least some confusion remaining. Maybe that’s why Samsung have produced an infographic to guide us through the features and differences.
We’ve just added the ASUS VivoBook S400 to the database (The 84th Ultrabook) and I note that it’s already quite the popular product. At around $700 for a touchscreen 14.1”-er, it’s not too surprising although for that price you’re not getting best-of-specs!
1366×768 resolution is almost a budget laptop specification and the hybrid hard drive won’t be as fast as an SSD. The weight is not exactly class-leading either but you do get a free RAM slot inside. We’re still trying to track down information on the battery capacity for you.
Given the current spec list and ASUS’ reputation this could be a really great entry point into some Touch Windows 8 productivity and fun.
Intel has launched the latest driver update for their integrated graphics. This update brings full support for Windows 8. HD 3000 graphics are found on Ultrabooks with second generation (aka Sandy Bridge) processors while HD 4000 graphics are found on newer Ultrabooks that use Intel’s third generation (aka Ivy Bridge) processors. In addition to some game-specific performance updates, Intel has also enabled 4k Ultra HD video output and OpenGL 4.0 for Ivy Bridge / HD 4000, as well as OpenCL 1.1 for Sandy Bridge / HD 3000. All Ultrabook users should update, even if your Ultrabook has discrete graphics!
Traffic levels here are up 2X. Trends are up 2X, ad rates are up and if the rate of increase continues, Ultrabooks could be more of a trend than notebooks before the end of the year.
As early as Saturday October 20th, days before the launch of Windows 8, traffic started to pick up here. By Windows 8 launch day traffic levels had risen to double normal traffic levels and then on Sunday night I saw something happen that I haven’t seen since, funnily enough, Daniel Craig starred in his first James Bond film and promoted a Sony UMPC. It’s not Daniel Craig this time round though, it’s the Ultrabook Convertible.
After spending a good two months with Windows 8 on the developer preview Touch Ultrabook I decided I was 100% happy with Windows 8 and that there was no reason not to upgrade the Toshiba Z830, a first generation Ultrabook. The upgrade was completed fairly smoothly although extra drivers, as always, are going to mean a bit of searching and a bit of luck with the installation order.
Toshiba Z830 full review here.
I chose to upgrade the Toshiba Z830 with a DVD drive and cabled Ethernet…
There’s a new type of laptop in town. It’s fast, fun and flexible and it’s called the Ultrabook Convertible. Intel’s new ads started running at the weekend so we’re guessing that there’s quite a lot of people on the search for more information today.
Welcome new visitors, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve got all the Ultrabook Convertibles in the database along with specs, news, videos and more. We’re updating daily. Click on the image below to see the latest list or read on for an overview of the types of Ultrabook convertibles coming to the market.
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