Copyright © 2012 Richard Beaty
This month, I’m going to introduce you to a new class of laptop computer. Then I’ll compare and contrast these new laptops to the upcoming Windows 8 tablets. As you’ll see, the line between the laptop and the tablet is blurring. Does this foretell the death of the laptop?
Articles in this category have been moved to Tech News.
The dawning of tablets that are “real” computers that are able to run “real” computer programs (as opposed to primarily content consumption devices) has advanced well beyond the rumor stage. They are real, and they are coming this fall.
The details of who is going to offer what is still rumor. There have been substantial and credible leaks, but for the most part, companies are remaining mum on details.
One of the more exciting rumors is about the HP “Slate 8.” This is supposed to have a state-of-the-art Intel processor running Windows 8 Professional. This means that you will be able to truly install and run desktop software, as well as Windows 8 apps, on the device. The Slate 8 is believed to have a 10.1-inch display, is 0.36 inches thin, and has a 10 hour battery life.
Dell is also expected to enter the fray with its own Windows 8 tablet. Recently leaked specs on the first Dell offering rumor that it will also have a 10.1-inch display and a similar thickness (or “thinness”) as the HP Slate 8, an Intel Clover Trail Atom dual-core processor (Intel’s low power-consumption processor due out soon), 2 GB of RAM and a 128 GB solid state drive.
The HP and the Dell are just the first two of what promises to be a whole slew of Windows 8 tablet options that we will undoubtedly see this fall. Many of these will probably be variations on the versatile tablet-laptop hybrid design, which gives the user the option of using as a stand-alone tablet or docking a keyboard to the device.
This fall is guaranteed to be an exciting time in this new tablet computing market.
A few months ago, Microsoft made available a Consumer Preview of Windows 8. Dennis Korger, a.k.a. “The Computer Curmudgeon,” was undoubtedly one of the first people in SaddleBrooke to get a look at it. Since then he’s put it through its paces. He knows the good, the bad, and the ugly. Attend Dennis’ upcoming talk, and you will know it too.
If you’ve ever taken one of Dennis Korger’s Windows classes, you know just how knowledgeable he is. Dennis will demonstrate Microsoft’s new operating system, Windows 8, at the May meeting of the SaddleBrooke Computer Club User Group. You don’t have to be a member of the Computer Club to attend.
Most people who’ve had a chance to play with Windows 8 either love it or hate it. No one seems to be neutral. What will you think of it? Here’s your chance to find out.
Date: Monday, May 21
Time: 1:00 pm
Place: Mountain View Club House – West Ballroom
I’ll be there, probably in or near the front row. Come up and introduce yourself.
Google TV has been around for a couple of years. It was an attempt to integrate Internet TV to your big screen, much like Roku and other devices I’ve reported on at length.
It was first offered in conjunction with a Logitech product that included a wireless keyboard and set-top interface box. The product was an unmitigated flop. Logitech lost millions. They have finally decided to stop the hemorrhaging and announced that they are discontinuing the product. Funny. I didn’t even know it was still around until their announcement.
Well, Google TV is coming back. It will be built into a line of LG smart TVs. These Google TV-powered sets will include a remote with a full QWERTY keyboard.
Will Google TV fly this time? I’ll report more as this product rolls out.
I’m not one of these social network crazies that posts everything I do and everywhere I go on Facebook. But I do have an account to keep track of friends and family, and I do contribute some stuff now and then.
I’ve learned a couple of lessons (obvious lessons, I suppose) about what to post and what not. First, I no longer post personal comments or links to political or controversial news. It’s hard NOT to blow off some steam now and then about the state of the world. But I do have friends of all persuasions. I respect my friends’ rights to their opinions, even if I don’t agree with those opinions. I decided awhile back that potentially offending these online friends by posting my sentiments is just not worth it. I mean, whose mind am I going to change with an ardent Facebook post anyhow?
That’s the background; Here’s the lesson.
Copyright © 2012 Richard Beaty
I’ve got a couple of things for you today, including great news about high speed Internet in SaddleBrooke. I’ll also have something to say about those tablet thingies (technical word) you see all over the place.
Remember, you can read all current and past Two’s News articles right here on this Website by clicking “Two’s News Articles” at the top of the page. You can also select “Timely Updates” under the topics heading to read about things that come up between articles.
Microsoft Skydrive; Box.com; Dropbox; and now Google Drive. These are all contenders in the cloud storage marketplace, which is suddenly heating up.
The “Cloud” has become a ubiquitous term that, in its simplest form, just means the Internet. Cloud is a good, descriptive word, I think. It’s amorphous; out there somewhere in the sky; you can’t touch or feel it, but you know it’s there.
“Cloud Storage” is, therefore, a place to store you digital stuff on the Internet. Think of it as your online hard drive. It’s a hard drive that is available to you wherever you have Internet access. There are a number of applications for cloud storage, including:
A few days ago, I reported on the coming new standard that will dramatically increase WiFi speeds (Get Ready for Blazing Fast WiFi, April 13, 2012). Now the first actual product to support the new 802.11ac standard has been announced.
The Netgear R6300 router will hit the streets next month with a WiFi speed of over twice as fast as previously available. Of course, there are no devices that can make use of that standard yet. But if you want to be one of the first to be prepared when the devices start to show up, the R6300 is backward-compatible with the previous 802.11n and 802.11b/g standards, so you can use it with your current devices.
While Netgear is the first 802.11ac router to hit the market, others will soon follow.
