The Asus Eee Pad Slider Android tablet is expected to launch this month and an Australian blogger has one of the first hands-on looks at the unique slate. The CarryPad blog today pointed me to Ritchie’s Room, which provides a full first look at this 10.1-inch Honeycomb tablet that comes with a twist, or rather a slide. The entire display can shift up at an angle, revealing a full QWERTY keyboard. That gives the tablet a laptop-like form factor when needed, in addition to the standard touchscreen slate use.

In addition to the always-attached keyboard, the Eee Pad Slider adds a full-sized USB port and microSD card slot for memory expansion. Adding these ports and the keyboard adds some bulk and weight, however; two things I’d say actually reduce the portability of the tablet. The slider is larger overall than the iPad or Galaxy Tab 10.1, for example, and at 31.3 ounces, weighs just under two pounds.

Yes, that’s still lighter than a notebook or netbook computer, but noticeably heavier than comparable tablets. From a design standpoint, Ritchie says the sliding mechanism on the tablet works well. It’s a spring loaded design that Ritchie claims is “very smooth action.” The screen angle is a fixed position, however; don’t expect to tilt the screen at different angles.

Maybe I’ll feel differently once I get an Eee Pad Slider to look at, but I’m not sold on the design for my personal needs. Honeycomb is a touch-driven interface, so your hands will be moving back and forth between the keyboard. Even though the travel looks looks small, it’s not ideal from a usability standpoint. With either the USB port or Bluetooth radio, you could add a mouse to address that problem, but that’s more to carry, which reduces portability even more. And the added weight of the keyboard and sliding mechanism is something buyers will be carrying the whole time, although they do gain a stand out of the design.

Again, perhaps the heavy slate will impress me when I see it for myself. And I’m not suggesting the Eee Pad Slider is a non-starter: It will surely appeal to some who don’t mind carrying a larger device in order to gain an integrated keyboard. My concern is that I’d be “carrying” the extra weight and size for the keyboard all the time, yet I’d likely be using the keyboard for a very limited amount of time. Folks that are supplementing a true slate with some type of wired or wireless keyboard would likely feel the opposite and for them, the Eee Pad Slider might press all the right buttons, assuming Google Android is their platform of choice.

Keyboard or not, I haven’t been impressed enough by any Android Honeycomb tablet to buy one for myself. I actually still prefer Android 2.3, or Gingerbread, on my lighter 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab. And that’s a problem that no keyboard will fix.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
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• The rise of tablets in the enterprise
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• Mobile Q1: All Eyes on Tablets, T-Mobile and AT&T

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In current decades the notion of owning a desktop computers has long been considerably overshadowed by the emergence in popularity of laptops and netbooks.

Noted for his or her sleekness, portability and easy accessibility, laptops may have zoomed forward of desktop computers inside the recognition stakes; but you will find nonetheless several superior factors for why acquiring a desktop computers may be of benefit.

Desktop computers are bulkier, which could not on very first inspection seem like considerably of a optimistic. However it is in fact because of this (coupled with being create inside a secure region) that they’re at a lot much less danger of being stolen. For those that may well not have significantly room to run a desktop pc in, you can find more compact desktop set-ups that get will consider up substantially much less room.

A reduced risk of theft could, for instance be useful for someone in a occupation coping with delicate material, whereas possessing and storing this kind of information on the laptop could pose more of the risk.

Desktop computer systems can also be effortless to get repaired once they break. Parts could be fixed or changed to get a fairly inexpensive rate from a local pc fix store.

According to the type of desktop pc that is becoming operate, there is certainly prospective for the large quantity of upgrading to be carried out. Graphics and sound cards, Random Access Memory modules and Hard Disk storage drives are broadly accessible and therefore are easy to put in.

Whereas on a laptop computer or netbook laptop or computer this really is limited because of hardware constraints and commonly arrives at a much higher cost.

Households may perhaps be nicely recommended in acquiring a desktop personal computer, its use is catered additional towards general use which fits every person; from newbies to professionals. The most effective desktop pcs with one of the most optimum hardware set-up are suited to deal with gaming and interactive programs than say, a laptop. This is yet another cause for why it may possibly be more useful for gamers and households particularly to think about desktop over laptop.

Having a desktop setup usually becoming sat in a stationary place in addition, it makes it less complicated for mother and father to monitor what their children are accessing over the web.

Large finish video-editing and media management software program generally require a substantial degree of RAM (Random Accessibility Memory to run at an optimum level – an amount that only a desktop computer can seriously present. So for those operating with many platforms of media it may well be crucial to very own a desktop personal computer.

The desktop computer set up has individual peripheral appliances (i.e. watch, keyboard, webcam and so on.), if 1 of these appliances was to be break eventually it could be quite quick to substitute. If this type of challenge was to be encountered when possessing a laptop computer or netbook, the chances are the entire thing would have to be sent off to a specialist for the lengthy and an ultimately pricey repair.

They are just several factors – There are various others as to why the desktop computers provides a benefit, however the definitive choice is 1 that definitely lies with the user.

We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is coming to us from Garren, who isn’t ashamed of being picky about his next laptop. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I’m a college student looking for a new laptop, but almost all of my media I receive digitally. I’m looking for a laptop, not a netbook, without an optical drive, and budget sensitive. The optical drive will just be a waste of space, when I can have thinner laptop. What’s out there?“

Any of you digital junkies care to chime in? If so, comments are welcoming one and all down below.

Ask Engadget: best full-size laptop without an optical drive? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 22:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PCs are quite cheap today. A lot of folk can afford to purchase a portable given the low price they’re. But there are also costly ones but it fully is dependent upon your financials and whether or not you wish to invest in a more dear one. If you don’t own a portable computer yet, it’s time that you own one in the new year, 2011. The future of computers in the year 2011 is a really promising one. The best laptops 2011 are a rather upgraded version of what you have seen in this last year.

The proper way to select a portable computer for 2011
PCs in 2011 are going to be much more upgraded and advanced. What you’re going to choose depends fully on your requirements i.e. Why you will need a laptop.Here are the top three reasons why you may wish to purchase a new laptop PC in the New Year :

1. Advanced features : You are on the point of getting far more features for the price that you pay for a fresh laptop PC. Packed with i3 speed and a storage space to fit in that extra bit is ok reason for a casual user to get a portable computer in 2011. For those who like to indulge in some forceful games, then you could get one that may take up heavy workload and power gaming facility. Nonetheless you may have to reach slightly deeper into your pocket for this portable computer.

2. Wireless Web : The best laptops 2011 will include new wireless standard that is added by default in the system. This leading edge technology, the wireless N, is thought to be utilized in each laptop computer in 2011 and is a good reason why you should buy one in the New Year. New features will be introduced in the PCs. Each year important players in the business have at least some thing new to give their customers.

3. 3D Laptops : This is one big reason why you may consider buying a portable computer in the New Year. These use the frame sequential technology and provide a far better image-quality to the consumer. You can watch video frames at a speed of 240 frames per second. This range in critical to stay abreast of the rate of a video in 3D computers. You’ll also find a 3D projector if you are one of those big-screen lovers.

Whether you select a netbook or laptop, invest in the best this 2011 to avoid regretting a lesser purchase tomorrow.
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The world’s love affair with tablets may have been bubbling along under the surface for a while, but it really got started in earnest during CES 2010. Back in those wild days, you could see 15-inch jumbo screens, TV tuners, and even hybrid pseudo-laptops stalking the tablet area of your favorite trade show. ASUS was there too, of course, though it still believed in the upstart smartbook category — a modernized take on the netbook that relied on an ARM CPU and a mobile OS to extract more battery life out of a lighter, thinner device — and was busy showing off a seductively slim prototype of just such a machine. Alas, nothing came of that Neo concept, most likely because it was relying on Android 1.6 and a Tegra 2 system-on-chip that was then still months away from hitting the market.

Today, however, is a different day. The 1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 is finally being produced in volume, Google has evolved Android to version 3.0, specifically targeting higher-resolution displays, and ASUS has abandoned the idea that a keyboard is crucial to mobile computing. No, wait, that last bit’s still there. The Eee Pad Transformer is a 10.1-inch Honeycomb tablet very much in keeping with the current trend, but it also has an optional keyboard dock that turns it into a, you guessed it, instant smartbook. So, does that mean you’ll get two devices in one or has ASUS been overly ambitious and compromised too much? We got to grips with the £380 16GB WiFi-only model and its keyboard buddy (£430 when bought as a pair) in an effort to find out. Answers await just past the break.

Continue reading ASUS Eee Pad Transformer (UK edition) review

ASUS Eee Pad Transformer (UK edition) review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 14:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Portables are becoming more popular nowadays. Almost everyone is carrying one now either for work or entertainment. Computers with the most recent technology are introduced to the market everyday and these new portables come with a huge price ticket. Nevertheless that does not necessarily mean you cannot get a good and inexpensive portable computer. I have put together a guide which will help you out in your hunt for a cheap and good portable.

Buy Cheap Laptop PC With Older Technology

Rapid advance in technology makes it meaningless to buy the most recent technology at a high price. When laptop computer with wireless capacity initially came to the market, a unit with this technology can cost up till US$2500. Now after 2 years, you can get a comparatively fast i3 or i5 portable for less than US$1000.

Buy Used Or Renovated Portable

The depreciation of a laptop value is so high, that after a year in the market, a laptop PC can easily lose half its’ value. So if you’re looking out for a inexpensive laptop computer, look for one which is close to one year old. Not all used laptop computer are in bad condition. You’ll be shocked to find that some used computers are still in good condition because their owners are power users or game-players.

Buy Portable Computer From Power Users Or Game Players

I really like to buy electronic gizmos including portables from hard core power users or gamers. Let me share with you why. Gameplayers or power users typically need the most recent and strongest technology to run their games or power hungry applications. They regularly won’t accept second choice. They also have the tendency to chase after the latest technology. So after a year, they’ll be bored of what they have and will look to sell off their computers so that they can buy another one. Now if you’re aiming to buy inexpensive computers with up to date technology and you should chance to have chums who are game-players, do ask them if they’re looking to sell off their laptops. Who knows, perhaps you should buy a good and inexpensive laptop PC from them.

Scan Through Gaming Forums And Local Gaming Community

If you do not already have friends who like to play PC games, then scanning through gaming forums on the internet is another way to get good and inexpensive deals for used laptop. Web makes it simple for you to do that. Go to google.com and start searching for gaming forums. Visit each and everyone and see if they have got a Trading Section. You will definitely find many post from gameplayers interested in selling their gaming portables.

Scan Through Local Bulletin-Boards

Do scan through local bulletin-boards near you for inexpensive deals on laptop.Especially if there are software firms around the area. Software firms do offer their used PCs or portables for sale when their software projects end. I actually had gotten 1 or 2 good deals for my friends and family.

Look For Cheap Laptop With At Least 1GB Memory

This is especially critical for used laptop computer. If the processor speed is slow, then having more memory can compensate for the dearth in speed. In fact , The scale of memory plays a sizable part in deciding how swiftly a laptop computer runs an application. Just by increasing the memory size, you can see a huge difference in speed. A cheap laptop PC with at least 1GB memory can run most non graphic intensive application easily.

Get Cheap Portable From Reputable Manufacturer

This is exceedingly important because if you’re buying used laptop, then the chances of requiring servicing is higher than a new laptop. So if you purchase from a reputable manufacturer, you may save a lot of trouble and time if your laptop do require servicing.

Read more about notebook computer and Google Chrome CR-48, visit http://NotebookScoop.com/.
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