No mirror tricks here. The ASUS TAICHI has two 11.6″ screens.
Check my live demo of the new ASUS TAICHI hybrid windows 8 Notebook with the two built-in screens on my GlobalTV Sunday Morning News Tech Talk show: http://www.globaltvedmonton.com/video/tech+talk/video.html?v=2329525506&p=1&s=dd#video
TAICHI ARRIVES IN CANADA
Microsoft’s newest Windows 8 operating system has sparked
the ingenuity of PC makers worldwide. More than 75 new touchscreen Windows
models were shown at the Windows 8 in New York last year on the October 26
launch.
Some are ordinary laptops, some are tablets and some
combined the two form factours in fusion designs. Almost all have ten point
touchscreens.
The ASUS TAICHI turned heads from its first showing and
after delays is now showing up in Canada, first at London Drugs, $1,299. Sorry
central Canada, but I expect shipments to arrive in FutureShop and BestBuy nationally.
It stands apart from others in that it’s a clamshell 11.6” (to
be joined by a 13” model later this year) notebook with two screens on either
side of the lid. When the lid is closed over the well-designed illuminated chiclet
keyboard, the outside screen makes it a fully functioning touch screen tablet. When
opened, both screens can be on, showing the same image or different images
running different programs. In standard mode, the outside screen is off showing a glossy black surface with the the backlighted ASUS logo in the corner.
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Why two screens? You could be showing a full screen PowerPoint
slide show to a client or group of people facing you across the table, while checkinh your notes on the
inside screen. Or mirror the same image on both screens.
In my GlobalTV Sunday Morning News today,
I played an HD movie on the outside screen while running Excel on
the inside screen. That’s very impressive technology into a small, slim and light
weight notebook. To be fair in me demo I stressed the TAICHI to the max. It completed the very large 30,000 row (yes) Excel file taking about 20 per cent lonher, while still playing the smooth video on the other side. Running more casual programs on either side like browsing and email or Word was no problem.
The TAICHI is loaded with Intel’s latest 3rd Generation
Core i5-331U 1.7GHz CPU which can automatically turbo to 2.6GHz if needed. The built in Intel HD 4000 graphics made my two-sided test a snap. It is
also available with a i7 chip. It has 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD drive and features
two ASUS-designed sleep modes: one will instantly restart up to the better half
of a week to where you left off while the other turns it into a deep sleep up
to nine months long off its 6-cell Li-ion battery.
Only the outside glossy screen is touch while the inside IPS
screen is more glare-free and viewable from any angle in cramped spaces while the touch pad accommodate a many one, two and
three-finger gesturing.
The TAICHI comes with a slim case, includes a two-buttoned
stylus (running on a first-time seen AAAA battery ) Ethernet and VGA connectors
and a thankfully small charger.
It has two USB 3.0 ports and a combined audio play/record
jack.
The only thing I missed was an SD reader. The default very sharp 1920×1024 full HD resolution showed small, but sharp fonts some might find hard to see comfortably. Users may want to customize to larger image and font
display. Otherwise the TAICHI is an over-the-top Windows 8 fusion
notebook/tablet that truly shares screens around an entire table.
FRIENDLY REMINDER FROM MICROSOFT
The Windows 8 Pro OS discounted upgrade for $39.99 online or
boxed DVD for $69.99 will end after Jan 31, 2013. After that it will cost $199.99
for Windows 8 Pro or $119.99 for Windows 8
But if you bought a new Windows 7 PC between June 2, 2012
and Jan. 31, 2013 you are eligible to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $14.99 until
January 31, 2013 as well. You don’t have to install it, just secure the right
to the OS for such a low price.
Lastly, if you are considering not keeping your current
aging PC for long, let that date expire and your next PC purchase will come
with Windows 8 already installed starting under $400!
Here are some tips when you if you do want to upgrade:
-Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant online helps setting up the
latest version of Windows step-by-step
-It walks you through the steps to purchase, download, and
install a Windows 8 Pro upgrade
-Tells which devices and operating systems are compatible
for upgrades
-Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8
Consumer Preview, and Windows 8 Release
Preview can upgrade to Windows 8 Pro
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