Which the
Taiwanese hardware manufacturer is calling the world’s first and only
3-in-1 laptop. In essence, the Booktop T1132 is an 11.6-inch convertible Windows tablet; we’ve seen lots of those before, from the Acer TravelMate 100 to the Fujitsu Lifebook T580, but convertible tablets have never really become popular outside of niche business segments.
However, the T1132 has a unique trick up its sleeve: Besides
swiveling from laptop to slate tablet mode, the convertible tablet can
dock into an unusual, optional docking station.
The docking station is what Gigabyte is claiming will turn the T1132
into the equivalent of a desktop PC. The docking station offers the
usual additional ports (USB, audio, Ethernet, VGA) plus a super-multi
DVD drive that you can detach and also use with a different computer.
When docked, the laptop is in portrait mode and can be used in
conjunction with a second monitor and a keyboard for dual-screen
multitasking.
Gigabyte's explanation of the versatility of the Booktop T1132Other
than the swiveling tablet design and the docking station, the T1132
appears to be your mid-range convertible laptop. Powered by an Intel
Core i5 processor, the laptop will offer a range of hardware
configurations: 2GB or 4GB of RAM (max is 8GB), either integrated Intel
HD Graphics or a dedicated NVIDIA video card, and up to 750GB of hard
drive storage.
Who Could Benefit by Using the T1132?
The T1132’s versatility might appeal to mobile workers (or, perhaps,
people who can’t make up their minds whether they want a laptop or
tablet and also want a docking station), but the main hindrance I see
for it is the same as with other similar netvertibles: Microsoft Windows
7.
Spec sheet for the Booktop T1132Unlike the iPad’s iOS 5, Windows 7 wasn’t really designed for touchscreens. However, touch-optimized
Windows 8--which the T1132 should be upgradable to--could solve this issue. The swiveling tablet design is a concept
Intel is also pushing for upcoming Ultrabooks.
All that’s left to discover is when the Booktop T1132 will be
available and if it will cost more or less than the $1300 price of the
previous T1125 model. High prices have also been a sore point for
convertible tablets, so here’s hoping the T1132 can overcome that
barrier too.
By(Pcworld.com)
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