Sony Tap 11
Microsoft's original Surface may have been hampered by the decision to use the Windows RT OS, but when the Pro version was released it proved that Windows 8 can work well on a tablet – all you need is a decent keyboard case and a boatload of power.
Sony has decided to emulate Microsoft and has unveiled the Sony Tap 11, a Windows 8 tablet that comes with processor power and detachable keyboard functionality to boot.
Sony is claiming the tablet is the world's thinnest at 9.9mm – this is with the keyboard case off. While we are not really one for all these 'world's first' claims, the chassis was impressive to look at. It does look similar to the Sony Xperia Tablet Z but its edges are a little rounder.
You can see that Sony is looking for design harmony with its devices, however – regardless if they are from the Vaio or Xperia range, the aesthetics are definitely similar.
Turn the tablet on and what you have is essentially a very quick Windows 8 device. Sony has beefed the tablet up with Core i7 Haswell processor, SSD storage, up to 6 hours of battery life, an SD card reader, USB 3.0 and micro HDMI as well as WiDi functionality.
But it is perhaps the software that is of more interest. Bundled is a bespoke version of Photoshop, with Sony quick to point out that Adobe has been using its tablets as reference kit for Photoshop Touch.
The technology allows you to cut, crop, touch up and insert images into a variety of documents. All this can be achieved with the stylus. Yes, Sony has added pen functionality and the brief demo we had of Photoshop Sony-style was impressive.
Sony is also hoping that you ditch paper in favour of the Sony Tap 11. The idea is that they have a minimal notepad style feature on the device that will recognise handwriting and act as a scrapbook for any visual ideas you may have. There is also a CamScanner app which will scan documents and straighten them out for you.
It's fair to say, then that Sony has carefully considered both the business user and consumer with this tablet.
If you prefer not to draw over your devices, then Sony has delivered in the screen department too. It is using its Triluminos tech to make the 2880 x 1620 display sparkle. And it does. Couple this with 4K HDMI output and what you have is a great multimedia device.
And then there is the keyboard. Usually we try to avoid keyboard add-ons as they never offer the same feeling as a full-fat keyboard, but Sony has managed to pack that real feel into its keyboard case.
As it is wireless it does need its own charge, but simply connect as a cover and it will take a charge from the main tablet. In theory this means that the keyboard will never be out of charge.
This is our only real concern with the Sony Tap 11 – the battery life. Up to six hours is quoted but these are never real-use quotes – you may have to be close to a charger if you are thinking of using this device for heavy use.
This is a superb tablet, though, and shows just what you can do when you combine Windows 8 with a company that can add its own features, without them feeling like bloatware.
The Sony Tablet 11 release date is this fall (autumn), with pricing to be announced.
IFA 2013: Sony Vaio Fit
Sony has decided that when it comes to convertible PCs, being able to turn your device into two things just isn't enough anymore - three is the magic number.
This is the case with the Sony Vaio Fit. Shown off at IFA 2013, TechRadar has managed to get hands on with the laptop that is hoping to offer a much-needed shot in the arm to the portable computing sector.
With Windows 8 currently weighing every manufacturer down, companies are having to come up with clever ideas on how to get people excited about buying laptops again - and, from first impressions, Sony has managed to do just that.
The Sony Vaio Fit is a great-looking portable device and is one that can be used three different ways. Sony got the idea for its new fangled folding laptop from the Japanese art of origami, and it does feel a little like trying to make some fold-able magic when you use it.
There are three different modes for the device. The first is the tablet mode which needs no introduction - but we will say that the back-lit LED 2880 x 1620 screen looked gorgeous when we played with it. The second is laptop mode. So far so Sony Vaio Duo, but the third mode turns the computer into a viewer.
Yes, we know viewer sounds a little vague but this is Sony speak for a mode that lets you show off whatever is on your screen to more than one person. It's a mode that will probably be used more in business areas than anywhere else, but it seems like a good thing to have.
The changing from one mode to another wasn't as fiddly as origami can be, but neither was it as beautiful. You have to release the screen before you rotate it into place. It took us a few times to get right but we soon got the hang of it.
In fact, we were incredibly impressed with the dexterity of the device and it was only when we put it into tablet mode that we were a tad disappointed. Even though it is an ultrabook, there is still some chunk when you use it as a tablet. It's fine for using around the house but we can't see anyone using this mode out and about.
But this is a minor niggle: the Sony Vaio fit is one of the nicest ultrabooks we have ever seen. The fold in the aluminium chassis gives it great character and style.
As for underneath the chassis, there is definitely a lot of power. You can have up to an Intel i7 processor with 16GB of RAM and 512SSD storage. And, if you are feeling really fancy, then you can add a Sony stylus to the mix too.
There are three versions of the fit: 13-, 14- and 15-inch which proves that Sony is really gunning for the mass market here. With whispers that an 11-inch will also appear soon, this is definitely a device for all and not just those who love a niche.
The Sony Vaio Fit release date is this Fall, with pricing to be announced.
The Sony Vaio fit is an impressive new category for Sony that offers both consumers and business folks myriad reasons to invest.
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IFA 2013: Sony Vaio Tap 21
If you are looking for portability, then this isn't the device for you. The Sony Vaio Tap 21 tablet is for those who like things big. It may be classed as a tablet but this is essentially an all-in-one PC system that can be laid flat and use as a Surface-esque table computer.
This isn't the first time that Sony has moved into this computing space. Last year it brought the Vaio Tap 20, but at IFA 2013 it has added an inch and tinkered a touch with the specs.
For a start, the Sony Vaio Tap 21 may have gained an inch on its display but it has shed some pounds – it is now 50% lighter than its predecessor at 3.6kg.
This by no way means that you will be lugging the tablet on to the train to entertain you on your commute but it does look a lot slicker when upright.
The screen resolution has been upped, too. Under the darkness of IFA's show floor – not great for taking photos but IFA is all about the mood lighting – the 1920 x 1080 screen shone bright. This new and improved resolution means it is an ideal device to watch movies on.
The stand on the back of the Tap Vaio 21 now seems easier to use, which means it is a little quicker to change the machine from a traditional all-in-one PC screen to a flat table tablet on which you can play games. We had a go at an air hockey sim and it seemed pretty impressive.
As for the big screen, it was certainly responsive. Sony is bundling a whole host of apps that work with its 10-point touch technology, so you should be able to get a lot of use out of the touchscreen when upright.
Like we have with most touch PCs, though, when there is a Bluetooth keyboard attached, we still get a little confused about whether to prod the screen or touch a key.
This isn't Sony's fault but it may mean some of the touch functionality will be lost when you use it in its non-tablet guise.
As well as the touchscreen apps, Sony is also pre-installing Movie Studio Platinum, Acid Music Studio, Sound Forge Audio Studio software into the Vaio Tap 21. Considering these all add up to around $200 that's an impressive haul.
We're not sure it is enough though to get over the fact that the Sony Vaio Tap 21 feels a little like a gimmick.
It's certainly a powerful machine, that makes use of a Core i7 Haswell chip, if you have chosen the Tap 21 over a more traditional all-in-one setup, Get it here.
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Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 2 Pro
If you like it, get it....
The Lenovo Yoga was a flip in the right direction for Ultrabooks when it was first released.
But it offered in style points - the ability to bend the laptop to your viewing preference - it didn't really match in spec appeal.
Having an Ivy Bridge processor inside and given a rather low-res 1,600 x 900 display means you are never going to win any awards in the power stakes.
But the wait is finally over for a new and even bendier Yoga - the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro.
Shown off at IFA 2013, the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro has been given a screen that's twice the quality of its stablemate. At 3,200 x 1,800, the 13.3-inch screen is one of the best on the market, and one of the brightest too at 350 nits.
Lenovo has also given the chassis a little bit of a makeover. It may look similar but it is thinner - 1.5mm instead of 17.1mm – and it has gone through more weight loss than a Bikram Yoga addict, weighing in at an impressive 1.4kg. To put the weight into context: this is around the same weight as Ultrabooks that don't have the flip factor.
Couple this with an Intel Haswell processor - up to Core i7, up to 8GB or RAM and a 512GB SSD - and what you have is a better and beefier computing setup.
Interestingly, Lenovo is pitching the ThinkPad Yoga 2 Pro at the professional crowd. With its improved display it will be hoping that creatives choose it over the MacBook Pro, which looks positively dull in comparison (its screen is a mere 2560 x 1600), and with the processing power it is packing it may actually have some chance.
From our brief tests with the device, the ThinkPad Yoga 2 Pro is a vast improvement on its predecessor. It's form factor is still as malleable as the original Yoga but it is lighter, more responsive and quite a bit quicker.
The screen is beautiful, the backlit keyboard is certainly welcomed and it also seems to hide better when you fold the Yoga into tablet mode.
When it is in tablet mode, it is still a chunky tablet unfortunately - but we still haven't found any laptop that changes perfectly into a tablet.
The Yoga 2 Pro does have some interesting new extras. We tried out the in-built Yoga Chef, which has a load of recipes for you to try out when the Yoga Pad 2 is in the kitchen. So far so normal, but gesture controls meant we could swipe through the recipe without getting our mucky paws on the screen.
This tech isn't new - the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and Samsung Galaxy S4 have similar tech - but it worked well and showed off the versatility of what is essentially a pro device.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 2 Pro release date of October, priced at 1299 Euros….buy one here.
Chromecast review
Good things come in small packages, or at least that's the hope Google has for Chromecast. This inexpensive media streaming adapter turns any television into a content-filled destination, making it a seed that could grow into the company's answer to Apple TV, the Roku and other rival streaming devices.
But it's an answer that's very much a work in progress.
That's because while the Android inventor has released its streaming adapter at an attractive price of $35 (£23, about AU$39), the number of apps it supports is limited. In fact, as of this Chromecast review, five of the six compatible apps are owned by Google itself.
So far, Chromecast supports YouTube, Google Play Music, Google Play Movies & TV, the Chrome browser mirroring extension via computers, and the lone third-party application, Netflix.
Out of the box
Media companies have promised that more apps are on the way. Pandora, Hulu Plus, and HBO Go are all expected to be next in line. This needs to happen sooner rather than later considering the tremendous interest that U.S. consumers have shown Google's sold out streaming stick in its first days of availability.
There's a little bit of lag
But as it stands, Chromecast is Google's third attempt to take over living room televisions and it suffers from a lot of the same problems of its predecessors. Previously, the company launched the odd-shaped Nexus Q, which also faced an uphill battle for app support.
Google TV has had its own share of streaming problems. There are more apps for the Android 3.0 Honeycomb-based platform, but the hardware has always been more expensive, requiring a "buddy box" or a whole new television to take advantage of the apps.
Goes well with the new Nexus 7 tablet, and even works with iOS devices
Chromecast certainly fixes the out-of-reach hardware issue by selling for a rock-bottom price, and it's a million times easier to implement. If you can plug an HDMI cable into a television, you can use Chromecast. That's all it takes.
The good news for Google and everyone who buys into Chromecast right now is that while it still lacks a plethora of apps, it's the same exact problem that Apple TV and similarly-styled streaming boxes have faced for years. Content providers have been slow to get on board. In a few months time, Chromecast's lineup of apps is likely to be no better and no worse than its rivals.
Extend to the web to your living room
For this reason, Chromecast could end up being an experiment by Google, which is reportedly attempting to make deals with media companies for broader TV plans. It has tried and failed in the past, and that could very well happen again.
It's such an inexpensive experiment, however, that the few tricks that Google has packed into the tiny Chromecast may make it worth picking up and plugging into your TV, depending on your media streaming needs.
