t300
Latest
ASUS Transformer Book T300 Chi review: thinner than air, but at what cost?
When ASUS formally unveiled the Transformer Book Chi T300, it did so in the cheekiest way possible: with a cleverly worded swipe at Apple. "Our Chi is thinner than Air," the company proclaimed -- a clear shot at the MacBook Air. ("Chi" means "air" in Mandarin Chinese, by the way, in case the dig wasn't obvious enough.) Indeed, ASUS' newest laptop/tablet hybrid measures a scant 0.3 inch for the tablet (or 0.65 inch when docked), making it slightly thinner than the Air, which comes in at 0.68 inch at its thickest point. The Chi is also more affordable than the Air (not to mention most other thin-and-light laptops), with a starting price of $699. On paper, it's a relatively affordable way to get your hands on a super-skinny machine. In practice, though, you're probably better off spending a little more on something else. Here's why.
Would you ditch your MacBook Air for this thinner Windows detachable?
"Our Chi is thinner than Air." That was how ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih opened his CES keynote today. If you're not following, what he meant was the super-slim ASUS Transformer Book T300 Chi that was teased at Computex. Well, the time has come. This 12.5-inch, all-aluminum convertible laptop is now confirmed to carry Intel's latest Broadwell Core M processor (the new 5Y71 or the already-available 5Y10) to enable its fanless design. And don't worry, it'll still have that sweet WQHD (2,560 x 1,440) IPS screen option on top of the 1080p base configuration, plus a 128GB iSSD to keep it running smoothly.
ASUS intros the Transformer Book T300 Chi, a super-thin hybrid laptop with a 2,560 x 1,440 display
We've heard companies make lots of claims, but this latest one from ASUS is mighty specific: The company says its new Transformer Book T300 Chi is the "world's thinnest 12.5-inch detachable tablet." Well then! Sounds like a not-so-subtle reference to the Surface Pro 3, if you ask us. In any case, to ASUS' credit, this does look like quite the savory device, with or without the marketing hype. What we have here is a 12.5-inch Windows tablet with an included keyboard dock, with top-of-the-line specs that include a 2,560 x 1,440 display, built-in LTE and "next-generation" Intel Core processors. As for that thin shape, it measures 14.3mm (0.56 inch) with the dock and 7.3mm (0.29 inch) thick for just the tablet. As usual, ASUS isn't talking price or availability just yet, but we'll update this post if we hear more.
ASUS refreshes the original Transformer Book with Haswell, but it's still heavy
We had two major gripes when we reviewed ASUS' original Transformer Book. One, it cost a lofty $1,500, even with a last-generation Ivy Bridge processor. Two, it was on the heavy side -- though to be fair, a 13-inch dockable tablet is unwieldy by definition. Well, ASUS went back to the drawing board and addressed at least one of our complaints. The refreshed Transformer Book, the T300, ships with a Haswell processor, which promises not just faster performance, but longer battery life (eight hours, to be exact). It also steps up to a max of 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, up from a 128GB SSD and 4GB of memory last time around. Unfortunately, at 1.1kg (2.43 pounds) for the tablet and 800g (1.76 pounds) for the dock, it still feels weighty in the hand regardless of whether you're using it in tablet mode or as a proper clamshell laptop. Otherwise, the key specs are the same -- namely, a 13.3-inch IPS display with 1080p resolution and a mix of micro- and full-sized ports on the tablet and dock. No word yet on pricing or availability, but for now we've got hands-on photos below.
Fujifilm's CES 2011 point-and-shoot lineup: Finepix Z90, AV200, AX300, JV200, JX and T series
Fujifilm's rugged Finepix XP30 just a bit too rough around the edges for you? If so, we'd recommend grabbing a cup of joe and diving into the outfit's CES 2011 line of point-and-shoot cameras. The company's holding nothing back with this year's barrage of new shooters, so let's get to it, shall we? The Finepix Z90 (shown above) is a sleek, svelte new compact with a three-inch resistive touchpanel, 14 megapixel CCD sensor, Fujinon 5x wide-angle optical zoom lens and automatic upload to both YouTube and Facebook. There's also a new 'Dual Direction GUI' (which splits the rear screen in various ways to view multiple images at once) digital image stabilization, face detection / red-eye removal, a 720p movie mode and a chassis that's just 17.5mm thick. It'll go on sale in around a fortnight for $169.95. The Finepix AV200, AX300 and JV200 are aimed at the bargain consumer, with all three boasting a 720p movie mode, face detection and a relatively understated design. The AV200 and JV200 are outfitted witha 14 megapixel CCD sensor and a 3x optical zoom lens, while the AX300 steps up to a 5x optical zoomer. The trio packs a 2.7-inch rear LCD, digital image stabilization and automatic red-eye removal. The AV200 and AX300 get powered by a pair of AA batteries, whereas the JV200 is equipped with a rechargeable Li-ion. The whole lot will go on sale in the US next month, with pricing set at $89.95, $99.95 and $109.95 in order of mention. For those looking to step up a bit, there's the new JX series. The JX300 and JX350 include 5x optical zoomers and a 720p movie mode, not to mention a 2.7-inch rear LCD, metal body and Li-ion rechargeable battery. The JX300 is blessed with a 14 megapicel CCD sensor , while the JX350 packs a 16 megapixel CCD sensor. Fuji plans to hawk the 300 in silver, whereas the 350 will be available in brushed metal or black. Other features include an easy YouTube / Facebook upload, smile / face detection and red-eye removal. The JX300 will go on sale next month for $129.95, with the JX350 coming in April for $159.95. Wrapping things up, we've got the T200 and T300, both of which are equipped with 10x Fujinon optical zoom lenses (28mm to 280mm) and a 720p movie mode. These check in at just 18.5mm thick and include sensor shift image stabilization and a 14 megapixel CCD sensor. The T300 ups the ante with a 3-inch high-res display, while the T200 gets saddled with a 3.7-inch display. We're told that the T300 will be available in black, while the T200 gets wrapped in a gunmetal finish. The T300 will ship in April for $199.95, and the T200 will go on sale this March for $20 less. %Gallery-112519%
LG leaks in Brazil include Android-powered C710, cute T310
Brazil's CelularCafe looks to have scored a four-pack of fresh leaks out of LG, most notably a new Android handset being called the C710 that looks suspiciously like Verizon's Ally but apparently lacks a QWERTY keyboard, steps up to a 5 megapixel cam, and includes 802.11n WiFi, a new spec sheet line item that's been picking up steam with higher-end smartphones as of late. Next, there's the T300, a low-end full touchscreen device with a 2 megapixel cam that the site has taken to calling the Cookie Light; next to it lies the slightly-spiffier T310 (pictured) with a larger display and irresistibly cute styling. Finally, there's a forgettable A130 clamshell with EDGE data and an FM radio with recording capability -- needless to say, not the most exciting of the bunch. No word on when, or where, we might see any of these for sale. [Thanks, Daniel P.]
