taichi
Latest
13-inch ASUS Taichi 31 with dual 1080p displays finally shipping after long delay
If you saw our review of the 11.6-inch Taichi 21, you'll know that its unusual dual-screen design had a pretty bad impact on battery life. ASUS is taking another crack at the whip, however, this time with the 13.3-inch Taichi that is finally shipping after a major hold-up in the US and promises a big boost to stamina -- a max of seven hours of use rather than five. If this claim stands up to scrutiny, the Ultrabook's other advantages should come back into play: namely the presence of pen or multi-touch input on the outer screen, excellent viewing angles and speakers, and a range of configurations based on either a Core i5 or i7 with SSD storage. We have no idea how pricing will compare to the $1,300 base of the 11-incher and the Taichi 31 hasn't appeared at any major retailers yet -- i.e., it still isn't quite as "available" as ASUS claims -- but we'll bring you an update when that changes.
ASUS TAICHI 21 review: are two screens better than one?
More Info ASUS reveals TAICHI convertible notebook / tablet with dual 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch displays ASUS TAICHI dual-screen Ultrabook coming in November for $1,300, 13-inch version to follow a month later ASUS TAICHI shipments reportedly pushed to at least December It's tough to forget the ASUS TAICHI: out of all the Windows 8 convertibles we've seen (and we've seen a lot) this is the only one with two screens on board. In particular, it's got one on the inside, which you'd use in regular notebook mode, along with a touchscreen on the outside that allows you to use the PC as a tablet. If you like, you can shut the lid completely and turn the machine into a slate-type of device, but you can also leave the lid open so that you're mirroring your desktop, or displaying something different on each one (imagine the possibilities for presenters!). As an added trick, that outer screen also accepts pen input, though you'll have to splurge on the highest-end configuration to get it with a stylus. For now, ASUS is selling the 11.6-inch TAICHI 21 ($1,299 and up), though a 13-inch version is going to start shipping later this month. Hopefully, though, our review after the break answers questions you'd have about either model. Namely, what's it like to use a machine with two screens, anyway?
ASUS TAICHI shipments reportedly pushed to at least December
'Tis the season for last-minute shipping updates, and not all of them justify some merrymaking. ASUS originally planned for its dual-screened TAICHI laptops to ship in November, but a company spokesperson tells PCWorld at the last minute that the Windows 8 showcase won't ship sooner than December, and could slip further still. The PC builder doesn't say why we'll be twiddling our thumbs that much longer. Online retailers certainly aren't waiting around for an answer -- they've simply listed the myriad TAICHI variants as unavailable for now. Yes, there's a definite sense of déja vu when ASUS is yet again delaying a touchscreen device during the holidays. We're just wondering if the trip down memory lane will lead to the same fine outcome.
ASUS TAICHI dual-screen Ultrabook coming in November for $1,300, 13-inch version to follow a month later
Although we've now seen many dozens of Windows 8 devices, the ASUS TAICHI remains one of the most memorable -- it's unusual, after all, for a PC maker to make a laptop with displays on both sides of the lid. Even when it was announced, ASUS shared some high-level specs, but now we also know how much it'll cost, and when it will be available. As leaked the 11-inch version (aka the TAICHI 21) will go on sale next month, starting at $1,299. A lofty price, to be sure, but no one ever said dual 1080p IPS displays would come cheap. At the entry level, you get a Core i5-3317U processor, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. For $1,499, it comes with 256GB of storage. Finally, there will be a $1,599 configuration with a 256GB drive and a Core i7 processor. And what of the 13-inch version ASUS showed off earlier this year? An ASUS rep says the TAICHI 31 won't ship until December. Across the board, the TAICHI comes with Intel HD 4000 graphics, two USB 3.0 ports, a 5-megapixel rear camera, a 720p webcam up front, Bluetooth 4.0 and Intel's Wireless Display technology. Again, the smaller, 11-inch version will ship in November with the 13-inch model following a month later. In the meantime, we'll direct you to our hands-on from June if you're hankering for hands-on photos and video.
ASUS TAICHI 21 and VivoBook X202 go up for US pre-orders, spoil the party a bit early (update: VivoTab RT, too)
Just because ASUS has planned a grand October 23rd event to outline its US Windows 8 lineup doesn't mean we can't get an advance peek. Pre-orders have officially kicked off for at least two touchscreen PCs that also give us a very good feeling for the hardware we'll see at our doors. The dual-screened TAICHI 21 is naturally the star of the show, but it will cost you: a base version of the 11.6-inch hybrid with a 1.7GHz Core i5, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD starts at $1,300, while an uprated model with a 1.9GHz Core i7 and a 256GB SSD will set early adopters back by $1,600. We'd say the VivoBook X202 is more likely to get some purchases sight-unseen at $600 for an entry laptop with an 11.6-inch touchscreen, a 1.8GHz Core i3, 4GB of RAM and a conventional 500GB hard drive. Both of the systems should arrive in tandem with Windows 8's October 26th launch and compound the traffic jams for couriers and retailers on what could be a very busy day. [Thanks, Donny] Update: As Computerworld noticed, Newegg also has a pre-order listing for the VivoTab RT, which costs $599 in its lone 32GB configuration. It ships the same day as its bigger cousins.
ASUS' TAICHI convertible laptop hits the FCC
If 2012 was the year of the Ultrabook, 2013's going to be remembered by the massive proliferation of laptop / tablet hybrids. One such convertible that's just been given full marks by the FCC is ASUS' TAICHI, an 11.6 or 13.3-inch unit that's packing an Ivy Bridge Core i7, 4GB RAM and, most notably, a display on both sides of its lid. While there's no official word from the company on a launch date, now that the government has given a thumbs up, it can't be too much further out. Plausibly, a rogue Amazon listing has pegged the 11.6-inch model as costing $1,300 and arriving on October 26th, alongside Windows 8.
Purported ASUS holiday roadmap pegs Windows 8 tablets at $599 and above
Windows 8 tablets have had their specs bandied about for months, but their prices have continued to remain off the radar. Now, however, a purported ASUS holiday roadmap sent to ZDNet may give us a glimpse as to how badly bank accounts could be affected this fall. According to the slide, the ASUS Vivo Tab will carry a $799 price tag and its Windows RT counterpart will come in at $599, which matches the previously reported price difference between slates running Redmond's latest OS with Intel and AMD processors. The ASUS Taichi dual-screen notebook / tablet hybrid is said to ring up at a heftier $1,299. As for the firm's Transformer Book, it will supposedly set purchasers back $1,399. If these prices are any indication of what we can expect from other OEMs, Microsoft's Surface might be pricier than hoped.
The Ultrabooks of Computex 2012
It was last year that Intel chose Computex, a computer tradeshow in Taiwan, to introduce its Ultrabook concept to the world. Twelve months later, 110-plus models are in the pipeline, which meant the Taipei Convention Center was overrun by skinny, lightweight laptops. Make that skinny, touch-enabled laptops. Between those new Ivy Bridge chips and Microsoft putting the finishing touches on Windows 8, this week's show was nothing if not a five-day-long wedding between two tech giants: almost every device on display here was a vehicle for showing off Microsoft's glossy new OS. At every turn, a celebration of touchscreen notebooks. With more than 30 hands-on posts this week, we can see where one Core i5 laptop might look like the next, or how you might have failed to keep up with Jonney Shih's rapid-fire product announcements. Now that we're wrapping up here in Taiwan, though, we're ready to take a step back and think about what it is we just saw. Whether you felt overwhelmed by our wall-to-wall coverage or just need to catch up, we suggest you meet us past the break for a quick recap of all the new Ultrabooks. Oh, and if you're in the market for a new laptop, you can check your trigger-happy finger at the door. With few exceptions, we're not expecting these to go on sale until the fall, when Windows 8 is expected to start shipping.
ASUS Computex keynote now on YouTube: relive the excitement, the yelling
You think it's easy up there on stage? Then just try shouting "ubiquitous cloud computing era" at the top of your lungs without sounding silly. It's virtually impossible, as ASUS chairman Jonney Shih discovered 45 seconds into the video after the break. Fortunately, he quickly moved onto his company's rather stellar array of Computex reveals, including the dual-booting Transformer AiO (which doubles up as the "world's biggest tablet"), a couple of Windows 8 hybrids and the Taichi swiveller -- not to mention some live performance art ten minutes before the end. If you're the "Home C.I.O." in your family, then it could be professionally negligent to miss this.
N-trig DuoSense Pen and multitouch tech to power ASUS TAICHI input
Wondering about that mysterious stylus ASUS referenced yesterday during the company's TAICHI launch? A source has confirmed that the tech in play will be provided by N-trig, and will feature the company's existing DuoSense grid-based capacitive solution. N-trig uses a single digitizer to track both stylus and 10-point multitouch input, and can support up to 256 pressure levels with the battery-powered DuoSense Pen. ASUS didn't have the Pen on hand during its Computex event, so we can't speak to its size or precision, but if it's anything like N-trig's current product, it would definitely appear to be a versatile input device. We're still unsure of pricing and availability, along with detailed specs, but considering how quickly this input bit came to light, we shouldn't have long to wait for confirmation on that front either. Head on past the break for a closer look at TAICHI.
ASUS reveals TAICHI convertible notebook / tablet with dual 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch displays (update: hands-on photos and video)
Two displays in one tablet? Yes you can. ASUS' new TAICHI series packs displays on both the front and the rear, letting you use the device in a variety of configurations. In 'notebook' mode, you can use TAICHI with a backlit QWERTY keyboard and trackpad. Once you close the lid, however, it's stylus time. TAICHI includes Intel Ivy Bridge Core i7 processors, 4 gigs of RAM, SSD storage, dual-band 802.11n WiFi, FHD/Super IPS+ displays and, naturally, dual cameras. Despite the display duo, both the 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch configurations are reportedly as thin and light as the Zenbook line. Both variants will offer 1920 x 1080 pixels on each side, and displays can be used independently, so you can even share the device with a friend -- with completely different content on each LCD. We spent a few minutes with the 11.6-inch version at ASUS' launch event at Computex today, and while the device we saw was clearly an early prototype, it functioned as described and looked quite polished, so this certainly isn't merely a concept at this point. The touch panels were very responsive, and quite bright, even at their lowest setting. The rear LCD had visible backlight bleed around the top and bottom, which we of course don't expect to see on production samples. Despite the thin design, there's no shortage of connectivity options -- the left side of the device (in tablet mode, at least) packs a power button, lock toggle, mini VGA, USB 3.0 and power ports, while the opposite panel includes a headphone jack, a second USB 3.0 port, micro DVI, a volume up/down switch and a rotation lock button. There's no pricing and availability just yet, but you can see it in action right now -- our hands-on video is waiting just after the break.%Gallery-156811%
KAIST's HUBO shows off some newfound dexterity, hides emotions behind ill-fitting motorcycle helmet
Sometimes when we see the seemingly slow advance of Honda's ASIMO, the inherent limitations of WowWee toys, or the purposefully limited one-off research projects of universities, we start to give up hope of being super best pals with a humanoid robot this century; hope of partaking in whimsical 80s movie hijinks, hand-in-metal-hand. This little video of the Korean Institute of Advanced Science and Technology's recent advances on its HUBO project therefore serves as a bit of a "hope refresher," allowing us to once again re-imagine those aforementioned scenes of whimsy with a metallic bot that can handle a sword and walk at an almost-useful pace, while inexplicably wearing a smallish, visored helmet. Sure, there's a long way to go, but we'd just like to say that when the robot apocalypse doesn't happen and we realize how much we really have in common with these machines we've built to look like us, that somewhere in late 2009 this video helped us keep on believing.
Breakfast Topic: WoW as meditation
There are a million ways to relax in this modern era. Yoga, taichi, zen koans, transcendental meditation, knitting, and yes, video games. It might seem odd to mention video games in the same sentence as "zen" or "meditation," but think for a moment: most forms of meditation involve focusing on one simple thing, such as the flame of a candle, or the repetition of a mantra, and excluding all other thought. Doesn't World of Warcraft call this grinding?Now, granted, there are plenty of complicated and interesting things to do in WoW that involve lots of concerted thought and could not be considered meditation. But couldn't grinding away on daily quests or farming for materials be considered a very modern way for some people to wind down, clear their mind of daily frustrations, and just be nothingness itself for a little while? I know for my part, playing WoW by myself for a while certainly isn't ecstatic communion with the divine, but it can be a great way to just put everything else away for a bit and come back to life feeling refreshed. What do you think: is grinding a form of meditation for you, or is it just something to do when you're bored out of your mind?
