computex2014
Latest
Dell adds two budget Android tablets to Venue lineup, prices start at $160
Dell's just announced two new Android models in its Venue lineup of tablets, and though the new Venue 7 and Venue 8 cost a bit more than their predecessors, they still top out at just $200. Don't expect any radical changes from the Venue Android tablets announced late last year; the biggest differences include processor updates and a step up to Android 4.4 KitKat.
Here's a semi-professional 32-inch 4K monitor from ASUS
Following ASUS' $799 28-inch 4K monitor from earlier this year, the Taiwanese tech giant has today unveiled yet another high-res display, but this time it's aimed at semi-professionals instead of mainstream users. The new ProArt Monitor PA328Q is a 32-inch, 16:9, 3,840 x 2,160 monitor that boasts factory calibration with 10-bit color and 100 percent sRGB color gamut plus 350cd/m² brightness. On the back, you'll find three HDMI ports (one of which with built-in MHL 3.0), one DisplayPort 1.2, one Mini DisplayPort 1.2 and four USB 3.0 ports. ASUS added that this pretty monitor lets you adjust its tilt, swivel, pivot and height.
ASUS Transformer Book V is a Windows hybrid laptop with a detachable Android phone
Wow, just wow. ASUS has just announced the Transformer Book V (pronounced "five"), a Windows 2-in-1 laptop with a detachable Android phone. No, this isn't the Windows Phone-powered PadFone that we've been waiting for, but the package is still pretty mind-blowing. Let's break it down. First of all, the 12.5-inch tablet/laptop hybrid part has its own Windows 8.1 brain running on Intel Core architecture. Then you have the 5-inch, ZenFone 5-like Android 4.4 phone, which is the first to run on Intel's 64-bit quad-core Atom (Moorefield) chip with LTE radio. When docked, the phone's Android interface is displayed within Windows 8, and you can also switch to the full Android tablet interface. In other words, you get five modes in total (hence the name): a Windows tablet, a Windows laptop, an Android phone, an Android tablet and an Android laptop.
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.
New Fonepads from ASUS offer 3G, extra processing power
It wouldn't be an ASUS event without a new device that functions as both a handset and a slate. And, as expected, the Taiwanese company delivered on that front here at Computex; CEO Jonney Shih announced the Fonepad 8, along with a 7-inch version, the Fonepad 7. A follow-up to ASUS' Fonepad 7, the new devices sport similar specs, with improved performance and a slimmer design. Oh, and they boast a 64-bit processor that supposedly crushes other phones when it comes to real-world benchmarks.
The ASUS MeMO Pad 8 is 'the world's lightest 8-inch LTE tablet'
ASUS boss Jonney Shih is barreling through his announcements at Computex 2014. Along with routers, 4K monitors and flagship laptops, he also revealing the company's newest tablets, and the MeMO Pad 8 is the first salvo. With a 64-bit 2.3GHz Intel processor, Gorilla Glass 3 and a full HD display, Shih says it's the lightest LTE tablet in the world -- it's only 299 grams. It was swiftly followed by the slightly smaller, and logically named, MeMO Pad 7. It'll also pack Intel's 64-bit Atom processor, although the screen is merely HD (that's 720p), not 1080p like the MeMO Pad 8. If you haven't quite bought an Android tablet yet (and you're still in the market for one), the MeMO Pad 8 will arrive later this year in pink, white and royal blue color options, while the MeMO Pad 7 will be dressed in turquoise, red, white and yellow. Summer shades, people. Summer shades.
ASUS' Zenbook NX500 is a thin and light laptop with a 4K screen
Lest you think all the laptops announced at Computex this week are Yoga knockoffs, ASUS has at least one traditional notebook for you. The company has just announced the Zenbook NX500, a 15.6-inch Ultrabook that manages to pack a 3,840 x 2,160 screen, Core i7 processor, discrete NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850 graphics and up to 16GB of RAM into a relatively thin and light frame (it measures just 19mm thick and weighs 2.2kg, or 4.85 pounds).
ASUS' PadFone X goes global: still a 5-inch to 8.9-inch transformer
The ASUS PadFone X due June 6th can be considered as a slightly rugged version of the regular PadFone Infinity flagship line, but it's only limited to AT&T customers. Luckily, for those outside the US, there will soon be a global variant dubbed the PadFone S. These two models are pretty much identical: You get the same 5-inch-phone-to-8.9-inch-tablet transformation, and the guts include the 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800, 2GB of RAM, full HD displays, microSD slot, 13MP plus 2MP cameras on the phone (1MP front camera on the tablet) and 2,300mAh plus 4,990mAh batteries. The only differences are the 3G and 4G bands for obvious reasons, plus the wireless charging here follows the more popular Qi specifications, as opposed to PMA's. There's no info on pricing yet here at Computex; all we know is that it'll arrive in select markets as early as late Q3 this year.
HP's back-to-school lineup includes lots of convertibles (and Beats products, too)
This week is Computex, a huge computer show happening in Taiwan, which means lots of PC makers will be unveiling their back-to-school lineups, if they haven't already. HP, for instance, just unveiled a boatload of PCs, including budget and mid-range laptops, a handful of convertibles, and even some Beats products -- the first we've seen from HP since the Apple deal was announced. Rather than inundate you with specs, we've got a neat summary laid out below. We promise to make sense of it all -- even if HP does have a penchant for similar-sounding product names.
HP hedges its bets, unveils a 14-inch laptop running Android (updated)
If you thought this year's Computex show would be dominated entirely by Windows machines, you're in for a little twist. HP has just revealed the SlateBook, that 14-inch Android laptop we saw in a leaked video earlier this year. In addition, HP refreshed its 11-inch Chromebook with a slightly better battery, and dropped the price from $279 to $249. And that's not even counting all the Windows systems the company just launched. Some might call this strategy "throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks"; HP would probably just say it's hedging its bets. Either way, we've got the skinny -- but we'll leave it to you to decide which operating system makes the most sense.
