By Chirag Aidasani:
Just when technologically challenged people like me think that what more advancement can come in the sphere of cyber technology , they manage to surprise us more.One such gadget was the convertible laptop. It can be a laptop and a tablet at the same time! This gadget is the best of both worlds rolled into one device. It has the keypad of the laptop and the touch screen of the tablet. The different versions available in the market or are in making range from laptops which have screens that are detachable and tablets in themselves, screens that are on both sides of the panel, screens that can rotate to unbelievable angles and screens that slide in.
This device is definitely bound to make people reduce the need to carry multiple devices. This will also increase the convenience of people who like to travel with multiple devices. In short this has destroyed the dividing line between PCs and tablets.It has already created an furore in the market and it is predicted that by 2015 the shipments of convertibles will amount to half of that of laptops. But costomers will have to loosen their pockets a lot cause the convertible laptops do cost a bomb.
Some of the leading brands of convertible laptops are –
Latitude XT3 by Dell : This model by dell is sleek , attractive , durable .The screen is about 12.1 inches and is visible outdoors. It is rather heavy but that can be overlooked.
What can’t be overlooked is its cost which is approximately around 1,00,000 rupees in India. That is a huge amount of money even for a convertible laptop.
Envy 4 by HP : This is a Windows 8 compatible convertible which has just set foot in the Indian market. It’s screen is 11.6 inches built with 8 megapixel camera .
It is available at a much cheaper price of Rs.59,900 compared to Latitude XT3 which is roughly about a lakh rupees . Still It is a huge price to shell out .
Idea Pad Yoga by Lenovo : This too is a Windows 8 capable convertble which may appear less attractive than other models but is not less in its efficiency . Its screen measures 13.3 inches and it weighs 1.47 kg. Its special feature is that its screen can rotate 360 degrees.
Its a great and refreshingly new invention. But the convertibles are really expensive and some models are costlier than a tablet and a laptop put together . So for now this gadget may only be available to people who can afford to let their purse strings come so loose. For others the options are to either save enough to buy one or wait for the prices to go down.