Most would agree that motherboards aren’t particularly exciting components, so it’s good to have a hook to stand out. ASUS’ new Z87 mobo series for Intel’s Haswell chips may not be waterproof, but the Deluxe / Dual model has plenty to offer nonetheless, including two Thunderbolt ports, on-board 802.11ac WiFi support, ASUS’ “4-Way Optimization” tech and more. What really got our eyebrows lifting at this specific board, however, was the new NFC Express accessory that comes bundled with it (you’ll also be able to purchase one separately). It’s not just your standard USB-connected NFC reader and writer, as it has features like automatic photo and video syncing with mobile devices, one-touch Windows 8 login, and quick-launch options for loading software or sites with a tap. An NFC tag is included, but you’ll need an equipped smartphone for some of the functions, like quick-pairing in ASUS’ Wi-Fi GO! utility for remote desktopping. If you’re not a big NFC user (and let’s be honest, who is?), then at least the little box’s got two USB 3.0 ports, meaning you’re still getting a free, if not overqualified USB hub.
Filed under: Desktops, Peripherals, Wireless, ASUS
Via: Fareastgizmos
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Comparing my tablets that I own while eating popcorn. Video Rating: 2 / 5
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Announced at Computex Taipei back in June, Asus’s Transformer Book has taken a while to come to market, but the 13.3-inch version of the tablet-laptop hybrid is now available to pre-order at MacMall for $ 1,479.99. The premium price reflects a relatively impressive spec sheet, including a dual-core Intel Core i7 processor, 4GB of RAM, and storage comprising a 500GB hard drive and a 128GB SSD.
In a situation reminiscent of the company’s Taichi ultrabook, It is still not clear when the Transformer Book will actually ship to US customers. German site Conrad provides an availability date of March 5th, while other retailers, including Best Buy and Kmart, list the device as “sold out.” There has also been little information about its supposed…
Since Windows 8′s debut last October, PC manufacturers have all followed pretty much the same playbook. Build a laptop with a touchscreen? Check. A docking laptop / tablet hybrid? Check. A strange, hinged device that twists and turns from tablet to laptop modes? Check. The PC market as a whole may look very different than it did a year ago, but the currently available devices don’t vary much. Except for this one Asus device that crossed my desk a couple of weeks ago, that is.
It’s called the Taichi, it starts at $ 1,299, and it has two screens. That’s pretty much everything you need to know. Rather than create a way to convert the device from a tablet to a laptop via a flexible hinge or rotating display, Asus instead just stuck a screen…
- 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?
Gallery: ASUS TAICHI 21 review
American carriers love to launch their device lines in bundles, and AT&T just proved the rule in style. Forget the LTE iPad mini — six other devices have shipped in one day, covering just about every category Big Blue offers. Want a Windows tablet? There’s a $ 500 ASUS VivoTab RT waiting for you. Smartphones? HTC’s $ 200 One X+ covers the high-end, while its $ 50 One VX and Samsung’s $ 100 Galaxy Express target the more frugal among us. Even shutterbugs and cutting-edge networkers can pick up a $ 500 Samsung Galaxy Camera or Novatel’s $ 50 MiFi Liberate hotspot. There’s no doubt that AT&T is cramming the channel full of new gadgets in the hopes of scooping up all the Black Friday sales it can, but we’ll forgive the slightly cynical strategy for the sake of a wider device selection.
Filed under: Cellphones, Cameras, Tablets, Networking, Mobile, Samsung, HTC, ASUS, AT&T
PSA: HTC One X+, five other devices from ASUS, HTC, Novatel and Samsung on sale at AT&T originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Nov 2012 22:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apple’s lead in the tablet market took its first serious dent in Q3, according to estimates from analyst IDC, based on tablet shipments (rather than sales). Apple’s dominant share of the market shrunk in the third quarter of this year, dropping from 59.7 percent in the year ago period (and 65.5 percent in the second quarter of this year) to 50.4 percent in Q3 this year, while Samsung and Amazon both grew their share: Samsung took close to a fifth (18.4 percent) of the market in Q3, up from 6.5 percent in the year ago period, while Amazon grew from nothing last year to almost a tenth (9 percent) in Q3, following the launch of its original 7-inch Kindle Fire and 7-inch and 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD tablets.
Samsung’s growth was fuelled by its Galaxy Tab and Note 10.1. tablets. The company shipped 5.1 million tablets worldwide in 3Q12, up 115 percent from 2Q12 — an increase of 325 percent from 3Q11, when it shipped 1.2 million tablets, noted IDC.
IDC also calculates that Asus — which makes Google’s Nexus 7 tablet , and recently reported a monthly sales rate for the Google-branded slate of close to one million– also grew its share over the period, rising from 3.8 percent a year ago to 8.6 percent in Q3 this year.
However the analyst believes slow growth for Apple in tablets for the quarter can be partially explained by rumours of the iPad mini causing potential buyers to stall their purchases. “After a very strong second quarter, Apple saw growth slow as both consumer and commercial (including education) shipments declined, and rumors of a forthcoming iPad mini began to heat up,” noted Tom Mainelli, research director, Tablets at IDC in a statement. “We believe a sizeable percentage of consumers interested in buying an Apple tablet sat out the third quarter in anticipation of an announcement about the new iPad mini.”
The analyst expects Apple’s performance to improve in Q4 — although it notes that the iPad mini’s relatively high price-tag still leaves room for Android OEMs to grow their share further. “Now that the new mini, and a fourth-generation full-sized iPad, are both shipping we expect Apple to have a very good quarter. However, we believe the mini’s relatively high $ 329 starting price leaves plenty of room for Android vendors to build upon the success they achieved in the third quarter,” added Mainelli.
With the launch of Microsoft’s Windows 8-based Surface tablet, it’s not just Android that Apple has to worry about in tablets — albeit Microsoft is not currently competing at the lower end where some Android OEMs are carving out a niche. ”Competitors are turning up the pressure on market leader Apple,” noted Ryan Reith, program manager, IDC’s Mobile Device Trackers, in a statement. “With the recent introduction of a number of Windows 8 and Windows RT tablets, consumers now have a third viable tablet platform from which to choose. However, price points are critical in tablets, and Microsoft and its partners will have a tough time winning a share of consumer wallet with price points starting at $ 500.”
“Samsung took advantage of an opportunity in the second quarter,” he added. ”The company offers a wide range of tablet offerings across multiple screen sizes and colors, and that clearly resonated with more buyers this quarter. Its growth to 18.4 percent of worldwide market share during the quarter represents the first time a competitor has attained this level of share since the original launch of the iPad.”
Quadrant Standard Edition results Asus Transformer TF101 Total: 2223, CPU: 4566, Mem: 2351, I/O: 2070, 2D: 472, 3D: 1658 Samsung P7500 Galaxy Tab 10.1 3G Total: 2410, CPU: 3325, Mem: 2590, I/O: 3961, 2D: 269, 3D: 1907 Motorola XOOM MZ601 Total: 1685, CPU: 3181, Mem: 2357, I/O: 966, 2D: 83, 3D: 1838 Video Rating: 0 / 5
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If getting long-range WiFi is a perpetual battle, ASUS just started a nuclear war. Its fresh RT-N12HP router carries a pair of (thankfully removable) high-gain, 9dBi antennas and a separate signal amplifier that can jointly boost the range of the router’s 802.11n wireless up to 300 percent versus challengers that reach the same 300Mbps peak speed. Beyond that, the hotspot mostly claims sheer flexibility as its virtue with support for as many as four separate WiFi networks and a fast toggle between pure router, access point and repeater modes. Once ASUS confirms that we can grab the N12HP in specific countries, it’ll likely deliver a good signal from corner to corner in most any home — and invite some Freudian interpretations.
Filed under: Networking, ASUS
ASUS unveils RT-N12HP WiFi router with extra-long antennas: compensating for anything? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Oct 2012 03:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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