Dell and HP recently unveiled two new convertible models that took a page out of Microsoft’s playbook with their built-in kickstands and detachable keyboards.

First up, we have the new Dell XPS 12, which is a refresh of one of the company’s first generation convertible from 2012. The device has a 12-inch display with full HD resolution (there’s an optional 4K model) and is powered by Intel’s low-powered Core M processors with 8GB of Ram and up to 128GB of on-board storage.

The XPS 12 will come with a keyboard base where the main unit can dock to transform into a productivity machine. Unlike most hybrids, the XPS 12 doesn’t use any latches or hinges to connect the keyboard to the main unit. Instead, the device simply drops into a slot on the keyboard and it’s ready to go. The downside is that the keyboard dock only has one angle, which makes it hard to use on your lap.

Dell will also offer an optional stylus for the XPS 12 that will be sold separately. It has two Thunderbolt 3 ports, as well as an 8MP rear camera and a 5MP front-facing camera.

The Dell XPS 12 will be available beginning November starting at $999.

The second device that launched this week that looks like the Surface Pro is the HP Spectre X2.

The Spectre X2 comes with a 12-inch display with a resolution of 1920 x 1280 pixels and packs the latest generation Core M processors. HP is giving consumers the option to get either a 4GB model or 8GB model while storage can be bumped up to 512GB for the top-tier model.

It also has two USB Type-C ports, a microSD card reader, an 8MP rear camera with Intel’s depth-sensing RealSense setup, two 5MP cameras at the front, four speakers (two of which are located on the keyboard and are made by Band & Olufsen).

Just like the Surface Pro models, the Spectre X2 has a built-in kickstand that offer multi-angle adjustments. However, unlike that of Microsoft’s, HP has decided to use a U-shaped easel-like frame that allowed the device to save some space and keep the profile thinner than the Surface Pro.

The HP Spectre X2 is now available on the company’s website for pre-order starting at $799.99

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Microsoft Surface Laptop-Tablet hybrid is undoubtedly one of the tech scenes latest trend with manufacturers like Lenovo, HP and even Apple copying the Surface’s form and design. This week, the Redmond-based company has unveiled two new Surface models that could very well put Microsoft back on the list of the coolest tech companies in the world.

First one up is the Surface Pro 4, which as the name suggests will replace the company’s current Surface Pro 3. The new Hybrid will of course run on Windows 10 and now features a thinner and even more powerful processor.

The device has the same form factor as its predecessor with a 12.3-inch display with a slightly higher resolution at 2736 x 1824 pixels with 10-point multi-touch. In terms of performance, the Surface Pro 4 comes with the latest Intel Core processors, up to 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of on-board storage.

As for the rest of its specs, Microsoft has added an 8MP+5MP camera combo, stereo speakers with Dolby Audio, stereo microphone, an ambient light sensor, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a full-size USB 3.0, a microSD card reader, headset port, a Mini DisplayPort and the Surface connect port for the keyboard accessory.

And speaking of accessories, the Surface Pro 4 can come with quite a number of add-ons including the new Type Cover with Fingerprint ID feature and the Surface Dock that turns the device into a desktop PC. Microsoft promises up to 9 hours of battery for the Surface Pro 4, which is now available for pre-order on the company’s website starting at $899.

For those who want more power and a traditional form factor of a laptop, Microsoft has also unveiled what a lot of people might call the “MacBook Pro” killer – the Surface Book.

The Surface Book comes with a 13.5-inch display that boasts a resolution of 3000 x 2000 pixels (~267ppi) and adopts the more traditional detachable keyboard setup found in a lot of hybrids like Asus’ Transformer Books and Acer’s Switch models.

The hinge on the device looks a lot like the one that the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro but Microsoft calls it the Fulcrum hinge. The Surface Book can come with either an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor with up to 16GB of RAM, an Nvidia GeForce GPU and up to 1TB of storage.

It also comes with the same set of sensors and connectivity features as the Surface Pro 4. It will also have the same 8MP+5MP camera combo, dual microphones, two full-size USB 3.0 ports, a full-size SD card reader and front-facing speaker with Dolby audio.

Microsoft claims the Surface Book will last up to 12 hours on a single charge and will come with a Surface Pen out of the box. It’s also now available for pre-order on Microsoft’s website starting at $1499.

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At the moment, there’s not that many Windows 10 devices out of the box that consumers can choose from. That is, until a couple of weeks ago, when the Toshiba Satellite Click 10 was announced. The device has a 10-inch display with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels.

The internals of the device is composed of an Intel Atom X5 processor, 2GB of RAM and up to 64GB of internal storage that can be expanded using a microSD card. There’s also a 2MP camera at the front and 8MP shooter at the back.

Toshiba has equipped the Click 10 with its TruTalk microphone, stereo speakers with Dolby Digital Plus technology, a micro HDMI port and an external keyboard dock that sports two full-sized USB ports.

The Toshiba Satellite Click 10 is now available on pre-order and will retail for $349.99. The device will start shipping by the end of the month. 

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After its acquisition by Lenovo and a not so hyped release of its Fit and Pro models, it looks like the Vaio PC brand is starting anew as it showcased its newest prototype a few days ago on its website.

The machine will be a 12.3-inch convertible with a detachable keyboard. The display resolution is 2560x1704 pixels with a 3:2 aspect ratio and supports pen-input. Under the hood there’s a new Intel Haswell quad-core processor with Iris graphics.

In terms of form factor, it looks like Vaio is coming after the Surface Pro’s design with a built-in kickstand at the back with a stylus and a separate keyboard. The company could also be targeting professional illustrators, photographers and designers as seen by how much performance they have tried to pack on the device and given the fact that the prototype was unveiled at Adobe’s Max conference.

If commercialized, the 12.3-inch prototype would likely cost around $1800 with first shipments to start by May of next year.

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Intel had a major announcement this week at Computex in Taiwan that immensely benefits the laptop, tablet and hybrid markets.

The chip maker introduced at the event its new-generation processors – the Core M CPUs. The new CPUs will be manufactured using a 14nm process. This means that the new processors will consume less power and will have a smaller foot print compared to the current generation Core processors.

But despite the smaller size, Intel promises that the upcoming Core processors will be more powerful and should offer consumers 20-40% improvement in performance. The reduced power consumption should also mean that the processors will produce less heat than current CPUs that will reduce the need to use fans for cooling.

Having said these, it should mean that we may soon have devices that have thinner profiles and should use less (if not completely eliminate the need to use) fans. During the event, Intel showcased a prototype unit called Llama Mountain that bears the new Core M processor.

The device is incredible thin at just 7.2mm and weighs only 1.47 pounds. And looks a lot like Asus’s Transformer T300 Chi, which was announced just a few days ago.

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Toshiba’s concept convertible that we saw at CES back in January has finally materialized in the form of the Kirabook L93, which the Japanese company unveiled this week at Computex in Taipei.

The Kirabook L93 is basically another iteration of the Lenovo Yoga design but with an additional two modes. Aside from the typical laptop, tablet, display and tent modes, the L93 has a display mode where the keyboard is detached and an inclined tablet mode that’s something pen users might love.

Toshiba has equipped the Kirabook L93 with an Intel Core i5 Haswell processor, 128GB SSD and 8GB of RAM.

The L93 is packing a 13-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 250 x 1440 pixels and full island style keyboard. Obviously, this keyboard will have a power supply of its own but Toshiba hasn’t disclosed how it would connect to the main unit and how it will be charged.

There’s no trackpad available on the device, but there will be small left and right click buttons at the lower portion of the keyboard. The cursor is moved using a joystick placed at the middle of the keyboard.

The device is now available in Japan for $2600 but there’s no word yet when the laptop will reach other markets. Nonetheless, we’ll keep our eyes and ears open for more news about the L93.

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It’s clearly evident that Lenovo’s Yoga line has started a design revolution and now almost every major PC maker is doing their own version of the multi-mode device. We’ve already seen the design applied on products from Acer, HP, and recently Toshiba.

This week Dell and Asus join the growing list of companies that have embraced the multi-mode design, by announcing their own creations at this year’s Computex tech show.

Asus’ multi-mode offering is called the Transformer Book Flip. The device will be offered in different configurations including a 13.3-inch model with HD resolution and a Core i3 processor. The more expensive 15.6-inch model has Full HD resolution, Full HD resolution that is delivered with an Intel HD 4400 graphics plus an Nvidia GeForce 820M/840M card with up to 2GB of VRAM.

All models will have 4GB of RAM on-board which can be expanded up to 8GB. In terms of storage options, the Transformer Flip line will use a combination of HDD (from 500GB to 1TB) and SSD (from 128GB to 256GB). Some models will also sport a built-in optical disc drive.

The Asus Transformer Book Flip will be available starting this month initially in Europe and Asia with prices starting at $499.

Meanwhile, Dell is also coming aboard with the release of its Inspiron convertibles. One is the 11-inch 3000 series while the other is the 13-inch 7000 series.

The Dell Inspiron 13 7000 series runs on Intel Core processors (i3 or i5) with a 13-inch Full HD display, while the Inspiron 11 3000 series comes with Intel’s Pentium-series Bay Trail chip with of course an 11-inch display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. Both Inspiron models will bear 4GB of RAM, while storage starts at 500GB HDD.

And since the three laptops all follow the Lenovo Yoga design, all of them will have a hinge mechanism that will allow the display to bend over 180 degrees, giving them the ability to transform into different modes including a tent mode, a display mode, a laptop mode and of course a tablet mode.

The Dell Inspiron 11 3000 will be arriving this month for $499, while the 13-inch Inspiron 7000 will hit the market sometime in September.

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