Tablets have been one of the fastest growing consumer electronics. But sales are starting to level off. And the laptop market has been declining for some time.
Now there’s an emerging class of computers called detachables that combines a laptop and a tablet.
Detachables work like a laptop with more memory, storage, and power than a tablet. Then they can be converted into a tablet when you need something lightweight and easy to carry along.
Consumer Reports has been checking out several detachables, and so far its testers haven’t been overly impressed.
The problem is detachables don’t do either task particularly well. As a laptop, they’re not as fast or as powerful as you would like. As a tablet, they tend to be a little bit heavy.
There are other concerns, too.
On the Lenovo model, you can’t adjust the viewing angle of the screen like you could on a standard laptop.
And on the Asus model, you get only 2GB of memory. Most laptops come with at least 4GB.
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NBC 5 reached out to Asus for a response on Consumer Reports' findings. Here's what they said:
"Transformer book is a product that delivers productivity and entertainment while being mobile. It is more versatile compared to traditional laptop and provide the productivity (keyboard) that tablets lacks. It gives consumer a bright, usable PC an affordable price. Plus it avoids all of the compatibility issues that plague tablets running mobile operating systems like iOS, Android, or Windows RT. According to the news segment you provided, the ASUS model is Transformer Book T100TA MSRP$399 with 2G memory. We also offer ASUS T200TA-C1-BL, which has 4Gmemory (with upgradable hard drive to 1TB) for only $499 (dock included)."
Asus also went on to tell NBC 5 what their consumers tell them about their product.
"Full Windows 8.1 hybrid tablet. Can run all Windows programs. Light. Great price. 11 hours battery life. Micro-USB recharging. 1TB of cloud storage included (for a year). Office 365 included. Keyboard with trackpad and USB port is included. These are the common points that consumer like about the product."
NBC 5 then asked Asus if they're working on improvements for future tablet-laptop combos. They responded:
"Transformer Book series is one of the most successful and well-received product lines from ASUS. We will continue to work on the line and provide consumer the best technologies."
The only detachable that Consumer Reports recommends as both a tablet and a laptop is the Microsoft Surface Pro 3. It has a great display and great battery life. And at 12 inches, its screen is larger than most other tablets. The Surface Pro 3 comes equipped with a Surface Pen, camera, and memory card reader, and starts at $800. The keyboard is sold separately for $130.
Consumer Reports says that more and more detachables are coming on the market, and it hopes to see lighter, more powerful models soon.
Complete Ratings and recommendations on all kinds of products, including appliances, cars & trucks, and electronic gear, are available on Consumer Reports’ website.
