As the line between laptops and tablets blurs, Christian Guyton
pits three of the best hybrid models against one other
2-IN-1
LAPTOPS
he2-in-1laptophasnever
beenbetter.Whilesystems
thatcombineelementsof
bothlaptopsandtabletsare
nothingnew,thislastyearhasseenthese
ultralightdevicesreachnewheightsin
bothdesignandperformance.
WhileMicrosoftmighthavefoughtto
popularisethedetachablekeyboardwith
itsSurfaceseriesoftablets,andDell
venturedintosomethinguniqueandweird
withtheXPSDuo’srevolvingdisplay,it’s
becomeclearthattheoptimumformfor
2-in-1devicesisa simpleconvertible
design,wherethekeyboardfoldsaround
tositflushagainsttherearofthescreen.
Thisiswhatdifferentiates2-in-1sfrom
similarUltrabookdevices,whichshare
thelightweightdesignyettendtolack
anykindoftouchcontrolsanda nifty
‘tabletmode’.
Whatmakes2-in-1devicessocoveted?
Theanswerissimplerthanyoumight
think:wewantallthecooltechhandedto us all at once, and hybrid devices
scratch that itch rather perfectly.
Advancements in processors, graphical
power and intelligent small-scale data
storage mean that these quasi-tablets are
now more powerful than ever before.
They’re capable of taking on increasingly
demanding tasks, and appeal to a wide
range of users from creative types to
business professionals. Let’s take a look at
three of the best 2-in-1s available now to
help you find your dream machine...T
72 |^ |^ April 2020