Something with a 10 - or 11 - inch display feels like the most natural size floor for effective use by Windows 8, and we've seen a good number of products hit that mark, either as standard clamshell laptops,
standalone tablets with optional keyboards, or hybrids that straddle the line between the two.
As far as the software tweaks from B&N are concerned they're mostly geared towards folks who like reading content like books and magazines, so its like having the best of both worlds,
a standalone tablet with e-reader like functionality.
The game - changing Asus Eee Pad Transformer combined a great
standalone tablet with a keyboard dock that not only let you type properly but also doubled the device's battery life and gave you such connectivity gems as full - size USB ports and a regular SD card slot, essentially turning the tablet into a mini laptop that had a better screen and lasted longer on the go than any netbook.
Well, the Dell Streak 7 being an Android 2.2 - powered tablet with an NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, is actually a large smartphone device that can hook up via 3G and make phone calls, although there is no official support for phone functionality since it is currently being offered by Dell and T - Mobile as
a standalone tablet with 3G and Wi - Fi connectivity.
Not exact matches
While e-ink display technology may have lost its sheen
with the slow demise of
standalone ebook reading devices and the growing number of
tablets, e-ink is witnessing a resurgence of sorts
with smartwatches.
The
tablet has been priced at $ 700 when bought on a
standalone basis and a whooping $ 1000 when included
with other related accessories such as the media station into which the
tablet is slotted for a virtual desktop
with phone, screen, ethernet ports, USB ports for keypad, headsets, and other devices.
Otherwise, it could have been a
standalone tablet device
with the inner display remaining dormant when used as a
tablet.
The new Panasonic
tablet that is currently in development and was showcased as a prototype at the CES was billed as a
standalone device, but also seamlessly integrated
with the G and V series of Panasonic Viera line of televisions.
The description of some of the
tablet devices (both
standalone as well as those
with an attached keypad) can help consumers make a choice that fits their educational needs.
It adds email, calendar, and contact apps, finally making the PlayBook a functional
standalone device — before, if you didn't have a BlackBerry to connect to the PlayBook, there wasn't much you could do
with your
tablet.
An 11.6 - inch Windows 8 notebook
with a lid that pops off to become a
standalone slate, the HP Envy x2 promises the best of both worlds, but does this $ 849 system justify a price that's $ 350 higher than the average notebook or
tablet costs by itself?
Asus also made public their Eee Pad MeMO 3D at the same event, which is a
standalone Android
tablet device
with a 7 - inch multi-touch 3D screen that can display 3D images without the need for any glasses.
Gone are the external components of the
standalone product, and in their place is the simple IR blaster embedded in the side of the
tablet that communicates directly
with your entertainment system.
When it comes to e-readers, it seems that we're always talking about the big three players: Amazon, Sony and Barnes and Noble,
with Kobo and Apple (even though its iPad is a multipurpose
tablet, not a
standalone e-reader) usually lumped into the big leagues.
Windows 8 has been present on
standalone tablets so far, without much love for dual booting devices
with Android, for example.
Some manufacturers have produced
standalone tablets, which can be paired
with a separate Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, while other 2 in 1 laptops or hybrid models include the keyboard and trackpad.
Unlike their monochrome
standalone readers, which are cheaper and are designed purely for reading
with no
tablet OS or apps present, hybrid devices which are a little bit of both are hard to pin down.
Walt Mossberg says he likes the user interface, but he's disappointed at the lack of
standalone personal information management apps, as well as the fact that you need a BlackBerry phone to pair
with the
tablet in order to use an email or calendar app.
ASUS also recently unveiled its second convertible
tablet, the Padfone, which is expected to launch later this year, combining a 10.1 - inch
tablet with a
standalone 4.3 - inch Android smartphone.
The Transformer Book's HD IPS multi-touch display detaches from the lightweight keyboard dock to be a
standalone tablet and comes
with wide 178 - degree viewing angles for super crisp - looking images.
Since the smartwatches are considered as an add - on accessory more than a
standalone device, there isn't much growth as seen
with the smartphones or
tablets.
The world's first dual - OS (Windows 8 and Android 4.1) All - in - One PC
with a detachable display can also be used as a
standalone tablet.
Last week Samsung was granted a design patent for a notebook
with a slide - out display that could be used as a
standalone tablet.
Its design borrows from the gorgeous Chromebook Pixel, then builds upon it
with versatility to allow easy switching between a
standalone tablet or a laptop.
With integrated stereo speakers and a powerful quad - core processor, the Android
tablet also serves as a premium,
standalone tablet that users can download all of their favorite apps from the Google Play store to play games, chat, email and more.
But, while this device is great as a
standalone tablet, I hope Samsung or third - party accessory makers can come up
with a better keyboard base that's so essential to the experience.
The first one is premium device called the Ares 12 Flip that comes
with a 12.2» touchscreen panel and can be used either as a
standalone tablet or as a full - fledged laptop by attaching the full - sized, Pogo - pin keyboard that comes as an optional add - on.