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Review of Dell Inspiron Tablet/Laptop Hybrid
Barence writes "It's rare that Dell breaks new ground in terms of design, but the new Dell Inspiron Duo changes all that, according to PC Pro. First revealed at IDF earlier this year, the Dell netbook has a screen that swivels in its own lid, turning the Windows 7 device into a tablet. 'The Duo's relatively modest premium over a high-end netbook buys you the touchscreen and slick conversion to the tablet format, as well as full Windows 7 and a decent hard drive. If you were thinking about buying either a netbook or a tablet, the Duo does both, though it doesn't do the tablet bit as well as an iPad,' PC Pro's reviewer, Jack Schofield, concludes."
Tablets are better for showing photos/artwork... well most kinds of presenting really. Consumption rather than production.
This release will probably hurt both iPad and MacBook sales drastically. Better operating system and the ability to function as both a laptop and a tablet will appeal to a large group people.
The tablet fad will end with small convertible laptops (or "netvertibles" as they're called now).
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
Amateur. I do all of my presentations by having everyone crowd around my iPad. It gives the whole thing a more intimate feel, especially when I have 50 people jostling each other trying to see the screen.
You want me to use an archaic device like a projector? Copping a feel on the hot intern in Accounting is damn near impossible if you're not crammed around a tiny device straining to see what's going on. Think, man!
You need to do more research. The connector is a measly $29. http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC552ZM/A
I'm dead serious about that. If it will run something I can install KDE onto, I'm sold.
Anybody want my mod points?
While true, there are some things you leave out. First, notice the presenter view on the iPad. It displays slide number and.... well that's it. I'm used to the power point presenter view, which displays the slide, your slide deck, notes, a timer, and drawing tools. For the iPad you have to constantly turn around to see the screen. Also you can't annotate the screen. These are seriously limitations to presentations.
Further, as I mentioned, VGA output is enabled on a per app basis. For example, you can't plug the iPad into a TV and watch shows using the ABC player, while this functionality is standard on any netbook with a web browser. For presentations, this means you can't open a web page to show your audience, a common enough task, as safari doesn't support VGA out.
So, while you assume the parent was referencing an inability to connect his iPad to a projector, he was actually alluding to the anemic presentation functionality it offers.
As a lecturer, I have a presentation every other day. I find my iPad is awful for them, as you can't annotate the slides. Further, developing presentations in iPad Keynote is an exercise in patience, while exporting from Power Point to keynote is a crapshoot, especially if you have complex animations. I resort to my trusty Dell Latitude XT for presentations. Even if it is heavier, it offers much more functionality.