Microsoft’s new touch-focused operating system has given laptop manufacturers the chance to be creative. The old keyboard-and-touchpad model has now been joined by the touchscreen and opened up the potential for mass-market appeal for products that were previously niche or didn’t exist at all.
These new options leave consumers with new questions. What kind of touchscreen laptop is best? What are the advantages and disadvantages of different designs? And is a touchscreen alone worth the premium? To answer these questions we’ve rounded up the most common types of laptops and carefully detailed each.
Convertible tablets have existed for years. They work by folding the screen over the keyboard using a hinge that swings or flips. Examples of this design include the Lenovo ThinkPad Twist, the HP Envy x2, and the Dell XPS 12 (pictured above).
Laptops that use this design are usually indistinguishable from a normal laptop when used in their regular mode. They are similar in weight to a normal laptop and often have chassis components similar to another, non-convertible cousin. Most convertibles have a display size between 11.6-inches and 13.3-inches and are easy to use as an every-day PC.
The added weight and bulk in tablet mode make convertibles pleasing to use as a tablet at home, but most are too heavy for frequent mobile use. Tablet mode is a nice extra, not the main attraction.
A dockable is a laptop with a screen that detaches entirely. The screen contains the components critical to the laptop’s operation, so the keyboard is just a peripheral that connects via a laptop hinge. Examples of this include the ASUS Vivo Tab (pictured above), and the Samsung ATIV Smart PC Pro.
Dockables are a little unwieldy in laptop mode. Since the core system components are all in the display, they tend to be top-heavy, making them more cumbersome to use than their weight suggests. These products also tend to have small display sizes between 10.1-inches and 12.1-inches. Using a dockable as a primary PC is not ideal.
As a tablet, however, dockables are the best PC alternative. When the keyboard is removed, so is its weight, which is similar to that of an Android tablet or an iPad. A dockable provides the definitive Windows 8 tablet experience.
Sliders aren’t just a product of White Castle any more. They’re also a type of touchscreen laptop with a display that slides over the keyboard. The idea is similar to a convertible, but the hinge mechanism is more restrictive. Examples include the Toshiba Satellite U920t, and the Sony Vaio Duo 11 (pictured above).
Laptops that use this design tend to be light and small with a display size between 10.1-inches and 12.5-inches. They are similar in weight to dockables but don’t suffer from their top-heavy nature. Unfortunately, most pay for this by offering reduced keyboard space and little to no palmrest. Some also do not offer a touchpad. This can make navigation a chore.
As a tablet, sliders are close to dockables. The reduced size of the keyboard relative to other designs makes the laptop lighter. Still, sliders often feel a bit heavy when compared to dockables and to Android or iOS tablets.
A swing-hinge laptop looks normal but has a hinge that makes it possible to fold the display backwards until it is flush with the bottom of the laptop. Ta-da! You now have a tablet. The only current example of this is the Lenovo Yoga.
This design benefits from being indistinguishable from a standard laptop. Everything looks and acts exactly as the user would expect. Pricing benefits from this as well. The hinge is simple compared to the mechanisms in most convertibles, which is probably why the Yoga starts at $999 despite its capable hardware.
As a tablet, however, this design has some problems. It suffers from the weight issues of a convertible and it does not cover the keyboard. The keys are deactivated, of course, but they’re still distracting and unwieldy. These issues are somewhat forgiven by the fact the keyboard can act as a stand that holds the display upright on a flat surface.
Consumers don’t have to buy a crazy new design to grab a touchscreen. They’re easy enough to place in a standard laptop and many manufactures are doing just that.
Laptops without the ability to be used as a tablet, like the Acer Aspire M5 Touch (pictured above), will always be used primarily as a laptop. The touchscreen functionality can be thought of as a giant touchpad. Leaning forward to use it (because it’s father away that the touchpad or keyboard) isn’t ideal, but it can be good for making quick changes to settings or starting/stopping media playback.
We have no problems with adding a touchscreen to a laptop. However, we urge consumers to keep in mind how limited a touchscreen is when placed in a laptop that can’t be used as a tablet. A touchscreen installed in a standard laptop will be used a tiny fraction of the time and is not worth the $100 to $200 premium most manufactures are currently charging.
Think of it more like a backlit keyboard. It’s a nice feature that’s worth $20 – and that’s all.
Now that you know about the different types of touchscreen laptops running Windows 8, we’re sure you’re still wondering which one is best. We do have some recommendations.
Convertible laptops are the best option for most people who want a touchscreen laptop. Its bulk in tablet mode is unfortunate but only a problem during mobile use. At home the device can be propped up by a laptop desk, a pillow, a reading stand or just the user’s legs. Convertibles also make great every-day laptops.
If you believe that you’ll use the device as a tablet far more often than a laptop, a dockable is the best choice. Dockables are the lightest and least unwieldy tablets. The best are nearly as good as an Android/iOS device. However, you may also want to consider buying a dedicated tablet because they are even lighter and usually less expensive.
Sliders are the only design we remain skeptical of. Their small size and tendency to eliminate the palmrest and touchpad makes them less than ideal in laptop mode, yet they’re not as light as a dockable when in tablet mode. It’s a trade-off that doesn’t work out well for anyone.
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