Review of Dell Inspiron Tablet/Laptop Hybrid 156
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."
Windows 7 is not a Tablet OS (Score:4, Interesting)
Really, they lost me at "full Windows 7". As an OS, the interface is complete crap for use on a tablet. So this is a small netbook that converts into a barely usable tablet. No thanks.
Re:Entirely new! (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Soon I will be proven right... (Score:5, Interesting)
You're wrong. Tablets will get thinner and lighter, and you'll dock them with keyboards (wirelessly) and larger monitors when you need to. Fewer and fewer people will see the need to buy a desktop or laptop computer.
That's my prediction too... the laptop is dead, long live the laptop.
Can it run Linux? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Soon I will be proven right... (Score:5, Interesting)
Tablets will get thinner and lighter, and you'll dock them with keyboards (wirelessly) and larger monitors when you need to.
Basically how people are using the iPad right now. The combination of the iPad + bluetooth keyboards and dock connectors makes it a close replacement for a desktop system for most people.
Re:I'll wait for a 7 inch (Score:3, Interesting)
Galaxy Tab? Comes pretty close
Re:Idiots (Score:4, Interesting)
If you were thinking about buying either a netbook or a tablet
Then you are an idiot, because tablets are suboptimal for all kinds of use except as book/movie players.
I'd say that netbooks/notebooks/laptops are suboptimal for all kinds of use that don't have you sitting at a desk/table/chair-type setup.
Interesting, but not with Windows. (Score:4, Interesting)
I can see this as a potential win if you really need a keyboard for some things, but would want the tablet factor for others. This might have been on my wish list last year before I purchased an acer mini-laptop (11.6" Timeline), save for the weak processor.
I'm torn, as the specks make it look pretty weak for running full Win7, and experience tells me that the touch interface with Windows is going to be a real bear. Still, the dock and ease of having a keyboard for "work" or slate for couch surfing might be nice.
I guess it will come down to the software, which is where it will ultimately fail. What makes the iPad/Android Tablets so useful is the finger-centric UI. It's what I hated about the older windows phones (which were built for a stylus and very difficult to manipulate with a fat finger).
Re:Entirely new! (Score:2, Interesting)
The HP also breaks if you look at it wrong, wherein you'll be directed to some Indian customer support person who only knows how to read off of a prefab list of problems, charge your credit card several hundreds of dollars and never actually fix anything.