At CES this year, Samsung introduced a unique Windows tablet, a hybrid tablet and laptop. The screen slides down above the keyboard and acts just like the iPad but if you need to type on a keyboard you can slide the screen out revealing the keyboard beneath. Quite a nifty trick and amazing.
So while Windows on Tablets isn’t new, this tablet certainly is. The Sliding PC 7 is expected to be available in March this year at a sticker price of $699 US. My expectation is that it will also be available in Canada at the same price in March as well. It seems that Samsung now is playing the field with regards to operating systems, it has the Galaxy Tab by Android and now the Sliding PC 7 which runs with Windows 7.
What’s so cool about the Sliding PC 7?
By far the coolest feature is the mult-touch LCD display AND the slide out keyboard combination but this tablet comes with a host of other nice features including:
- Samsung’s Fast Start feature with its sold state hard drive which can boot the device in 15 seconds, not bad for Windows
- Comes with multi-tasking in both Windows and touch mode
- Acts as a connective hub with other devices
- Includes HDMI, USB 2.0 and comes with a 4-in 1 memory card reader
- Comes with optional 3G connectivity
- Amazing enhanced resolution, 1366 x 768 HD
Here is a detailed list of this tablet’s specifications:
Key Specs:
- CPU: Intel® ATOMTM Oak Trail Z670 @ 1.66GHz
- Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium
- Samsung Touch Launcher
- Memory: 2GB DDR2
- Hard Drive (max): 32GB or 64GB (mSATA SSD)
- Screen: 10.1-inch touchscreen HD LCD display (340 nit)
- Resolution: 1366 x 768
- Audio Technology: Integrated speaker (0.8W x 2)
- I/O: USB 2.0, 4-in-1 memory card reader, HMDI out
- Webcam: 1.3MP
- Battery: Lithium Polymer; up to 9 hours
- Wireless: 802.11b/g/n; WiMax; 3G
- Dimensions: 10.47 x 6.88 x 0.78 inches (W x D x H)
- Weight: Starting at 2.18 lbs
Take a look at the Samsung Sliding PC 7 in action.
Samsung CES 2011: Sliding PC 7 Series
Any drawbacks?
I guess you can say that because of the keyboard the Sliding PC 7 tablet is heavier than its competitors, with the iPad at 1.5 lbs, the Playbook at 0.9 lbs, and the Xoom expected to be at 1.6lbs. Unlike its predecessors no dual core processor but it does come with 2 GB of RAM, which does not necessarily speak to the speed of the device given Windows’ past hunger for memory.
I’m now starting to get very excited about this category. With the options available, I have to ask myself do I still need a PC or Mac? What do you think, is this the end of the personal computer?