Samsung preps a hybrid Windows 8 tablet too, with S Pen stylus, SIM card and magnetic force

posted by Daniel P.

Jun 05, 2012, 2:50 AM

Samsung preps a hybrid Windows 8 tablet too, with S Pen stylus, SIM card and magnetic force

Apple's CEO Tim Cook opinion on the hybrid notebook/tablet devices that Windows 8 makes possible is that it's like pairing "a refrigerator with a toaster", with the notion that none of their functions will be done as good as if they were standalone devices.

Windows 8 device manufacturers begged to disagree, starting at the first day of the Computex expo in Taiwan yesterday, when Acer, Asus, MSI and Lenovo all outed interesting devices with Win 8 on board. As usual Asus was the one with the boldest hybrid designs, including a Transformer-like tablet, two-screen notebook, and a detachable all-in-one.

Now add to the hybrid device game Samsung, Apple's biggest competitor in the mobile realm, and things start to get really interesting. Besides a laptop, whose screen part pivots all the way back to become a tablet, the Koreans had a hybrid Windows 8 tablet/notebook device of their own to show, called Samsung Series 5 Hybrid.

While neither the price nor launch date were revealed, the device resembles the Asus Transformer line concept of a 10" tablet plus a detachable keyboard part. Instead of a latching mechanism, however, which adds bulk and weight, the tablet attaches magnetically to the keyboard half.

No concrete specs were revealed, but the expo unit was running a low-voltage Intel CPU, meaning that a full-throttle Windows 8 will be on board at launch, able to run the more than a million legacy programs that come with Microsoft's Windows OS. Word was that there will be two screen options - a 1080p Full HD tablet screen, and a cheaper one with a regular resolution. An 8MP camera on the back and 2MP frontal shooter will be taking care of the niche realm of tablet photography.

Samsung's other added value will seemingly be the S Pen and S Memo stylus apps, coming straight from the Note, but tailored to the Win 8 tablet realities. The hybrid slate clocks in a bit heavier than your usual 10" tablet, at 1.65 pounds (747g), but is fairly thin at 9mm (0.35"), yet houses a standard SIM card and microSD slots, as well as a speedy USB port.

via Engadget

Samsung teases a hybrid Windows 8 tablet too, with S Pen stylus goodness and magnetic force

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33 Comments

33. jschoonover

Posts: 1; Member since: Sep 12, 2012

I am very excited to hear about this one coming to market. I have had several different tablets over the last few years. HP TX tablet, iPad, HTC flyer. I love the look of the current Galaxy note but really need Windows 8 for everything I want from my tablet. I think this will be an amazing device and am excited to see what the price tag will be...

posted on Sep 12, 2012, 9:30 PM 0

27. remixfa

Posts: 14605; Member since: Dec 19, 2008

now see.. thats awesome. tell me it can run diablo 3 with good memory settings, and we might have a winner.

posted on Jun 05, 2012, 3:23 PM 0

25. SlimSoulja86

Posts: 660; Member since: Nov 03, 2011

Lol, it s so funny how ppl always talk about samsung having "cheap" "plastic", do ppl's desktops made out of glass and metal? Your headphones made out of glass and metal? Lol, im telling, if Apple decides to make their earphone out of metal,we gonn call every single earphones, "cheap with plastic" its like plastic was never used before on these devices. Yes my iphone is made out of glass and metal, but my laptop its all plastic, cos the only thing i get to touch all the time is the keys. Personal choice, i prefer functionality ova premium feel. Just my opinion. Im intitled to it isnt it?

posted on Jun 05, 2012, 9:36 AM 0

26. SleepingOz unregistered

What's also funny is that most of these people are not Apple fanboys but Nokia ones. As far as I know, Nokia has been using "cheap plastic" for its devices as well. And if polycarbonate is now considered as "cheap plastic", then the Lumia series is also concerned.

posted on Jun 05, 2012, 1:44 PM 0

23. jibraihimi

Posts: 816; Member since: Nov 29, 2011

Seeing so many windows 8 tablets, hybrids, transformer, and ultrabooks from Asus, Acer and Samsung, now I'm really confused that which one I should purchase...........??? I didn't dived into tablet/ipad world yet, because all the tablets/ipads released till now didn't offered any full OS experience, they were all mobile OS's on big screen; that's reason I was waitin for Windows 8 running devices, and now seeing all the choices out there I'm really very confused. And above all HP, Lenovo, fujitsu etc are yet to announce their windows 8 device............. This holiday season would be very busy for windows 8 sales.......... :)

posted on Jun 05, 2012, 9:31 AM 0

21. McLTE

Posts: 922; Member since: Oct 18, 2011

lol.. Cook is smoking something if he really thinks the idea of a tablet and keyboard = laptop sort of device is lame. I don't have an iPad. I don't have an Android pad either. Why? because to me, they are really just over sized phones regarding functionality. What I want is a windows tablet.. something that can do EVERYTHING my windows PC can IF I want it to. let me dock it into a keyboard contraption and used it like a full blown laptop, and let that dock into the typical laptop dock which allows me to use my 2 24" monitors. This could have a tremendous impact on the way we do things at work.. imagine leaving work and having everything you need right in your hands on a small tablet! The only concern I have here is that I know they are going to be priced through the roof and it will be along uphill battle if they aren't priced competitively or better yet.. under the iPad's pricing.

posted on Jun 05, 2012, 9:16 AM 0

16. mercorp

Posts: 1045; Member since: Jan 28, 2012

Give us an exynos 5250 version too!

posted on Jun 05, 2012, 7:48 AM 1

15. valapsp

Posts: 565; Member since: Aug 12, 2011

And no words on battery life. Sh** This vs Series 7 Slate PC.

posted on Jun 05, 2012, 7:41 AM 0

14. tigermcm

Posts: 861; Member since: Sep 02, 2009

thank you, just when i was complaining about Asus being the only one showing of new tabs here comes Samsung......who's next?

posted on Jun 05, 2012, 7:05 AM 1

19. JSern

Posts: 282; Member since: May 22, 2011

Nokia

posted on Jun 05, 2012, 8:38 AM 0

28. tigermcm

Posts: 861; Member since: Sep 02, 2009

I hope so!!

posted on Jun 05, 2012, 4:10 PM 0

12. KingShango

Posts: 89; Member since: May 16, 2012

This thing is awesome. I want more details. How much memory, what kind of processor and most importantly how much is it going to cost me? I haven't played with any of the early releases of Win8 yet. I hope it delivers.

posted on Jun 05, 2012, 6:54 AM 3

32. thelegend6657 unregistered

Windows 8 is awesome

posted on Jun 13, 2012, 4:26 AM 0

8. Sangeet

Posts: 232; Member since: Apr 21, 2012

What's new in this every Apple CEO says the same kind of thing when somebody launches a product superior than what Apple has.. No doubt that Apple makes great products, but that does not man that they can insult other companies and that too in this way, that's not the real spirit of competition at all

posted on Jun 05, 2012, 5:41 AM 2

17. tward291

Posts: 559; Member since: Feb 14, 2012

lets be fair mirosoft did the same thing when apple launched the iphone. On any note windows is the only tablet competitor apple will have to worry about that is why they insulted there way of doing it.

posted on Jun 05, 2012, 7:53 AM 0

5. thelegend6657 unregistered

now everyone is copying Asus after EE Pad Transformer they should have patent it

posted on Jun 05, 2012, 5:08 AM 2

6. darkskoliro

Posts: 1092; Member since: May 07, 2012

true that. im still supporting asus.

posted on Jun 05, 2012, 5:32 AM 1

9. SlimSoulja86

Posts: 660; Member since: Nov 03, 2011

Lets all agree, that every company is copying another company. This copying bs its really irritatin, all these companies r copying each other. Without this copying, the tech will b stagnant without any progression, so lets all get used to it. While these companies are copying each other, we the consumers are benefiting from it. Let us enjoy the tech and let these companies worry about copying each other Its like saying the first smartphone makers should have patented "smartphone" and the first laptop maker should have patented "laptop", so is the first tv maker, mp3 maker, tablet maker, in which there would have bn no ipad, no choice whatsoever. Just getting sick of this so and so is copying so. Enuf already

posted on Jun 05, 2012, 5:48 AM 4

11. jagroopdeol13

Posts: 1; Member since: Jun 05, 2012

well said.....we should not worry about copying......we should enjoy the best products out there

posted on Jun 05, 2012, 6:46 AM 5

13. Non_Sequitur

Posts: 1111; Member since: Mar 16, 2012

Asus isn't a bunch of damn retards like Apple who run around patenting little things and suing the living crap out of anything that is rectangular.

posted on Jun 05, 2012, 7:01 AM 5

24. MEeee

Posts: 449; Member since: Oct 19, 2011

Which brands are your TVs, Applicances, PCs, etc.? Don't talk like iFollowers of Steve Jobs. All they can say is "copy" and "rip-off".

posted on Jun 05, 2012, 9:31 AM 1

30. ZEUS.the.thunder.god unregistered

why dont you stf*. cant you ever talk some sense ?

posted on Jun 05, 2012, 5:40 PM 0

4. ananya22

Posts: 93; Member since: Apr 23, 2012

rip ipad

posted on Jun 05, 2012, 4:59 AM 9

3. Bluesky02

Posts: 1439; Member since: Dec 05, 2011

Beautiful

posted on Jun 05, 2012, 3:53 AM 9

1. ilia1986 unregistered

Now THIS is innovation. Heard that, Apple?

posted on Jun 05, 2012, 2:58 AM 17

2. RangersK

Posts: 68; Member since: May 15, 2012

Apple doesn't have ears.

posted on Jun 05, 2012, 3:32 AM 16

7. JSern

Posts: 282; Member since: May 22, 2011

Asus did it first.

posted on Jun 05, 2012, 5:36 AM 8

10. SlimSoulja86

Posts: 660; Member since: Nov 03, 2011

And instead of suing, im sure they are proud of themselves for making it famous, and user friendly. Im sure a company like asus knows a thing or two about innovation. Plus the concept has always bn there, just like apple to make a tablet famous, asus made the concept famous.