Good things: standard 3-year warranty / fingerprint reader / spill-resistant keyboard / MIL-STD-810G
Bad things: 16:9 display in a productivity-focused detachable.
3:2 would've been perfect swipe at Lenovo et al for pushing tablet-capable devices with 16:9 screens. The stock image used....just perfectly illustrates the issue:
Articles like this could really use a video to further illustrate the system. :)
I like this sort of thing myself. I had a Samsung Ativ Smart PC Pro XE700T1C A02 (nice mouthful) for a while. 11.6" tablet with a keyboard dock that made it rock solid like a clamshell. Pretty good overall, but the tablet portion was fairly weighty and the connection wasn't rock solid, a bit of screen wobble on the train would lead to constant connect/disconnect sounds. A know problem of the series. The keyboard also had no battery, which was a missed opportunity. Fairly solid as a notebook (minus the disconnects), too unwieldy as a tablet. And just a few days ago I bought a Fujitsu T904, swivel notebook/tablet (used, leased device). That looks pretty good so far. 13.3" screen with QHD resolution, RAM and SSD upgradeable as well as battery through a couple of screws. I think I'll like it a lot more.
The detachable thing makes me think I'm handling a tablet, which makes the weight (900g for the Samsung, 1.6kg with keyboard) much worse. And then there is the clunkiness of having to stow the keyboard somewhere when I'm using it as a tablet and not being able to switch very fast between the input modes. The small-ish size was also a handicap when using it as a laptop. The size of this Toshiba is much better with the weight being in the same ballpark (800g according to golem.de and 1.2kg for the whole system), that's a good accomplishment. I'm still fairly sure I like the T904 model more. 2 seconds and I'm in tablet mode, 2 seconds and I'm back in laptop mode, with a built in variable tablet stand and I won't feel like I'm using a (android) tablet, so the weight will not be as annoying.
Dell actually makes a 2 in 1 where the keyboard dock works like a traditional clam shell but is detachable to a tablet. Their port selection is lacking compared to this and a think pad though. However, if you were looking for an uncompromising, is a tablet and a laptop, experience I would say that is it.
This stand can be a real nightmare if you use it on a non solid surface such as your lap or in bed. Sure there is tablet mode but holding a device like this for longer periods of time is not ideal.
This is why you should hire a guy to hold it for you. ^.^ The same guy can fan you with a giant, novelty feather or palm frond and feed grapes to you one at a time as well. Though, don't count on said guy doing all three of those things at once. From what I hear, most guys only ship with two limbs that have opposable thumbs.
The Ethernet port would have cinch it for me if not for the fan. I wonder why Toshiba chose to use the U-series instead of the new Amber Lake Y-series.
Agreed, after the bad experience with the fan noise of the (otherwise excellent) notebook 9, starting to scream after 6 moths and getting progressively worse (without any trace of dust in the fan), I now don't trust ANY pc with a fan. I want fanless or nothing (I do business work on it, no video editing or gaming).
I've had fans in my PCs since my first PC (circa 2001). Not one fan has become troublesome. But sure, stay away from those types of PCs. "Business work". Sure.
I have had fans in my pc since 1992... and at that time who cared, that was the norm... and hard drive were even noisier... But when you work with a fanless device it's hard to go back to even a low noise. It's like resolution, 640x480 was fine, nobody complaied. Today, anything under 1080p feels bad... And yes business work, you don't need a quad core for that. A core M with an ssd can be more than enough for that...
What is your point? I started building PC for myself and friends/family since 1986 and my first company issued laptop weights nearly 5kg and has a VGA monochrome screen. You obviously have never been to serious business meetings where millions are at stake with notebook's fan squeaking on and off.
I think that should be "most" for 2-in-1. Many 2-in-1 do not require a kick stand. My T100HA does not. That said, I've finally decided that weight is my primary issue and less size. So I will probably be looking for something like an Asus UX390 when I finally replace my T100. It would be nice to see some competently designed small form factor laptops with something like a 4415y in them.
The Surface go is nice, but makes compromises to be a tablet (and also not cheap by the time you add the type pad and configure with 8/128GB).
The 11.6" market seems to have mostly evaporated, or is only cheap chrome books. But a thin and light 11.6" with a 4415y in it, 8GB of RAM, 128 or 256GB SSD and either 180 degree hinge or just standard hinge would be awesome.
But since no one seems to make that, I'll probably end up with one of the smaller 13.3" laptops in the end as I find I use my 2-in-1 tablet as a laptop 95% of the time and the occasional time I use it as only a tablet, I don't really NEED to use it as a tablet, it is just a bit more convenient.
You are echoing my experience a lot. I've had a 11.6" 2-in-1 which was fine, but it was a jack of all trades and master of none device. I've then switched to a 14" laptop which was great as a laptop. Portable but large enough for my kind of work and entertainment. Since my phone has gotten larger, I've needed a tablet like device less and less. I've had a 10" chinese tablet (used a bit at home and on holidays), a 7" Nexus 2nd gen (used a lot on the road, but mostly entertainment) and an 8" Asus Note (used for a bit of everything). But most of the time I want a somewhat large screen and after 8" (which is barely portable in my trousers/jackets) it doesn't matter if it's 10" or 14", I need a backpack. I've come to the conclusion that a 13-14" tablet-laptop would be ideal for me, together with a 5.5"+ phone. Maybe the Asus Note 8 can play a role in there somewhere. But for right now, the refurbished T904 seems like a great fit for me.
We’ve updated our terms. By continuing to use the site and/or by logging into your account, you agree to the Site’s updated Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
17 Comments
Back to Article
ikjadoon - Thursday, September 13, 2018 - link
Good things: standard 3-year warranty / fingerprint reader / spill-resistant keyboard / MIL-STD-810GBad things: 16:9 display in a productivity-focused detachable.
3:2 would've been perfect swipe at Lenovo et al for pushing tablet-capable devices with 16:9 screens. The stock image used....just perfectly illustrates the issue:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180829005...
Now imagine it undocked and holding that tall tablet. Alas, maybe next year.
pjcamp - Thursday, September 13, 2018 - link
Kickstands are idiotic for precisely the reason you give -- they assume you're never anywhere except a nice large table.Death666Angel - Thursday, September 13, 2018 - link
Articles like this could really use a video to further illustrate the system. :)I like this sort of thing myself. I had a Samsung Ativ Smart PC Pro XE700T1C A02 (nice mouthful) for a while. 11.6" tablet with a keyboard dock that made it rock solid like a clamshell. Pretty good overall, but the tablet portion was fairly weighty and the connection wasn't rock solid, a bit of screen wobble on the train would lead to constant connect/disconnect sounds. A know problem of the series. The keyboard also had no battery, which was a missed opportunity. Fairly solid as a notebook (minus the disconnects), too unwieldy as a tablet.
And just a few days ago I bought a Fujitsu T904, swivel notebook/tablet (used, leased device). That looks pretty good so far. 13.3" screen with QHD resolution, RAM and SSD upgradeable as well as battery through a couple of screws. I think I'll like it a lot more.
The detachable thing makes me think I'm handling a tablet, which makes the weight (900g for the Samsung, 1.6kg with keyboard) much worse. And then there is the clunkiness of having to stow the keyboard somewhere when I'm using it as a tablet and not being able to switch very fast between the input modes. The small-ish size was also a handicap when using it as a laptop. The size of this Toshiba is much better with the weight being in the same ballpark (800g according to golem.de and 1.2kg for the whole system), that's a good accomplishment. I'm still fairly sure I like the T904 model more. 2 seconds and I'm in tablet mode, 2 seconds and I'm back in laptop mode, with a built in variable tablet stand and I won't feel like I'm using a (android) tablet, so the weight will not be as annoying.
Zeratul56 - Thursday, September 13, 2018 - link
Dell actually makes a 2 in 1 where the keyboard dock works like a traditional clam shell but is detachable to a tablet. Their port selection is lacking compared to this and a think pad though. However, if you were looking for an uncompromising, is a tablet and a laptop, experience I would say that is it.The model is the Latitude 7285 2-in-1
Samus - Thursday, September 13, 2018 - link
Typing on one right now. My first Dell in years and I don't regret it one bit.SaolDan - Friday, September 14, 2018 - link
I dont think that latitude's keyboard is hinged. I think its a one position keyboard. Not sureSaolDan - Friday, September 14, 2018 - link
nevermind. i had to look at youtube videos but yes it does hinge.qlum - Thursday, September 13, 2018 - link
This stand can be a real nightmare if you use it on a non solid surface such as your lap or in bed. Sure there is tablet mode but holding a device like this for longer periods of time is not ideal.PeachNCream - Thursday, September 13, 2018 - link
This is why you should hire a guy to hold it for you. ^.^ The same guy can fan you with a giant, novelty feather or palm frond and feed grapes to you one at a time as well. Though, don't count on said guy doing all three of those things at once. From what I hear, most guys only ship with two limbs that have opposable thumbs.Rincon - Thursday, September 13, 2018 - link
Looks interesting. No meaningful 2 in 1 upgrade has been released since Surface Pro 4, sadly.I had hopes for the HP Elite x2 1013 but it was released 3 months past their estimate and I haven't seen a single review yet.
Is Anandtech planning on reviewing that one?
wr3zzz - Thursday, September 13, 2018 - link
The Ethernet port would have cinch it for me if not for the fan. I wonder why Toshiba chose to use the U-series instead of the new Amber Lake Y-series.digiguy - Friday, September 14, 2018 - link
Agreed, after the bad experience with the fan noise of the (otherwise excellent) notebook 9, starting to scream after 6 moths and getting progressively worse (without any trace of dust in the fan), I now don't trust ANY pc with a fan. I want fanless or nothing (I do business work on it, no video editing or gaming).Death666Angel - Friday, September 14, 2018 - link
I've had fans in my PCs since my first PC (circa 2001). Not one fan has become troublesome. But sure, stay away from those types of PCs. "Business work". Sure.digiguy - Saturday, September 15, 2018 - link
I have had fans in my pc since 1992... and at that time who cared, that was the norm... and hard drive were even noisier... But when you work with a fanless device it's hard to go back to even a low noise. It's like resolution, 640x480 was fine, nobody complaied. Today, anything under 1080p feels bad... And yes business work, you don't need a quad core for that. A core M with an ssd can be more than enough for that...wr3zzz - Wednesday, September 26, 2018 - link
What is your point? I started building PC for myself and friends/family since 1986 and my first company issued laptop weights nearly 5kg and has a VGA monochrome screen. You obviously have never been to serious business meetings where millions are at stake with notebook's fan squeaking on and off.azazel1024 - Friday, September 14, 2018 - link
I think that should be "most" for 2-in-1. Many 2-in-1 do not require a kick stand. My T100HA does not. That said, I've finally decided that weight is my primary issue and less size. So I will probably be looking for something like an Asus UX390 when I finally replace my T100. It would be nice to see some competently designed small form factor laptops with something like a 4415y in them.The Surface go is nice, but makes compromises to be a tablet (and also not cheap by the time you add the type pad and configure with 8/128GB).
The 11.6" market seems to have mostly evaporated, or is only cheap chrome books. But a thin and light 11.6" with a 4415y in it, 8GB of RAM, 128 or 256GB SSD and either 180 degree hinge or just standard hinge would be awesome.
But since no one seems to make that, I'll probably end up with one of the smaller 13.3" laptops in the end as I find I use my 2-in-1 tablet as a laptop 95% of the time and the occasional time I use it as only a tablet, I don't really NEED to use it as a tablet, it is just a bit more convenient.
Death666Angel - Friday, September 14, 2018 - link
You are echoing my experience a lot. I've had a 11.6" 2-in-1 which was fine, but it was a jack of all trades and master of none device. I've then switched to a 14" laptop which was great as a laptop. Portable but large enough for my kind of work and entertainment. Since my phone has gotten larger, I've needed a tablet like device less and less. I've had a 10" chinese tablet (used a bit at home and on holidays), a 7" Nexus 2nd gen (used a lot on the road, but mostly entertainment) and an 8" Asus Note (used for a bit of everything). But most of the time I want a somewhat large screen and after 8" (which is barely portable in my trousers/jackets) it doesn't matter if it's 10" or 14", I need a backpack. I've come to the conclusion that a 13-14" tablet-laptop would be ideal for me, together with a 5.5"+ phone. Maybe the Asus Note 8 can play a role in there somewhere. But for right now, the refurbished T904 seems like a great fit for me.