slates

Can you spot the Apple laptop?

The designers at Samsung and HP sure love Apple's laptop design philosophy, but the duo may want to take a step back next generation and innovate a little bit. CNET found several new computers from these companies that look just like an Apple MacBook Air. Can you tell which one is the real Apple product in the picture above?

Our more discerning readers might easily spot the differences between each of these devices, but Crave decided to make it a little more challenging by shrinking the pictures down a bit. Readers who participated in our guessing game on Facebook had a pretty easy time spotting the real Apple, but the pictures were also much larger. … Read more

Windows 8 hybrid-tablet mania

Thursday's tech news roundup calls for a deluge of tablet-PC hybrids:

Everyone is talking about tablet hybrids at this year's IFA electronics trade show in Berlin. Every major laptop maker is getting in the game, all because of the October 26 release of Windows 8. Some choose to have the screen swivel or fold to be held like a tablet, such as the Dell XPS Duo 12 and the Asus Taichi. But most hardware makers are also offering tablets with full keyboards that snap on, like HP's Envy x2 tablet and Samsung's Series 5 and 7 Slates (… Read more

The 404 1,111: Where we don't make a deal (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- This is the burger that ended Ariel's six-year vegetarian streak

- Groupon turns a profit, but sales fall short

- Groupon salespeople disgruntled, ready to jump ship, report says

- Groupon shares down 22 percent, despite increased sales, profit

- Facedeals lets you check in for coupons with your face

- Chinese Iron Man spends eight years building himself bionic hands after DIY accident

Bathroom break video: The Red Bull F1 running showcar plays the Star-Spangled Banner.

Asus Eee Slate B121

The Asus Eee Slate B121 12.1-inch tablet runs Windows 7 and is currently available for as low as $1,200 on Newegg. The tablet houses a 1.33GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage.

The tablet is more of a tablet/laptop hybrid than a pure tablet like the iPad or Nexus 7.

Microsoft Surface shows Apple could be wrong

In one sense, Microsoft has succeeded already, by demonstrating that there is a third paradigm: a transformable tablet.

That alone strikes me as a very intentional rebuttal of the Apple argument that a laptop and tablet is a "forced" convergence. (Tim Cook).

And Steve Jobs knocked the idea before that, saying it was "ergonomically terrible" and "we've done tons of user testing on this, and it turns out it doesn't work."

Well, Microsoft showed us Monday that it could work. That's all I (and consumers) need to see. (I had been … Read more

Microsoft Surface tablet, iPad spec check

Microsoft did not skimp on specs for its new tablets.

More than any single feature, the 3mm-thick Touch Cover (see photos below) stands out. Using pressure-sensitive technology, Touch Cover senses keystrokes as gestures, allowing faster touch typing than is possible with on-screen keyboards, Microsoft claims.

The Touch Cover attaches to the tablet with a built-in magnetic connector, "forming a natural spine like you find on a book, and works as a protective cover," Microsoft said.

There is also an option for a slightly thicker 5 mm Type Cover that adds moving keys for a more traditional typing experience. … Read more

Could this be HP's Windows 8 business slate?

If this is a real image of a real mock-up of a real Hewlett-Packard Windows 8 tablet, business users might see an impressively thin, multitouch device with between 8 to 10 hours of battery life before the year is out.

Yes, there are lots of ifs attached to the image of the "HP Slate 8," which first appeared on Neowin.net earlier this week. After a bit of investigation, I am inclined to believe this is a real mock-up and is part of HP's lineup of business desktops and laptops it will be touting this year. (I … Read more

Microsoft store coming to an Apple Store near you?

Are we seeing a trend of Microsoft setting up shop next to Apple Stores?

If so, it's not a bad trend. Even a necessary one to check the Apple consumer Juggernaut.

At the Westfield Century City mall in Los Angeles, the Apple and Microsoft stores are close enough that when you leave one you'll almost immediately see the other.

That's helpful for consumers interested in exploring both rival camps. The Apple Store is a known quantity. The Microsoft Store isn't, for many people. That's too bad, because a Microsoft store offers a much better snapshot … Read more

Super slates: Tablets with a little something extra

When you're up against the Apple iPad, you need more than just a cool name and a low price. You need a hook. You need a feature that no one else has--not even Apple.

Whether it's the waterproof design of the Pantech Element, the stereoscopic camera on the back of the T-Mobile G-Slate (shown right), or the remote control IR blaster integrated into the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, tablet makers have really shown remarkable inventiveness when it comes to giving their slates a little something extra.

To honor these creative efforts, we've rounded up our … Read more

CNET Labscast 7: Meet the Nook Tablet; Samsung's new laptops; the video game subtitle debate

In the CNET Labscast this week, Scott reports back from the Nook Tablet launch event; we check out Samsung's new Series 7 laptops and slates; and the great debate on video game subtitles gets a little heated.

Note that CNET Gotham, our NYC-based pop-up store, opens this week, and you can catch all of us there at various times. Check gotham.cnet.com for a schedule of events.