boggling speed that sometimes you really need to pinch yourself to believe not in the wish but the reality is indeed in your hands.
Smart PC
It can be tablet, it can be a laptop, it can be a PC. Imagine if a device could have the convenience of a tablet, the portability of a laptop and the computing power of a PC. Samsung’s ATIV Smart PC and ATIV Smart PC Pro promise exactly that. ATIV can easily transform from a traditional clamshell notebook PC to a tablet PC device with just the click of a button, maximizing both productivity and mobility. Designed for Windows 8.
The First Look
According to Samsung “Combining revolutionary design, the power of a notebook PC and the convenience of a tablet PC, the 11.6-inch Samsung ATIV Smart PC and ATIV Smart
PC Pro are Samsung’s next set of smart devices. These provide computing power with Windows 8 functionality as well as full Windows 7 compatibility. Each device features a detachable keyboard-docking system that allows users to easily switch between a clamshell notebook PC and a tablet PC form factor. These devices allow for great mobility with maximum productivity.”
An advanced 10-finger multi-touch screen provides a technological leap in interactivity, surpassing the traditional two-finger touch features. Its enhanced sensitivity allows users to pinch-to-zoom, rotate images and scroll through pages with ease to enjoy the full capabilities of the latest entertainment applications.
Both the ATIV models also have a S Pen, for delivering real writing and drawing experiences. AT 1024 level pressure sensitivity the pen is great
There are also USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 slots alongwith mHDMI and miniSD. The battery life is 13.5 hours for ATIV and for ATIV its 8 hours.
The chassis is sleek and cool. Powered by Intel Core i5 processor the technology is updated and state of art. Display is 11.6 full HD.
Some of the other features are a 10 point touch screen, through which users can easily stay connected and productive from everywhere.
Pros and Cons
Samsung ATIV Pro is a machine that many may have wished for. Sleek, slim and technology upto date. The pricing for ATIV Smart PC Pro is Rs. 75,490/ , the ATIV Smart PC is priced at Rs. 53,990/-. A cheaper pricing may have worked better.
Storage at 128 GB is good for a tablet but when you market a product as a tablet plus a laptop plus a PC, then 128 GB leaves more to be desired.Weighing at 0.88 makes it an easy option to carry around.
In terms of Samsung warranty and service, well that’s a story best divided between the satisfied and dissatisfied customers.
The Last Word
One the cheapest tablets in India with a keyboard and mouse from Zync is priced at Rs. 3666/- with a one year “pickup from your premises” warranty. There are tens of such players in the market now. A high definition tablet is priced around Rs. 6000 in one of the ecommerce sites. They may not be a match for Samsung ATIV but for a price sensitive market like India where the demarcation between laptop consumers, PC consumers and tablet consumers is determined by more by affordability than choice, Samsung ATIV starting at Rs. 53,999 to Rs. 75,490 may just have some interesting competition from the Chinese tablets branded in India. Overall the machine is desirable and especially useful for those on the run.
Puneet Mehrotra is a business and technology columnist TheBusinessEdition.com