convertible laptops

 Got your eyes on a Surface Pro 4, but still have a summer vacation to pay for? With the Best Buy exclusive Acer Aspire Switch Alpha 12, you can have it both ways. It’s a budget-friendly prosumer 2-in-1, offering the full Windows 10 convertible laptop experience without breaking the bank.

Sony’s Vaio series of PC laptops has always won points for style and design and the company has become a leader in producing Windows 8 hybrid machines —portables that combine Windows 8 PC and tablet capabilities. I’ve spent the past week trying out Sony’s latest take on the hybrid form factor. After putting it through its paces, I can assure you that the Vaio Fit 15A is one of the most useful variations yet on the tablet/notebook convertible hybrid, a real looker (especially in the black finish of the test unit) and an able performer. It’s held back a little by a few details —a loud and persistent fan, so-so keyboard, and not so stellar battery life among them— but offers a solid portable computer experience, along with tablet capability, in a single package that just happens to look pretty smashing.  

When it comes to cars, a convertible is one with a roof that protects occupants from the weather while offering a top-free ride in the summer sunshine. When it comes to PCs, convertible laptops mean something a little different. These are PCs that combine the best of two different experiences —the laptop and the tablet— in a single device. And like a convertible (the car), a convertible laptop accomplishes this trick through some clever hardware design. Convertible laptops aren’t for everyone, but if you’re a fan of mobile computing and you’d love to have a tablet along for the ride without the extra weight (and expense); or if you wish your tablet had a keyboard and trackpad, a convertible laptop may be the ideal device for you.  

 The concept of a laptop has shifted in the last five years to include a greater variety of models and form factors that can alter or expand usability. The Asus ZenBook UX360 is a hybrid PC that can act as a tablet when fully flipped over a full 360-degrees. How it does that isn’t new, but the combination of design, performance and affordability might be just the right mix to be appealing to anyone looking for something like this.