14 DAY TRIAL // There really isn't too much of a difference between the terms “convertible tablet” and “convertible notebook,” and this shows in how the newest device launched by LG easily qualifies as both.
Granted, the transformation mechanism is quite different from the one almost exclusively used until a year or so ago, but still, the Tab-Book is aptly named.
To elaborate, convertible tablets/notebooks are usually laptops with a special hinge that can rotate and allow the display half to lay flat over the keyboard.
There are two new ways of making a laptop convertible now: a hinge that lets the screen fold all the way to the bottom side, and the lack of hinges.
What we mean by the latter is that, as is the case with LG's new Tab-Book, the display part of the device is affixed to the keyboard half with rails on which the panel can slide back and forth.
That said, the 11.6-inch, Core i5-powered tablet-laptop uses an Intel Core i5 as the so-called heart, while LPDDR2 memory backs it up.
Solid-state storage is used, along with 802.11 Wi-Fi, USB and HDMI ports, plus various other I/O connectors and a microSD card slot. LG did not provide specific capacities, sadly.
It did say that the display had a resolution of 1,366 x 768 pixels though, and that the auto-sliding buttons allow for easy change from tablet to notebook form factors. There is also 4G/LTE broadband support.
“The Tab-Book is going to appeal to consumers who want the convenience of a tablet but also the productivity of a notebook and do not want to carry two devices all the time,” said Il-geun Kwon, senior vice president and head of the LG Home Entertainment company’s IT business unit.
“Many other products that claim to do both require making too many sacrifices in performance and weight. We think we have hit the perfect balance here and with super-fast 4G/LTE connectivity, we are delivering true convergence of computing and mobile devices.”
LG will start shipping the 4G/LTE Tab-Book in South Korea in a week or so, which is also when the price and remaining specs will be shared. Other countries will get it later.