 "Netbook with a tablet built in")
When the Microsoft Surface was launched, some of my friends claimed it was the end of the road for the iPad. As someone who had just bought an iPad, I was devastated. What they said made sense: A tablet is meant for consumption whereas a Windows PC is made for production (for want of a better word!). In the first few days with my iPad, I wasn't comfortable typing on a touch keyboard, preferring my notebook/desktop for serious stuff.
Cut to now: The Surface has all but been discontinued; it never officially made it to India (and I bought a folio keyboard for my iPad); and all players are aggressively pushing for the next big thing - 2-in-1s.
When iBall approached me to review their Windows tablet (with a detachable keyboard) called the Slide WQ149, I jumped at the chance. Could it be the end of my long wait? Would this finally be the one device I would need to carry? Turns out, it was a mixed bag.
Dock the Slide into the keyboard and you have a netbook purring away. The keyboard is as big as those of similar-sized netbooks, while the back flap smartly folds in to act as a stand for the tablet. The cover seems solid and should be able to take a few knocks. The trackpad isn't the smoothest we've come across, but gets the job done.
There just exists some bit of confusion on while the tablet is docked. One can use both the on-screen keyboard as well as the docked one for input. An intermittent lag while using the docked keyboard adds to the confusion. It'll be nice if at one glance one can understand when the docked keyboard is functional, such as an LED.
It takes a little getting used to but once we could segregate what we wanted to do with the touchscreen and the keyboard, working on Windows 8.1 became much easier.
The tablet comes with 32GB of memory on board, which can be expanded via microSD, with support for 64GB cards. One can also slip in a 3G SIM card and get connected. No voice calls are allowed, though.
Powered by an Intel Atom processor at 1.33GHz (1.83GHz max) and 2GB of RAM, this device won't set any performance records. But it'll be there for critical stuff such as Office applications (did I mention, one year of Office 365 plus 1TB of storage for a year on OneDrive are gratis), email and browsing.
The five-megapixel (MP) camera at the back (with LED flash) is good for indoor shots in well-lit conditions. The 2MP front snapper is good for video chats. With mixed use, the battery lasts for more than five hours, but it takes overnight to charge.
At Rs 21,999, the WQ149 feels like a netbook that can sometimes be used as a tablet. Will I buy it over a Rs 15,000 netbook I was considering? The answer is, probably, yes.
Resolution: 1280x800 pixels
Internal storage: 32GB
Price: Rs 21,999
Cut to now: The Surface has all but been discontinued; it never officially made it to India (and I bought a folio keyboard for my iPad); and all players are aggressively pushing for the next big thing - 2-in-1s.
When iBall approached me to review their Windows tablet (with a detachable keyboard) called the Slide WQ149, I jumped at the chance. Could it be the end of my long wait? Would this finally be the one device I would need to carry? Turns out, it was a mixed bag.
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I'm not a big fan of Windows tablets, especially the seven-inch ones. It is very difficult to make out what is written and select the apps on such a tiny screen. On that count, the Slide scores: It comes in at 10.1 inches. But at around 700g, its heavy for a tablet. The screen though, is quite nice and doesn't lose clarity outdoors.
Dock the Slide into the keyboard and you have a netbook purring away. The keyboard is as big as those of similar-sized netbooks, while the back flap smartly folds in to act as a stand for the tablet. The cover seems solid and should be able to take a few knocks. The trackpad isn't the smoothest we've come across, but gets the job done.
There just exists some bit of confusion on while the tablet is docked. One can use both the on-screen keyboard as well as the docked one for input. An intermittent lag while using the docked keyboard adds to the confusion. It'll be nice if at one glance one can understand when the docked keyboard is functional, such as an LED.
It takes a little getting used to but once we could segregate what we wanted to do with the touchscreen and the keyboard, working on Windows 8.1 became much easier.
The tablet comes with 32GB of memory on board, which can be expanded via microSD, with support for 64GB cards. One can also slip in a 3G SIM card and get connected. No voice calls are allowed, though.
Powered by an Intel Atom processor at 1.33GHz (1.83GHz max) and 2GB of RAM, this device won't set any performance records. But it'll be there for critical stuff such as Office applications (did I mention, one year of Office 365 plus 1TB of storage for a year on OneDrive are gratis), email and browsing.
The five-megapixel (MP) camera at the back (with LED flash) is good for indoor shots in well-lit conditions. The 2MP front snapper is good for video chats. With mixed use, the battery lasts for more than five hours, but it takes overnight to charge.
At Rs 21,999, the WQ149 feels like a netbook that can sometimes be used as a tablet. Will I buy it over a Rs 15,000 netbook I was considering? The answer is, probably, yes.
| IBALL SLIDE WQ149 |
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