Android and Windows 8.1 play nice on ASUS’ Transformer Book Duet TD300 convertible
There were lots of great products unveiled Monday at CES 2014, but ASUS announced a real game-changer with the world’s first quad-core, dual operating system tablet/notebook convertible, the Transformer Book Duet TD300.
What makes this device so interesting is that it can be either an Android tablet or laptop, or a Windows tablet or laptop, so you essentially get four devices in one.
Now you may remember a discontinued device that came out a few years ago that also ran both Android and Windows 7, the Viewsonic ViewPad 10, but this device is different. With that tablet, you had to restart the device to get to your desired OS. On the Transformer Book Duet, all you have to do is press a button and you can instantly change to the other OS. It also saves your state, so if you want to switch back, you can pick up right where you left off.
ASUS’ new device starts at $599 and packs Windows 8.1 Standard, Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, a 13.3-inch 1366 x 768 display and an Intel Core i3 processor, but you can get an upgraded version for $100 more with a 1080p display and an Intel Core i7 processor.
Other specs include 4GB DDR3L 1600 RAM, up to 128 GB SSD in tablet and up to 1 TB HDD in dock, 38WHr battery that has an estimated battery life around 5 hours in Windows 8.1 and 6 hours in Android 4.2.2, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 + EDR, MicroSD card slot, headphone jack, DC jack and the keyboard dock includes a USB 3.0 port, two USB 2.0 ports, 10/100Mbit/s LAN, HDMI 1.4, audio combo jack and DC jack.
An update to Android 4.4 KitKat would make this device an even better deal, but hopefully it sees an update to at least Android 4.3. If ASUS’ newest monster of a device has you excited, look for it in Europe and Asia this quarter and in the U.S. in Q2.
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Samsung continues the announcements with the Galaxy NotePRO and the TabPRO series
Today Samsung announced their Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO series tablets, which are aimed at the professionals of this world.
The NotePRO comes only in one size, 12.2 inches, whereas the TabPRO comes in three sizes, 12.2, 10.1, and 8.4 inches. Samsung states, “The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO present the world’s first 12.2-inch WQXGA Widescreen (16:10) display, offering crystal clear resolution (2560×1600) with more than 4 million pixels, making it an ideal platform for every type of content creation and consumption. “ Both tablets also offer an app called “Remote PC”, which allows you to “seamlessly edit and save files remotely.” The tablets also boast Cisco WebEx Meetings platform pre-loaded, the industry’s leading web conferencing solution that provides users with an easy way to meet with anyone, anywhere. And now for the first time on Android tablets, users can share anything on their screen as well as starting a WebEx meeting from contact list. Samsung e-Meeting provides collaboration capabilities by giving users the ability to share content during a meeting without having to access a central server or network.
To help the professional start out with their new tablet, this is what Samsung is giving you:
For additional value and productivity right out of the box, the Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO (12.2) will feature up to approximately $700 worth of the premium pre-paid, long-term subscription offers from best-selling news, social media and cloud storage providers, including: Bitcasa, Bloomberg Businessweek+, Blurb, Cisco WebEx Meetings, Dropbox, Easilydo Pro for Tablet, Evernote, Hancom Office for Android, LinkedIn, LIVESPORT.TV, NY Times, Oxford Advanced Learner’s A-Z, and Sketchbook Pro (content packages may vary by region).
The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO line will come in a few flavors: WiFi Only, WiFi and 3G, or WiFi and LTE. You can choose between the 12.2-inch Galaxy NotePRO that comes with an included S Pen, and the 12.2-inch Galaxy TabPRO, Galaxy TabPRO 10.1-inch and 8.4-inch without the S Pen. And you can expect these tablets in Q1 of 2014.
So, what do you think about the new Galaxy NotePRO and the TabPRO? I kinda like the idea of what they are, what about you? Let us know in the comments!
See below for the full press release.
Las Vegas, NV – January 6, 2014 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today unveiled the Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO line of tablets, setting a new standard of mobile excellence, equipped with innovative and meaningful technology. Sporting four powerful devices in the lineup – the Galaxy NotePRO (12.2-inch), TabPRO (12.2, 10.1, 8.4-inch), Samsung’s Galaxy tablet portfolio redefines what a tablet can do.
“We created the Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO series to kick-off a year in which Samsung truly establishes its leadership in the tablet market,” said JK Shin, CEO and President of IT & Mobile Division, Samsung Electronics. “This new line offers the best-in-class content consumption and productivity, combining a stunning viewing experience with Samsung’s design legacy. The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO truly demonstrate our commitment to providing our customers with extraordinarily versatile product offerings, tailored to tablet users of every description.”
Providing users with an extraordinary display and a matching feature set, the Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO series bring premium style and powerful performance in a single device. Created to satisfy every possible type of user case scenario, the Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO combine a crystal-clear, WQXGA display for a world-class viewing experience, powerful productivity tools, and unique features with preloaded and free downloadable content, producing a superior mobile solution.
Introducing Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO (12.2) – the Definitive Tablet Viewing Experience
The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO present the world’s first 12.2-inch WQXGA Widescreen (16:10) display, offering crystal clear resolution (2560×1600) with more than 4 million pixels, making it an ideal platform for every type of content creation and consumption. With a larger viewing area, the defined screen allows users to enjoy stunning Full HD video play and view even more information at a glance. In addition to the industry-leading display, the devices have been designed with a sleek, light, slim frame that is both premium and highly portable.
A personalized Magazine UX, specifically optimized for a large screen, allows users to further tailor their Galaxy tablet experience for their own needs. The UX enables them to organize their favorite content in an easy-to-use dashboard with automatic feed or news updates and then quickly access the most frequently used apps for a more comfortable reading experience. By utilizing a screen size that is more comparable to traditional magazine-sized material, content is easier to view in its original format when reading digital magazines or e-books.
Powerful Partner for Productivity
The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO (12.2) come equipped with a variety of productivity tools to help users to manage both their personal and professional lives.
Multi Window enables users to split the screen up into four different windows and an innovative, Virtual Keyboard provides them with enough space to type comfortably, leveraging haptic feedback to produce a more realistic typing experience.
The Samsung S Pen included with the Galaxy NotePRO delivers a more responsive, productive and overall efficient tablet experience with access to features such as Action Memo, Scrapbook, Screen Write and S Finder. In addition, Pen Window enables users to simply draw a window of any size on the screen, and instantly access unique in-application features such as YouTube or a calculator.
Users can easily access and control their home or office PC directly through their Galaxy NotePRO or TabPRO with Remote PC in order to seamlessly edit and save files remotely.
The Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO also come pre-loaded with Cisco WebEx Meetings platform, the industry’s leading web conferencing solution that provides users with an easy way to meet with anyone, anywhere. And now for the first time on Android tablets, users can share anything on their screen as well as starting a WebEx meeting from contact list. Samsung e-Meeting provides collaboration capabilities by giving users the ability to share content during a meeting without having to access a central server or network.
Ultimate User Content Gift Package*
For additional value and productivity right out of the box, the Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO (12.2) will feature up to approximately $700 worth of the premium pre-paid, long-term subscription offers from best-selling news, social media and cloud storage providers, including: Bitcasa, Bloomberg Businessweek+, Blurb, Cisco WebEx Meetings, Dropbox, Easilydo Pro for Tablet, Evernote, Hancom Office for Android, LinkedIn, LIVESPORT.TV, NY Times, Oxford Advanced Learner’s A-Z, and Sketchbook Pro (content packages may vary by region).
The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO line will come in various connectivity options: WiFi Only, WiFi and 3G, or WiFi and LTE. Users can choose between the 12.2-inch Galaxy NotePRO that comes with an included S Pen, and the 12.2-inch Galaxy TabPRO, Galaxy TabPRO 10.1-inch and 8.4-inch without the S Pen.
Designed to extend productivity even further, the following optional accessories are also available for purchase with the Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO: Various Book Covers, USB LAN HUB, Universal BT Keyboard and S Action Mouse (accessories may vary by product model).
The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO tablet line will be offered globally and will be available starting from Q1, 2014.
For more product information, please visit www.samsungmobilepress.com / m.samsungmobilepress.com
The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO will be on display at the Samsung booth #12004 at CES 2014, January 7th through 10th, 2014.
Galaxy NotePRO (12.2-inch) Product Specifications
Category
Specifications
Network
LTE : 800/900/1800/2600+850/2100 3G : HSPA+ 21 850/900/1900/2100
Processor
WiFi and 3G: Exynos 5 Octa (1.9 GHz QuadCore + 1.3 GHz Quadcore)
LTE : Snapdragon 800 2.3GHz Quad* The selection of AP will be different by markets
Display
12.2-inch WQXGA (2560 X 1600) Super clear LCD OS
Android 4.4 (KitKat) Camera / Flash
– Main(Rear): 8 Megapixel, Auto Focus Camera with LED Flash,
Zero Shutter lag- Sub(Front): 2 MegapixelVideo
– Codec: H.264, MPEG-4, H.263, VC-1, WMV7, WMV8, Sorenson Spark, MP43,
VP8, HEVC- 1080p Full HD video @ 60fpsAudio
– Codec: MP3, AAC/AAC＋/eAAC＋, WMA, FLAC, AMR-NB/WB, Vorbis(OGG), WAV – 3.5mm Ear Jack, Stereo Speaker
S Pen
Optimized
Features
S Pen Experience – S Note(Easy Chart), S Planner
– Air Command: Action Memo, Scrapbook, Screen Write, S Finder, Pen Window
– Direct Pen Input
Content Services / Applications
Samsung Hub – Video, Music
– Books / Games / Learning (Stub)
Samsung Apps / Kies Samsung TouchWiz / Magazine UX Samsung KNOX (stub), Samsung e-Meeting, Side Sync 3.0 (stub) Bloomberg Businessweek+, Dropbox, Evernote, NY Times Remote PC, Sketchbook Pro (stub), WebEx Meetings Free Downloadable apps
Samsung ChatON, Hancom Office for Android, Link, Group Play Bitcasa, Blurb, Easilydo Pro, LIVESPORT.TV, LinkedIn, Oxford Advanced Learner’s A-Z Google Mobile Services
Chrome, Search, Gmail, Google+, Maps, Play Books Play Movies, Play Music, Play Store, Hangouts
Voice Search, YouTube, Google Settings, Play Games, Photos, Drive, Play Newsstand
Connectivity
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac MIMO (2.4 & 5 GHz), Wi-Fi Direct, AllShareCast, BT4.0,
USB3.0GPS
GPS + GLONASS Sensor
Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Geo-magnetic, RGB Memory
3GB RAM, 32/64GB Internal Memory microSD (Up to 64GB)
Dimension / Weight
295.6 x 204 x 7.95mm 750g (WiFi version), 753g (3G/LTE version)
Battery
9,500mAh IrLED
Yes
Galaxy TabPRO (12.2-inch) Product Specifications
Category
Specifications
Network
LTE : 800/900/1800/2600+850/2100 3G : HSPA+ 21 850/900/1900/2100
Processor
WiFi and 3G: Exynos 5 Octa (1.9 GHz QuadCore + 1.3 GHz Quadcore)
LTE : Snapdragon 800 2.3GHz Quad*The selection of AP will be different by markets
Display
12.2-inch WQXGA (2560 X 1600) Super clear LCD OS
Android 4.4 (KitKat) Camera / Flash
– Main(Rear): 8 Megapixel, Auto Focus Camera with LED Flash,
Zero Shutter lag- Sub(Front): 2 MegapixelVideo
– Codec: H.264, MPEG-4, H.263, VC-1, WMV7, WMV8, Sorenson Spark, MP43,
VP8, HEVC- 1080p Full HD video @ 60fpsAudio
– Codec: MP3, AAC/AAC＋/eAAC＋, WMA, FLAC, AMR-NB/WB, Vorbis(OGG), WAV – 3.5mm Ear Jack, Stereo Speaker
Content Services / Applications
Samsung Hub – Video, Music
– Books / Games / Learning (Stub)
Samsung Apps / Kies Samsung TouchWiz / Magazine UX Samsung KNOX (stub), Samsung e-Meeting, Side Sync 3.0 (stub) Bloomberg Businessweek+, Dropbox, Evernote, NY Times Remote PC, Sketchbook Pro (stub), WebEx Meetings Free Downloadable apps
Samsung ChatON, Hancome Office for Android, Link, Group Play Bitcasa, Blurb, Easilydo Pro, LIVESPORT.TV, LinkedIn, Oxford Advanced Learner’s A-Z Google Mobile Services
Chrome, Search, Gmail, Google+, Maps, Play Books Play Movies, Play Music, Play Store, Hangouts
Voice Search, YouTube, Google Settings, Play Games, Photos, Drive, Play Newsstand
Connectivity
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac MIMO (2.4 & 5 GHz), Wi-Fi Direct, AllShareCast, BT4.0,
USB3.0GPS
GPS + GLONASS Sensor
Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Geo-magnetic, RGB Memory
3GB RAM, 32/64GB Internal Memory microSD (Up to 64GB)
Dimension / Weight
295.6 x 204 x 7.95mm 732g (WiFi version), 740g (LTE version)
Battery
9,500mAh IrLED
Yes
Galaxy TabPRO (10.1-inch) Product Specifications
Category
Specifications
Network
LTE : CAT4 800/850/900/1800/2100/2600
HSPA+ 42.2Mbps 850/900/1900/2100, HSUPA 5.76MbpsProcessor
WiFi: Exynos 5 Octa (1.9 GHz QuadCore + 1.3 GHz Quadcore)
LTE : Snapdragon 800 2.3GHz Quad* The selection of AP will be different by marketsDisplay
10.1-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) Super clear LCD OS
Android 4.4(Kitkat) Camera
– Main(Rear): 8.0 Megapixel Auto Focus Camera with LED Flash
– Sub(Front): 2.0 MegapixelVideo
– Codec: H.264, MPEG-4, H.263, VC-1, WMV7, WMV8, Sorenson Spark, MP43, VP8,
HEVC- 1080p Full HD video @ 60fpsAudio
– MP3, AAC/AAC+/eAAC+, WMA, AMR-NB/WB, FLAC, Vorbis(OGG), WAV
– 3.5mm Ear Jack, Stereo SpeakerContent Services / Applications
Samsung Hub – Video, Music
– Books / Games / Learning (Stub)
Samsung Apps / Kies Samsung TouchWiz / Magazine UX Samsung KNOX (stub), Samsung e-Meeting, Side Sync 3.0 (stub) Dropbox, Remote PC, WebEx Meetings Free Downloadable apps
Samsung ChatON, Link, Group Play Bitcasa, Bloomberg Businessweek+, Blurb, Easilydo Pro, Hancom Office for Android, LIVESPORT.TV, LinkedIn, Oxford Advanced Learner’s A-Z, Sketchbook Pro Google Mobile
Services
Chrome, Search, Gmail, Google+, Maps, Play Books Play Movies, Play Music, Play Store, Hangouts
Voice Search, YouTube, Google Settings, Play Games, Photos, Drive, Play Newsstand
Connectivity
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac CH Bonding, BT v4.0, USB 2.0 GPS
GPS + GLONASS Sensor
Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Geo-magnetic, Light, Hall Memory
2GB RAM, 16/32 GB Internal Memory, microSD (Up to 64GB) Dimension
243.1 X 171.4 X 7.3mm, 469g (WiFi version), 477g (LTE version) Battery
Standard Battery, Li-ion 8,220mAh IrLED
Yes
Galaxy TabPRO (8.4-inch) Product Specifications
Category
Specifications
Network
LTE : LTE CAT4 800/850/900/1800/2100/2600
HSPA+ 42Mbps 850/900/1900/2100, HSUPA 5.76Mbps
3G : HSPA+ 42Mbps 850/900/1900/2100 , HSUPA 5.76MbpsProcessor
Snapdragon 800 2.3 GHz QuadCore
* The selection of AP will be different by marketsDisplay
8.4-inch WQXGA (1600×2560) Super clear LCD OS
Android 4.4(Kitkat) Camera
– Main(Rear): 8.0 Megapixel Auto Focus Camera with LED Flash
– Sub(Front): 2.0 MegapixelVideo
– Codec: H.263, H.264(AVC), MPEG4, VC-1, Sorenson Spark, MP43, WMV7,
WMV8, VP8, HEVC- 1080p Full HD video@60fpsAudio
– MP3, AAC/AAC+/eAAC+, WMA, AMR-NB/WB, FLAC, Vorbis(OGG), WAV
– 3.5mm Ear Jack, Stereo SpeakerContent Services / Applications
Samsung Hub – Video, Music
– Books / Games / Learning (Stub)
Samsung Apps / Kies Samsung TouchWiz / Magazine UX Samsung KNOX (stub), Samsung e-Meeting, Side Sync 3.0 (stub) Dropbox, Remote PC, WebEx Meetings Free Downloadable apps
Samsung ChatON, Hancom Office for Android Link, Group Play Bitcasa, Bloomberg Businessweek+, Blurb, Easilydo Pro, LIVESPORT.TV, LinkedIn, Oxford Advanced Learner’s A-Z, Sketchbook Pro Google Mobile Services
Chrome, Search, Gmail, Google+, Maps, Play Books Play Movies, Play Music, Play Store, Hangouts
Voice Search, YouTube, Google Settings, Play Games, Photos, Drive, Play Newsstand
Connectivity
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/acCH Bonding, BT v4.0, USB 2.0 GPS
GPS + GLONASS Sensor
Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Geo-magnetic, Light, Hall Memory
2GB RAM, 16/32 GB Internal Memory, microSD (Up to 64GB) Dimension
128.5 x 219 x 7.2mm, 331g (WiFi version), 336g (3G/LTE version) Battery
Standard Battery, Li-ion 4,800mAh IrLED
Yes
* The services listed above may not be available in all regions and features may vary by region.
Also, service provider may change the name and/or value of its application at any time.
All functionality, features, services, applications, specifications, and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.
Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO tablets’ offered connectivity and memory options may be varied by product model or available regions
HP Slate7 Extreme now available, newest addition to Tegra Note family
NVIDIA may have just announced its newest mobile processor, but doesn’t mean its current generation is going away anytime soon. Today, about four months late, Hewlett Packard announced its rebranded NVIDIA Tegra Note tablet, the HP Slate7 Extreme is available from its website.
The tablet, based on NVIDIA’s reference platform, features a 7-inch 1280×800 resolution display, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, 1GB DDR3 RAM, 5MP rear-facing camera, 3 MP front-facing camera, micro SD card slot, stereo “front firing” speakers and ”a precision stylus pen.”
Many have said it’s hard to recommend the Tegra Note platform over tablets like Google’s 2013 Nexus 7, which is an ounce lighter, has a higher resolution display, double the RAM and gets the latest Android updates quicker, but if you’re looking for a powerful budget tablet with an excellent stylus for only $199, follow the link below.
via HP
The post HP Slate7 Extreme now available, newest addition to Tegra Note family appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Sony outs its ‘tiniest gadget ever made,’ the Core wearable
Sony has unveiled the Core at its CES press event. This wearable will track your activities, movement and pictures you’ve taken using the LifeLog app, and will even suggest your own personal highlights. What’s more, the tech giant says you can wear the gizmo in a few different ways and it will be available with a slew of colorful accessories — like the SmartBands pictured above. The company’s Kunimasa Suzuki said that Sony is working with various partners for both hardware and software, and apologized for not having much more to share. For that, Suzuki said to keep an eye out at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Here are all of Valve’s Steam Machines from CES 2014, in specs
Remember those Steam Machine partners we heard about? Gabe Newell just took the stage at Vavle’s CES 2014 event and made them official, doling out specs for gaming rigs from Alienware, CyberPower, Gigabyte, iBuyPower, Falcon Northwest, and more. There are thirteen machines in all, varying from $500 to $6000 a piece. Not all of them revealed their full hardware specifications, but skip past the break, and we’ll give you a rundown of what we know.
Alienware — Price TBD
The folks at Dell were kind enough to reveal their machine at Valve’s event, but didn’t happen to clue us in what it contains. What we can see is that the case is a fairly basic black box, flaunting only an Alienware and Steam logos for flare and offering a pair of front-facing USB ports. We can’t guess at what’s inside just yet, but given the company’s tradition of configurable hardware, we’re sure they’ll be multiple options.
Alternate — $1339
This simple cube won’t win any beauty contests, but it has some decent internals. Alternate’s Steam Machine is kitted out with an Intel Core i5 4570, An NVIDIA GTX 760 GPU from Gigabyte, 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage, via a hybrid solid state hard drive.
CyberPowerPC — $499 and up
Looking for something that resembles an original Xbox-era game console? Take a look at Cyber Power’s rig. We already know quite a bit about this unit: It’s packing a 3.9GHz A6 CPU from AMD, a 2GB Radeon R9 270 GPU, up to 8GB of RAM and 500 gigs of internal storage. Not in to AMD internals? No worries, CyberPowerPC is offering an Intel based alternative with a 3.5GHz Core i3 and a GeForce GTX 760 instead, with dozens of other configurations available at a customer’s whim. Oh, and it’s shipping in the second half of the year, too.
Digital Storm “Bolt II” — $2,584
The Bolt II is another Steam Machine that debuted ahead of Valve’s event, though Digital Storm was tight lipped on its specs. Still, Newell’s crew spilled a few beans: the Bolt II will be outfitted with an Intel Core i7 4770K, a GTX 780 Ti graphics processor, up to 16GB of RAM and a traditional one-two HDD / SDD combo: 1 terabyte of storage on the traditional platter disc and 120GB on the speedy solid state drive. Oddly, it has yet again another price, well above the $1,500 we originally heard it was going to go for, but we’ll chalk that up to custom configurations.
Gigabyte “Brix Pro” — Price TBD
This dimuntive box appears to be a little wider than a DVD, but also seems to suffer for its size. Although it’s Intel Core i7-4770R CPU is speedy enough, Valve’s press materials describe it as having integrated graphics — Intel Iris Pro 5200, specifically. Integrated chips have come a long way in recent years, but definitely worth noting. The box also sports 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SATA HDD.
iBuyPower — $499 and up
Like so many Steam Machine builders, iBuyPower is known for offering its customers customizable boxes, which is why the company didn’t specify only one type of processors. The company’s Steam Machine will offer CPUs from both AMD and Intel, and promises a graphics card from AMD — a Radeon R9 270, as we’ve heard. The box also packs in 8GB of RAM and over 500GB of storage. Plus, if you’ve got a thing for consoles, you’ll love it’s case, which looks like an odd mix of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One
Falcon Northwest “Tiki” — $1,799 – $6,000
Falcon Northwest’s Tiki PC isn’t exactly a newcomer, but the Steam Machine version certainly is. It’s a direct replica of the currently available Tiki, albeit with SteamOS and a Steam Controller packed in when it arrives later this year. In terms of specs, there’s a pretty wide range: up to GTX Titan in terms of GPU, 6TB of storage (seriously!), and up to 16GB of RAM. If that weren’t enough, the outside is emblazoned with the…planet on fire imagery seen in so much Steam Machine marketing.
Materiel.net — $1,098
Materiel is aiming at your game consoles with a box packing just a tad more power than what Microsoft and Sony are offering. An Intel Core i5 CPU, an NVIDIA GTX 760 GPU, 8GB of RAM and 1TB of storage round out the box’s specs, and the price is just right — a slight step above the newest game consoles and comparable boutique PCs, with a big enough power upgrade to justify the price.
Next “Spa” — Price TBD
Next’s Steam Machine is just a step above the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, offering an Intel Core i5 CPU, an NVIDIA GT 760 GPU, 8GB of RAM and 1TB storage. There’s no price for Next’s Steam Machine just yet, but it looks like it’ll land just below a grand.
Origin PC “Chronos” — Price TBD
Origin’s taking a configurable approach with its Steam Machine, offering up to an Intel Core i7 CPU, two (!) NVIDIA GTX Titan GPUs, 32GB of RAM and 14TB of storage (with swappable drives). There’s a good reason that price isn’t announced yet — because it’s gonna cost a tremendous amount of money for this Lamborghini PC setup.
Scan “NC10″ — $1,090
Scan’s flat, long Steam Machine is a mix of high end (NVIDIA GTX 765M GPU) and low end (Intel Core i3 CPU), and seems destined for mostly game streaming. 8GB of RAM and 500GB of HDD storage mean you’ll be able to do at least a modicum of gaming right on the NC10, but a powerhouse it ain’t.
Webhallen — $1,499
Webhallen’s version of the Steam Machine is of the higher-end variety, with an Intel Core i7 CPU, an NVIDIA GTX 780 GPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSHD — clearly they’re not kidding around! Of course, that kind of power comes with a hefty price: $1,499. It might be double the power of new game consoles, but more than double the price makes Webhallen’s model a bit of a hard sell.
Zotac — $599
Zotac’s got an especially small little box, with an unnamed Intel Core CPU, an NVIDIA GTX GPU (also TBD), and unknown storage and RAM. What we can see thus far looks to be a box on the level of a new game console, and the price matches up with that intent.
Richard Lai contributed to this report.
Filed under: Gaming
This is Alienware’s Steam Machine
We all saw this coming, right? Alienware is getting in on Steam OS, and what you see above is the first Steam Machine from Dell’s gaming brand. It looks surprisingly measured considering its X51 brethren! Just ahead of CES 2014, Dell showed us the Alienware Steam Machine: It’s set to arrive in the “later half of 2014,” and Dell isn’t talking specs just yet (except to say that it will perform on par with a gaming notebook).
Even then, Dell reps declined to make any specific comparisons with Alienware’s current notebook offerings, so you really won’t know until later if this is an Alienware 14 or 18 equivalent. As for the price, it will be “highly competitive to the next generation of consoles,” according to Marc Diana with Alienware business development. So, between $400 and $500, then? Dell is hoping it can sell more Steam Machines than all the other guys, even if this is something of an experimental category. “We feel we are uniquely positioned in that we can serve a lot of customers from the start,” Diana told us.
As seen above, Dell’s aiming for its Steam Machine to be exceptionally compact. “It’s dramatically smaller than about everything else in the lineup,” said Valve designer Greg Coomer, noting that there will be at least one machine that’s smaller, but it will be far less powerful. Given that we don’t know the specs, we’d take any comments about performance with a grain of salt. That said, anyone with two eyes can see that this is indeed a compact little box, especially compared to the PS4 or Xbox One. As for the rest of the design, Dell is already talking up the cooling system, which sucks in cold air through channels on the back, and is said to run quietly. Unfortunately, we can’t vouch for that last piece, as we haven’t yet seen a working prototype in action.
Elsewhere on the device, you’ll find two USB ports up front, but that’s of course subject to change as the unit on display today is hardly final. Also, given that this is an Alienware machine we’re talking about, there will naturally be some colorful LED lights. The setup is (thankfully) quite modest as far as Dell goes: Right now, only the Alienware and Steam logos are expected to light up. Alienware’s rationale? The Steam Machine will likely reside in your living room — a spot where you’d probably rather it blend in than call too much attention to itself.
We’ll get our hands on Dell’s Steam Machine very soon. For now, enjoy the hands-on photos — just remember that’s a wooden mock-up you’re looking at. So, not the real deal, but close enough to give you an idea of what this thing will look like when it finally ships.
Let’s take a very close look at iBuyPower’s $500 Steam Machine
You’ve already seen iBuyPower’s pretty little white Steam Machine ahead of CES 2014, but now we’ve got one of our own and have taken far too many photos of it for you to ogle. Inside and out!
The pretty little Steam Machine, dubbed “SBX,” is iBuyPower’s direct challenge to Microsoft and Sony’s new game consoles: $500 gets you the box, a Steam Controller, an HDMI cable, and all the power therein. The prototype we saw packs a quad-core Athlon X4 740 CPU (“with some voltage and speed tweaks”), 4GB RAM, a 500GB HDD, and a Radeon R7 250 GPU (1GB GDDR5) power SteamOS — no dual-booting here! iBuyPower’s hoping for a Radeon R7 260X (“or equivalent”) GPU when the SBX ships later this year, but we’re told most of the other specs won’t change.
iBuyPower’s Tuan Nguyen sees it as his company’s first console, rather than a highly modified PC. It’s easy to see his perspective after spending some time with a prototype here at CES. Of the various Steam Machines announced this evening during Valve’s press event, SBX is a middle of the road entry in terms of both price and specs. It’ll run today’s prettiest games on Steam without an issue, but not all of them turned all the way up. Two color variations of the box are planned for when SBX goes on sale later this year (“around June or July” we’re told): glossy white and matte black. And that color bar dividing SBX in two? An iOS and Android app named LEDControl enables a wide variety of color choices on the fly (no light at all is also an option).
iBuyPower kindly left us with one of its prototype boxes and we’ll be testing it throughout the week (sadly, without a beta Steam Controller), so keep an eye out for more on this particular Steam Machine as CES 2014 rattles on.
Filed under: HD
Origin PC’s Chronos Steam Machine dual boots Windows and Steam OS, comes in standard and SLI-Editions
Want to get the most out of your living room PC gaming experience? Origin PC wants to help. Today the company announced its official Steam Machine, dubbed Origin Chronos, in two distinct flavors: standard and SLI-edition. As the name implies, the two boxes are separated by GPU support, the latter being capable of running up to two NVIDIA GeForce GTX Titans under the hood. Each machine can be outfitted with up to six or 14 terabytes of storage space, respectively, and can be professionally overclocked by Origin PC’s in-house team of system builders.
As an official Steam Machine, the Chronos naturally runs Valve’s Steam OS and supports the company’s quirky controller, but gamers unwilling to go all-in on Steam’s Linux support can dual-boot their rigs to Windows 7 or Windows 8, too. Origin hasn’t specified how much each unit will cost, but considering both are customizable, we imagine the Chronos will range from relatively affordable to ludicrously expensive. The release date is just as nebulous so far, though the company has said it will be out later this year. One thing’s for sure: It’ll have plenty of competition.
Filed under: Gaming
Nikon CoolPix L830 packs an extra-stable 34x zoom for $300
It wouldn’t be CES if there wasn’t a cavalcade of point-and-shoot introductions, and Nikon is more than happy to do its part by launching four CoolPix cameras. The CoolPix L830 leads the pack with a long-ranged 34x zoom lens (up from 30x in the L820) that touts both lens-based anti-shake and a new hybrid stabilization system for video recording. The 16-megapixel, AA-powered shooter also improves on its predecessor with a tilting (if still 920,000-dot) LCD. Unfortunately, the new features come in tandem with a price hike — the L830 will sell for $300 when it ships in February, or about $20 more than the outgoing model cost when it was new.
Other cameras are mostly subtle iterations of last year’s releases. The S6800 ($220) shares the 16-megapixel sensor, 12x zoom and WiFi of the S6500; it primarily adds target-finding autofocus and more beauty modes. The 20-megapixel S3600 ($140) and 16-megapixel S5300 ($180) build on the formulas of the S3500 and S5200 by including more powerful 8x lenses, while the starter L30 ($120) is chiefly a beauty-focused software upgrade to the L28 that preserves the 20-megapixel sensor, 5x zoom and AA battery power. All of these entry-level compact cams should arrive in February.
Source: Nikon
Nikon’s D3300 DSLR captures detailed, filter-free photos for $650
Nikon started removing optical low-pass filters on pro DSLRs, where owners are more likely to notice the extra detail, but that emphasis on super-sharp photos has been moving rapidly downrange. Today, it’s reaching the entry level through the new D3300. Although the camera shoots at the same 24 megapixels as its predecessor, its filter-free sensor should produce crisper-looking pictures without pushing would-be buyers to costlier models. It also gets the newer Expeed 4 engine and its matching improvements to battery life, performance and image quality. The D3300 is still stuck with 11-point autofocusing, and there’s no built-in WiFi, but it captures at a more sensitive ISO 12,800 (versus the D3200′s ISO 6,400). It’s the first Nikon DSLR with an Easy Panorama mode, too. Should you be intrigued by the D3300′s blend of high resolution and beginner features, you can pick it up in February for $650 paired with an equally new, more compact 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II lens. Veteran Nikon fans can buy the stand-alone lens at the same time for $250.
Source: Nikon
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