ThinkPad Helix looks promising

[Mitlov]

Is win8 suitable for professional use?

Yes, absolutely. If you prefer the desktop environment to Metro...don't use any metro apps. Problem solved. For someone who stays in the desktop, the start screen is really just a full-screen start menu, with more space for pinning frequently-used program and directories and the exact same "start menu search" functionality of Windows 7.

[2disbetter]

Yes, absolutely. If you prefer the desktop environment to Metro...don't use any metro apps. Problem solved. For someone who stays in the desktop, the start screen is really just a full-screen start menu, with more space for pinning frequently-used program and directories and the exact same "start menu search" functionality of Windows 7.

Or just get Start8 from Stardock (for example) and return the Windows 7 start menu in Windows 8. Enjoy the best of both worlds.

2d

[kontrol1]

Or just get Start8 from Stardock (for example) and return the Windows 7 start menu in Windows 8. Enjoy the best of both worlds.

Classic Shell also works great. It is freeware. I prefer it to Start8. Lot more configuration options than Start8. The dev is very responsive and helpful. I paid him since I find it very useful. I tried it on a Win 8 laptop which I returned but still using it on Win 7 system which is pretty much personalized like a Win XP interface using Classic Shell.

On a laptop you have to disable edge swipes on the touchpad. Otherwise the Metro charm side bar thing will pop up accidentally. You have to disable the hot corners also.

[k0ral]

any news about this tablet?

[Steve B]

Nada. I keep looking every once and a while, but there hasn't been a thing anywhere. Sigh.

[Bronsky]

Interesting comment over on Notebookreview.

X230t is going EOL, and getting replaced by the Helix.

Confirmed the speculation that the X2xxT series is being discontinued and the Helix is the new 12" flagship model.

[bloodycape]

Would seem a bit backwards since the last two X series models were a larger 12.5in model and came with a full voltage cpu, which was nice for those who needed it.

[e-schreiber]

Confirmed the speculation that the X2xxT series is being discontinued and the Helix is the new 12" flagship model.

I think traditional convertibles will become rarer and rarer now that the industry has rediscovered the detachable form-factor. But the convertibles can offer a lot of power and that is hard to get from detachables. Unless some OEM tries a detachable design in which there's one Atom CPU inside the slate and an i7 CPU inside the keyboard.

[rzp2003]

I think traditional convertibles will become rarer and rarer now that the industry has rediscovered the detachable form-factor. But the convertibles can offer a lot of power and that is hard to get from detachables. Unless some OEM tries a detachable design in which there's one Atom CPU inside the slate and an i7 CPU inside the keyboard.

There is some rumor that thinkpad helix has this architecture: an atom cpu inside the slate and an i-core CPU inside the keyboard. But I am doubtful as it sounds too complicated.

[JoeS]

Unless some OEM tries a detachable design in which there's one Atom CPU inside the slate and an i7 CPU inside the keyboard.

I really like that vision, we saw an early version of that with Android in the slate (forgot who showed that first). It basically makes the screen a relatively dumb slate with some storage, and the user could plug this into an authorized higher power dock, e.g. mobile i7 on a keyboard dock, and some monstrous CPU on a desktop dock.

As rzp2003 implied though, the amount of engineering required may not be worth it given that most consumers are fine with one medium-powered solution that does everything pretty well.

As for the Helix I'm still intrigued, but the complicated hinge/dock design looks a bit scary. It reminds me of the way the wings of your trusted airliner come apart when the flaps extend during landing. I guess as long as the mechanism has the same reliability as airplane wings we'll be OK.