Hands-on with MSI's S20 Slidebook, a $1,099 Windows 8 convertible Ultrabook

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We just got more hands-on time with MSI's S20 Slidebook, which we first spotted at Computex 2012. This ultra light (2.3 pounds / 1kg) and thin (0.78-inches / 19.8mm) convertible Ultrabook runs Windows 8 (naturally) and packs an Intel Core i5 processor (Ivy Bridge), 4GB RAM and a 128GB mSATA SSD. In front, there's a gorgeous 11.6-inch 1920x1080-pixel IPS display with a 10-point capacitive multitouch layer plus an HD front-facing camera. A glossy white plastic bezel surrounds the glass panel and incorporates the MSI logo and the Windows button.
The back cover is made of a silver magnesium alloy with matching plastic antenna covers for the built-in WiFi b/g/n, WiDi and Bluetooth 4.0 radios. Most of the ports are on the right edge along with the power / lock key and LED indicators -- this includes the power input, a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, a mini-HDMI output and a pair of USB 3.0 connectors. You'll find a gigabit Ethernet port on the left side plus an SD card reader, orientation lock button and volume rocker in back.

Of course, what sets the S20 apart is its ability to switch instantly from a tablet into a usable laptop. The screen slides up and tilts forward to reveal a chiclet keyboard with excellent key travel and decent spacing. You're not limited to any specific angle here -- the display is fully adjustable from flat to almost perpendicular with the keyboard. The sealed 3-cell 3900mAh battery is rated for 7 hours of continuous operation. We spent several minutes using the Slidebook and came away pretty impressed -- it's incredibly light for its size, the screen is bright and crisp, and the keyboard is comfortable. Even in prototype form, performance and build-quality are top-notch. MSI plans to make its convertible Ultrabook available late November for $1,099 through major US retailers both online and in stores. The company expects to sell other configurations in other markets as well. Take a look at our gallery below and hit the break for our hands-on video.

Distro Issue 64: Is Apple's iPad mini the next big thing?

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Among the truckload of devices that Apple unpacked at its press event a few days ago was a gadget that we had heard rumblings about for a long time. The iPad mini graces the cover of our weekly and we put it through the full review treatment to see how it stacks up with other slates that sport a smaller stature. If Cupertino's latest doesn't grab your eye, we also take a good, long look at Windows 8, ASUS's PadFone 2 and HTC's 8X before offering in-depth analysis. Weekly Stat recaps earnings season, Eyes-On visually fondles a pair of Slingboxes, and video producer Freddie Wong visits the Q&A. The usual download repositories are just below, so mosey on to yours and snag a copy.


Distro Issue 64 PDF
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Distro APK (for sideloading)
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Source: iTunes, Google Play

Kobo's Glo and Mini readers on their way to Japan as the Touch gets a discount

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Looks like Kobo's leveraging some of that Rakuten-infused love. The e-reader maker announced today that it'll be bringing its new pair of devoted readers to Japan over the next couple of months, courtesy of its parent company. The e-literati in that country can pre-order the new Kobo Glo now for ¥7,980 ($100) through Rakuten for a projected ship date of November 15th. The 5-inch Kobo Mini, meanwhile, is due to arrive in December for ¥6,980 ($87) -- the same price as the recently discounted Kobo Touch.

Acer unveils TravelMate B113 ultraportable with student-friendly $399 price

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Acer unveils TravelMate B113 ultraportable

Acer's TravelMate line of notebooks usually skews toward the business set, but its latest model is made for that other breed of on-the-go types: students. The new TravelMate B113 is an 11.6-incher weighing in at three pounds and measuring one inch thick. Processor options top out a Core i3 Ivy Bridge CPU with 4GB of RAM, and the hard drive offers a max capacity of 500GB. The 11.6-inch display sports a ho-hum resolution of 1,366 x 768 -- and isn't touch-enabled for Windows 8 -- but then again we're looking at a price of $399 and up. The B113 is available now at authorized resellers -- head past the break for the full presser.


Acer's TravelMate B113 Notebook Series: The Perfect Everyday Learning Companion

Slender, robust and ideal for education environments, the TravelMate B113 is now available for U.S. and Canadian customers with Windows 8 Pro and Windows 7 operating systems

Editor's Summary:
• Ultra-slim at one-inch thin and just 3 pounds light, the TravelMate B113 easily fits students' backpacks without adding excess weight.
• Full-featured TravelMate notebooks outfitted with up to the latest "Ivy Bridge" 3rd Generation Intel® CoreTM i3 processors and Windows 8 Pro and Windows 7 Professional operating systems.
• The TravelMate B113 allows students to create and share content with friends and schoolmates, even in real time.

SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 3, 2012 – Thin and light with long battery life, Acer America today announced availability of the new TravelMate B113 notebook PC for U.S. and Canadian customers. An ideal solution for institutional customers, the TravelMate B113 meets all the needs for productivity, communication and mobility needed in today's e-learning environment.


"Acer has had great success with the 11.6-inch form factor in the education market because their compact size is ideal in a classroom setting, even for the youngest of students," said Michael O'Beirne, Acer senior director, commercial product marketing. "The TravelMate B113 notebook is an important addition to our notebook portfolio, as it combines everything educators and students need, including exceptional performance, durability and reliability for a best-in-class mobile experience."

Fast, Efficient and Reliable Notebook Performance

The TravelMate B113 notebook allows students to create and share content with friends and schoolmates, even in real time. Perfect for both beginners and advanced users, it provides basic functionality and ease of use. With its six-cell battery, the TravelMate B113 can achieve more than seven hours of battery life, avoiding the need for recharging in the classroom where only a few outlets may be available.

Powered by up to a third-generation Intel® CoreTM i3 processor, the TravelMate B113 notebooks ensure smart performance that adapts to students' needs. The TravelMate B113 packs up to 4GB of DDR3 memory and is upgradeable to 8GB. It provides plenty of space to store and manage important documents and media thanks to a spacious SATA hard disk with up to 500GB of capacity.

The TravelMate B113 allows teachers and students to view crisp images and deliver superb presentations via the notebook's 11.6-inch Acer ComfyView LCD LED backlit display with HD (1366x768) resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio. The "ComfyView" display has an anti-glare matte surface, which reduces mirror-like reflections and improves viewing in bright light.

Ultra-slim at one-inch thin and just 3 pounds light, the TravelMate B113 is extremely manageable and easily fits students' backpacks without adding excess weight. Despite its small size, this notebook has a keyboard with large keys that make typing more comfortable.

The TravelMate B113 notebooks offer a full range of advanced connectivity solutions including Gigabit Ethernet, WiFi and Bluetooth, making it easier to access and share documents in the classroom. The Acer Video Conference solution, including a high-def webcam and built-in microphone, also enables high-quality video conferences, so that teachers and students can easily keep in touch while e-learning.

Premium Security and Manageability

The TravelMate B113 comes packed with extra levels of security and management tools, allowing a teacher or school IT manager to protect their data. Acer ProShield Manager, a suite of essential security and manageability tools, integrates fundamental features in a unified user interface. The multi-level Acer ProShield prevents unauthorized access while safeguarding the B113 notebook's valuable assets and data integrity. Acer ProShield features pre-boot
authentication (PBA) and protects the notebook from the BIOS level all the way to the application level. Users can create a Personal Secure Drive (PSD) to seamlessly store and encrypt all critical files, ensuring that if the notebook is lost or stolen, the data cannot be accessed. Unwanted files or folders can be permanently removed beyond recovery thanks to the File Shredder utility. Finally, it offers the automated solution to manage IT assets remotely.


The TravelMate B113 has another layer of security with Acer Backup that protects valuable data, media and other digital assets. Acer eRecovery Manager provides on-demand recovery. Additionally, the TravelMate B113 comes with Acer Office Manager (AOM), a manageability solution, which allows IT managers to deploy security policies, monitor IT assets, and schedule maintenance tasks in one simple application.

Pricing, Eco-Compliance and Warranty

The Acer TravelMate B113 notebooks are available now in the U.S. and Canada at authorized Acer resellers. Prices for the TravelMate B113 begin at $399 in the U.S. and at $369 CAD in Canada.

Acer professional notebooks are submitted to a series of reliability tests and are compliant with the most stringent industry criteria. These TravelMate B113 series models are Energy Star® qualified, ensuring energy savings and longer battery life.

The new Acer TravelMate B113 Series comes with a standard two-year parts and labor warranty3, which can be extended to three years of Acer Advantage service. Additionally, some models have longer warranties offered through specific channel partners. All Acer notebooks and netbooks are backed by toll-free service and support.


TAGS: acer, acer travelmate, AcerTravelmate, travelmate b113, TravelmateB113

Acer extends $199 C7 Chromebook distribution to NewEgg, TigerDirect, Staples.com

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Acer extends $199 C7 Chromebook

If you're absolutely stuck on not spending a penny more than $199 on a laptop, then you've probably had your eye on Acer's C7 Chromebook. The barebones machine won't be taking home any awards for performance, battery life or build quality this holiday season, but it does fit the bill at just shy of 200 bucks, including 100 gigs of Google Drive storage for the first two years (a $120 value). NewEgg, TigerDirect and Staples.com have now joined the ranks of proud C7 distributors, in addition to Google Play and Best Buy, giving you a few more e-tailer options to choose from when it comes time to hand over your pair of Franklins for the 3.05-pound "stocking stuffer."
Acer America Expands Sales of Popular C7 Chromebook

Acer America today announced that its new Acer C7 Chromebook is available now through additional online retail partners: TigerDirect, NewEgg and Staples.com, in addition to the existing Google Play, BestBuy.com and Best Buy stores.

The Acer C7 Chromebook mobile computer debuted earlier this month and has quickly gained popularity for providing customers an easy-to-use, speedy and secure computing experience at an affordable price of only $199 MSRP.

"Our customers' enthusiastic response to the Acer C7 Chromebook has encouraged more of our e-tail partners to make them available for purchase online -- just in time for anyone looking for a great holiday gift for a loved one or yourself," said Scott Ledterman, vice president of retail, Acer America. "The extra low price of only $199 is so affordable that customers can even buy them as stocking stuffers for multiple people on their shopping list."

The Acer C7 mobile computer is designed for families, students and other computer users who spend much of their computing time online, such as shopping, paying bills and keeping up via email and social networks. The notebook's built-in security features are automatically updated to defend it against malware and viruses.

The new Chromebook runs Google's Chrome operating system, which is easy-to-use and navigate, giving customers access to thousands of apps and games in the Chrome Web Store. The Acer C7 boots quickly and resumes nearly instantly from sleep mode. It comes with integrated 802.11b/g/n WiFi, so customers can quickly connect to hotspots and wireless networks.

The Acer C7 is portable and sleek for today's on-the-go mobile lifestyle. It weighs only 3.05 pounds and measures a mere one inch thin, so it can be easily taken anywhere as it fits into a backpack, briefcase or purse. The slim size still houses a vibrant 11.6-inch display and a full-sized keyboard. Plus, Acer Chromebook customers are offered up to 100GB of free Google Drive storage for the first two years after purchase, so files, documents, photos and more are stored safely in the cloud even if the Acer C7 is lost, damaged or stolen.

Pricing, Availability and Warranty

The Acer C710 is available now for purchase at TigerDirect, NewEgg and Staples.com in the United States for $199.00.

The new Acer C7 comes with a standard one-year parts and labor warranty, which can be extended to three years with the Acer Advantage service. All Acer Chromebooks are backed by toll-free service and support.


TAGS: acer, acer c7, Acer C7 Chromebook, AcerC7, AcerC7Chromebook, c7 chromebook, C7Chromebook, google, minipost

NEC LaVie Y brings Lenovo's 360-degree IdeaPad Yoga hybrid tablet to Japan

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Don't think that Lenovo is keeping the IdeaPad Yoga's bendy secrets all to itself: its Japanese partner NEC is bringing a variant of the ARM-based Yoga 11 to the land of the rising sun as the LaVie Y. The 11.6-inch blend of laptop and tablet keeps the signature 360-degree display, 2GB of RAM and 64GB of storage as its more internationally-minded counterpart, and confirms that there's a quad-core Tegra 3 powering either of the Windows RT systems.
What differences exist will stem from the software: there's hints of a custom NEC app on an otherwise vanilla interpretation of Microsoft's platform. The LaVie Y should precede its IdeaPad sibling by days, arriving in stores around November 22nd, although any local buyers will pay dearly for the privilege with an estimated $1,136 price. We'd suggest that patience ought to be a virtue for everyone else.

[Thanks, Gerald]

How Would you Change ASUS' Transformer Pad TF300?

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ASUS' Transformer Pad was tucked in beneath the Transformer Prime in the company's range of hybrid Android tablets. The only problem however, was that the company forgot to really differentiate the two -- with only a few hours less battery life the real distinction. But how has it been for you to live with? Did you get used to its slightly fiddly keyboard, have you been as smitten with it as our reviewer? Step into Jonney Shih's shoes and tell us what you'd suggest he does differently when next year's model comes out.