Hybrid laptops paving the way for a two-in-one future

In our multitasking age, we require devices that not only perform multiple functions at once, but those that have the potential of acting as multiple devices at the touch of a button. Hybrid laptops were engineered keeping this very idea — of one master gadget offering several sub-gadgets to users — in mind. In design terms, a hybrid laptop combines the templates of a high-powered laptop and a tablet, giving us a “two-in-one” functionality for, effectively, half the price. You may opt for a detachable model — where the keyboard and screen can be taken apart; or a convertible model — which comes with a foldable keyboard. Some of the top tech firms have launched their in-house hybrids in recent months, and here are the top five among them.

Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is a high end laptop hybrid with an incredible design and powerful hardware. The tablet section of the gadget is made out of metallic-grey magnesium finish and has an adjustable kickstand and is slinky by 292 x 201 x 8.4mm dimensions. The device comes with a 12.3-inch PixelSense display. Surface Pro 4 offers sixth-generation Intel Core M, Core i5 and Core i7 options and Intel HD graphics 540. Pro 5 also come with variant of 4GB, 8GB or 16GB of RAM. Microsoft also offers Surface Pen and Type Cover accessories which compliment the hybrid itself. The laptop hybrid has 8 -megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel front camera. The Microsoft Surface Pro 4 comes at the price of Rs 149,999.

HP Spectre X360 is a convertible hybrid laptop that comes with a slimmer design, bigger battery and more hardware options. Spectre X360 is 13.8mm thin and come with 7th Generation Intel Core i5 or i7 processors. The notebook also supports solid state drives up to 1TB capacity. The hybrid comes with three USB 3.0 connections along with HDMI socket, a Mini Display Port, SD card slot, a headphone jack and a volume rocker, for the tablet mode. The USB Type C ports comes with the thunderbolt support, Bang & Olufsen audio and HP Audio boost technologies. HP Spectre X360 comes at the price of Rs 1, 34,290.

Dell Inspiron 15 7000 is a convertible notebook weighing about 2.2kg. Inspiron 7000 comes with the Core i5 processor, a 256GB solid state drive, and 8GB of memory. The touch screen and the 360 degree hinge enable the tablet use. The keyboard of the device looks elegant with black keys and aluminum backdrop. Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 supports two standard USB port —one is USB 3.0 and other is USB 2.0 and also USB Type-C port and a SD port. Inspiron 15 also comes with the HDMI port that helps to connect the laptop with the external devices and a headphone jack that lets to connect to the external speakers or audio. Inspiron 15 also comes with the Intel dual band wireless AC-3165 card that provides with 802.11 ac wireless connectivity and Bluetooth 4.1 compatibility. Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 comes at the price of Rs 72,000 approximately.