Review: Toshiba‘s MacBook rival, Kirabook

Last year, Apple added a visuallystunning option to its MacBooks: screens with ultra-high resolution. These "Retina" displays reveal four times as much detail as any Windows laptop screen ... until now. Toshiba just released a new laptop line with a Retina-level display. 

Does this mean Windows users can let go of MacBook envy? Sort of. The jump in resolution with the Toshiba Kirabook comes with significant compromises, however: Most notably, it's LOUD. 

If you tax the processor on the machine by firing up, for instance, a 3D game, the cooling fan at the bottom starts revving up like a jet plane about to take off. Not only is it distracting to the user, it can be heard across an office landscape. Having a private jet confers status; sounding like one does not. 

The loud fan probably has something to do with how Toshiba has jammed a powerful Intelprocessor into a slim body. Small fans tend to be whiny when cooling a hot chip. 

Like supermodel turned rapper, the Kirabook sounds bad but looks good. It's beautifully done in magnesium, a tougher metal than the aluminum found in MacBooks and some other laptops. Magnesium is rarely used in consumer electronics, but when it is, the results can be spectacular: I had a magnesium-bodied point-and-shoot camera that didn't show a scratch after 10 years of use.

The Kirabook starts at $1,600 for a model with a mid-range i5 processor and a non-touchscreen (a comparable MacBook Pro with Retina costs $1,700). Two hundred dollars more gets you a touch screen. For $2,000, you get a touchscreen and a top-line i7 processor. All come with 256 gigabytes of solid-state storage. The model I tested was the most expensive one. 

The Kirabook has a screen that measures 13.3 inches diagonally, just like the "13-inch" MacBook with Retina display, but the screen is actually slightly wider, shorter and smaller overall. The resolution is 2,560 by 1,440 pixels, compared with the MacBook's 2,560 by 1,600 pixels. 

In other words, you can fit 10 per cent less detail vertically on the Kirabook's screen, but images look just as crisp and smooth as on the Retina screen. The big deal with the Retina, and now the Kirabook, is that its individual pixels are so small that they blend together imperceptibly. It doesn't sound like a big deal until you try it. After that, other screens look coarse and barbaric. 

The Kirabook screen is excellent in other ways, too: It looks good from almost any angle. One of the sample units loaned to me suffered from uneven brightness, but this was rarely an issue. 

The problem with quadrupling the resolution of the laptop screen is that you have to make sure that you're not shrinking the size of everything that's shown on the screen. A character that's 28 pixels high on a regular screen is a quarter of an inch high - easily legible. If you show a 28-pixel character on the Kirabook screen, it's one-eighth of an inch high, or practically illegible. 

In some instances, the Kirabook will gracefully scale up text and buttons to a legible and useful size. In other cases, it won't, and it's time to bend in real close to the screen. 

This problem is made more aggravating by the fact that the Kirabook comes in touch-screen variants. Touching tiny buttons is hard - you want a big fat button for your big fat finger. The problem was not acute in applications designed for Windows 8, but there aren't many of those. It was worse in the familiar "Desktop" environment, where the buttons to close or minimize a window are so small, they're tough to hit with a finger or a mouse. 

Apple has a big advantage over Toshiba here, given that it has control over the hardware, the operating system and many of the most popular Mac applications. That means it can create computers with high-resolution screens and modify its software to suit. Toshiba, on the other hand, has to work with software it gets from Microsoft. 

Toshiba chose to make the Kirabook substantially lighter than the 13-inch MacBook, at 2.8 pounds rather than 3.6 pounds. In fact, it's even lighter than the 13-inch MacBook Air, which doesn't have a high-resolution screen. 

The trade-off for the light weight is that the Kirabook's battery life is relatively short. I played back movies for four hours before it went dark. Unfortunately, the high-resolution screen draws more power than regular ones, which is why Apple stuffs a much larger battery in its Retina models to get about seven hours of run time. 

The light weight, handsome exterior and beautiful screen should appeal to many, and it's possible that software updates will help with the screen-scaling issue. While waiting for that, you can always downgrade the resolution of the screen, though that defeats the purpose of having such a nice display. The biggest failing is the loud fan - there's just no point in having a powerful processor if using it makes it sound like you're picnicking on the airport tarmac.

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Samsung Galaxy S4 versus HTC One

Samsung Galaxy S4 versus HTC One is a post by Kevin Purcell from Gotta Be Mobile.

The HTC One won an Editor’s Choice here at GottaBeMobile. The Samsung Galaxy S4 impressed, but didn’t get the honor. But while we hear a lot of buzz about the HTC One, the Samsung Galaxy S4 might well be a better choice for Android phone buyers, even though the HTC One might look like the better piece of hardware.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 ships in a plastic case that some consider flimsy and cheap compared to the HTC One. The HTC One looks more revolutionary. Many people call it beautiful or sexy. The HTC One comes with a more revolutionary metal case and higher overall build quality. But a phone is more than the hardware, and when we look at some other issues in this head-to-head, the Samsung Galaxy S4 holds up better than people think. Consumers should compare the two company’s history of software updates, potential customer support due to the strength of the company and a narrower margin of quality than people give the S4 credit for.

Samsung vs. HTC Update History

When Google launches a new version of their OS, only Google Nexus devices will get it within weeks or even months of the announcement. HTC and Samsung both fail at shipping updates in reasonable time. No Android handset maker matches Apple in OS updates. Most Android phones more than a year old will take forever to see significant updates. By the time they do, Google will announce an ever newer version, leaving the updated phones behind a generation or more. The record of Android updates is pretty dismal.

But when comparing the history of the two companies, Samsung fails less miserably than HTC. All of their most recent flagship phones should run Android 4.2 this year, including the Galaxy S3, the Note 2 and possibly the original Note and Galaxy S2. The Samsung Nexus received the update for off-carrier phones already and it’s not that recent. Readers can see our list of possible Jelly Bean phone updates for more information.

HTC has a bad history of timely updates. Only a handful of their phones even run Android 4.1 and we’re still waiting for 4.2, which should come soon on the HTC One. However, how will the prospects look for an HTC One update at this time next year or 18 months into the life of the phone? Remember the HTC Thunderbolt?

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is set to compete with the HTC One.

HTC Not as Strong a Company as Samsung

There was a time that HTC had the mobile and PDA markets in the palm of their hands (pun intended). But the days of the Palm, Handspring and HTC Windows Mobile phones are a distant memory. Today, Samsung offers a much stronger company. Expect better support and longer term support. Before the HTC One we heard whispers of HTC’s demise. Those whispers were silly, but the fact that people started repeating them means there’s a problem. No one talks like that about Samsung. The incredibly over-the-top announcement of the Samsung Galaxy S4, with their cheesy broadway style show, tells us they’ve got plenty of money to keep them solvent for a long time. Their crazy Super Bowl ad and effective advertising shots across the bow of Apple show they came to play and will put their money where their phones are.

Third-party vendors will likely support the Galaxy S4 more than the HTC One. Samsung’s history of success in the last year or two means they will likely sell enough S4 devices to support a swarm of cases, docking stations and other gadgets.

Even with improvements, Android launches may never be perfect.

HTC Hardware Better But Not by Much

The HTC One looks beautiful. Aluminum phones hold up better than plastic. They last longer and look better longer, usually.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 hardware may not feel as elegant, but in a workmanlike way, it feels good. The update feels more solid than the Galaxy S3. Besides, most people keep their phones in a case anyway. Here’s a list of ways they compare nicely:

• Big beautiful screens
• Great cameras
• Fast processors
• Fast LTE support
• Similar battery life

Here’s a few tricks the Samsung Galaxy S4 can do that the HTC One can’t.

• Removable battery
• Expandable storage
• High resolution pictures
• Buttons consistent with Android design specs, i.e. the home button placement on the HTC One

There’s good news. No matter what we pick, in the end, we’ve got two great Android phones to pick from this spring. In addition, Google will likely offer a new Nexus model to heat up the competition soon. Everyone wins. But don’t make the mistake of ignoring the Samsung Galaxy S4 because the HTC Once looks pretty.

Samsung Galaxy S4 versus HTC One is a post by Kevin Purcell from Gotta Be Mobile.

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5 Things Microsoft Can Learn from Google I/O

5 Things Microsoft Can Learn from Google I/O is a post by Travis Pope from Gotta Be Mobile.

To say that Google brought their ‘A’ game to this year’s Google I/O conference wouldn’t do it justice.

The company unleashed a dizzying array of revamped products including a Google Maps application that finally introduces the dynamic routing algorithms we’d seen in other navigation applications, and tools that will allow users to get their hands on the latest and greatest applications more quickly. 

Read: Nexus 7 2, Nexus 5, Android 4.3 Update MIA

Here are 5 things Microsoft should take note of as the company prepares to discuss the future of Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 at Build in June.

Assess and Address

The company has yet to address the fact that it’s Surface family of tablets doesn’t yet include a popular 7-inch tablet.

Sure, Google didn’t dazzle us with a new Android or updated Nexus hardware, but they hardly needed to. At this stage in the game, it’s really about taking stock of where your platform is in relation to what everyone else in the market is doing. To that end Google also delivered.

Want a music subscription service? The company noticed that’s where the music industry was headed and added one.

Be Likeable

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3 Things Windows Phone Needs in Order to Compete with iOS and Android

3 Things Windows Phone Needs in Order to Compete with iOS and Android is a post by Travis Pope from Gotta Be Mobile.

As Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference and Google’s I/O developer conference passes by, it’s time to take take a look at how Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system is stacking up against the competition… or rather isn’t.

The Windows Phone operating system and the devices it powers have come a long way. In seven months Windows Phone users have been introduced to phones with dual-core processors, high-definition screens and seen applications rolled out that finally put the ecosystem in the same church as Android and iOS.

However that isn’t to say it’s located the right pew.

With Microsoft’s BUILD 2013 conference rapidly approaching, and Windows Phone being confirmed as a major part of the conference’s agenda, it’s time to diagnose the issues Windows Phone needs tackled.

Personalization

The Windows Phone 8 Start Menu on the Lumia 900

When Microsoft first announced that it would be rebooting its mobile efforts, many feared that the completely new operating system might drop support for features they found important to their daily work flow.

Read: Microsoft Announces Windows Phone 7 Series

What no one counted on was the amount of personalization Windows Phone would drop in the name of creating its new Zune-like Metro experience. Users of Microsoft’s new mobile operating system have suffered from a complete lack of ways to customize their device beyond choosing a color for their Live Tile, repositioning Live Tiles and choosing a picture to use on their lock screen. While users can also specify a ringtone, they cannot even customize their audio alerts.

The lack of these customization options gives some the impression that their Windows Phone 8X, isn’t in fact really, their Windows Phone 8X. It would be nice to see Microsoft make moves to let people use, or at least brighten up, their device with a colored pattern as they do in Windows 8. It would even be nice to choose a photo that appears behind the tiles on the operating systems home screen. Our devices should reflect our personalities.

Standardization

Windows uses Charms, that way things like settings and search are all in one place.

Microsoft makes a huge deal out of the fact that Windows Phone 8 shares a common core with its Windows 8 operating system, and they have every right to. In theory, sharing the same code between both operating systems cuts down on development time and creates a sort of unified experience when switching between the two.

However, that’s only in theory. The Metro design language, much like all design, is open to interpretation and so far Microsoft’s Windows Phone and Windows Teams have chosen to approach them both differently.

For example Windows 8 allows users to choose the background of their Start Screen, but not adjust the colors of apps’ Live Tiles. On the other side of that spectrum Windows Phone 8 allows users to do change their Live Tile colors but only choose between black and white for their background color.

Worse yet, the application paradigms on both platforms couldn’t be more different. On Windows Phone there is no consistent way of navigating to an application’s settings or search functions at all, whereas Windows 8 users need only use the Charms bar, regardless of what app they’re in.

If Microsoft ever hopes to create a world in which users purchase a device running one of these operating system and decides to use the other as well, it’ll need to bridge these gaps.

Interoperability

There’s nothing better than having devices that lets technology get out of the way while letting users get their job done, or lets them enjoy the latest music and television shows. Apple does it with its iOS based tablets, and the Apple TV. Google attempts to do this with its Android powered tablets and smartphones, and the Google Play Store.

On the other hand, Windows Phone does very little in that respect. Yes, it allows users to insert their Microsoft Account and sync over their Xbox Gamertag and Xbox Music subscriptions. Yes, it allows people to install its SmartGlass application and control their Xbox.

Read: Microsoft Launches Xbox Music for Windows Phone and Windows 8

What it doesn’t do is allow users to stream content stored on their device to their Xbox. It’s also not able to stream videos that were purchased in Xbox Video, to say nothing of actually downloading the content manually and loading it on to the device.

The company is starting to show progress. SkyDrive is now universally available on all of its platforms, and automatically syncs between Windows and Windows Phone 8 devices. Users can even open their synced files in a new Xbox application. They need to continue to do more of this, quickly.

In a world where users can purchase applications, music, movies, television shows and books on their iOS devices on a whim, Microsoft’s ecosystem just doesn’t make it easy to move between its platforms.

Overall it’s not that Windows Phone has any systematic problems, it’s that it’s that it’s now been three years and none of us are getting any younger. The Windows Phone Team needs to focus on principles that don’t just enable it to move onto the next big thing, but also provide the same experiences that are expected and demanded by other smartphone users.

3 Things Windows Phone Needs in Order to Compete with iOS and Android is a post by Travis Pope from Gotta Be Mobile.

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Tutorial: Make your laptop battery last longer in Windows 8

Windows 8 is a perfect match for the new breed of touchscreen laptops thanks to its touch-friendly interface.

This means you'll be using your mobile device for longer than ever, and needing to charge it more frequently too.

Improvements in internal design and advances in technology mean modern mobile devices are blessed with batteries that can last the length of a working day and beyond in moderate use, but if you're still having to charge up more frequently than you'd like, Windows 8 has lots of settings and tools that can help make its power go further.

• 50 Windows 8 tips, tricks and secrets

These options are easy to set up and configure, and you'll see a big difference in how long your device lasts between charges.

Although we're using Windows 8 here, there are similar settings available in Windows 7, Vista and XP as well, so you can use these tips to extend the life of an older laptop battery too. Let's get started!

Step-by-step: Boost your battery life

1. Check your battery life

Windows 8 makes it easy to keep an eye on your battery, no matter which part of the OS you're using. The first place to look is the Lock screen, which displays your remaining charge along with the time and date. If you're using the Start screen, you can see the battery status by flicking the right-hand side of the screen to access the Charms bar. If you're on the desktop, you can see it in the Taskbar.

2. Adjust screen brightness

The screens of mobile devices use a lot of power, so one quick way to prolong the life of your battery is to turn the brightness level of the screen down. To do this, bring up the Charms bar and select the 'Settings' charm. Click or touch 'Screen' and a draggable bar appears, where you can quickly adjust the brightness of the screen. This is also handy if you're working in low light levels.

3. Adjust Center settings

Windows Mobility Center is designed to make it easy to change computer settings when travelling, and is a great tool for optimising Windows 8 devices. To get to it, type Mobility into the Start screen and select 'Settings'. Click on 'Windows Mobility Center' to open up the program. From here you can change a number of settings that will help prolong your device's battery life.

4. Mute the volume

It might not be the most obvious thing to do, but you can make a big difference to the battery life of your laptop or tablet if you lower - or, even better, completely mute - the volume of its speakers when you're not listening to music or watching a video. This means that precious battery power won't be used up powering the speaker and pumping out sounds when you don't need it to.

5. Change the power settings

The Windows Mobility Center lets you change your laptop's power settings quickly and easily. The default choices are 'Balanced', 'Power saver' and 'High performance'. 'Power saver' tweaks the settings for a longer battery life, but at a slight price when it comes to your device's performance. The 'Balanced' plan lowers performance only when you won't notice the difference.

6. Advanced power settings

You can tweak the power settings by going to the Start screen and typing in power. Select 'Settings' and then 'Choose a power plan'. Select the power plan you want to edit, then select 'Change plan settings'. You can then alter various settings, such as how long it takes for the screen to dim when not in use, or how long it takes for the laptop to go to sleep.

7. Create your own power plan

From the Power Options window you opened in step 6, you can also create a new power plan to suit your specific needs. Select 'Create a power plan' on the left-hand side of the window, then select a power plan to use as the basis of your new one. Give your new plan a name, then select 'Next'. Now you can adjust the settings to your liking. Once you've finished, click or tap 'Create'.

8. More advanced settings

You can access even more advanced power settings if you're confident drilling down further into Windows 8. From the Power Options window, click or tap 'Change plan settings' next to a plan, then select 'Change advanced power settings'. From here you can change settings that determine when to turn off your hard drive, how USB ports are used and much more.

9. Turn off wireless

If you're using your device away from a wireless network, you can turn Wi-Fi off to save your battery power - there's no point in having your laptop hunt for a network that isn't there. Bring up the Charms bar in Windows 8 by swiping from the right-hand side of the screen. Now click 'Settings', then 'Change PC settings'. Click or tap 'Wireless' and then change 'Wi-Fi' to 'Off'.

10. Enjoy a better battery life!

Now that you've followed these steps, you should see a noticeable improvement in your battery life. You don't need to do each step to see a benefit, and be sensible with them; having your Wi-Fi switched off is inconvenient when you want to go online, and a pitch-black screen will mean fewer charges, but will lead to eye strain. Find the right balance and you'll be happy.

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Acer Iconia W3 8-inch Windows 8 tablet quietly gets official

Acer’s Iconia W3, the first 8-inch Windows 8 tablet, has quietly cropped up at the company’s site, confirming the smaller slate and promising a full eight hours of runtime. Rumored since April, the Acer Iconia W3-810 is now listed on the company’s Finnish site, running full Windows 8 Pro on an Intel Atom Z2760 processor and with an 8.1-inch WXGA screen.

That chip is paired with 2GB of RAM and up to 64GB of flash storage. The Clover Trail chip has Intel GMA 3650 graphics, driving the 1280 x 768 WXGA multitouch display.

Connectivity includes WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, and a micro USB 2.0 port; there’s also a microHDMI output for hooking up an external display. A 2-megapixel webcam is also included.

That Bluetooth connection could be used for hooking up a wireless keyboard, but Acer will also offer a detachable keyboard dock into which the Iconia W3 will slot. The snap-on ‘board is wider than the tablet itself, which means Acer can include full-sized keys.

Acer will offer two variants of the W3, at least initially. The W3-810-27602G03nsw has 32GB of flash storage, while the W3-810-27602G06nsw doubles that to 64GB. Either way, that’s not huge for a Windows 8 tablet; Microsoft’s Surface Pro, for instance, starts off at the 64GB level, and offers 128GB as a more expensive option.

Exactly what the W3 will cost is still unclear at this stage. However, it’s possible that the small tablet will make its official debut in a few weeks time at Computex, held in early June.

Thanks quadtronix!

                       
Acer Iconia W3 8-inch Windows 8 tablet quietly gets official is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear. 
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