Something on the Side: Notebook meets tablet

In this week’s instalment of Something on the Side, SEAN BACHER introduces the HP EliteBook Revolve, Lenovo X1 Carbon Touch notebook, LG’s LSM-100 mouse and scanner combo, B&W C5 in-ear headphones and the Garmin Nuvi 40 GPS.

HP EliteBook Revolve

The HP EliteBook Revolve offers the performance and visuals of a full-power notebook combined with the flexibility quickly to switch to a tablet with a touch-enabled, high-definition display. The EliteBook Revolve uses Windows 8 and features an 11.8¡± display. A rear-facing 720p camera, included microphone and stereo speaker, make it a great video-conferencing device, too. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, 3G, a USB 3.0 port and NFC, and a 256GB solid-state drive for storage.

HP has not yet announced pricing, but says the EliteBook Revolve will be available from Incredible Connection stores nationwide in March 2013.

Lenovo X1 Carbon Touch notebook

Weighing 1.5kg and measuring 20.8mm thin, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch has been touted as the lightest notebook currently available. It is made from carbon fibre that provides additional strength and durability and the 14¡± HD display is able to accept inputs from ten fingers at a time instead of the normal two. The X1 runs Windows 8 and is available with either an Intel Core i5 or i7 CPU.

Expect to pay: R19 000 for the Intel Core i5 version and R22 999 for a Core i7 CPU.

Stockists: Visit www.lenovo.co.za for a dealer in your area.

LG LSM-100 mouse and scanner

It looks and works like any other mouse but, with a push of the Smart Scan button, the LSM-100 will scan just about anything over which it is moved. The scanned image can then be saved in a variety of file types ¨C PNG, JPEG, TIFF, BMP, PDF, XLS and DOC ¨C or dragged and dropped into the desired application. LG¡¯s optical character recognition is also built into the mouse, meaning that text can be scanned directly into a Word document.

Expect to pay: R1 500

Stockists: Most reputable electronics stores nationwide.

B&W C5 in-ear headphones

The B&W C5 in-ear headphones feature noise-isolating technology to keep outside noises at a minimum when listening to music. A Secure Loop design keeps them comfortably in place, and aids fit and performance. A Micro Porous Filter enables the headphones to produce a wonderfully open, natural performance, perfect for longer listening sessions.

Expect to pay: R 1 690.

Stockists: Visit www.bwloudspeakers.co.za for a retailer closest to you.

Garmin Nuvi 40 GPS

The entry-level Garmin Nuvi 40 offers a 3D map view, with spoken turn-by-turn instructions. The GPS uses a 480X272 pixel, 4,3″ LCD, which is bright and offers a decent viewing angle. The menu layout and style is uncluttered, making it easy to use, even when one eye is on the GPS and the other on the road. Users can input their destination via the street address or can enter the GPS co-ordinates – something that many low-end GPSs lack. The Nuvi 40 also offers a point-of-interest (POI) search and updates the search as your location changes.

Expect to pay: R1 100

Stockists: Most reputable electronics stores nationwide.

* Follow Sean on Twitter on @SeanBacher

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