Insights For Success

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Ultrabook

How to get 50% more run time on your laptop

technologyEdward Kiledjian
Intel's Architecture Group VP Rani Borkar is making some bold claims about the upcoming Haswell chipset: that it will allow laptops to deliver 50% more power out of existing batteries. 50% more runtime is an incredible claim and if true, may single-handedly drive increased laptop sales as customers jump to upgrade.
He attributes the miserly battery usage to lower power requirements and better power management. I have to test a Haswell device before I can believe such a grandiose claim but it is music to my ears. 
In other words, wait a couple of weeks before you buy that new laptop.
Computerworld article here.

Surface Pro will be too expensive

technologyEdward Kiledjian

Like many tech enthusiasts, I am anxiously waiting for Microsoft’s Surface Pro to hit the market so I could get one. After all, it is supposed to offer the ultimate tablet experience while being able to run all my “normal” Windows apps. Microsoft finally announced pricing for the Surface Pro tablet and many stood there in shock. Depending on which version you pick up, it will cost you $899US to $999US (plus one of the keyboard covers).

Let me be clear, the Surface Pro will cost too much.

Microsoft had said pricing would be in-line with that of ultrabooks but is that a real competitor? Ultrabooks have some qualities Surface Pro does not: 

  • Bigger screens
  • Real keyboards
  • More ports for expansion
  • More configuration options
  • Better battery life
  • have user replaceable batteries

The above list shows the advantages a typical ultrabook has over the Surface Pro tablet. I really feel that Microsoft should have made this a lost leader to help create demand and build an ecosystem. The Surface RT was too expensive when compared to the Nexus and iPad tablets. Now the Surface Pro will be too expensive compared to ultrabooks (it's chief rival). 

When the Surface Pro is finally released end of January, I will bot be buying one. Instead, I will look at my options and maybe go towards a MacBook Air.