Toybox: convertible ultrabooks
If you're trying to choose between a laptop and a tablet, but want to stay away from Apple's entertainment-focused iPad, Lenovo's range of productivity pushing convertibles are hard to ignore. The 12.5-inch Twist Ultrabook (HK$12,000) boasts an Intel Core i7 processor and up to 500GB storage behind its 1,366x768 pixel touch screen. Able to swivel and fold into a few positions the 1.6kg Twist runs Windows 8 Pro from inside an almost unbreakable Gorilla Glass screen.
Another hinge hybrid that uses a 12.5-inch screen, Toshiba's Satellite U920t (HK$14,000) has less memory and processing power than the Twist, although its 1,366x768 pixel resolution Gorilla Glass touch screen contorts into two useful positions: flat tablet and propped-up like a laptop. Its quick-boot 128GB solid state drive gives flexibility and speed on the move, but build quality is only average. The 1.5kg Satellite U920t runs for about four hours.
Half-tablet and half-laptop, Dell's XPS 12 (HK$12,000) uses an Intel Core i7 processor and puts 8GB of RAM behind another Windows 8 interface. Its 1,920x1,080 pixel resolution Gorilla Glass touch is smaller, at 12 inches, but more flexible than most. It uses a "swing" design to spin within a frame to switch from tablet to laptop. Its 256GB solid state drive is bigger than the Toshiba, and the XPS 12 runs at about five hours.