Has the Perfect Hybrid 2-in-1 Convertible Laptop Arrived at Last?

Until recently, the 2-in-1 convertible laptop had kind of a bad rap. Whether they were referred to as hybrids, convertibles or slates, none of these monikers were typically used in a complimentary way. In fairness to the critics, there were indeed hiccups along the way, including design and performance issues that had not yet been perfected.

Luckily, today’s 2-in-1 has finally come into its own. The latest devices have mobility, performance and a seamless productivity experience. More than this, though, the latest hybrid/convertible/call-it-what-you-want-to-call-it packs real computing muscle. At last we’ve got 2-in-1s that work as a serious business machines, as well as a sleek tablets when you are on-the-go.

Where We’ve Been

In the decade since the introduction of the convertible device, critics have had a variety of complaints — some substantive and others pretty trivial. Some reviewers groused about the placement of speakers, while others found the device names to be corny. These are finicky quibbles at best.

Others declared more serious points of dissatisfaction. Yesterday’s devices often lacked fundamental usability, with screen designs that hindered serious work efforts or just didn’t make sense. Devices sucked too much power too fast, and were too slow to recharge. Touch inputs were glitchy, and the price points were often unrealistic to the enterprise IT decision maker.

It has indeed been a long, strange trip on the way to true business-class, 2-in-1 functionality. Technology is incremental, and it makes sense that it took a few iterations to reach the ideal merging of a laptop and tablet.

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Finally Fully Productive

To understand just how far we’ve come, it’s worth taking a look at one of today’s leading contenders, the Galaxy Book 12. This latest 2-in-1 convertible laptop delivers so much of what previous generations did not — form, function and enough computing muscle to make the promise of both performance and mobility real. By merging the innovation of the Galaxy tablet line with the business productivity capabilities of Windows 10 Pro, the prospect of a fully mobile office becomes a reality.

From an enterprise perspective, a Windows 10 Pro-based 2-in-1 laptop delivers a high level of productivity. Now the work done in the field can merge seamlessly back into the enterprise system when a worker returns to home base. Business road warriors have all the advantages of mobility, along with the enterprise-grade ability to deliver presentations, take orders and perform other tasks on a device that’s small enough to carry conveniently.

… And Fully Functional

For the highly mobile business professional, a fully functional 2-in-1 goes a long way toward lightening the load, ridding their satchel of a full-size laptop and the power brick that goes with it. The Galaxy Book 12 provides up to 10.5 hours of battery life and charges in about 2.5 hours. At a mere pound and a half, this latest 2-in-1 is lightweight, too.

Additionally helpful for productivity is the detachable keyboard that is included standard. Remarkably, not all of today’s 2-in-1 devices come together with this basic piece of hardware. When we follow the evolution of the hybrid over recent years, it seems obvious that a keyboard is not a luxury, but a necessity.

All these enhancements are only as good as the user’s ability to see the screen. In past iterations, 2-in-1 devices have received low marks for their visual interfaces, something that is finally and definitively addressed in the Galaxy Book 12 with its Super AMOLED display. This new display delivers 94 percent of natural tones, as opposed to the roughly 70 percent color reproduction rate seen in many LCD screens. Just as significant for the mobile professional, the Super AMOLED display is notable for being able to deliver wide viewing angles that enhance flexibility and boost productivity, making it possible to work in a variety of settings and conditions.

Finally, the latest 2-in-1s have the performance to deliver an impressive new level of business functionality. The new Intel Core M processor not only drives the train, but it does so using very little power, and does not need a fan for cooling. Combine compact size and device functionality with the ability to carry out full-scale business operations, and you get a 2-in-1 that finally fulfills the promise — even if it has been a long time coming.

Learn more about how Samsung mobile devices such as the Galaxy Book 12 can deliver mobility and productivity for business users.