They flip, twist, rotate and slide into action. They also boot up very fast and can last an entire day on a single charge. Oh, and they run Windows programmes too. Say hello to the new hybrid PC, a cross between a tablet and a traditional laptop.
While the first models turned up late last year—and received a lukewarm response—this year’s new hybrid devices are expected to come with more polish and appeal.
Two things are new: longer battery life, thanks to new Intel processors, and a ‘tablet-like’ experience that lets you in on information with the convenience of a touch screen.
Sony’s new Vaio Duo 13 hybrid, for example, lets you slide out a keyboard to turn the Windows 8 touch-screen tablet into a traditional laptop with a 13.3-inch screen. It even works like a tablet, downloading e-mail and other updates when its screen is powered off.
So, is it time to consider these two-in-one wonders from the likes of Asus, Dell, HP, Sony, Toshiba and many other PC makers looking to re-invent the PC experience?
Here’s a look at the pros and cons.
Why go hybrid?
1. Best of both worlds in one device
Having just one device means you don’t worry about carrying so many gizmos around. Today’s hybrid devices are also getting closer to offering a true tablet-like experience.
Windows 8 is built with a touch interface, which is extremely smooth and fast to use. Plus, it comes with a regular desktop mode that lets you run traditional Windows programmes, whether you are at a hotel or back home, connected to a large monitor.
2. More powerful and expandable
Windows 8 hybrids typically come with full USB ports to hook up the many devices that you are used to. You don’t have to worry about running out of storage space for movies or pictures, for example.
Like with any PC, you can plug in a USB drive or even a portable hard disk. Many Windows 8 hybrids come with a full-sized SD card slot as well, so you can take the memory card out of your camera and slot it straight into your Windows 8 hybrid. 
3. Nifty designs
Hybrid consumers are spoilt for choice when it comes to design. Indeed, some of the new offerings from PC makers are the most innovative designs in years, from screens that slide out to reveal a keyboard, or screens that pivots around to snap into a tablet-like interface.
Why not go hybrid?
1. Heavier and more cumbersome
Hybrids are usually heavier than a thin and light iPad, though they admittedly come with a screen larger than the 10-inchers common on standalone tablets. If you just want a device on the go to read news at a cafĂ©, the lighter option is not a Windows hybrid. 
As a laptop, hybrids can be fiddly. One issue is that to get into laptop mode, hybrids often require you to slide or swivel a screen around, or perhaps attach a removable screen to a keyboard dock. That novel ‘transform’ feature may get tiring if you have to repeat the motion every day. 
2. Smaller screens and keyboards
A related issue is the typically smaller screens and keyboards—compared to traditional laptops—that you have to work on a hybrid device.
This is changing gradually, with Sony’s Vaio Duo 13, which sports a standard 13.3-inch, for example, but many hybrids still rely on 10- to 12-inch screens. The same goes for keyboards, which can sometimes be a little cramped or have very shallow depth for the keys. Neither makes for comfortable typing, if you have to write long reports.
3. Lack of apps
Though Windows 8 offers a very fluid interface, the amount and variety of touch screen apps that run on it still pale in comparison to what’s on offer on Android and iOS. Developers only create apps for an OS when there are users; users only use an OS when there are apps. Chicken and egg. 
Conclusion
Whether you should splash the cash for a new hybrid PC depends on how you will use it. If you do little more than fire off e-mails or simple edits of Word or Powerpoint documents on the road, then a hybrid may well do the job. They are excellent companions on a flight, for sure. 
However, if you expect to do some photo editing or any activity that requires a larger and more comfortable keyboard and screen, then a regular laptop is a better bet. It certainly makes more sense if you expect to be using your keyboard more often than the touch screen. 
Alfred Siew is a co-founder of Techgoondu, a Singapore-based blog on all things technology
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