Combined consumer and corporate demand may soon be driving convertible, hybrid laptop-tablet sales fast enough to make A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti envious. The computing vehicles in question are designed to straddle the center-line, and perform well on either side of the line. At high speeds the line blurs, and the best designs can move effortlessly from the laptop lane into the tablet lane.



All convertible hybrids, by definition, have either a dual, or a split personality. Some are sliders, and some will have capacitive touchscreen displays. Those with a split personality can leave part of the machine parked while the remainder goes on with the race.

As should be the case in any fast-paced racetrack environment, technology advances relentlessly, with new and varied engines (CPUs, GPUs, ARMs, & SoCs), and more recently a new low-slung chassis for ultrabooks and ultrathins.

Enough of the analogical verbiage already. Let's take a look at the convergence of laptops with tablets that will matter to you as an individual, and to just about all corporations and IT departments.

Definition of Convertible Laptop-Tablets

Microsoft has written a definition of the convertible laptop-tablet form-factor that has a good chance of becoming the de facto industry standard: "A convertible form factor is defined as a standalone device that combines the PC, display and rechargeable power source with a mechanically attached keyboard and pointing device in a single chassis. A convertible can be transformed into a tablet where the attached input devices are hidden or removed leaving the display as the only input mechanism." I couldn't have said it better myself, and come to think of it, I didn't.

OK, now we have a working definition, but what design tactics will translate that techno-speak into a real material machine? It turns out that the hinge does the heavy lifting in making a hybrid laptop manifest, except for those that forgo the hinge altogether.

Hinge Types for Convertible Laptop-Tablets

Sliders - Sliding hinges are probably the tidal-wave of the future. Sliders enable the display to sit on top of the keyboard when closed, but face up, the exact opposite of a standard clam-shell laptop. When closed it functions as a tablet. When opened the display moves toward the back of the machine, in a motion which lifts and inclines the display, and reveals the keyboard, turning the machine into a laptop. An excellent example of that hinge design is the Asus Eee Pad Slider which is powered by an ARM processor.

Rotators - Rotating Hinges are found on what looks like a standard clam-shell laptop. The side mounted hinges are replaced with a single, articulated, rotating stalk in the bottom middle of the display. When the display is rotated 180-degrees and laid down, face up on the keyboard, the machine becomes a tablet. Good examples of that hinge design are the Fujitsu Lifebook T731 & T901 models.

360-Degree Gymnasts - At first glance this hinge type may appear to be a standard laptop part. The difference is that unlike a standard laptop display which opens only 180-degrees, this design continues almost to 360-degrees of rotation, putting the display on the opposite side of the keyboard, while also disabling the keyboard. The machine is then a tablet. The only such design expected to come to market soon is the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga.

Dockers Have Split Personalities - Get rid of the hinge and turn the keyboard into a dock, and the display functions independently as a tablet. One example of that sans hinge design is the Samsung Series 7 - 700T1A-A03.

Another fascinating hinge-less design is the Panasonic Toughbook U1 Ultra CF-U1. It is a tablet with a small display and a small keyboard permanently affixed below the display. This Atom CPU powered hybrid is ruggedized, rather off-beat, and intended for very specific corporate and military applications. It does not meet Microsoft's definition to the letter, but then again, Microsoft is not in charge of Panasonic.

List of Fuel Additives Driving Convertible Hybrids

• $400-million buys a lot of fuel. Microsoft, Intel and many hardware manufacturers are going 'pedal to the metal' to push convertible hybrid laptop-tablets. Intel said convertible designs are a significant part of its 2012 plan, and Intel product manager Anand Kajshmanan said Intel is now strongly encouraging manufacturers to implement touch technology in upcoming Ultrabooks. That encouragement includes the $300-million Ultrabook™ Fund for developing technologies, with tablet-like features, and touchscreen displays. Intel also pulled up to the starting line with the $100-million Intel Capital AppUpSM Fund to invest in companies making digital content, applications, middleware, and infrastructure.


• Windows 8 is touch-centric, and Microsoft wants Windows 8 to deliver the full Windows experience across a wide range of devices.


• Capacitive touchscreen displays are becoming common and prices are expected to fall rapidly.


• Thin-and-light designs for Ultrabooks, and other ultrathins, make convertible hybrid form-factors practical, as do new engines from AMD, Intel, and ARM manufacturers. Chip-sets from all manufacturers are becoming more power-efficient, with lower thermal design points (TDPs), allowing for cooler, smaller, more powerful devices.


• Other laptop parts are getting thinner too, with 7mm hybrid HDDs utilizing cache-SSD buffers to substantially speed up data access.


• SSD( Solid-state drive) prices are plummeting and will improve performance, while making convertibles sturdier.


• Convergence is already the most powerful trend in mobile computing.

Assessment

Ultimately, many businesses and consumers will find convertible, hybrid, laptop-tablets to be "simply irresistible" to quote a song's lyrics, and resistance will be futile (credit the Borg).