Several vendors got some space at the Windows 8 Launch here in Singapore. One of the first devices we were able to get our hands on before things got intensely busy was the Samsung Ativ Smart PC Pro. It’s a little docking tablet from the Korean giant, that, naturally, comes with Windows 8. The Ativ at the event wasn’t docked, but it was running the full version of Windows 8, and we were able to sneak in a little hands-on time with it before moving along. Now that we have a little time to process the whole experience, we’ve got a quick little review for you kids!
It’s a pretty handy device. I didn’t have a measuring tape ready, but it was about 7.5 inches high and just shy of 12 inches wide. It has a gorgeous 11.6″ screen that displays in glorious Full HD. It’s quite thin, and reminds me of Samsung’s other, similarly-sized offerings. It sits pretty well in the hand, and weighs well under a kilogram when in tablet mode. It has a pretty even balance, though is a little too large to comfortably walk around with. The Windows 8 experience area didn’t have the base, as the unit was being used to demo the touch-based OS, but we were told that the base would bump the device’s weight up to just under a pound and a half. I can imagine daily carry of the ATIV to be pretty much the same as most laptop form factors, unless you’ve finished all your work and just intend to watch shows. You could very easily and comfortably get away with just this puppy in tablet mode, a case and your regular daily bag. It sits pretty flat, and thrown into the back-most part of a bag, you’d probably forget it was there.
We didn’t really get very much time to play around with the devices, as we were being whisked quickly through the areas that showed us the features of the OS, but in the minute or two I was able to play with the ATIV Smart PC, I was blown away. This was, in all likelihood, the i5 model, and the way it works with the final Windows 8 version is slick as ice. The touch screen is beautifully responsive, and the OS responds to swipes instantly, with no delays. Though more a feature of the OS than the ATIV Smart PC itself, i really like how the screen snap to the correct frame no matter how hard you swipe. It’s like it knows just where you want to go.
All in all, the ATIV Smart PC is a great entry into the Windows 8 device pool. It’s attractive (Samsung has brushed steel backs down to an art), fast and very convenient to have around. If you’re looking for a tablet/Laptop hybrid, this might be just the thing.