The Ultrabook convertible is a new style of device, that transforms from a notebook to a tablet and back to help users switch from working at a desk to a more mobile setting without the need for separate devices.
For those that don't know, there is a setting called "Limit reservable bandwidth" which can be edited in your Local Group Policy Editor in Windows 8. This feature limits the system to 80% of the bandwidth of a connection. Normally, this setting is set to "Not Configured" but sometimes configuring this setting will improve your download speed. Try it out and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Hit the Win Key + Q and search for gpedit.msc
Open gpedit.msc
The Local Group Policy Editor will launch. Under Computer Configuration, select Administrative Templates. From there, select Network, and then select QoS Packet Scheduler
Double click on Limit reservable bandwidth and enter 0%
Each tile on Start is connected to a person, app, website, folder, playlist, or whatever else is important to you. Pin as many tiles to Start as you like and move them around so it's just the way you want it.
This isn't the usual wall of static icons: Tiles animate with the latest information. Status updates, weather forecasts, Tweets, and more—you'll see live updates before you even open a single app.
See something, share something
Your photos, websites, that funny video you just saw: Pretty much
anything you're looking at, you can share with others. Instantly.
There's no need to interrupt what you're doing, copy what you want to
share, open another app, and paste it in. Just swipe in from the right
and tap or click Share to immediately send it in email or post it to Facebook.
Touch and mouse
Windows is perfect for PCs with touchscreens, those that have a mouse and keyboard, and those with both. Whatever kind of PC you choose, you'll discover fast and fluid ways to switch between apps, move things around, and move smoothly from one place to another.
Zip around, get it done
Discover fast and fun ways to get around
Pinch
and stretch to zoom in and out. Get a global view of everything
that's on your screen, and slide back and forth to find what you're
looking for.
Swipe in from the left to switch between recently used apps.
Swipe in from the right to get back to Start
and to other things you do often, like searching, sharing, and changing
your settings.
Swipe in from the bottom to see navigation controls for any app you're in.
You can easily do all these things with a mouse, too
The Toshiba Satellite U925t ($1,150) is yet another breed of Windows 8 hardware. It's a slider, to be exact, which is to say its 12.5-inch screen slides out and up to reveal a full-sized keyboard. It's nice, in theory, because you can use it as a tablet without having to worry about packing a separate keyboard. But unlike the Dell XPS 12 or Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13, which can also be used in tablet mode, the screen here is always exposed. As you can imagine, too, that propped-up display has a very real effect on the typing experience. Given all that, is there any reason to consider this over other, similarly priced Windows 8 convertibles? Could there perhaps be any performance benefits, or advantages in screen quality?
Look and feel:
Back in June, if you recall, Toshiba announced an Ultrabook called the Satellite U845W. You might remember it as that funky-looking notebook with a 14.4-inch, 21:9 display, but we think of it a bit differently. To us, it's simply the prettiest, most understated PC Toshiba has put out in a long, long time. It was the mix of materials that sealed the deal: a machined aluminum lid, soft-touch accents, a backlit keyboard and even a metal FCC plate. It was tactile, inviting and, most importantly, subtle.
The U925t isn't an exact copy (it doesn't even have a lid) but it does borrow some key design elements. This, too, has a textured, rubbery finish both on the underside and on the palm rest. As on the U845W, Toshiba went with an inoffensive shade of dark brown. These are also the same flat, chiclet-style keys, just shrunken down to fit a smaller deck. That said, this seems to be a clear step down in build quality. The whole thing is made of plastic, and while the soft-touch materials do a good job masking that, you can still feel it in the keyboard panel, which exhibits some noticeable flex. Also, Toshiba didn't give much thought to how the back of the device looks once you slide out the display and prop it up. That backside has a bare, almost unfinished look -- it's as if Toshiba gave up midway through the design process. On another machine it might pass for industrial; here, it just doesn't match the rest of the design.
As for that display, it's coated in scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass, which is a fortunate thing since the screen is constantly exposed (unless you buy a sleeve for it, of course). We didn't really consider this when we first got hands-on: at the time, we were more concerned with how sturdy the sliding mechanism was (pretty sturdy) or how comfortable the typing experience would be (just okay). It's once you find yourself in possession of an $1,150 machine that you start to feel a bit nervous about sticking it in a bag with other items. As we've found on phones, tablets and other devices, though, the Gorilla Glass does a good job of keeping the screen pristine. So after spending a little time with it, we were able to relax and trust the panel wouldn't get ruined.
One nice thing about this form factor is that you can set it in your lap with the display propped-up and not have to worry about the whole thing toppling backward. The hinge on the backside anchors the display in such a way that you needn't worry about the weight distribution, as you might with a dockable tablet. Of course, too, that slider form factor means you can use the U925t as a tablet when you want to. As we said with the XPS 12, though, you wouldn't want to use a 3.35-pound, 12-inch tablet for long periods of time. Your arms would get tired. If you're hanging out on the couch, however, and can rest the PC against your legs, it makes for a nice lean-back sort of device.
At 3.35 pounds, the U925t is naturally a bit heavier than 12-inch machines that don't have a touchscreen, but it's the exact same weight as the XPS 12, which can also be used as a tablet. Size-wise, the chassis measures 0.78 inch thick, which is just wide enough to accommodate an HDMI socket and two USB 3.0 ports, one of which supports Toshiba's Sleep and Charge technology. Poke around further and you'll find a volume rocker, a key for enabling screen auto-rotation, the power button, a volume rocker and two vents around back. There's even an SD card reader, something you won't find on the Dell XPS 12 Windows 8 convertible. Finally, being a PC you can use as a tablet, this has not one, but two cameras: an HD webcam up front, and a 3-megapixel, autofocusing shooter on the back. On the inside, it supports Intel Wireless Display, like so many Ultrabooks, but it also packs an NFC radio, which is still something of a novelty on laptops.
Keyboard and trackpad:
We're grading on a curve here. When we first got hands-on with the U925t, we said it had a roomier keyboard than most sliders we've seen. And that's true; an inherent problem with this form factor is that when the display is propped up, the hinge 'round back eats into the usable deck space, leaving the keyboard area unusually cramped. We still say the U925t has a better keyboard than the new MSI Slider S20, but that isn't saying much. The layout here still feels crowded compared to the XPS 12, or any other ultraportable with a fully usable keyboard deck.
All told, we were able to type the brunt of this review on it, but we did make plenty of typos along the way. It's a shame the propped-up display takes up so much space, because with a little more room this would have been a great typing experience. Though the keys are a bit shallow, they have a soft finish that feels nice under the fingertips, and we like how the keyboard makes relatively little sound, even when you're typing furiously. The gentle backlighting, too, is a nice touch. (You can turn it off at any time by pressing Fn-Z.)
If you thought the keyboard was crowded, imagine how squat the touchpad is. To its credit, it's wide; it's just not very tall. That's mainly an issue when you're trying to click the built-in touch button (which you might resort to if you're in File Explorer or some other desktop app where precision is needed). In that scenario, it's tough to fit both your thumb and index finger on the trackpad at the same time; your index finger might well brush up against the top of the touchpad, and hit the spacebar.
Fortunately, the touchpad is big enough so that you can comfortably do two-finger scrolling, which works smoothly on this device. You probably won't need the touchpad for pinch-to-zoom because, you know, you can just reach up and use the touchscreen for that.
Display and sound:
In addition to Gorilla Glass protection, the 12.5-inch display offers some good viewing angles, thanks to in-plane switching (IPS) technology. Given that this isn't the sort of machine you're likely to crowd around with friends, you might appreciate the viewing angles most when using the PC in your lap. Using it that way, we had plenty of leeway when adjusting the screen. As for the 1,366 x 768 resolution, that's quite standard among Windows machines, especially models with small screens. It's perfectly adequate for watching movies and getting work done, but it's worth noting that there's a growing number of 1080p offerings out there, including the Dell XPS 12 and the Acer Aspire S7, a 13-inch Ultrabook with a touchscreen. Indeed, we happen to have both of these other machines lying around, and as you'd expect, their screens look crisper, and the difference is noticeable in both the desktop and in Microsoft's Modern UI.
The U925t's two speakers are located on the bottom side of the device, just underneath the palm rest. As you might expect, given the size of the laptop and also the location of the speakers, the sound never gets very loud, even at max settings. Like so many other laptops, too, the sound is decidedly tinny, with clipped bass notes. Those low tones sound especially distorted at top volume, so you might want to keep the volume at a more moderate setting, even if it means making do with a more subdued audio experience.
Software and warranty:
Compared to some other PC makers, Toshiba included quite a bit of bloatware, including: Netflix, eBay, Amazon, Vimeo, Encyclopedia Brittanica, the Merriam-Webster dictionary, iHeartRadio, iCookbook, Origin (EA's game store) and a 30-day trial of Norton Internet Security 2013. Toshiba also threw in some items of its own, including Book Place, News Place and a support guide. Fortunately, at least, crapware in Windows 8 takes the form of an extra cluster of Live Tiles on the Start Menu; none of this will litter the desktop. Annoyingly, some of these programs come pinned to the Taskbar, but you can of course un-pin them if you so choose.
Like most consumer laptops, the U925t comes with a one-year parts-and-labor warranty. The battery also has one year of coverage.
Configuration options and the competition:
The U925t is sold in one configuration on Toshiba's site: the same $1,150 model we tested with the Core i5-3317U processor, 128GB SSD and 4GB of RAM. Those are fairly typical specs, as far as Ultrabooks go, though some power users might lament that they can't configure it with a Core i7 CPU, 8GB of RAM or 256 gigs of storage.
We've already mentioned the U925t's most similar competitors: the Dell XPS 12 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13. Why do we choose these? Well, we were looking for Ultrabooks that could be used as tablets -- specifically, Ultrabooks with 12- or 13-inch screens. Anything bigger would mean making some serious compromises in mobility. For the purposes of keeping things brief, we also won't dwell on regular old touchscreen notebooks, because you can't really use those as tablets, even if you are tapping the display with your finger. So, that leaves us with a fairly small group of machines, with the XPS 12 and Yoga 13 being the most prominent.
If you can get past the XPS 12's odd form factor (that's the one whose screen flips inside the hinge) it's actually a solid little touchscreen Ultrabook. At $1,200 and up, it costs about the same as the U925t, and comes with nearly the same specs, including 4GB of RAM, a 128GB SSD and that Core i5-3317U processor. The big difference is the display: the XPS 12 comes standard with a 1080p IPS panel and yes, it is as lovely as it sounds. The XPS 12 offers nearly identical battery life to the U925t and weighs the same. It can also be configured with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. Its design and build quality are excellent too, but there is one catch: it's missing an SD reader.
As for the Yoga 13, we need to tell you up front that we're still testing it, and aren't ready to weigh in decisively. That said, we're enjoying its comfortable keyboard and solid build quality. As you can see in the above performance tables, its battery life is slightly better than the U925t's, and on par with the XPS 12's. The performance across these three machines seems to be comparable. As for specs, it currently starts at $1,000 with a Core i3 processor, 4GB of RAM, a 128GB SSD and a 1,600 x 900 display. To get the same Core i5 CPU offered in the U925t and XPS 12 you'd have to pay $1,100, which is still slightly less expensive than the Toshiba model.
The good:The Samsung Chromebook is a lightweight, thin, and inexpensive laptop for those times when all you need is a powerful browser.
The bad: The Chromebook's low price comes out in its build quality and performance.
The bottom line:The $249 Samsung Chromebook is a good extra computer for cloud-loving Google-centric Web users.
I find it a reasonable device for those categories, especially for people like myself who already have their heads in the Google cloud with Google Docs, Google Drive, and Gmail. It's got workable if not standout hardware, its battery life is good, it switches on quickly, and the $249 price tag means it's not as much of a commitment as the $450 (or $550 with 3G) Samsung Series 5 550 that arrived in May. However, given its sluggish performance sometimes, I can't say I was blown away by the Samsung Chromebook. It's fine for many tasks, but power users accustomed to having more than a couple dozen browser tabs open should steer clear.
With Google Chromebooks, price really does make all the difference. For those unfamiliar with the term, Chromebooks are laptops running on Google's browser-based, cloud-focused Chrome OS. They're essentially laptops running a Web browser. That doesn't change with the newest Samsung Chromebook (model XE303C12), either. Google's never really been all "Drop what you're using and switch to Chrome OS" about the whole thing, but with this machine it seems to be more up-front about positioning it as a good extra inexpensive computer that lies around the house and can be used for quickly, easily, and securely handling the Web needs of different users. Especially those who've come to rely less and less on traditional installed software.
The big differences between Samsung's XE303C12 and earlier Chromebooks are that the XE303C12 is smaller, with a 11.6-inch screen; lighter and thinner; and very different under the hood. The Samsung Chromebook uses a low-power processor, Samsung's Exynos 5 Dual, which is built on ARM's new dual-core system-on-a-chip Cortex A15 design (prior versions used Intel Atom and Celeron processors). It also has just 2GB of system memory. The design is very compact -- a bit narrower than Apple's 11-inch MacBook Air, but deeper and thicker. It's got a chiclet keyboard, a generously large touch pad, and a scalloped groove where you can use your thumb to flip up the screen. Samsung's battery life claims hold up, too (assuming you're not doing anything too terribly taxing). Medium tweediumThe screen is OK, with pretty good resolution, adequate brightness, and a matte coating to cut down on glare. It's not terribly vivid, though, and doesn't have a very wide viewing angle. As Google claims, this Chromebook can play 1080p video, but the screen resolution is only 1,366x768 pixels, so it's not displaying full HD. In the same vein, the bottom-mounted speakers are workable but produce a muddy sound, especially when muted by fabric on your lap. In general, they're fine for casual use, but you're better off with headphones or external speakers. Although the touch pad doesn't match Apple's (I haven't found one that does yet), it beats out many I've used recently, including some on laptops that are much more expensive. Google wisely adopted some Apple conventions with the touch pad, such as a two-finger tap to right-click and a two-finger swipe to scroll or pan. I find clicking requires too much pressure, but fortunately tapping will do the trick, too.
Those who want something as slim as the ultrabook era promises will be disappointed, in particular by the hinge that protrudes upward along the top when the system's lid is closed down. It's hardly chunky or heavy, though, measuring 0.7 inch thick and weighing in at 2.4 pounds. Frankly, I'm more concerned about light weight and fast wake-up times, and the Samsung Chromebook does well in those areas.
The keyboard is adequate if you've gotten used to the chiclet era (I have). It's not a keyboard for pounders, though: the laptop's body flexes, and it makes a popping noise when I rest my rwrist on the face. And the keyboard isn't backlit. Along the left edge of the laptop are an SD card slot and combination microphone-headphone jack. On the back are a USB 2.0 port, a USB 3.0 port (a first for a Chromebook), and an HDMI 1.4 port. A USB dongle for Ethernet is included if you can't or don't want to use the 802.11n Wi-Fi. A serviceable Webcam perches above the screen. Inside is 16GB of flash memory, but people with ordinary amounts of videos, music, photos, and letters will have to rely on Google Drive for some storage. Happily, Google gives Samsung Chromebook customers 100GB of space for two years.
Chrome OS, of course Hardware is only half the story here, though. The Chromebook is great for a $249 device, and it shows what an ARM-based system can do, but if you're not OK with Chrome OS, you should steer clear. Those who don't spend the bulk of their computing life in reach of Internet access -- wireless or wired -- should think twice, too. Chrome OS, for the uninitiated, puts a version of Google's Chrome browser on top of a Linux foundation. Where Linux PCs run Linux apps, though, Chrome OS devices run browser apps. That's huge, since you can do more and more on the Web. But you can't run several popular programs -- iTunes, Skype, Portal 2, Microsoft Office, Photoshop, Spotify, or the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search program, to name a few. Aiming the Chromebook at people who want another device around the house, though, makes those shortcomings not necessarily be major drawbacks. There are plenty of times when all you need to do is check e-mail, read some news, load a recipe, make a bank payment, click around YouTube, or spend time on Facebook. For that, it's a very economical device. Its fast startup speed is conducive to flipping it open for a few moments and then plopping it down on the counter or coffee table again when you're done. (Its Wi-Fi is very fast to reconnect, too.)
And of course ordinary Web pages work as they would on any other machine. For apps, including games, you can visit the Chrome Web Store for freebies and purchases. You can pin apps and Web sites you like by right-clicking (err, two-finger-tapping) on the tab, at which point it becomes narrow and stays put. If you're wondering whether to get this or a tablet, though, you'll have to assess your priorities. Tablets have a wealth of entertaining apps and better battery life (in our tests the Chromebook got up to about 6 hours). But when it's time to type, I find Chromebooks much more agreeable than using my iPad and Kensington Bluetooth keyboard or my Transformer Prime with its own keyboards.
One other factor that could help tip the balance: the Chromebook has 3G networking capability. For $80 more, you can get this model with Verizon 3G service. You're limited to 100MB of free data a month for two years under the terms of the deal provided with this Chromebook, but you can buy extra 3G data as needed. Straining to keep up My biggest area of complaint about the Samsung Chromebook is performance. In short, it struggles under a load, especially when there are many browser tabs open. For example, text sometimes arrived sluggishly in a long Google Docs word-processing document, and paging up and down through even simple, moderately long documents could be excruciating. Another problem: a YouTube video playing a song in the background paused when I tabbed away to another task. Another video stuttered while I was scrolling in Google Docs.
My current favorite browser torture test, panning across my nine columns of Twitter feeds in the TweetDeck Web app, could be slow on the Chromebook. And something I hadn't seen before: initiating a new tweet often took the Chromebook 5 or 6 seconds before a window appeared where I could type. You can forget about doing any serious photo or video editing, as well. The Chromebook must reload older tabs that haven't been used in a while. That's a fair strategy for devoting limited memory to the task at hand, but it happens more often than I'd like -- when revisiting The New York Times or Hipmunk sites after just a half hour away, for example. Closing down tabs to keep it to a half dozen seemed to help, though. And I have seen firsthand that Google really does improve the operating system steadily with its six-week update cycle, so today's problems could ease with future releases of the operating system. Really? No right-Delete key? I'd like to share a couple of comments here on Chromebooks in general, which I generally use for more than 10 hours a week for work and personal tasks. Perhaps I'm a relic from a bygone age, but I really miss the right Delete button so common on Windows keyboards but missing from Chromebooks and MacBooks. I certainly type text more than the average person, so maybe I feel this pain more acutely, but even with e-mails and Facebook posts it's very handy not to have to position your cursor exactly right to delete text. I also wish there were a way to set the keyboard repeat rate and the delay (too long for my tastes) before a key held down will start repeating. And for a company as global as Google, it's a shame there's no way to get accented characters through a long press, a feature I love in OS X or using the SwiftKey Android keyboard. Keyboard fans also should learn that Page Down and Page Up keys can be simulated with the Alt-down-arrow and Alt-up-arrow combinations, and you can move the cursor to the beginning or end of a line of text by using Ctrl-Alt-up arrow and Ctrl-Alt-down arrow.
There's no Caps Lock button, and you probably won't miss it. In its place is a search key -- this is a Google device, after all. Pressing it will pop up the grid of icons in the apps launcher. You can arrow around the grid to launch an app, or if you start typing it behaves like Chrome's Omnibox, which is to say it will open a Web page or launch a Google search. (You can change the default search engine if you prefer Bing or other alternatives.) Confusingly for people who are used to Windows 7 and Windows 8 or OS X's Spotlight function, Google Drive documents don't show in the search results list. Perhaps that'll arrive in a future update, though -- Google has just begun a field trial in which Google Drive documents appear in Google search results. Conclusion Overall, the Samsung Chromebook is a solid device for the price when used for occasional Web tasks, especially for Google-centric people.
For those of you who have installed Windows 8 and are looking for a comprehensive list of keyboard shortcuts to save you some time, look no further. If you have discovered any more shortcuts, please post them in the comments below.
Windows key: Switch between Modern Desktop Start screen and the last accessed application Windows key + C: Access the charms bar Windows key + Tab: Access the Modern Desktop Taskbar Windows key + I: Access the Settings charm Windows key + H: Access the Share charm Windows key + K: Access the Devices charm Windows key + Q: Access the Apps Search screen Windows key + F: Access the Files Search screen Windows key + W: Access the Settings Search screen Windows key + P: Access the Second Screen bar Windows key + Z: Brings up the App Bar when you have a Modern Desktop App running Windows key + X: Access the Windows Tools Menu Windows key + O: Lock screen orientation Windows key + . : Move the screen split to the right Windows key + Shift + . : Move the screen split to the left Windows key + V: View all active Toasts/Notifications Windows key + Shift + V: View all active Toasts/Notifications in reverse order Windows key + PrtScn: Takes a screenshot of the screen and automatically saves it in the Pictures folder as Screenshot Windows key + Enter: Launch Narrator Windows key + E: Open Computer Windows key + R: Open the Run dialog box Windows key + U: Open Ease of Access Center Windows key + Ctrl + F: Open Find Computers dialog box Windows key + Pause/Break: Open the System page Windows key + 1..10: Launch a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number Windows key + Shift + 1..10: Launch a new instance of a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number Windows key + Ctrl + 1..10: Access the last active instance of a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number Windows key + Alt + 1..10: Access the Jump List of a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number Windows key + B: Select the first item in the
Notification Area and then use the arrow keys to cycle through the items
Press Enter to open the selected item Windows key + Ctrl + B: Access the program that is displaying a message in the Notification Area Windows key + T: Cycle through the items on the Taskbar Windows key + M: Minimize all windows Windows key + Shift + M: Restore all minimized windows Windows key + D: Show/Hide Desktop (minimize/restore all windows) Windows key + L: Lock computer Windows key + Up Arrow: Maximize current window Windows key + Down Arrow: Minimize/restore current window Windows key + Home: Minimize all but the current window Windows key + Left Arrow: Tile window on the left side of the screen Windows key + Right Arrow: Tile window on the right side of the screen Windows key + Shift + Up Arrow: Extend current window from the top to the bottom of the screen Windows key + Shift + Left/Right Arrow: Move the current window from one monitor to the next Windows key + F1: Launch Windows Help and Support PageUp: Scroll forward on the Modern Desktop Start screen PageDown: Scroll backward on the Modern Desktop Start screen Esc: Close a charm Ctrl + Esc: Switch between Modern Desktop Start screen and the last accessed application Ctrl + Mouse scroll wheel: Activate the Semantic Zoom on the Modern Desktop screen
Alt: Display a hidden Menu Bar Alt + D: Select the Address Bar Alt + P: Display the Preview Pane in Windows Explorer Alt + Tab: Cycle forward through open windows Alt + Shift + Tab: Cycle backward through open windows Alt + F: Close the current window Open the Shut Down Windows dialog box from the Desktop Alt + Spacebar: Access the Shortcut menu for current window Alt + Esc: Cycle between open programs in the order that they were opened Alt + Enter: Open the Properties dialog box of the selected item Alt + PrtScn: Take a screen shot of the active Window and place it in the clipboard Alt + Up Arrow: Move up one folder level in Windows Explorer (Like the Up Arrow in XP) Alt + Left Arrow: Display the previous folder Alt + Right Arrow: Display the next folder Shift + Insert: CD/DVD Load CD/DVD without triggering Autoplay or Autorun Shift + Delete: Permanently delete the item (rather than sending it to the Recycle Bin) Shift + F6: Cycle backward through elements in a window or dialog box Shift + F10: Access the context menu for the selected item Shift + Tab: Cycle backward through elements in a window or dialog box Shift + Click: Select a consecutive group of items Shift + Click on a Taskbar button: Launch a new instance of a program Shift + Right-click on a Taskbar button: Access the context menu for the selected item Ctrl + A: Select all items Ctrl + C: Copy the selected item Ctrl + X: Cut the selected item Ctrl + V: Paste the selected item Ctrl + D: Delete selected item Ctrl + Z: Undo an action Ctrl + Y: Redo an action Ctrl + N: Open a new window in Windows Explorer Ctrl + W: Close current window in Windows Explorer Ctrl + E: Select the Search box in the upper right corner of a window Ctrl + Shift + N: Create new folder Ctrl + Shift + Esc: Open the Windows Task Manager Ctrl + Alt + Tab: Use arrow keys to cycle through open windows Ctrl + Alt + Delete: Access the Windows Security screen Ctrl + Click: Select multiple individual items Ctrl + Click and drag an item: Copies that item in the same folder Ctrl + Shift + Click and drag an item: Creates a shortcut for that item in the same folder Ctrl + Tab: Move forward through tabs Ctrl + Shift + Tab: Move backward through tabs Ctrl + Shift + Click on a Taskbar button: Launch a new instance of a program as an Administrator Ctrl + Click on a grouped Taskbar button: Cycle through the instances of a program in the group F1: Display Help F2: Rename a file F3: Open Search F4: Display the Address Bar list F5: Refresh display F6: Cycle forward through elements in a window or dialog box F7: Display command history in a Command Prompt F10: Display hidden Menu Bar F11: Toggle full screen display Tab: Cycle forward through elements in a window or dialog box PrtScn: Take a screen shot of the entire screen and place it in the clipboard Home: Move to the top of the active window End: Move to the bottom of the active window Delete: Delete the selected item Backspace: Display the previous folder in Windows Explorer Move up one folder level in Open or Save dialog box Esc: Close a dialog box Num Lock Enabled + Plus (+): Display the contents of the selected folder Num Lock Enabled + Minus (-): Collapse the selected folder Num Lock Enabled + Asterisk (*): Expand all subfolders under the selected folder
Press Shift 5 times Turn StickyKeys on or off
Hold down right Shift for 8 seconds Turn FilterKeys on or off
Hold down Num Lock for 5 seconds Turn ToggleKeys on or off
Credits to Microsoft's Yash Tolia for putting this list together.
The new touch-friendly Windows 8 makes it possible for manufacturers to introduce new form factors and designs for notebooks and tablets, most of which fall into the Ultrabook Convertible category. Some Windows 8 notebooks feature touchscreens, but look just like a regular notebook, but others are bringing out new form factors that function as tablets and notebooks. This is a collection of 10 Ultrabook Convertibles, devices that convert from one form factor to another, either from an Ultrabook into a tablet or the reverse. Ultrabook Convertibles allow users to carry one device that acts as a tablet and as a notebook. Finding the right Ultrabook Convertible can be a challenge, but shoppers should decide what they want the Ultrabook Convertible to be better at, being a notebook or being a tablet. The devices below include Ultrabook Cnvertible devices that fit both categories.
Acer Aspire S7
The Acer Aspire S7 is a bit different from the other Ultrabooks on this list in that it doesn’t fully transform into a tablet, but its keyboard does lay flat to make sharing the screen easier. The big draw of the S7 lineup is the lineup’s simplicity. The S7 comes in 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch models starting at $1199.99 and $1399.99. Amazingly, the 11.6-inch model holds a multi touch 1080p display and 128GB of storage for a price that’s about equal to a MacBook Air.
HP ENVY x2
The HP ENVY x2 is, in many ways, the natural evolution of the netbook. It’s powered by the latest dual-core Intel Atom Z2760 CPU, and only supports up to 64GB of storage space. It is, however, very portable. The ENVY x2 weighs 3.11 pounds with the keyboard dock, but is lighter as just a tablet. It’s a tablet that runs full Windows 8 and gains a longer battery life when docked into a keyboard.The HP ENVY x@ will arrive in stores in December and has no announced price.
Asus Transformer Book
The Asus Transformer Book takes Asus’ expertise in Android tablets with docks and applies it to Windows 8. The Transformer Book has a 13.3-inch 1080p display and can choose either the Intel Core i5 or i7 CPU. The tablet holds 128GB of storage space for essential apps and files. The keyboard dock adds a number of ports to the tablet including 2 USB 3.0 ports, an SD card reader, ethernet, as well as an additional 500GB of HDD storage. It’s the only convertible so far with a keyboard dock that adds extra storage space.
Samsung ATIV Smart PC Pro
The Samsung ATIV Smart PC Pro is a powerful Windows 8 tablet that also docks into a keyboard dock. The ATIV Smart PC Pro uses the latest Intel Core i5 CPU and has an 11.6-inch 1080p display like the Acer Aspire S7. It’s the only tablet in the list to feature pen input. Samsung includes an S Pen with the Smart PC Pro along with S Note for easy note taking and sketching.The Samsung ATIV Smart PC Pro is available now starting at $1,119.99.
Lenovo ThinkPad Twist
The Lenovo ThinkPad Twist is the a more traditional convertible Windows 8 laptop. It’s screen twists around and lay on top of the keyboard to create a tablet.It has all the flexibility of the Yoga 13 but with a different design for much less money. The Lenovo Twist has a 12.1-inch display, uses the latest Intel Core CPUs, and can hold up to 128GB of SSD storage or 500GB of HDD storage.The Lenovo ThinkPad Twist is available now starting at $829 when not on sale.
Asus TAICHI
The Asus TAICHI is perhaps the most different device in the category because it uses two screens instead of one. Whereas other convertibles have flipping or rotating displays, the TAICHI simply has a second touchscreen on the back of the lid. Users can choose to use just one screen at a time or both screens in mirroring and presentation modes.The Asus TAICHI is not yet available, it will come in both 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch varieties when it does come to market.
Toshiba Satellite U925t
The Toshiba Satellite U925t looks somewhat like a standard laptop with a somewhat small track pad and a lot of extra plastic behind where the keyboard rests on the screen. That’s because the U925t’s special feature is the screen slides on top of the keyboard to form a tablet. The Satellite U925t uses and Intel Core i5 CPU, and comes with 128GB of SSD storage. The Toshiba Satellite U925t is available now starting at $1149.99.
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13
The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 was one of the first Windows 8 convertible announced early this year. It features a screen that rotates 360 degrees to rest beneath the keyboard in tablet form. Lenovo is happy to point out the Yoga 13 can rest in myriad other positions including the “stand” and “tent” modes.The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 is available now starting at $999.99.
Dell XPS 12 Convertible Ultrabook
The Dell XPS 12 Convertible Ultrabook looks like a typical Dell XPS laptop, but has a special rotating hinge to turn it into a tablet. The XPS 12′s screen can rotate to rest on top of the keyboard in tablet mode, or close as a typical laptop. It uses the latest Intel Core i CPUs and has a 1080p resolution on its 12-inch display.The Dell XPS 12 Convertible Ultrabook is available now and starts at $1199.99.
Sony VAIO Duo 11
The Sony VAIO Duo 11 is a strange device in that it lacks a touchpad of any sort. The screen on the VAIO Duo 11 slides and tilts up just enough to reveal a keyboard and nothing else. There is a small trackpoint in the middle of the keyboard and button below the space bar, but users will likely want to stick with gestures on the touchscreen instead. The VAIO Duo 11 uses the latest Intel Core CPUs and has a 1080p resolution.The Sony VAIO Duo 11 is available now starting at $1099.99.LIKE #Ultrabook Convertible on Facebook.Tweet @u_convertibleAdd on Google+
