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Ativ Q: a first look at Samsung's new Windows 8 and Android hybrid laptop

Ativ Q: a first look at Samsung's new Windows 8 and Android hybrid laptop

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Gallery Photo: Samsung Ativ Q hands-on photos
Gallery Photo: Samsung Ativ Q hands-on photos

Samsung has just announced one of its latest laptops: the Ativ Q. It dual-boots Android 4.2.2 and Windows 8 in a 13.3-inch device with a super high-resolution display running at 3200 x 1800. Samsung has bundled in its S Pen stylus in a magnesium device. It looks like Acer's Aspire R7, but it's .55 inches and 2.84 pounds so it feels a lot lighter.

The Ativ Q has a unique feature that lets it switch to Android from within Windows 8. It appears to be an application that virtualizes the Android experience, with an app pinned to the Windows 8 Start Screen that launches straight into Android. It runs fullscreen, but it's not usable it you try to snap it to the side and continue using a Windows 8 app.


Like the R7 it also has a hinge that allows you to use it in a variety of modes. You can push the display outwards to reveal a keyboard that feels a little small and which doesn't have trackpad, with a nub instead. The first mode in the traditional sense, but then you can manoeuvre the screen to make it look like a serving tray, before laying it flat. The Ativ Q also supports a mode that will place the screen at the front of the device like a stand almost.

Overall it feels and looks very much like a Samsung device, with a brushed metal appearance on the frame and a matte finish at the rear.

Samsung Ativ Q hands-on photos

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