On the cusp of this fall’s Windows 8 launch -- and in sync with Intel’s new line of Ivy Bridge CPUs -- this year's Computex tech convention in Taiwan was brimming with devices that blur the line between tablet and notebook.
Yes, the clamshell and slate are this year’s royal newlyweds, the tech world’s answer to William and Kate. It seemed like everywhere we went, someone was showing off a Windows tablet that connects to a keyboard and folds into a laptop or a notebook with a screen that bends backwards to make it a tablet or even a desktop with a screen that detaches.
But convertible computers were not the only exciting new products we saw at Computex 2012. There were plenty of other innovations, from tiny phone projectors to giant Android screens. Here are the six best products of the show.
Best Notebook: Acer Aspire S7
If the PC industry wants to get consumers excited about buying laptops again, more of them are going to have to look like the Acer Aspire S7. Both the 11.6-inch and 13-inch versions packs Intel Ivy Bridge processors and SSDs inside metal bodies that are only .5-inches thick. But the full HD touch-enabled screens are the real stars of the show. Even better, the lids are extremely rigid, allowing them to stay still even when you're poking at it with your finger. The screens even go back a full 180 degrees, allowing you to use the notebook flat against a surface