Toshiba launches tablets and hybrid laptops on Windows 8.1

Toshiba has announced new Windows 8.1 devices including a pair of updated Encore tablets and two laptop/tablet hybrids with detachable keyboards.

Due to be available from the third quarter of 2014, the new systems comprise the Encore 2 WT10-A and Encore 2 WT8-B tablets, plus the Satellite Click 2 L30W and Satellite Click 2 Pro P30W hybrids.

The Encore 2 WT10-A and Encore 2 WT8-B are 10.1in and 8in tablets respectively, but appear to have identical specifications apart from screen size. Both are based on quad-core Atom processors and run the new Windows 8.1 with Bing edition of the Windows platform, which Microsoft only officially confirmed recently.

Like the Encore that Toshiba launched at the end of last year, the new models are being pitched as mobile companion devices to complement a user's main computer. Both tablets come with a one-year MicrosoftOffice 365 subscription, which offers access to Microsoft's Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, Access and OneNote applications.

Meanwhile, the Satellite Click 2 Pro P30W is described by Toshiba as a detachable ultrabook, weighing in at just over a kilogram as a 13.3in tablet with a full HD (1920x1080) touchscreen, and just over 2kg when docked with its keyboard. It also measures just 11mm thick in tablet mode and from 20mm when used as a clamshell laptop.

"The Satellite Click 2 Pro P30W takes the ultrabook to a new level by offering more flexibility on the go, at home or in the office while still enabling full performance computing and a range of multimedia capabilities," said Sandor van der Ham, vice president of Toshiba's Personal Solutions Group in Europe.

The system is powered by an Intel 4th generation Core i5 processor with up to 8GB memory and 256GB of solid state drive (SSD) storage. Despite its slim dimensions it boasts full-size USB 3.0 ports, but not surprisingly, battery life is quoted as only up to six hours.

Completing the new line-up is the Satellite Click 2 L30W, which is likewise a detachable system comprising a 13.3in tablet and keyboard dock, but this time weighing in at a heavier 1.3kg and 2.2Kg when docked.

This system only features a Core i3 processor and a display resolution up to 1366x768, but is claimed to have a longer battery life at up to eight hours.

Both of the hybrid systems have the same battery life regardless of configuration, which implies there is no second battery in the keyboard dock, unlike with some rival systems.

Pricing for any of the new systems has yet to be disclosed.