Samsung unveils Series 5 Ultrabook in South Korea - Android General

Samsung unveils its new Series 5 Ultrabook powered by Intel’s Core i5 processor in South Korea. The device will be available in two sizes, 13-inch and 14-inch.
The 13-inch Series 5 Ultrabook features an anti-reflective 1366×768 display. The device is equipped with 500GB HDD with 16GB SSD and integrated Intel graphics. Other basic features includes WI-Fi, Ethernet and ports like USB, HDMI and VGA. The thickness of this 1.4kg device is 14.9mm.
On the other hand, apart from the size, the display of 14-inch Ultrabook is similar to that of 13-inch. The device is equipped with 1TB HDD with 16GB SSD, AMD HD7550M GPU and an optical disc drive. The 1.8kg device is packed in an aluminum chassis with 20.9mm thickness.............
http://mirolta.com/2011/12/12/samsu...-by-intel’s-core-i5-processor-in-south-korea/

if it doesn't run Android, i don't want it

I need a new laptop anyways. :3
Depends on the pricing of the 14" though. If it's over $1200, i'm not going for it. xP

I bought a Samsung laptop two years ago. It still running perfectly but one of the RAM slots broke after about 8 month. So be warned.

Related

New Android Mini PC!! 3G options, up to 128Gb of storage, bluetooth. etc

A new technology startup, Stella Mira, is entering the compact computing arena with their new device, the Pocket Console. Like many other flash drive sized mini computers we have seen lately, the Pocket Console features an Arm Allwinner A10 chip clocked at 1.5GHz, along with 1GB of Ram and Wi-Fi built on board. It also includes Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity, like the FXI Cotton Candy. And 8GB of flash storage, which is double that of the popular MK802 mini computer. Best of all it's priced at $129, which although being priced higher than the MK802, is still significantly cheaper than the Cotton Candy. The device also features 3 full sized USB 2.0 ports, 1 mini USB port, and a microSD card slot. And, of course, an HDMI port, enabling it to connect to practically any screen around. As far as software goes, the device runs Mira's customized version of android four dot zero, which is said to include a variety of popular apps preloaded such as spotify and angry birds along with support for the most popular game pads, and emulators are built right into it. Stella Mira has also announced that they will begin accepting pre orders in September for a 3G capable version of the Pocket Console. You can also buy a dock like accessory for your Pocket Console, unsurprisingly called the Pocket Dock which comes pre loaded with your favorite Linux distro (granted it can run on the Pocket Console). Stella Mira's website claims that they have built customized versions of both Lubuntu 12.04 and Ubuntu 12.04 that run "beautifully". Not much information is given of what these customized versions entail so that remains to be seen in the near future. I have reached out to Stella Mira and am awaiting more information on the Pocket Console and Pocket Dock. Until I hear back, the Pocket Console seems to be a really great contender in the mini pc market and for $129 I really don't think you could regret giving it a try, I know I certainly will.
Couple of corrections, it's not a 1.5 ghz a10 cpu it is actually a 1 ghz single core a8 cpu and mali 400 gpu. It is the board that is called an a10 as in allwinner a10.
The 1.5 ghz comes from people adding the gpu and cpu frequencies together. If you see the ebay page you will see this is how they arrive at that clock speed but it isn't actually that speed.
The 3G version is to be nearly $200 and even at $129 for basic four gig version with no extras this will be dearer than the next mk802 yet have the same specs.
Unless it sells for as good or better price than the next mk will do, the mira pc won't do as well not least because it only ships to usa and is dearer than similar spec products.
It isn't really offering anything new other than bluetooth (which new mk will apparently have) and the dock.
It is a nice design but as, when it begins shipping (and even then only to some who order early because others have to wait) there will be equally specced devices cheaper, it will need more than it has to create a lot of orders.
It certainly needs to be available in europe and start a little lower in price and to make more advertising advantage of its heatsink feature (if its promo pics are accurate it may have one).
Dave
( http://www.google.com/producer/editions/CAownKXmAQ/bigfatuniverse )
Sent from my LG P920 using Tapatalk 2
tradesteady said:
Yes, Get to know that the Android Mini PC factory will also released the 3G mini pc, and it will arm with dual core,the price not in public yet just wait and see...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your link doesn't show anything other than 3G modems. How does that pertain to the op's hdmi pc post?
Dave
( http://www.google.com/producer/editions/CAownKXmAQ/bigfatuniverse )
Sent from my LG P920 using Tapatalk 2
As an observation, The MK802 already does have bluetooth possibility. just not in the stock firmware. I am running lubuntu on mine, and bluetooth works just fine. And as others have already stated, all the allwinner a10 devices are really only 1.0ghz not 1.5. I don't see anything with this new device worth spending almost double the $68 my MK802 cost me.

[Q] Android mini pc

Hi, Can any one tell me
1. What is the difference between a "mini pc" an "android stick" ,a "tv box" ex' ?
2. What is the difference between Mk802III and Mk809II or it is the same gadget ?
3. What is the most powerful android mini pc that I can buy today (20 february 2013) ?
4. Is there a device like the above with four core cpu that has more speed, and can multitask better ?
I new to the forum so be patient with me please.
Thank you
the android stick usually has the form factor or a usb memory, just a bit larger and heavier.it has just one or two usb ports and an mini hdmi video output. minipc and tv box are usually more complex and include card reader, more usb ports and depend on design, more video out interfaces.
i never seen a android stick with a quad core cpu, usually they has cheap one core 1ghz cpu.
what is the best you can buy? well, hard to tell, usually i got some on ebay from china and very rarely i see the same object on sale more than once. pay attention when you buy one because they try to fake and say 1.5ghz cpu, while in the end it has a 1ghz cpu and 0.5ghz gpu

price does not matter. want to buy Best 13.3 inch Notebook for apps development

hi I am Ornob. Planning to learn android apps development. So I want to buy a notebook. but I am so confused which brand and which configuration should I buy. I like macbook pro retina display but 13 inch macbook pro core i7 is "dual core". here is the link https://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/specs-retina/ on the hand macbook pro retina display 15 inch is core i7 quad core but it's too big for me to carry a 15 inch laptop all the time. Maximum developer suggest mac and I have a plane to go ios after android. So mac is the best choice for me. But is core i7 dual core will be wise decision for long term? I have no plan to change to the laptop before two years.
there are some quad core core i7 13 inch notebook available in different brand. like toshiba, hp, lenovo, dell
and some core i7 processor is "HQ" some are "MQ" and also some are "U". specially core i7 U for Ultrabook. all brands have their individual ultrabook which are looks gorgeous and maximum ultra-book give longer battery life which is impressive! But.... core i7 "U" processor not powerful as like core i7 HQ or MQ processor!! Am I wrong?
Price does not matter. I have no budget limitation just want to buy the best 13.3 inch notebook to learn android development. I always will carry my notebook, so it should be 13 to 14 inch.
does anybody help me to chose the best and most powerful notebook for android apps development.
please help me, my class will start after 20 days so I need to buy my notebook within 20 days!
please!!!

Dragonfly Futurefön

I came across the following product on IndieGogo, and I have to admit that I got really curious by their story. They designed a device that combines a phone, a tablet and a laptop. And not only that, but you actually get a 7 inch phone and a 2x7 inch dualscreen laptop. Tabletmode is the 7 inch phone with a very special dock which will be explained later. Oh, and the device runs Android and Windows. Simultaneously.
To dive right into the specs, click here. To read the story and see the full indiegogo page, click here.
Specs
The windroid version comes with a i5 or i7 processor (t.b.d.), 4 or 8 gb of ram and 256gb of SSD storage. The graphics card will be the intel 4400 or 5000 series.
The phone (and tablet) come equipped with a Snapdragon 801 (can change to the 810 closer to production), 3gb of ram, 16,32 of 64 gb of storage and a 3200mAh battery (which can increase closer to production).
The pure android version doesn't have the seperate windows hardware and functions solely with the phone hardware. The phone also comes with a bluetooth headset and touch pen.
Prijs
The Windroid version can be pre-ordered on Indiegogo for 400 dollars. The Android version is priced at 300 dollars. When released the pricing is planned to be 799 and 599 dollars respectively.
I think the pricing on both of these devices is amazing for the stuff you get, both the Indiegogo and release prices. The are some drawbacks though, especially if you are an intensive laptop user. Double screen is nice, but 2x7" is extremely small to work comfortably. What do you guys think? Is this the "next big thing"?

The Cube i7 hands-on review – the first Core-M tablet from China

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Cube is well-known for their cost-efficient Android tablets, which matched those market-leading flagship slates in terms of overall performance while having a much lower price. And last year, this Chinese company started to enter new areas such as the smart accessories as well as Windows tablets to compensate its shrinking Android tablet business.
Cube's first-ever business-focused high-end tablet, the i7, is a superior system in every way. With a stunning, high-resolution screen and a wider range of connections, but it’s the upgrade to the extremely powerful Intel Core-M processor that is most telling. Also, with Windows 8.1 and the full range of applications at its disposal, the i7 feels like a stronger, more flexible device.
Cube i7 main specs:
• OS: Windows 8.1 with Bing (64-bit)
• Screen: 11.6-inch IPS, 10-point multi-touch, IGZO
• Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (16:9)
• CPU: Intel Broadwell Core-M 5Y10c
• CPU Frequency: 0.8GHz (Base clock) – 2.0GHZ (Turbo clock)
• GPU: Intel HD Graphics 5300
• RAM / Storage: 4GB DDR3L / 128GB SSD
• Function: WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, 4G, USB Host, HDMI
• WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n, WiFi hotspot
• GSM: band2, band3, band5, band8
• TDS: band34, band39
• WCDMA: band1, band5
• TDD: band38, band39, band40, band41
• FDD: band1, band3, band7
• Camera: 5MP back camera, 2MP front camera
• Battery: 7.4V - 5,000mAh
• Ports: Micro SD Card Slot, Micro USB 3.0 Port, Micro SIM Card Slot, 3.5mm Headphone Jack, DC Charging Port
• Size: 297*180*9.1mm, Weight: 840g
Design
Cube i7 (left), Acer W700 (right)
Android tablets and Apple iPads might be fighting it out for the thinnest, lightest tablet title, but Windows tablets normally are not competing that fiercely in this department. With its unusual 11.6-inch screen and rather big bezel, the Cube i7, which is 9.1mm thick and 840 grams in weight, is neither particularly svelte nor particularly light by tablet standards. It is as thick as the Microsoft Surface Pro3, which also measures at 9.1mm.
But if we compare it to the older Windows tablet models, we found it a much more compact slate than products such as the Microsoft Surface Pro 2 (13.5mm, 907g) and the Acer ICONIA W700 (11.9mm, 950g). The reason that the Cube i7 is much slimmer than most of its competitors is because it is fanless, and we will discuss this later in our review. With that said, it’s a little too heavy to use comfortably one-handed, and makes more sense if you have it resting on the arm of a chair or your lap while you tap away.
On the plus side, the relatively large bezel makes it very easy to grip, and you have to twist quite hard before there’s a hint of give where the corners meet the sliver metallic rim.
The rear cover sports Cube and Intel Inside logos, while there’s a plastic piece at the top where the 5-megapixel camera pokes through.
The i7 is an incredibly promising tablet when it comes to connectivity. It has a 3.5mm headphone jack, a Micro SD card slot, a Micro-HDMI port for an external display and – best of all – a micro USB 3.0 port as well as a Micro SIM card slot. With these two, it can connect to any USB 2.0 or 3.0 device that will run on Windows 8.1 and access the internet almost anywhere. Fortunately, the i7 is charging through an independent DC port, and I personally prefer this design rather than charging through the Micro USB 3.0 port because we often need to use the USB port to connect to other USB devices such as a mouse or external storages. What’s more, with Bluetooth 4.0 and dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi, it couldn’t be better equipped for wireless connectivity. The only negative I could think of is that the Micro SD card slot featured on the i7 only supports cards up to 32GB, which could potentially be a pain in the ass in the time coming.
There are only two physical buttons – the power/standby key and the volume rocker, both hosted on the top edge of the tablet.
The Touch Windows Key is located on the front panel, below the display. And the front facing 2MP camera is in the middle of bezel above the screen.
Look at the bottom of the tablet and you’ll also spot another connector which connects its keyboard magnetically. Sadly, the keyboard cover, although already on sale as a standard accessory which is included in the retail package, isn’t available for test. That’s a shame. With a keyboard cover attached Cube i7 could rival the Surface Pro 2 as a convertible ultrabook-style device.
The Cube i7's build quality is solid - it has to be at this thickness to ensure rigidity - but not as altogether epic as the Surface Pro 3's look and feel. Cube's use of a blue metallic shell gives the tablet decent premium feel, but it doesn’t offer multi-color options like the Microsoft Surface does.
Screen and sound
Cube understands well that 1920 x 1080 is the new baseline standard for a high-end tablet, despite the operating system it runs. So we get a full HD 1080p 11.6-inch screen on the i7. That’s tangibly larger than the screen on your average tablet, and 1-inch larger than the screen on the Surface Pro2. That’s bad news for pixel density, but good news if you plan to get some work done, as that little extra bit of screen real estate makes it easier to see what you’re doing if you’re working on Office documents, browsing complex web pages or using the Windows Snap split-screen view. With that said, I personally prefer the 12-inch display on the Surface Pro 3, the 3:2 screen aspect ratio makes better sense for business use, which is the ultimate selling point of Windows tablets.
Quality of the i7’s display, meanwhile, is extremely good. Text still looks smooth and crisp, and while the display isn’t the brightest we’ve seen – particularly when you compared it to the ultra-bright panel on the Acer ICONIA W700 – it does have wide viewing angles and an impressive richness and depth of color to compensate. It’s an excellent screen for entertainment, but a good screen for productivity, as well.
Audio is a mixed bag. It’s clearer and much more detailed than you generally get from a tablet, with a wider stereo sound. Unfortunately it’s also a little thin, a little bit wearing and doesn’t offer much in the volume department, particularly if you’re playing music or watching some Action films. The Cube i7 is nowhere near what the Dolby enhanced Acer ICONIA W700 can do in terms of the volume of the speakers.
As with the vast majority of tablets, we’d recommend headphones if you want decent sonic experience.
Performance
Cube has equipped the i7 with an Intel Core-M CPU, which has a base clock of 0.8-1.0GHZ and a Turbo clock of 2.0GHZ, Aided by the incredibly beefy Graphics HD 5300, 4GB of DDR3 RAM and a 128GB Solid State Drive, it is surprisingly fleet of foot. For those who don’t know much about Intel’s Core-M processor, it is a new 14 nanometer processor which matches the horsepower of the Intel Core-i5 Haswell series CPU yet doesn’t need fan cooling!
As a standalone tablet, the i7 delivered, with good on-screen typing, an accelerometer that wasn't too sensitive. Volume controls on the top edge, along with Micro-USB and Micro-SD card slots make it reasonably easy to use this as a standalone device. Startup and application load times are swift, and the SSD is much faster than the eMMc drive we've encountered with budget Windows tablets. Sequential read and write speeds of 504MB/sec and 139MB/sec respectively in the AS SSD benchmark are respectable. To make it short, you won’t be needing any more performance if you use the i7 as a tablet, full stop.
Of course, for a more all-day experience, you'll want to add a keyboard and touch pad or mouse. Cube makes it easy, with a snap-on keyboard dock that transforms the combined system into a traditional clamshell laptop. Although our test unit doesn't come with the customized keyboard base, we had no problem connecting the i7 with different Bluetooth and Wireless keyboards.
Unlike the entry-level Atom Bay-trail powered Windows tablets, which normally struggle with heavier desktop applications. The Cube i7 is built for serious tasks, most of the heavy desktop apps worked brilliantly.
If you find benchmark testing more convincing, the i7 was returned some impressive scores by various benchmarks, beating similar devices such as the Acer ICONIA W700 in most of the benchmark tests.
In the Cinebench Release 10, the Cube i7 was returned a score of 8,616, which didn’t match the 9,324 notched by the Surface Pro 3 (i5, 4GB RAM), but trumped the Acer ICONIA W700 and those entry-level Windows tablets such as the ASUS A100T and Cube iWork 10.
OpenGL is not a strong suite of the Core-M series processor, yet the Cube i7 still managed to get a score close to the test results of those i5 powered tablets in the Cinebench Release 11.5’s OpenGL test. Its CPU performance, according to the Cinebench CPU test, is somewhere between the Surface Pro 3 (i5, 4GB RAM) and the Acer W700.
The Fritz Chess Benchmark returned a score of 3,877, which was indeed far behind the 4,899 by the Surface Pro 3, but still quite ahead of the 2,983 by the Acer W700.
The web browsing performance of the i7 was exceptionally good. In the Sunspider test, the Cube i7 was returned a score of 82.5ms, which was the best I have ever seen on a tablet.
However, in the more graphic-intense Peacekeeper test, the i7’s scored less than the Surface Pro 3 and the Acer ICONIA W700.
Ludashi benchmark focus on the overall performance of a PC, and the Cube i7 also got a decent score running this test.
The HD Graphics 5300 embedded in the Core-M Processor is a slightly more powerful GPU than the HD4000 or HD4200 embedded in the 3rd and 4th generation of i-series processors, and even beats some entry-level discrete graphics, however, it still doesn’t match the performance of the HD4600 and HD5200, both of which have a higher voltage.
The i7 is clearly not a system designed for heavy 3D game lovers, although it is able to run most of the 3D games in acceptable frame rates. But as it is fanless, the heat could be overwhelming if you keep running graphic-intense games for a long period of time.
But if we are talking about business and everyday use, the Cube i7, when paired with a keyboard and a mouse, is a nearly perfect choice. I received the Cube i7 before the Chinese New Year break, and have done a lot of travelling since. I have been using my i7 to check emails, set up meetings and prepare business presentations. I have almost given up the desktop PC in my office because all the most updated business files and emails are now stored in my i7. I only need to connect it to a monitor when the 11.6-inch display feels too small for those complicated Excel sheets.
Even though the Cube i7 is a little more business-focused, but let’s not underestimate its potential for entertainment use. My Samsung Galaxy Tab has also been left unbooted for days as I have been using the i7 to stream my favorite TV shows and entertainment news. With the Windows 8.1 OS, I don’t need to worry about codec support for different formats of video files, like I normally do with Android tablets and iPads. It is true that Android and iOS have more multimedia applications and games designed around a touchscreen, but the number of apps in the Windows 8 store is also growing fast. And neither Android nor OS comes anywhere near Windows 8.1 when it comes to the total number of applications.
Many readers might be concerned about the heat dissipation of the i7’s fanless design like I did upon receiving my unit. The truth is, the i7 does get a little warm after a few hours of consecutive use, but never to a point where you want to get your hands off it.
Overall the i7 excels as a workhorse Windows 8 slate tablet. It's got a lot more performance potential than those Atom BayTrail-equipped Windows 8 tablets. Plus, a detachable keyboard base, which is included in the retail package, can turn the i7 into a full ultrabook. Therefore, the i7 can replace both your tablet and laptop. But if you only want a device for intense 3D gaming, it makes better sense to get a desktop PC with high-end discrete graphics and cooling fans.
Connectivity
Like we mentioned earlier in the review, the i7 offers a great deal in connectivity. Besides the USB port, Micro SD card slot, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth we normally get from a Windows tablet. The i7 also includes a Micro SIM card slot which supports both 4G FDD-LTE and TDD-LTE data services.
Internet access via the 4G and 3G networks is swift. And the Bluetooth 4.0 on board means you don’t always need the OTG adapter if you want to connect your tablet with input devices or an external audio system. With an SSD inside the shell, data transmission through the Micro USB 3.0 port is several times faster than through a USB 2.0 port on a laptop with HDD storage.
Keyboard Base
The keyboard base, which is included in the retail package, can easily be attached to the i7 through the magnetic connectors, instantly turning the i7 into a full laptop. Sadly, the base can only make the i7 stand with a fixed angle, which can be uncomfortable for the users sometimes.
Here, the keys aren't as squished as the ones on the Microsoft Surface Type Cover. The i7’s keyboard is more expansive, with no shrunken or undersized keys. It didn’t take me long before I was typing at my usual brisk pace.
The keys offer decent press depth, with every keystroke, I make a loud "clack," letting anyone around me know I'm getting stuff done. Just so you know, I'm typing this sentence from the i7. The thing is sitting on my lap, even. And you know what? I'm doing quite alright. This isn't my favorite keyboard, but I do feel comfortable enough. Also, the i7’s keyboard base is not as flimsy as the Surface Type Cover, Instead it is as sturdy and comfortable as most laptop keyboards.
The Cube i7’s keyboard base brings a touchpad as well, and that's a good thing, because the latest Windows 8.1 update made the OS much more mouse-and-keyboard friendly. Even though the touchpad is pretty precise and responsive, it's still many steps behind the sort of glass touchpad you'd find on the MacBook Air or many Windows Ultrabooks. It sometimes takes multiple tries to get two-finger scrolling to work. Ditto for clicking and dragging windows and other objects around the screen. Other times, I accidentally navigated backward out of a web page when I was really trying to do some other sort of gesture. If you intend the i7 to be your daily driver, you are better off with a wireless or Bluetooth mouse.
Besides the standard functions a keyboard is meant to offer, the i7’s keyboard base also provides the users with two additional full-sized USB ports, making it easier to connect the i7 to a mouse and storage devices while saving you from the burden of always carrying the OTG adapter.
Battery Life
What's funny about the Cube i7 is that it has a chipset which produces as much horsepower as most of the ultrabook systems, along with a 1080p touchscreen -- precisely the sort of thing that would normally suck the life out of a battery. And yet, the 7.4V, 5,000mAh battery lasts several hours longer than bigger touchscreen Windows 8 systems with similar internals. Specifically, we got 9 hours and 13 minutes of runtime after looping a video off the local disk with Wi-Fi off and the brightness fixed at 50 percent.
The i7 looks even more impressive when you compare it to lighter-weight, ARM-powered tablets. You wouldn't expect that to be the case -- this really isn't a fair fight -- but in fact the difference in battery life isn't as drastic as you'd imagine, especially if you take into account tablets that offer merely average endurance. The, for instance, the Xiaomi Pad lasts only about half an hour longer than the Cube i7; and most of the Android tablets we tested before were beaten by the i7.
We'll admit, the iPads or the Samsung Galaxy Tab S offer more longevity in the battery front. But here's the thing: we don't know of any Core-i5 tablets that can even come close. Take the Dell Venue 11 Pro for instance: it merely lasted 6 hours in the same battery run-down test, and also the Acer ICONIA W700, which I have used for more than 2 years, offered an average of 5.5 hours screen time on a charge. Compared to that, the Cube i7's battery life would seem much more exceptional. After all, those are the real competitions of the i7, at least as far as key specs go. It's incredible, then, that the i7's battery life is more typical of a low-powered ARM device.
Cameras
Photos taken by the rear camera
Like most of the tablets on the market, the i7 has dual cameras. The front-facing 2MP camera is decent enough for video-conferences on Skype, but you wouldn’t want to use it for selfie. The rear-facing 5MP camera is arguably the worst 5MP camera we have encountered. Even with decent lighting, it still cannot shoot photos clear enough for Instagram updates. With that said, who would actually use an 11.6-inch tablet to take pictures?
The Competition
We get what Cube was going for here and really, it's an intriguing proposition: a hybrid that can be used as a standalone tablet, but is powerful enough to be your next laptop. As we said, it's fast and offers awesomely long battery life, however, let's not forget the cost: with a connectable keyboard, the i7 is priced at RMB3,599 ($574.4), which is pretty aggressive pricing for a tablet with a Chinese brand attached to it. We suppose you'd feel more comfortable researching a few similar options before shelling out 600 bucks.
We mentioned the Surface Pro 3, which has already been on sale for a few months. It starts at $699 for the i3, 64GB model, with the Touch/Type Cover keyboard sold separately. All versions of the Surface Pro 3 support pen input, which the Cube i7 doesn't. For only $489.99, you can get a Dell Venue 11 Pro with a 10.8-inch display, a Core i5-4210Y processor, 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD; for $723, you can get the more updated version of the Dell Venue 11 Pro, the Venue 11 Pro 7000, which features the same Core-M 5Y10, 4GB RAM and 128GB SDD as the Cube i7 does and, if money is less of an issue and you want an even more future-proof tablet, you can get the most advanced Dell Venue 11 Pro 7140 with an even more powerful Core-M 5Y71 processor, 8GB of DDR3L RAM and 256GB of SDD. However, whichever Dell Venue 11 Pro you choose, you will need to spend another tad of money for Dell’s keyboard.
If we take a look at Cube’s fellow Chinese competition, there are also a few options. One of them is the RAMOS M12, which made its debut appearance at CES, 2015, features a more powerful Core-M 5Y70 processor, an 11.6-inch 1080P display and 4GB RAM and, most of all, an adjustable stand as well as a full USB3.0 port. Another one is the PIPO K2, which is powered by the same hardware as the Cube i7 is and also includes a Micro USB 3.0 port. However, neither the RAMOS M12 nor the PIPO K2 is available now, even worse, their prices and release dates are still unknown.
Wrap-up
Upon unboxing the Cube i7, I instantly fell in love with this slate a lot. After a few weeks spent with it, I still do, and I think you might too, but you'll have to get past some surface flaws in order to truly appreciate it. The i7 is heavy, even for a tablet with a capable Core-M processor, and though it's slim and solidly built, it has a plain look that can be off-putting. The good news is that it's fast, even among Windows 8 PCs, and offers surprisingly long runtime. If I am being honest, after my experience with the Acer ICONIA W700, which consistently disappointed me on the battery life front, I didn’t expect much longevity from a tablet with so much horsepower under the hood, so it's impressive that the i7 succeeds in being powerful while still lasting eight-plus hours on a charge. Most Core i-series tablets don't have that going for them.
The problem, though, is that the Cube i7’s overall design doesn't make the best sense. The inclusion of an adjustable stand would have been a more versatile solution, as you could be able make it stand when you use it as a standalone tablet. And the fact that it only has one Micro USB 3.0 port means that you need to remember bringing the OTG adapter whenever you decide to take the Cube i7 as your travelling company.
The Cube i7 may not have surpassed the Surface Pro 3 in terms of quality, design and performance just yet. But it is among the highest ranks of enterprise-ready tablets. If you want something designed specifically for the business user (as opposed to the consumer-focused iPad Air 2), but you don't want to spend $500 extra bucks on the Surface Pro 3 and its keyboard, then you can't go wrong with the Cube i7.
The good:
Well-constructed metallic body which feels not only solid, but also premium.
The 11.6-inch 1080P IPS display is excellent for both productivity and entertainment.
Solid performance powered by the impeccable Core-M processor.
Fanless, the Cube i7 is quiet, I tested this device for many days and never heard a peep.
An average of 8 hours’ battery life.
The bad:
The Micro SD card slot only supports cards up to 32GB.
It normally takes minutes to reboot the tablet, even without the system upgrade.
The i7 tablet doesn’t have a kickstand.
No one is interested in this tablet?
It's too expensive, :/ for that price i Prefer getting a Surface 3 to be honest.
I'll personally wait for Pipo K2 and Ramos M12 , prices won't be that high with them.
ShizukoZ said:
It's too expensive, :/ for that price i Prefer getting a Surface 3 to be honest.
I'll personally wait for Pipo K2 and Ramos M12 , prices won't be that high with them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really doubt that the RAMOS M12 or PIPO K2 should be any cheaper.
jupiter2012 said:
I really doubt that the RAMOS M12 or PIPO K2 should be any cheaper.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pipo have annouced a core M tablet that will be priced at 400 $ (in China so surely it will be a bit more expensive for us )
and we all know Pipo have good quality products
ShizukoZ said:
Pipo have annouced a core M tablet that will be priced at 400 $ (in China so surely it will be a bit more expensive for us )
and we all know Pipo have good quality products
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The $400 tab isn't the PIPO K2, but another tablet with only 64GB eMMc storage, which is clearly no match for the 128GB SSD used in the Cube i7. Also, the PIPO tablet comes without a keyboard, but the i7's retail price covers the keyboard base. For the storage alone I wont even consider buying the PIPO tablet.
There have been other Core-M powered tablets announced.
Thank you for the review. I seen this tablet and wanted to see if it really is worth while. Its funny seeing people say "I'd rather get a SP3" because they seem to forget that you have to be over $1k for the SP3 that competes with this tablet.
the Ubuntu variant
Thanks for the work in writing this up! I was curious if anyone had seen this tablet running the Ubuntu variant. I have been considering importing one and this might have swayed me a bit more.
Driver pack
Yesterday I have received this tablet and wow its great value for money. I've been stupid enough to download and install Windows 10 Tech Preview without copying the drivers from the old 8.1 x64 installation. Does anyone has the driverpack for this device at his disposal? I have asked Cube support too. The good news is that it is running WTP 10 build 9926 and build 10049 is downloading now.
Drivers
I also need the wireless drivers. Any ideas?
Jerome! said:
Yesterday I have received this tablet and wow its great value for money. I've been stupid enough to download and install Windows 10 Tech Preview without copying the drivers from the old 8.1 x64 installation. Does anyone has the driverpack for this device at his disposal? I have asked Cube support too. The good news is that it is running WTP 10 build 9926 and build 10049 is downloading now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Windows/ Linux Drivers
And another poor bastard who has no drivers anymore...
I also installed the Win10 tech preview without saving the drivers. To be honest in the last years, drivers haven't been that much of a problem anymore so I wasn't careful enough.
So yeah I put Ubuntu 15.04 on it. It detects the touchscreen at least but also no Wifi, which is probably the most important part...
So if anybody, who has the original software, could extract the drivers and upload them, i'd be very happy!
Not only the Windows drivers but also the Linux drivers.
Thanks a lot in advance!
P.S.: I also contacted Cube and two different shops on Alibaba. In case I get a useful answer, I'll let you guys know!
---------- Post added at 06:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:24 PM ----------
Ah guys I found at least the windows drivers: http://techtablets.com/downloads-drivers-roms/
Techtablets definitely are good guys and hosted them! Find them under Cube - > i7. (Not Cube -> Cube i7).
So it looks like i'll go back to the Windows10 Tech Preview now and put Linux on my main laptop.
But still: If anyone orders the Ubuntu version of this tablet, please extract the drivers!
My shop actually asked me, if I want Windows or Ubuntu preinstalled. I figured, "yeah sure, I won't say no to a free Windows licence. I can put on Linux myself..."
Unfortunately it's just the Windows installation without a demo and now I don't have Linux drivers.
DerDave said:
And another poor bastard who has no drivers anymore...
I also installed the Win10 tech preview without saving the drivers. To be honest in the last years, drivers haven't been that much of a problem anymore so I wasn't careful enough.
So yeah I put Ubuntu 15.04 on it. It detects the touchscreen at least but also no Wifi, which is probably the most important part...
So if anybody, who has the original software, could extract the drivers and upload them, i'd be very happy!
Not only the Windows drivers but also the Linux drivers.
Thanks a lot in advance!
P.S.: I also contacted Cube and two different shops on Alibaba. In case I get a useful answer, I'll let you guys know!
---------- Post added at 06:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:24 PM ----------
Ah guys I found at least the windows drivers: http://techtablets.com/downloads-drivers-roms/
Techtablets definitely are good guys and hosted them! Find them under Cube - > i7. (Not Cube -> Cube i7).
So it looks like i'll go back to the Windows10 Tech Preview now and put Linux on my main laptop.
But still: If anyone orders the Ubuntu version of this tablet, please extract the drivers!
My shop actually asked me, if I want Windows or Ubuntu preinstalled. I figured, "yeah sure, I won't say no to a free Windows licence. I can put on Linux myself..."
Unfortunately it's just the Windows installation without a demo and now I don't have Linux drivers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great, thanks a million. Meanwhile I also contacted Cube support and they came with this link:
http://pan.baidu.com/s/1kTMMpAB I'm checking your download since that seems to be a newer date.
Furthermore, there is also a recovery image posted to win 8.1 x64.
http://pan.baidu.com/s/1gdmxKC7
Has anyone experience with the Cube keyboard? Is it really fix as it looks? Not foldable I mean? Are there alternative keyboards that suit this model, for instance the Onda V116w?
Jerome! said:
Great, thanks a million. Meanwhile I also contacted Cube support and they came with this link:
http://pan.baidu.com/s/1kTMMpAB I'm checking your download since that seems to be a newer date.
Furthermore, there is also a recovery image posted to win 8.1 x64.
http://pan.baidu.com/s/1gdmxKC7
Has anyone experience with the Cube keyboard? Is it really fix as it looks? Not foldable I mean? Are there alternative keyboards that suit this model, for instance the Onda V116w?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those drivers are a dump using doubledriver from my Cube i7 64gb model. I did a fresh Windows 8.1 install and restored using those drivers so I can confirm it works. Do you have a Cube support email or contact ? Can you please PM me their details?
I have an issue with the USB 3.0 port, I wondered if yours is the same? I can't get anything over max usb 2.0 speeds from it. I planned to run usb 3 hubs and even a usb 3.0 displaylink docking station, but I can't.
Please use any usb 3.0 drive or memory stick and see if you can get over 40mbs read or writes.
As for the keyboard it's both good and bad, the fix one position, non foldable is at a perfect angle for a desk. And the bad part, is the the touchpad (If you can call it that!) is worthless. It's the worse touchpad I've seen I think. Lucky for me I always use a wireless mouse, but for touchpad people, its best avoided. The keyboard does fit down nicely into the keyboard for travel etc.
I uploaded this video to Youtube today explaining the issue to my stubborn Ali Express seller who clains there is no issue and to cancel my dispute.
https://youtu.be/m0z3vbTydZo
It's a great tablet, but I expect the advertised usb 3 port to run as usb 3, not a usb 2 one. And sometimes I cannot even get the port to work with portable hard drives or USB sticks.
Thanks for the heads up on the keyboard. Will see what alternatives I can find.
About the USB 3.0 all my USB disks that I have laying around are all USB 2.0 ones, so sorry, cant put them to the test.
---------- Post added at 03:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:17 PM ----------
There are new drivers uploaded dated 24-04, maybe this will address the issue with USB?
http://pan.baidu.com/s/1kTj7Wwf
Another new set of drivers for the I7
http://pan.baidu.com/s/1jG3nvWq
Update drivers from 08-05 http://pan.baidu.com/s/1nt1LvZF now available
kr8r said:
Thanks for the work in writing this up! I was curious if anyone had seen this tablet running the Ubuntu variant. I have been considering importing one and this might have swayed me a bit more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cube did provide the Ubuntu ROM on their official forum.
Hendrickson said:
I uploaded this video to Youtube today explaining the issue to my stubborn Ali Express seller who clains there is no issue and to cancel my dispute.
https://youtu.be/m0z3vbTydZo
It's a great tablet, but I expect the advertised usb 3 port to run as usb 3, not a usb 2 one. And sometimes I cannot even get the port to work with portable hard drives or USB sticks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How come, mine works perfectly fine with portable hard drives. And with the keyboard you get 3 USB3 ports in total.
dualboot
is it possible to dualboot windows and ubuntu (or some other linux) on this device?
first i did not like the cube i7 because it has no real usb-ports. but i saw in this thread that there are usb3 ports on the keyboard.
i think i will order this one instead if the teclast x1 pro (which is not available atm)

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