By Rieva Lesonsky
A recent survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that, on average, 23 percent of American workers did some or all of their work at home. If the worker had a bachelor’s degree or higher that number jumped to 38 percent. Traditionally this has meant employees would essentially commute with their laptops—bringing them to and from home every day. But recently there’s been a shift in behavior. After the workers got home and finished their office work, they would put their laptops away and start using their tablets. Basically they created a two device solution for their work and personal needs. Today, that’s no longer necessary.
A new breed of notebook devices, called hybrids, is emerging. These computers are non-compromising, powerful laptops with detachable screens that unleash a sleek touchscreen tablet. None of these new hybrids do it better than Toshiba’s Portégé Detachable Ultrabook, a powerful Windows 8 machine with Intel’s vPro technology (a new layer of security built right into the computer).
What makes a hybrid like the Portégé so fantastic is that it seamlessly mixes the power of a business computer with the simplicity and ease of a tablet you want to curl up on the couch with at the end of the day.
You can start your day reading the news and browsing your e-mail by touching and swiping the HD 11.6″ touch display. The detachable screen, which weighs just 1.87 lbs., is made from Corning Concore glass and has a special coating that makes it fingerprint-resistant and prevents glare when working under bright florescent lights.
As you get ready to head to the office, snap the screen onto the rest of the machine (making it just 3.19 lbs.) and you’re ready to tackle the most demanding spreadsheets which are screaming for your attention. With the locking hinge mechanism, the only time your tablet will break away is when you want it to. This hybrid is built for travel. It’s made with ultra-durable materials and boasts a backlit and spill-resistant keyboard. This machine is a workhorse—it seamlessly works with all of your office peripherals, and the battery lasts more than five hours.
The Portégé has a full-size SD port, a USB 3.0 and micro HDMI port on the tablet portion, plus another HDMI port on the keyboard base. The keyboard base also has an RGB, LAN and a standard USB port.
When you do take the Portégé on the road, the front and rear facing cameras allow you to video chat with your family back at home or your team in the office.
Today’s computers are built for entrepreneurs and their employees, since they need solutions that fit their flexible office hours and workspaces. Why load yourself (and your team) down with multiple devices when one smartly-built Ultrabook has taken all of your considerations into account, and is ready for a balanced lifestyle of work and relaxation?
This is a paid post in conjunction with IDG and Toshiba.
Rieva Lesonsky is CEO of GrowBiz Media, a media and custom content company focusing on small business and entrepreneurship. Email Rieva at rieva@smallbizdaily.com, follow her on Google+ and Twitter.com/Rieva and visit her website, SmallBizDaily.com, to get the scoop on business trends and sign up for Rieva’s free TrendCast reports.
