A hybrid laptop is one that can be used as either a laptop or a standalone tablet. Its changeable, hybrid design is intended to offer something for everyone: Hybrids -- also called 2-in-1s or, somewhat mistakenly, convertible laptops (see below) -- are more powerful than tablets yet have more portable functionality than traditional laptops. As a tablet, they offer the same innovative touch screen capabilities users of those devices have come to love. As a laptop, they provide the processing power, keyboard and other features of a more advanced PC. Yes, a hybrid laptop is also a 2-in-1 laptop, which is the term most manufacturers now use to describe the combination laptop-tablet category. Refer to "What is a 2-in-1 laptop?" The terms "hybrid laptop" and "2-in-1" are sometimes used interchangeably. But increasingly, "hybrid" is used to describe only a specific type of 2-in-1 Detachable system that allows the keyboard and
display to be completely separated -- essentially creating a standalone tablet device. [In another type of 2-in-1, the 2-in-1 Attached, the parts remain connected, but the touch screen can be flipped around to sit flat for use as a tablet.]What is a hybrid laptop?
Is a hybrid laptop the same as a
2-in-1?
Advantages of a hybrid laptop
As a 2-in-1, a hybrid laptop offers several advantages compared to laptops or tablets alone:
- Standard PC operating systems and faster, laptop-grade processors make 2-in-1 hybrid laptops better for multi-tasking than typical tablets, making them ideal for home/office use in addition to their tablet capabilities.
- The touch screen-tablet functionality adds a new dimension for traditional laptop users, who can now draw up ideas in brainstorming sessions, do data entry on the shop floor, and so on.
- 2-in-1 hybrid laptops give you less to pack when traveling, especially for users who already carry smartphones and end up debating whether to take both a laptop and a tablet on trips.
Are today's hybrids different than earlier laptop-tablet models?
Early laptops with tablet-style touch screens debuted in the mid-2000s, well before today's modern, standalone tablets became popular. Those early models pioneered the concept of a laptop that could also function as a tablet, but they were relatively heavy and thick and relied on hinges to flip the touch screen for use as a tablet while remaining connected to the rest of the laptop structure.
Over time, new shell materials and touch screen technology enabled designers to overcome the heavy, thick nature of the earliest laptop-tablet combos, creating the new category of 2-in-1s. Eventually, manufacturers released still newer models -- today's hybrid laptops -- with fully detachable and independently powered touch screens.
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Updated: 06/30/2020 by A hybrid computer may refer to any of the following:
1. When referring to a portable or home user computer, hybrid computer is a slang term used to describe a 2-in-1 PC. A 2-in-1 PC comprises a screen and a detachable keyboard, combining the functionality of a laptop computer and a tablet. Pictured is an HP Envy hybrid computer, an example of a 2-in-1 PC that utilizes Windows 8.
Hybrid computers have the power of a computer and, when the keyboard is detached, the portability of a tablet. For example, you could work on your hybrid computer throughout the day for work and then detatch the screen and use it in bed to browse Facebook and watch YouTube videos.
A popular type of hybrid computer is the Microsoft Surface, with multiple versions available to fit the needs of its users.
2. A hybrid computer is a computing system that combines both digital and analog components. Traditionally, the analog components of the computer handle complex mathematical computations. The digital components take care of logical and numerical operations, in addition to serving as the controller for the system.
3. A hybrid computer is a term used to describe a thin client computer that uses a hard drive, but also relies on programs ran from a server.
4. When referring to a supercomputer, a hybrid computer is a combination of machines capable of processing digital and analog signals. A hybrid computer system offers a cost-effective method to perform complex simulations.
Computer, Computer slang, Hardware terms, Hybrid, Quantum