After 6 hours of research and analysis with 7 models, we have determined that the Microsoft Surface Go 2 stands out as the best hybrid PC for the majority of users.
Microsoft Surface Go 2
This hybrid uses the codes of its big brother at an
affordable price. We therefore find an excellent keyboard coupled with neat finishes
and performance that will suit the greatest number.
519.99 € on Amazon
The Surface Go 2 bills itself as an affordable Surface
Pro. As a result, we find a design very similar to its big sister coupled with
a very good quality panel, packed in a resolutely premium chassis. Its
performance is limited in its basic version, which restricts its capabilities
to office automation or multimedia. The version with an Intel Core m3-8100Y is
however much more versatile and can handle heavier tasks. The latter is also
available in LTE version . On the other hand, its essential keyboard is
unfortunately still sold as an option.
Chromebook
Lenovo decided to apply the philosophy of Chromebooks to
a hybrid PC in the form of a tablet. The result is a great pleasure of use for
a contained price, favored by a reduced need for power.
With its honest services, the Ideapad Duet Chromebook
arises as an alternative to the usual touchscreen tablets . Thus, it has the
advantages of the latter with its reduced size and high autonomy while having
certain advantages of a laptop with its physical keyboard and the use of an
operating system designed for productivity. However, its limited power limits
its possibilities, which makes it primarily for office automation or
multimedia.
Microsoft Surface Pro 7
Original hybrid model, it retains its place at the top
of the ranking thanks to the versatility offered by its OS. Its overall quality
is excellent both in terms of its performance and its physique.
729.00 € at Amazon
The Surface Pro 7 continues to deploy its charms at the
top of the range with its many advantages, including its keyboard, considered
the benchmark of the market, its perfectly calibrated screen and its meticulous
finishes. The basic model is interesting for the vast majority of uses, but the
champion is undoubtedly the version equipped with an Intel Core i5 , more
efficient for heavy tasks. However, it retains its main drawback: optional
accessories ( keyboard and stylus ), for a fairly high price.
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How did we make our choice?
Representing the perfect compromise between a laptop and
a tablet, hybrid PCs have become rare in recent years. In fact, it is more and
more complicated to find a solution with a detachable screen, manufacturers
tend to favor convertible models (360 ° swivel screen), which are mainly found
among chromebooks and 13-14 ”models .
To help you make
your choice, we have identified the following criteria:
The operating system (OS): it determines the ease of use
and the possibilities of your machine. Mobile systems (iPad OS and Android) are
more suited to tablet use but generally less designed for versatility and
productivity, as opposed to Windows which requires a keyboard to develop its
full potential and its almost unlimited possibilities.
Performance: in addition to the OS, the components of
your PC will influence its ability to manage your various tasks. Unfortunately,
hybrid models are rarely monsters in this area, although mobile models can do
well with optimized apps. However, keep in mind that they cannot replace a real
laptop for heavy duty tasks like video editing.
The screen: its quality has a great impact on your
comfort of use. Indeed, an efficient panel allows you to take full advantage of
your content and work in the best conditions, without tiring your eyesight. As
a bonus, if its contrast and brightness are sufficient, you can consider using
your device outdoors to enjoy a breath of fresh air.
Mobility: any truly portable device must be easy to take
with you. It is therefore necessary to take care of its compactness, its weight
and its autonomy so that it is not a burden and that you do not have to search
at all costs for an outlet or to buy an external battery .
Ergonomics: this criterion also determines your comfort
of use. It is based on the overall handling and quality of input devices
(keyboard and touchpad). As a bonus, it is interesting to dwell on biometric
security and their responsiveness so that using your machine is a pleasure.
Connectivity: generally limited on this type of device,
it essentially consists of a USB-C port (Thunderbolt 3 or not) coupled to a
possible USB-A port. It will therefore be necessary to consider buying a HUB to
complete the endowment. Wireless connectivity is therefore designed to
compensate for this defect via, in particular, Bluetooth. Wi-Fi is of course in
the game and some models already include the new version, called Wi-Fi 6.
Accessories: included or not, they can be essential to
enjoy a complete experience (like Microsoft Surface). You have to take into
account the additional cost they generate during the purchase to get a good
idea of the total investment. Their quality should not be neglected either, as
they can impact the ergonomics and mobility of the whole.
After having gone through numerous tests carried out on
the Internet, analyzed the technical sheet of each product, consulted the
opinions of French-speaking, English-speaking or even Dutch-speaking users
while ensuring the legitimacy of these comments, we were able to determine
which are the 3 best Hybrid PCs of the moment.
Microsoft Surface Go 2
This hybrid uses the codes of its big brother at an
affordable price. We therefore find an excellent keyboard coupled with neat
finishes and performance that will suit the greatest number.
519.99 € on Amazon
The Surface Go 2 bills itself as an affordable Surface
Pro. As a result, there are qualities and faults similar to those of his big
sister.
This hybrid PC runs on Windows 10S (which only gives
access to Microsoft Store programs) but can, in a few clicks , become a
complete Windows machine. This will allow you to take full advantage of its
components to enjoy your multimedia content or do office automation.
Indeed, its performance is quite limited due to the use
of an Intel Pentium Gold 4425Y processor coupled with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage
(expandable via SD card).
Its screen, on the other hand, has a very good quality
10.5 ”IPS FHD panel. Its colorimetry is perfect (dE 1.4) and its brightness
(466 nits) and its contrast (1380: 1) make it usable in all circumstances. We
just note a slightly too cold color temperature.
Mobility is, logically, excellent. The tablet is
presented as a compact device (175 x 245 x 8.3 mm) and relatively light (553 g
- 793 g with keyboard), which makes it extremely easy to carry. We can only
blame it for its somewhat thick screen borders but it is important to note that
they are beneficial to the grip.
Its autonomy is approximately 8 hours. This puts it in
the middle of the Windows laptop and usually gets it through a day's work.
On the ergonomic side, the finding is very positive. The
quality of assembly and the neat finishes give the sensation of a premium model
which is felt both at the level of the integrated kickstand and of the infrared
camera dedicated to facial recognition, very responsive.
Its qualitative keyboard (optional - 25% additional
cost) and stands out as one of the benchmarks on the market. It has, in fact, a
pleasant race and a very good tactile feedback. The small size of its keys is
no problem once you get used to it.
The connection, finally, is quite small with the magnetic
connector for power, a USB-C port and an SDXC slot. In wireless, Wi-Fi 6 is
part of the game.
The version with an Intel Core m3-8100Y is intended to
be much more versatile and handles heavier tasks. The latter is also available
in LTE version .
Lenovo IdeaPad Duet Chromebook
Lenovo decided to apply the philosophy of Chromebooks to
a hybrid PC in the form of a tablet. The result is a great pleasure of use for
a contained price, favored by a reduced need for power.
With its honest services, the Ideapad Duet Chromebook
arises as an alternative to the usual touchscreen tablets . Thus, it has the
advantages of the latter with its reduced size and high autonomy while having
certain advantages of a laptop .
With this model, Lenovo offers the first tablet running
Chrome OS. It therefore benefits from the advantages inherent in this system
designed for computers which allows it, despite limited power, to offer good
performance. The performances are ensured by a Mediatek P60T coupled with 4 GB
of RAM and a 64 GB of SSD.
This combination is difficult to fault. Indeed, even a
dozen chrome tabs opened in parallel with an audio streaming service failed to
make it sweat. However, you will still have to limit yourself to office
automation or multimedia.
The display is entrusted to a 10.1 ”IPS FHD panel. It
offers good colorimetry (dE 2.4 but fails to display a much too cold display
temperature (7525K). The brightness, for its part, is quite good (396 nits) but
cannot compensate for a limited contrast (764 : 1) which makes the screen
hardly usable in bright light.
Too bad because the compact size and the lightness of
the whole (239 x 159 x 7.35 mm - 920 g) make you want to travel. Its autonomy
is also interesting with 12 hours of use after a full charge ... rather long
because of the lack of fast charging (limited to 10W).
The ergonomics are just as mixed. The tablet is however
made of aluminum but it is found coupled with plastic which reduces the overall
feeling of quality. This therefore has an impact on the robustness of the
crutch, which can hardly be used on a non-flat surface, and of the keyboard.
The latter offers a satisfactory tactile feedback making
typing pleasant. However, its atypical layout, consisting of a mixture of
full-size keys and half-key, does not help to avoid typos, even if it is easy
to get used to its reduced size.
A touchpad, dispensable, is planned. Responsive and
precise, it is however a little too small in size to be really pleasant to use.
The connection, finally, is minimalist with a single USB-C
port used for charging and connecting peripherals. A HUB is therefore essential
to be able to use the USB and the load simultaneously.
Microsoft Surface Pro 7
Original hybrid model, it retains its place at the top
of the ranking thanks to the versatility offered by its OS. Its overall quality
is excellent both in terms of its performance and its physique.
729.00 € at Amazon
The Surface Pro 7 continues to deploy its charms at the
top of the range with its many advantages. The basic model is interesting for
the vast majority of uses but the champion is undoubtedly the version equipped
with an Intel Core i5 , more efficient for heavy tasks. On the other hand, it
retains its main flaw: accessories sold as an option, for a fairly high price.
The performance of the base model is ensured by an Intel
Core i3-530M coupled with 4 GB of RAM and a 128 GB SSD. The whole offers
limited results but perfectly usable if we limit ourselves to office automation
and multimedia. Note that if the version equipped with an Intel Core i5 is more
efficient for heavy tasks, the graphics power is not incredible either.
The display uses the codes of previous models with a
12.3 ”IPS panel with a definition close to QHD (2736 x 1824 px). Microsoft
continues to ensure an excellent calibration (dE 1.9 and temperature of 6440K)
in addition to an interesting contrast (1330: 1) and brightness (432 nits).
The only black points come from the fairly high
afterglow (18 ms), which causes slight trails when moving on the screen, and
the fairly high reflectance (51%) limiting outdoor use.
The format of the device uses the codes of the previous
model with a compact and light magnesium frame (292 x 201 x 8.5 mm / 780 g -
1.1 kg with the keyboard). The autonomy rises to 8:30 am which places it in the
average.
On the ergonomic side, there is again an integrated
kickstand and the reference keyboard in addition to the Surface Pen (both
optional). The stroke of the backlit keys is perfect and offers, along with the
efficient layout, to enjoy a very comfortable experience. The trackpad adds the
icing on the cake.
It is equipped with Windows Hello facial recognition
(infrared camera) which is integrated above the screen, in one of its edges
that are still thick.
The connection, finally, is more provided than what can
be found in the lower ranges with the appearance of USB-C coupled to a USB 3.0
port, an SDXC port, a 3.5 jack and the magnetic power connector. A USB port is
also present on the power brick. Internet access is entrusted to Wi-Fi 6.
Honorable mentions
Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e (€ 399 when published): this
mid-range proposition from the Korean brand is designed for versatility. Its
assembly quality and its mobility underline an interesting level of performance
for the majority of uses. Display and mobility are not left out and the result
is a fairly complete model. Unfortunately, on the productivity side, we still
note the weaknesses of Android which limits its uses quite a bit. Its keyboard
is, once again, sold as an option and adds an additional cost of 25%.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 (€ 682 at the time of
publication): high-end version of the touchscreen tablet according to Samsung,
it takes the best of Android both for its processor and its screen. The quality
of finish is at the rendezvous which makes it the reference for models running
under this OS. However, it has the same flaws as its little sister because of
the limitations of this mobile system. Its keyboard and the S Pen add an
additional cost of about 20% for the first and 10% for the second.
Apple iPad Pro (€ 899 at the time of publication): with
its iPad Pro (available), Apple has also won the title of the most powerful
model on the market. The brand even allows itself to make the most common
laptops blush. This iPad is also available in Wi-Fi or 4G version and in 11 and
12.9 ″ ,
all in four storage levels. Unfortunately, it comes at a fairly high base
price, to which must be added the dedicated keyboard (+ 30% of the price) and
the Apple Pencil (+ 15%).
Microsoft Surface Book 3 (€ 1,519 at publication): Where
the other models in this article are geared towards the tablet part, the
Surface Book 3 prefers to see itself as the best of both worlds. Indeed, once
its two halves are grouped together, we end up with a laptop that competes with
the best models on the market . Thus, we are entitled to a good power both for
the calculation and the graphics. The trick comes from the fact that its
graphics card is housed under its keyboard, with an additional battery.
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