Asus has confirmed that the Transformer Prime is suffering from random system reboots. This is not the first bug the Prime has had since its launch. Previous issues included poor GPS signal acquisition and also stock shortages.

However, it appears that the issue is not a widespread one. From all accounts on Twitter and Facebook, most of the questions that have arisen are when the Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade would be available. To that, Asus has responded that the upgrade should be ready by the end of this month.

These sorts of issues seem to be par for the course these days as manufacturers feel the pressure of rushing products off the line. When the competition is as fierce as it is in the tablet and laptop market, the pressure is even more immense. Just do a quick search on Google and you will find any number of complaints, forums, and official press releases on the initial bugs of almost any laptop or tablet. Not even the iPad 2 is immune to the bug infestation.

Transformer Prime: The Beginning of the Hybrid

The Transformer Prime is not the first tablet-laptop type hybrid, but it marks a new direction in tablet design and philosophy. As successful as tablets have been since the release of the first iPad, it is clear that there is still many areas where tablets fall short when compared with their laptop big brothers. Whether it’s the proverbial Adobe Flash incompatibility issues that the iPad has (which will unlikely be resolved), or the limited scope of the various Android Oss, there are things that a tablet simply cannot do.

Perhaps tablet manufacturers are okay with this because they understand that these devices serve a different purpose. The trouble is that consumers have not fully gotten behind this philosophy. The tablet has undoubtedly created a new niche in the market. And while they initially captured the imagination of the public, some of the “awe effect” has worn off and consumers are now wanting a little more from their tablets. Some of these desires will surely be met when the new Windows 8 tablets and laptops hit the market sometime this year.

For now, the Transformer Prime ‘hybrid’ is an excellent step in the right direction. The Prime boasts an Android 3.2 Honeycomb (soon to be upgradeable to Ice Cream Sandwich), NVIDIA Tegra 3 Quad-core CPU, 1GB of RAM, the standard 32GB/64GB EMMC (plus 8GB lifetime ASUS WebStorage), 802.11 b / g / n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, a rear 8MP camera and 1.2MP front camera for video conferencing, 10. 1” LED backlit Gorilla Glass screen with Super IPS+ (1280 x 800), as well as slots for Micro HMDI, SD card, and USB 2.0. Were that not enough, it also provides up to 18 hours of battery life.

Like the winged steed for which Asus is named after, their little Transformer Prime is sure to take flight.

Microsoft has invited journalists and the public for a Windows 8 Consumer Preview at the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona, Spain, which runs from February 27-March 1, 2012. This is probably the clearest indication that tablets and PCs running the Windows 8 system will be coming out some time this year. Although it is officially being called a beta version, all indications point that it is more likely a “public beta 1 version” Microsoft has used in the past in the pre-release period of other Windows products.

Microsoft Versus Apple — More than Just the Cool Guy Versus the Nerd

It’s been a ‘slow’ decade for Microsoft. Yes, Windows is still the most widely used OS on the planet, with its usage share resting at about 90 percent. Those are staggering numbers, and they represent a huge and diverse market, which is evident in the amount of effort used by hackers to attack the Windows operating system.

But for the first time in 20 years, Apple has surpassed Microsoft in quarterly profits and revenues as a result of a dip in PC sales and huge losses in Microsoft’s Online Services Division (which contains the search engine Bing). Microsoft’s Q1 profits for 2011 were $5.4 billion on revenues of $16.2 billion. Apple on the other hand had mammoth revenues of $26.7 billion and profits of $6 billion.

These numbers paint a picture of more than just quarterly profits. They reflect the difference between how Apple and Microsoft operate. The difference in revenue and profit for Apple is about 20 billion dollars. For Microsoft, it is about 11 billion. The numbers suggest a much leaner operating and marketing strategy on the part of Microsoft. You need only watch a few days of television or surf the Internet to understand that what drives Apple is innovation and marketing. That may all be about to change.

All Bets on Windows 8

Windows 8 on ARM (which Microsoft is calling WOA) is Microsoft’s bet for the near future. Microsoft has watched quietly as Apple has changed the face of computing, perhaps less in awe (in the true sense of the word) and more like, “Okay, let’s see what the kid has got to say.” That analogy may seem odd given that both companies emerged out of the hippie-fueled era of the 70s, but Microsoft has long been the big brother in this relationship.

For a long time, critics have been saying that Microsoft has lost the plot, so to speak, but by all appearances, Windows 8 seems to finally have the answer to Apple and its long line of chic products. And the answer is Metro.

All Aboard Metro

Metro is a typography-based design language created by Windows. It was used originally in Windows Phone 7 and is now set to be the user interface for Windows 8. Metro offers Windows PC users what Apple has been giving its customers for quite some time now: interactive, visually-appealing, simple design. Now, design is not just a hip term for the coffee house. Design, whether we realize it or not, is an aspect of everything around us, both natural and man-made, from the fern-like leaves on a giant sequoia to your coffee mug to the desktop applications of your personal computer. Everything is ruled by design.

Metro was inspired by elements of the Swiss Style of typography; the sign graphics found in major transportation hubs; and the existing interfaces in other Microsoft software such as Zune and Office Labs—all of which focus more on motion and content than simple ‘chrome’. This can all be see in a “future vision” video put out by Microsoft that foresees a dynamic future of integration and interactivity.

What this video that is straight out of a science fiction movie suggests is that we will still be getting up in the morning, driving a car, catching a plane, or riding the subway to go to work. But perhaps we will be doing so with greater ease. Metro and Windows 8 is a first step toward that vision.

Coupled with the WOA architecture, Windows 8 is Microsoft’s answer to Apple’s long-standing question, Okay, so what’s your next move? When Windows 8 finally rolls out on tablets, laptops, and PCs later this year, maybe it will be Microsoft’s turn to ask that same question.

Qosmio F755 Goes 3D…Again

At this year’s CES, Toshiba showed off its glasses-free 3D gaming Laptop, the Qosmio F755. It is able to convert 2D Games into 3D on the fly, which was not the case when the device originally rolled out August of last year. At the time, the company said it was working with Nvidia to develop a custom solution. It seems they may have found it.

Toshiba has also announced that early adopters can now download the software update via Toshiba’s Service Station. The download will provide gaming support for those who bought the laptop early and will in essence make their devices identical to the one unveiled at CES.

The 17.3-inch laptop sports a Core i7 processor and 8GB of RAM as well as a Blu-ray player. The graphics are powered by a GeForce GT 540M video card. The Qosmio F755 is priced at $1499, which is about $200 less than it cost at launch. There were rumors circulating that Toshiba was going to announce a model with updated hardware, but that did not materialize.

The Qosmio F755 has a parallax screen that works using the same basic principles as that of the Nintendo 3DS. Glasses-free technology of this type has inherent limitations. Users soon find out that there is a certain sweet spot where the effect works best. The zone around the sweet spot where the 3D effect is still acceptable is relatively small. The 3D effect on the Qosmio F755 is largely dependent on the distance and position of a gamer’s head relative to the laptop’s screen. Annoyances aside, original stereoscopic images and video content usually produce good results. On-the-fly conversion of 2D content, however, is a much more hit-and-miss affair.

Qosmio F755 at CES

At CES, Toshiba allowed hands-on trials of the laptop running the popular Skyrim. Did it work? On the one hand, the Qosmio F755 did transform the game into 3D-extra dimension and all. On the other, the rendition was low quality to the point of affecting the core enjoyment of the game itself. That was just for Skyrim, however. Other games may be different altogether. It is also likely that original 3D games and official 3D conversions will produce better results.

It is difficult to say whether or not 3D technology will be the next big thing in gaming. Like in the movies, 3D is a nice novelty for the occasional film, but most viewers still prefer a two-dimensional experience. Shy of a Brainstorm experience, the 3D offerings of the Qosmio F755 may be the next best thing.

It’s not often that the promises of a software company actually live up to the software they publish, so it was nice to see that the new version of Reimage System Repair actually works. The $70 Reimage program—which claims to provide hassle-free relief for damaged Windows installs—delivers on its promise. (www.reimagesystemrepair.com)

Reimage works by scanning for the causes of PC problems, and then with a click of a mouse, fixes them for you. The program is easy to use. You simply go to their website and click Start Scan, install the program as instructed, and run it. The program is small, only about 7.2MB, so it will only take a few minutes to download.

During the scan, Reimage thoroughly goes over every element of your computer. In addition to looking for damaged or Windows files and registry entries, it also looks at how much available room is on your hard drive, how much memory is installed, the running temp of your processor, and which programs are crashing and how often. Once it’s done, it will report back to you in an easy-to-read report.

Reimage even checks your system for malware and viruses. The malware scanner is powered by several systems, such as the well powerful Avira platform, which is one of the most widely-used antivirus programs on the planet.

Once you’re ready to repair your computer, Reimage will repair any files it finds. Prior to the next start-up of your PC, Reimage will finish repairing and replacing any damaged files it discovered during the scan. When that’s complete, your computer finishes loading Windows and displays your newly-repaired desktop.

On my problematic Windows 7 test system, the entire process took about 45 minutes. While no infections were found, Reimage accurately noted several stability problems. The Novell Netware client, Teamviewer, and Google Chrome had all caused a number of crashes recently, and Reimage picked up on all three. After a quick reboot to replace files that were in use (which took less than five minutes), I was deposited back at my Windows desktop. Three days later, I had yet to experience a single crash, and my system was running beautifully.

If a Reimage operation happens to cause a program to stop working on your computer, you can undo the changes. That said, I performed several scans on multiple computers running a wide variety of software and never experienced any unexpected “breakage.”

There is one major downside to Reimage: a working Internet connection is required. In my many years as a technician, one of the most common problems I fixed for people was (you guessed it) a broken Internet connection. I also expect that DNS-hijacking malware will prevent Reimage from contacting its servers in order to block removal or repair attempts.

While I count Reimage’s price tag of $70 per year as a minus, there’s a caveat. For the average home user who doesn’t know how to reinstall Windows or completely remove nasty malware, $69.95 per year is a very good deal. A single trip to the computer repair shop would cost you more than that, and Reimage can definitely prevent those visits. Two more PCs can be covered for $30, and that’s an absolute steal if you have a close friend or family member that gets stung by the periodic computer repair bill.

All in all, Reimage is a fantastic repair utility that can fix some of the ugliest Windows problems out there. It won’t totally replace your local computer technician, but it definitely has the potential to save you money, time, and frustration.

Dude, you’re getting a Dell.

That was the catchphrase of the PC maker years ago when it was a just a featherweight going up against the heavyweights of the day. With the Dell XPS 13 and their well-publicized intentions to shift their focus away from traditional notebooks and netbook production, they may just be prepping a new line of commercials: “Dude, you’re getting an Ultrabook!”

Dell XPS13 — The Mood-Enhancer

Close the Dell XPS 13, take a few steps back, and you will be forgiven if your mistook it for a new Apple product. The clean lines and the sleek contours rivals any laptop that the Cupertino-based company currently produces. Visually, Dell hits all the right notes, and the end result is a device that is a virtual fashion statement. The machined aluminum top, the almost industrial chic carbon-fiber base combine to make the XPS 13 a standout affair. Now step closer and open up the thing. You have to smile and give it to Dell. If nothing else, with this device they are definitely bringing sexy back.

What a difference a display makes. Dell has chosen a thin display bezel. The decision gave them the ability to pack a 13.3-inch Gorilla Glass–covered display into a case that is the size of a typical 12-inch laptop. When you open up the Dell XPS 13, the effect is immediate and impressive. The aura and illusion of extra size goes some way toward reducing complaints of the ho-hum 1366 x 768-resolution of the 13.3-inch display. The style points extend beyond the screen too. There is also the soft-touch coated magnesium alloy palm rest and the redesigned backlit keyboard. The XPS 13 falls a full 2 millimeters below the 20 millimeter threshold that Intel has established for Ultrabooks. It sports a tapered design, and at its thinnest point, it is a barely visible 6 millimeters thick. The clickpad is made of glass and is multi-touch enabled. The sleek and svelte Ultrabook tips the scales a sliver under the 3-pound bar coming in at 2.99 lbs. Style will only get you past the front door though; you need substance to close the deal. And Dell has packed the XPS with impressive internals for its expected price points.

The premium Dell XPS 13 model is expected to cost $1499. It will have a Core i7 CPU, 4 GB of RAM, and will be configured with a 256GB Samsung Solid State Drive (SSD). The base model will cost $999 and will have a Core i3 CPU and a 128GB SSD. Both systems come with several IT-friendly features including TPM (Trusted Platform Module) Hardware security and Professional support services. Casual tests of a pre-production unit by one industry source produced a cold boot time of about 17 seconds. Another source who had access to a developer preview build of Windows 8 claims to have gotten a 3 second cold boot. Yes, you read correctly.

Of late, Dell has been struggling somewhat on the retail-consumer side of its business. It has seen setbacks in its new tablet and smartphone division, and it has decided to discontinue netbooks altogether. Dell has had its successes mainly on the commercial side with its integrated servers and network solutions. This move in a different direction may be just what it needs to recapture mind share in the lucrative consumer market.

This may be Dell’s first offering in the Ultrabook category, but judging by the look, feel, and performance of the XPS 13, it certainly won’t be its last. And when Windows 8 hits the streets, Apple may just be looking over its shoulder as the pack closes in. The XPS 13 is expected to be available at the end of February.