Toshiba might finally have something here. The Satellite U925t is its new 12.5-inch Windows 8 hybrid laptop/tablet, and it looks deceptively good.
The U925t has the same design as the weird but endearing U845W ultrabook, though it's not a super-wide 21:9 ratio. It's a standard 1366x768 resolution, which is disappointing with 1080p screens flying around on these Windows 8 machines, but decent enough.
To get the U925t from tablet to laptop mode, you slide the screen back, then up. The sliding mechanism can stop after an inch or so and be used as a camera—extraneous, but nice to have—and then extends all the way and is folded up into laptop mode. It's different than holding a traditional laptop, but after sitting with it for a few minutes, it's definitely usable. It's not going to topple over in your lap like you might fear.
The U925t has a Core i5 Ivy Bridge processor, a 128GB SSD, two USB 3.0 ports, an SD card slot, HDMI out, and NFC on its front panel. It also has pretty much the same trackpad as the U845W, though it's a little smaller. That's a good thing! The U845W's trackpad was really good, and this one responds well too. The size is a concern, but you'll take usable over spacious every time. The keyboard too, which is a big concern on these sliding convertibles, is pretty good. Not amazing, and the throw is a little shallow, but it's pretty good. It's 3.2 pounds, and 0.78 inches thick, and will be out October 26th.
