There's no mistaking it now; the global shift from desktop PCs to mobile devices is in full swing. In an attempt to bring out the best of both worlds, Samsung unveiled the Ativ Q on Thursday, a true laptop-tablet hybrid. Although the device can seamlessly shape-shift from one form to another, the real allure is that it runs on two operating systems - Windows 8 and Android Jelly Bean.
Although this combination might seem dysfunctional at first, it really is brilliant. Microsoft tried to do something bold by releasing Windows 8; they incorporated touch-optimized elements into an OS slated for both traditional computers and mobile platforms. Unfortunately, by Microsoft standards and in the majority of consumer eyes, it failed. The real problem didn't have anything to do with a buggy interface or unforeseen glitches that found their way into the final product, but instead, it simply tried too hard to please both markets. The Ativ Q provides an alternative solution - why make users settle for one OS, when you can have two.
The coolest thing about the hybrid device is that the two operating systems share file folders. This means that anything saved while using the Windows 8 interface will also find its way onto the Android partition. According to a Cnet reviewer, transitioning from one OS to the other is extremely easy. He explains, "Switching between the two operating systems is a simple task of hitting a tile on the Windows 8 desktop. The switch takes a couple of seconds at most and thankfully doesn't require a restart."
Apart from the dual OS feature, the Ativ Q is also impressive on a physical level. At just 13 inches, it packs an impressive 3,200 x 1,800 pixel display. It will also run on Intel's latest processor architecture, Haswell.
Although the Ativ Q is not the first laptop to experiment with a mobile OS, or even a dual OS configuration, it will be interesting to see if more manufacturers follow in its footsteps.