Andrew Marc David

Here is our unboxing and first impressions of the Vaio Canvas Z:

Here is our unboxing of the Zagg Slim Book for the iPad Pro:

to purchase: http://amzn.to/1T7EViV

Stay tuned for our review of the Zagg Slim Book after we put it through its paces.

Here is our unboxing and first impressions of the HP Spectre x2 2-in-1

Here is our first impressions so far:
Pros:

1. Nice 1080p 12-inch IPS Display (Bigger display than Surface 3 and slightly smaller than SP4)
2. Includes backlit Keyboard Cover (Unlike Surface Line)
3. Keyboard is backlit, has additional speakers and is solid aluminum construction, good key travel
4. Surprisingly nice, large and responsive trackpad
5. Excellent build quality especially for the price
6. Nice aluminum u-shaped kickstand for infinite adjustable angles
7. Two USB Type-C ports and can charge with either port.
8. Verizon LTE
9. Inexpensive compared to Surface line ($599 on sale at BB)
10. Wacom pen capable
11. Decent SSD performance and Core M processor when compared to Atom x5 Cherry Trail

Cons:

1. Poor Battery Life (5-6 hours at most)
2. B&O Speakers are not that special and not that loud
3. A bit on heavy side
4. Pen not included in package (additional $59.00 accessory)
5. Screen doesn’t get that bright
6. Kickstand ejection button hard to engage
7. No HDMI out; must use USB Type-C port

Stay tuned for review coming very soon…

Here is the unboxing and first look at the Toshiba dynaPad

First Impressions:

Pros:

1. Vibrant, Bright Full HD 12-in Screen
2. Gorilla Glass, Olio phobic coating
3. Thin and Very Light Design
4. Excellent Pen, slot to store pen; Included in package

Cons:
1. Poor Speakers (Worst I have seen in a tablet and laptop)
2. Keyboard not included in package and not available at launch thereby hampering ability to compete with Surface 3 at launch (additional $99 accessory, nowhere to be found)
3. Somewhat sluggish performance (Atom x5)
4. Slow eMMC storage (should have included SSD)
5. Poor Battery Life? Still doing testing but I don’t see this lasting more then 6-7 hours at most, even with aggressive power saving measures.

More testing needed. Stay tuned for full review and showdown with HP Spectre x2.

HereHere is our review of the Smart Keyboard for iPad Pro:

Here are my thoughts on the Smart Keyboard for iPad Pro:

Pros:
1. Slim, compact design
2. Nice touch and feel
3. Very similar to MacBook Retina keyboard
4. Smart Connect, no need for Bluetooth or recharge

Cons:

1. Expensive ($169)
2. Leaves back of iPad Pro exposed with no protection
3. Overall minimum protection
4. No backlight (unlike Logitech Create)
5. No dedicated home key or function keys

Here is our six-month review of the 2015 MacBook Retina

Here are my thoughts on the 2015 MacBook with Retina after using it for approximately six months:

Pros:

1. Retina Display
2. Cutting Edge Design (Gorgeous)
3. Extremely Thin and lightweight
4. Keyboard (with caveat)
5. Best in class speaker sound, bar none!!
6. Fanless
7. Future of laptops

Cons:

1. One port
2. Core M processor
3. TERRIBLE Facetime Camera
4. New “Butterfly Keyboard” may not be for everyone; short key travel

9 out of 10 stars

“I absolutely love this thing!!” Not for everyone however, with a radically different keyboard and only one port many will feel limited. But overall, it is the future of laptops.

Here is our unboxing of the Microsoft Band 2

Here are my thoughts on the Microsoft Band 2:

Pros:

1. Works with all three major platforms (Windows Phone, iOS and Android)
2. Multiple sensors
3. Variety of workouts in conjunction with Microsoft health app
4. Tracks Sleep
5. Tracks Calories
6. Added weight tracking
7. Golf
8. Bike
9. Running
10. GPS
11. Added a music player to control your music while working out
12. Notifications for incoming calls, messages and emails. Facebook and twitter have tiles.
13. GPS Battery Saver mode recently added to give about 4 hours more battery
14. Decent Battery for a fitness device with many sensors
15. Third Party Tiles available to track news, sports scores etc..

Cons:

1. Still Big and Bulky (when compared to fitbit etc.)
2. Somewhat uncomfortable
3. Metal scratches easily
4. Cannot delete emails from device (unlike Apple Watch)
5. Third party tiles still lacking.

OVERALL:

A fitness first tacking device that seems to right the wrongs of the first generation. Still a bit bulky and uncomfortable. Still room for improvement via software updates.

A solid 7 out of 10. Buy

Here are my thoughts on the Microsoft Surface Book:

Pros:

1. 3000 x 2000 Screen (3:2 ratio) Gorgeous
2. Bright Display
3. Clipboard Mode great concept
4. Improved Surface Pen
5. Nice Keyboard
6. Best Windows Trackpad (still not as good as Mac trackpad)
7. Battery Life – About 10 hours (when docked)
8. Windows Hello great (when it works)
9. Premium feel and design (Magnesium Alloy)

Cons:

1. Expensive, starts at $1499 US
2. First Gen. Hardware Issues
3. Firmware update issues.
4. Screen Flickering
5. Video Driver Issues
6. Random Crashing
7. Top Heavy
8. A little heavy for category
9. Battery life clipboard is 2.5 hours
10. Keyboard backlighting against grey keys makes it hard to see keys
11. Ugly Hinge design (lobster tail)

7/10

“Nice first try, but not ready for Prime-Time.”

Don’t Buy until bug fixes are addressed.