Sony VAIO Tap 11 - 2-in-1 Tablet and Laptop
Recently, I have not often visited the idea that it would be nice to combine a tablet and a laptop in one device. It should be quite compact, lightweight and sufficiently productive. Is it possible? Yes.
The new device from Sony, called VAIO Tap 11, clearly claims to be a record on the fineness of the case: it can be a laptop and a tablet at the same time. The model has Windows 8 operating system. This means that you can run your favorite applications and games written for PC, as well as new programs in the style of Metro UI. But let's get everything in order.
The device is based on a fourth-generation Intel Core processor with Intel HD Graphics 4000. Onboard the VAIO Tap 11 there is 4 GB DDR3L RAM and a 128 GB solid-state drive plus a slot for microSD memory cards. I note the presence of the NFC module, Bluetooth version 4.0 and support for fourth-generation networks. The tablet without a keyboard is 304.6 x 188 x 10.5 mm, and the weight is 830 grams. The VAIO Tap 11 with Windows 8 is only available in white.
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Screen: 11.6 ", 1920 Ă— 1080 px, FHD, X-Reality, IPS
Processor: Intel Pentium 3560Y (2 MB cache, 4 cores, 1.2 GHz)
Video Accelerator: Intel HD 4000
Operating system: Windows 8.1
RAM: 4 GB DDR3L SDRAM
User Memory: 128 GB + MicroSD slot
Camera: front - 0.9 megapixel, rear - 8 megapixel
Connectivity: GSM / GPRS / EDGE + UMTS / HSPA +
Optional: Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n, Bluetooth 4.0, infrared, NFC, miniHDMI, USB 3.0, mini-jack 3.5 mm
Battery: 28.5 watt-hour
Dimensions: 304.6 x 10.5 x 188.0 mm
Weight: 830 grams
The device comes in a fairly strictly decorated box with the model name on the top. There are no photos of the device on the package. In the package you will find a tablet, a charger with its own magnetic plug, a digital stylus and a solid pack of accompanying documentation in various languages.
I liked the small instruction for Windows 8 users. The booklet included a description of the basic skills of working with a new operating system, as well as a brief guide on the use of gestures. For me, as a person who first met the Metro UI touch interface, it was very useful.
The tablet is made in a balanced design OmniBalance, making the tablet easy and comfortable to hold. Fortunately, Sony did not pack its device in plastic, as many manufacturers do, and donated metal edges and a glass front to the device.
In the off state, the tablet screen almost completely merges with the frame and looks like a solid black glossy surface. This effect was achieved thanks to the technology of manufacturing screens without air gap. As a result, everything looks like one surface, on which, in the upper left corner, is located the silver logo of Sony, and in the center is the window of the front-facing camera with an indicator and a light sensor.
Below is the Windows button that invokes the system start screen. The button, by the way, is physical, is pressed with a barely audible click.
And this is the port for charging the keyboard. The keyboard is attached to the tablet using a magnetic connector. When connected, it automatically starts charging as there is no built-in connector for connecting the power supply unit.
The white back is made of a soft-touch magnesium alloy. On the back of the cover, the “VAIO” logo is printed in metal letters, just above there is a camera eye and a small microphone hole. At the right edge has a small clip for the stylus, but this is a drawback - when the stylus is on the side, it blocks access to the connectors.
Let's look at the stubs. The tablet has a slot for a SIM card (microSIM) and microSD memory cards under a single plug.
Next is the ASSIST button for automatic problem identification and maintenance. When clicked, VAIO Care starts up, which configures the computer and performs its “self-support”. NFC marking indicates the presence of a corresponding module that allows you to quickly transfer music and files from various devices without additional cables and complicated settings. For continuous transmission, you just need to touch one device to another.
Along the edges on the rear are stereo speakers. When listening to music and watching movies, the proprietary 3D sound technology “S-Force” is activated. The sound can move from one side to another, one speaker may sound differently. For built-in speakers, the sound is really good.
The most important feature of the device is the Kickstand stand. A small strong mount allows you to hold the tablet in an upright position. But, unfortunately, its modest size will not allow placing the gadget, for example, on your lap. But the stand is adjustable and can install VAIO Tap 11 almost any convenient angle for you.
On the left side under the plug are USB 3.0 and microHDMI connectors. The latter will be useful if Tap 11 should be connected to a TV or monitor.
USB 3.0 supports the charging function of your devices.
On the same face below is a charger socket.
The ventilation grille is located on the upper end closer to the left edge. During a heavy load warm air comes out of it. Actually the fan works very well. The most important thing is that it does not buzz like a locomotive, but slowly drives the air when necessary. Most often, only in very demanding games or with a heavy load. In addition, there is a slightly visible infrared port for controlling various equipment.
On the left side (in landscape mode) there is a headphone / headset output, a power button (traditionally in the middle, metal and milled!), A power indicator and a volume rocker.
Included is the keyboard, and, thanks to its installation, the tablet turns into a laptop. In general, Tap 11 is planned not as an addition to a home computer or laptop, but as its replacement. Fortunately, a full-fledged Windows 8 on the user's device does not limit.
The keyboard is very successful: the keys have a good move, the arrangement of the keys looks very thoughtful, it is obviously convenient to use such a keyboard. Above the digital row is a series of special control keys.
The keyboard does not have a full backlight, only the battery LED and the Num Lock indicator can glow. To turn on and off the keyboard has a button with three positions. The third position allows you to turn off the touchpad and work only with the keyboard. Also nearby you can see the contact pad, which is inserted into the appropriate connector of the tablet for recharging. One full charge of the keyboard lasts for almost 2 weeks of use.
This tablet turned out to be very light, working on the built-in battery. The system picked up via Bluetooth with a bang, without installing any drivers.
The keyboard is attached to the tablet with strong magnets. In the docking position, it works as a kind of protective cover. To work with the device, the keyboard must be completely disconnected, so simultaneous operation of the tablet with charging the keyboard is not supported.
Designers managed to make a tablet laptop that perfectly matches the style of the VAIO: fairly strict, associated with the corporate world.
In this state, a productive tablet turns into a compact laptop.
The bundled stylus requires a AAAA microbalt battery cell, and a plastic gizmo is provided to mount it. And do not put it in any hole.
The stylus will allow you to make accurate notes and sketches on the touch screen. It is fully compatible and optimized for Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
In addition, the built-in program VAIO Paper supports the creation of sketches, notes or comments to documents, and then transfer them to other devices.
Still, the main feature of the Sony VAIO Tap 11 model is the fast transformation, which allows turning a Windows tablet into an ultrabook with a hardware keyboard and touchpad with just one finger.
The Sony Tap 11 leaves a very good impression. High-quality materials, excellent assembly, low weight, really thin body, stylish design - you immediately see that the device is very worthy.
Tablet features include an 11.6 ”IPS-screen with a resolution of Full HD (1920x1080 pixels) and a 16: 9 aspect ratio, which, thanks to the support of Triluminos technology and the X-Reality Engine, provides high image quality.
The screen of the Sony VAIO Tap 11 gives a bright and clear image, so that you can fully enjoy watching your favorite movie on the road, as well as work in open sunlight without any difficulty.
In addition, very wide viewing angles will allow presentations to be shown to a small group of people without loss of contrast and brightness.
The OptiContrast panel visually connects to the base LCD display to reduce glare. Because of this, you get significantly better image quality, especially in a bright room.
The tablet has an 8-megapixel (image resolution up to 3264x2448 pixels) with Exmor RS for PC technology.
The quality of the camera modules of the device is average.
Nevertheless, it is quite enough for video calls and self-shots.
Decent images from the main camera can be achieved only in bright sunlight, preferably outside. The color rendition is natural. The standard camera application does not allow focusing manually, while there is autofocus, which works pretty quickly.
The tablet is running 64-bit Windows 8.1 Pro. First of all, let me remind you that the Pro version, unlike the RT version, is compatible with ordinary Windows programs. And this makes the tablets on Windows 8.1 Pro a logical choice for those users who are going to use the tablet as a working tool and at the same time have some very specific professional software.
The company has pre-installed some of its own components, these include programs for setting up the device, which will help you quickly set the necessary parameters without digging into the tablet menu. Here you can find help on the key functions of the device, set up wireless connections, a camera, and also look at the system load and estimate operating time.
Through VAIO Clip you can create beautiful presentations, quickly highlighting, copying and attaching images with the stylus. And CamScanner will scan at any angle and allow you to edit the results using geometry alignment and color correction.
And of course, extra applications have been added, but the benefit can be removed through the control panel.
In the desktop mode, no problems in the work were noticed. Folders are scrolled quickly, classic applications run quickly and confidently, windows quickly fold and unfold, open and close. In general, it is convenient to work with the OS tiled interface, which is not always possible to say about the desktop mode: since the screen is rather small, it becomes difficult to get into the interface elements. For example, to click on the red cross was far from the first time, the same applies to navigation through folders.
But in some moments there is no need for a touchpad. Quickly poke your finger in the desired link, icon, or pull the page down than trying to move the cursor to the right place. For this reason, editing documents has become easier. When the text is ready, you can move away from the keyboard and go to a cozy place, so as not to rush to reread everything carefully, making small edits using an electronic keyboard.
Of the features worth noting is the presence of a SIM card slot with 3G support, which makes the tablet independent of Wi-Fi access points.
The tablet looks for wireless access points with confidence and shows a very high sensitivity even to weak signals.
There is support for NFC. True, there are practically no programs that could unlock the potential of this wonderful technology for Windows 8. Therefore, NFC support can only be considered as a pleasant, but as yet ineffective bonus.
Bluetooth also works fine, external devices such as Bluetooth headphones and speakers connected to Tap 11 without any problems.
The Tap 11 is equipped with an Intel Pentium 3560Y processor with a clock speed of 1.2 GHz and a Haswell microarchitecture, as well as 4 GB of RAM.
Of course, from the tablet with integrated graphics and passive cooling, no one expects miracles of performance, and it is not intended for such records. At the same time, the 3DMark test gave results only in the Ice Storm Unlimited test, because the other versions of the test turned out to be rather weak for the device.
If you compare with competitors, the Tap 11 takes almost the first line of the rating, but you need to consider that this is the weakest configuration of the device that is on sale.
Built-in Windows 8.1 performance test gave an expectedly low result - only 4.8 points. The highest score at the same time received the SSD-drive, and the lowest - the graphics integrated into the processor in 3D mode.
In principle, such performance is perfect for such a portable device, like the Sony VAIO Tap 11. This tablet can handle both simple office tasks, such as work in text and spreadsheet editors, and the launch of games or several weighty programs.
The capacity of the lithium-ion battery VGP-BPS39 is 3800 mAh. The battery has a small weight - 170 g. The manufacturer promises up to 6 hours of work on one battery charge.
In the online video playback mode via Wi-Fi and at the minimum brightness, the tablet lasted 5.5 hours. But, given that the Haswell architecture is installed and maintained here, better results were expected.
In Russia, officially sold three versions of the tablet. The younger model comes with an Intel Pentium 3560Y processor , 4 GB of RAM, 128 GB of memory, and is used, of course, by SSD. This version was considered in the review. The model number SVT1122E2R and on the official website the price is 45 990 rubles .
In the modification a bit older, only the processor on the Intel Core i3-4020Y changed , the memory remained the same. The price of the SVT1122M2R is 51,990 rubles .
Well, the most powerful modification is equipped with an Intel Core i5-4210Y processor and LTE module. There is a model SVT1122X9R - 62 990 rubles .
Sony VAIO Tap 11 - is quite productive and lightweight tablet. At the same time, it has a rather high price. Such a device is suitable for those who already have one expensive and productive computer, and who need a powerful, stylish and portable solution to their business problems. The most basic use for which the acquisition of Tap 11 is advisable is to work with professional Windows programs that require the use of a pen or the input of information on weight.
Stylish design
Lightness and portability
Bright display and wide viewing angles
Durable and adjustable stand
Convenient stylus and wireless keyboard included
Mobile network support
USB 3.0, NFC, microSD, microHDMI
Price
Short battery life
Stylus holder covers ports
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The new device from Sony, called VAIO Tap 11, clearly claims to be a record on the fineness of the case: it can be a laptop and a tablet at the same time. The model has Windows 8 operating system. This means that you can run your favorite applications and games written for PC, as well as new programs in the style of Metro UI. But let's get everything in order.
â–Ś TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
The device is based on a fourth-generation Intel Core processor with Intel HD Graphics 4000. Onboard the VAIO Tap 11 there is 4 GB DDR3L RAM and a 128 GB solid-state drive plus a slot for microSD memory cards. I note the presence of the NFC module, Bluetooth version 4.0 and support for fourth-generation networks. The tablet without a keyboard is 304.6 x 188 x 10.5 mm, and the weight is 830 grams. The VAIO Tap 11 with Windows 8 is only available in white.
')
Screen: 11.6 ", 1920 Ă— 1080 px, FHD, X-Reality, IPS Processor: Intel Pentium 3560Y (2 MB cache, 4 cores, 1.2 GHz) Video Accelerator: Intel HD 4000 Operating system: Windows 8.1 RAM: 4 GB DDR3L SDRAM User Memory: 128 GB + MicroSD slot Camera: front - 0.9 megapixel, rear - 8 megapixel Connectivity: GSM / GPRS / EDGE + UMTS / HSPA + Optional: Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n, Bluetooth 4.0, infrared, NFC, miniHDMI, USB 3.0, mini-jack 3.5 mm Battery: 28.5 watt-hour Dimensions: 304.6 x 10.5 x 188.0 mm Weight: 830 gramsâ–Ś PACKING AND COMPLETE SET
The device comes in a fairly strictly decorated box with the model name on the top. There are no photos of the device on the package. In the package you will find a tablet, a charger with its own magnetic plug, a digital stylus and a solid pack of accompanying documentation in various languages.
I liked the small instruction for Windows 8 users. The booklet included a description of the basic skills of working with a new operating system, as well as a brief guide on the use of gestures. For me, as a person who first met the Metro UI touch interface, it was very useful.
â–Ś DESIGN, DIMENSIONS, CONTROL ELEMENTS
The tablet is made in a balanced design OmniBalance, making the tablet easy and comfortable to hold. Fortunately, Sony did not pack its device in plastic, as many manufacturers do, and donated metal edges and a glass front to the device.
In the off state, the tablet screen almost completely merges with the frame and looks like a solid black glossy surface. This effect was achieved thanks to the technology of manufacturing screens without air gap. As a result, everything looks like one surface, on which, in the upper left corner, is located the silver logo of Sony, and in the center is the window of the front-facing camera with an indicator and a light sensor.
Below is the Windows button that invokes the system start screen. The button, by the way, is physical, is pressed with a barely audible click.
And this is the port for charging the keyboard. The keyboard is attached to the tablet using a magnetic connector. When connected, it automatically starts charging as there is no built-in connector for connecting the power supply unit.
The white back is made of a soft-touch magnesium alloy. On the back of the cover, the “VAIO” logo is printed in metal letters, just above there is a camera eye and a small microphone hole. At the right edge has a small clip for the stylus, but this is a drawback - when the stylus is on the side, it blocks access to the connectors.
Let's look at the stubs. The tablet has a slot for a SIM card (microSIM) and microSD memory cards under a single plug.
Next is the ASSIST button for automatic problem identification and maintenance. When clicked, VAIO Care starts up, which configures the computer and performs its “self-support”. NFC marking indicates the presence of a corresponding module that allows you to quickly transfer music and files from various devices without additional cables and complicated settings. For continuous transmission, you just need to touch one device to another.
Along the edges on the rear are stereo speakers. When listening to music and watching movies, the proprietary 3D sound technology “S-Force” is activated. The sound can move from one side to another, one speaker may sound differently. For built-in speakers, the sound is really good.
The most important feature of the device is the Kickstand stand. A small strong mount allows you to hold the tablet in an upright position. But, unfortunately, its modest size will not allow placing the gadget, for example, on your lap. But the stand is adjustable and can install VAIO Tap 11 almost any convenient angle for you.
On the left side under the plug are USB 3.0 and microHDMI connectors. The latter will be useful if Tap 11 should be connected to a TV or monitor.
USB 3.0 supports the charging function of your devices.
On the same face below is a charger socket.
The ventilation grille is located on the upper end closer to the left edge. During a heavy load warm air comes out of it. Actually the fan works very well. The most important thing is that it does not buzz like a locomotive, but slowly drives the air when necessary. Most often, only in very demanding games or with a heavy load. In addition, there is a slightly visible infrared port for controlling various equipment.
On the left side (in landscape mode) there is a headphone / headset output, a power button (traditionally in the middle, metal and milled!), A power indicator and a volume rocker.
Included is the keyboard, and, thanks to its installation, the tablet turns into a laptop. In general, Tap 11 is planned not as an addition to a home computer or laptop, but as its replacement. Fortunately, a full-fledged Windows 8 on the user's device does not limit.
The keyboard is very successful: the keys have a good move, the arrangement of the keys looks very thoughtful, it is obviously convenient to use such a keyboard. Above the digital row is a series of special control keys.
The keyboard does not have a full backlight, only the battery LED and the Num Lock indicator can glow. To turn on and off the keyboard has a button with three positions. The third position allows you to turn off the touchpad and work only with the keyboard. Also nearby you can see the contact pad, which is inserted into the appropriate connector of the tablet for recharging. One full charge of the keyboard lasts for almost 2 weeks of use.
This tablet turned out to be very light, working on the built-in battery. The system picked up via Bluetooth with a bang, without installing any drivers.
The keyboard is attached to the tablet with strong magnets. In the docking position, it works as a kind of protective cover. To work with the device, the keyboard must be completely disconnected, so simultaneous operation of the tablet with charging the keyboard is not supported.
Designers managed to make a tablet laptop that perfectly matches the style of the VAIO: fairly strict, associated with the corporate world.
In this state, a productive tablet turns into a compact laptop.
The bundled stylus requires a AAAA microbalt battery cell, and a plastic gizmo is provided to mount it. And do not put it in any hole.
The stylus will allow you to make accurate notes and sketches on the touch screen. It is fully compatible and optimized for Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
In addition, the built-in program VAIO Paper supports the creation of sketches, notes or comments to documents, and then transfer them to other devices.
Still, the main feature of the Sony VAIO Tap 11 model is the fast transformation, which allows turning a Windows tablet into an ultrabook with a hardware keyboard and touchpad with just one finger.
The Sony Tap 11 leaves a very good impression. High-quality materials, excellent assembly, low weight, really thin body, stylish design - you immediately see that the device is very worthy.
â–Ś DISPLAY
Tablet features include an 11.6 ”IPS-screen with a resolution of Full HD (1920x1080 pixels) and a 16: 9 aspect ratio, which, thanks to the support of Triluminos technology and the X-Reality Engine, provides high image quality.
Triluminos technology provides purity and brightness of the image, as well as displaying a wide palette of rich, natural colors with increased accuracy. X-Reality technology uses an extensive database of images to improve the quality of each frame in real time to improve the clarity of video from any source.
The screen of the Sony VAIO Tap 11 gives a bright and clear image, so that you can fully enjoy watching your favorite movie on the road, as well as work in open sunlight without any difficulty.
In addition, very wide viewing angles will allow presentations to be shown to a small group of people without loss of contrast and brightness.
The OptiContrast panel visually connects to the base LCD display to reduce glare. Because of this, you get significantly better image quality, especially in a bright room.
â–Ś CAMERAS
The tablet has an 8-megapixel (image resolution up to 3264x2448 pixels) with Exmor RS for PC technology.
The quality of the camera modules of the device is average.
Nevertheless, it is quite enough for video calls and self-shots.
Decent images from the main camera can be achieved only in bright sunlight, preferably outside. The color rendition is natural. The standard camera application does not allow focusing manually, while there is autofocus, which works pretty quickly.
â–Ś SOFTWARE PLATFORM
The tablet is running 64-bit Windows 8.1 Pro. First of all, let me remind you that the Pro version, unlike the RT version, is compatible with ordinary Windows programs. And this makes the tablets on Windows 8.1 Pro a logical choice for those users who are going to use the tablet as a working tool and at the same time have some very specific professional software.
The company has pre-installed some of its own components, these include programs for setting up the device, which will help you quickly set the necessary parameters without digging into the tablet menu. Here you can find help on the key functions of the device, set up wireless connections, a camera, and also look at the system load and estimate operating time.
Through VAIO Clip you can create beautiful presentations, quickly highlighting, copying and attaching images with the stylus. And CamScanner will scan at any angle and allow you to edit the results using geometry alignment and color correction.
And of course, extra applications have been added, but the benefit can be removed through the control panel.
In the desktop mode, no problems in the work were noticed. Folders are scrolled quickly, classic applications run quickly and confidently, windows quickly fold and unfold, open and close. In general, it is convenient to work with the OS tiled interface, which is not always possible to say about the desktop mode: since the screen is rather small, it becomes difficult to get into the interface elements. For example, to click on the red cross was far from the first time, the same applies to navigation through folders.
But in some moments there is no need for a touchpad. Quickly poke your finger in the desired link, icon, or pull the page down than trying to move the cursor to the right place. For this reason, editing documents has become easier. When the text is ready, you can move away from the keyboard and go to a cozy place, so as not to rush to reread everything carefully, making small edits using an electronic keyboard.
â–Ś WIRELESS NETWORKS
Of the features worth noting is the presence of a SIM card slot with 3G support, which makes the tablet independent of Wi-Fi access points.
The tablet looks for wireless access points with confidence and shows a very high sensitivity even to weak signals.
There is support for NFC. True, there are practically no programs that could unlock the potential of this wonderful technology for Windows 8. Therefore, NFC support can only be considered as a pleasant, but as yet ineffective bonus.
Bluetooth also works fine, external devices such as Bluetooth headphones and speakers connected to Tap 11 without any problems.
â–Ś PRODUCTIVITY
The Tap 11 is equipped with an Intel Pentium 3560Y processor with a clock speed of 1.2 GHz and a Haswell microarchitecture, as well as 4 GB of RAM.
Of course, from the tablet with integrated graphics and passive cooling, no one expects miracles of performance, and it is not intended for such records. At the same time, the 3DMark test gave results only in the Ice Storm Unlimited test, because the other versions of the test turned out to be rather weak for the device.
If you compare with competitors, the Tap 11 takes almost the first line of the rating, but you need to consider that this is the weakest configuration of the device that is on sale.
Built-in Windows 8.1 performance test gave an expectedly low result - only 4.8 points. The highest score at the same time received the SSD-drive, and the lowest - the graphics integrated into the processor in 3D mode.
In principle, such performance is perfect for such a portable device, like the Sony VAIO Tap 11. This tablet can handle both simple office tasks, such as work in text and spreadsheet editors, and the launch of games or several weighty programs.
â–Ś BATTERY, CHARGING, TIME OF WORK
The capacity of the lithium-ion battery VGP-BPS39 is 3800 mAh. The battery has a small weight - 170 g. The manufacturer promises up to 6 hours of work on one battery charge.
In the online video playback mode via Wi-Fi and at the minimum brightness, the tablet lasted 5.5 hours. But, given that the Haswell architecture is installed and maintained here, better results were expected.
â–Ś PRICE AND PURCHASE
In Russia, officially sold three versions of the tablet. The younger model comes with an Intel Pentium 3560Y processor , 4 GB of RAM, 128 GB of memory, and is used, of course, by SSD. This version was considered in the review. The model number SVT1122E2R and on the official website the price is 45 990 rubles .
In the modification a bit older, only the processor on the Intel Core i3-4020Y changed , the memory remained the same. The price of the SVT1122M2R is 51,990 rubles .
Well, the most powerful modification is equipped with an Intel Core i5-4210Y processor and LTE module. There is a model SVT1122X9R - 62 990 rubles .
â–Ś CONCLUSION
Sony VAIO Tap 11 - is quite productive and lightweight tablet. At the same time, it has a rather high price. Such a device is suitable for those who already have one expensive and productive computer, and who need a powerful, stylish and portable solution to their business problems. The most basic use for which the acquisition of Tap 11 is advisable is to work with professional Windows programs that require the use of a pen or the input of information on weight.
â–Ś ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
Stylish design Lightness and portability Bright display and wide viewing angles Durable and adjustable stand Convenient stylus and wireless keyboard included Mobile network support USB 3.0, NFC, microSD, microHDMI Price Short battery life Stylus holder covers portsI remind you that you can subscribe not to miss new reviews and articles
on the company’s page (“subscribe” button), or on your favorite social network: Vkontakte , in Google + , in TwitterSource: https://habr.com/ru/post/216551/
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