Sign up for our Technology Newsletter 
Will More Win8 RT Hybrids Start Showing Up?
June 29, 2012 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
Comments Off on Will More Win8 RT Hybrids Start Showing Up?
Rumour has it that Nvidia has the best drivers and might be close to fine tuning its Windows RT platform, but we are sure Qualcomm and Texas Instruments aren’t far behind.
The Asus Transformer series has set a new trend by providing tablet users with a keyboard dock with some extra ports and an additional battery. This is definitely the way to go as you get the best of both worlds in a single package Windows 8 RT is finally bringing Microsoft in the ARM market and needless to say there will be many systems to be ready for launch.
Nvidia with Tegra, Texas Instruments with OMAP and Qualcomm with S4 are getting ready to embrace tablets as well as hybrid notebooks based on Windows 8 RT. The Asus Transformer 600 is just the first of many to come and there will be at least a few more similar designs to launch this year with Windows 8 RT, so we have no doubt that we will see quite a few convertible Windows tablets.
Microsoft Says Windows RT Best For ARM
Microsoft has said its upcoming Windows RT will be loaded on laptops and tablets, claiming it is the “most compatible” ARM operating system.
Microsoft’s Windows 8 will be the first time the firm has launched a desktop operating system that supports the ARM architecture, albeit with the Windows RT branding. Now the firm has said that laptops and tablets will feature Windows RT and called it the most compatible ARM operating system.
Erwin Visser, senior director of Microsoft’s Windows Commercial Business Group said, “Windows RT devices in tablet and laptops will run all the apps from the Windows store. It will also include [Microsoft] Office components like Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Onenote and support a large amount of PC peripherals through in-box class drivers. Relative to other ARM offerings in the market, Windows RT will be the most compatible ARM offering on the market.”
When The INQUIRER asked Visser what he meant by “most compatible” Visser replied, “Taking into acount ARM is a completely new processor architecture and what we’re focused on is a couple of things to help enterprise customers embrace Windows RT. […] All the Windows 8 apps that run on x86 will also run on Windows RT.” Visser also cited inclusion of in-box drivers for PC hardware, something that is largely missing from both Android and IOS devices.
Visser also said users can side-load applications on Windows RT devices, meaning the Windows Store isn’t the only source of applications. When we asked whether this could be a security risk Visser said, “In the case of side-loading apps, the app will be certified through the enterprise IT organisation.”
As for why Microsoft will allow side-loading applications in Windows RT, apparently that is what big business wants. Visser said, “If you think about apps that are used internally, so not apps that are built by enterprises for their consumers or customers but apps that support internal processes, customers do not want to put those apps – because they always have some competitive advantage – in the Windows App Store, which is a public place. So they want to keep those apps within their own infrastructure and [with] side-loading they can still load them on Windows x86 and Windows RT systems.”
Intel To Unleash Shark Bay In 2013
Intel used a saucy word to describe the 2013 Haswell based notebook platform. It tells us that Shark Bay should reinvigorate the notebook experience. Revive would seem to be the more appropriate word in this case.
Shark Bay promises more sensors, faster resume times, Intel smart connect as well as connected stand by. All this will be present on at least some Shark Bay powered notebooks.
Intel also wants to bring more improved connected capabilities to 2013 notebooks. It promises NFC support, Thunderbolt paired up with now standard Intel Wireless display.
With more fuzz about sensors, NFC, all-day battery and thin and light approach Intel’s notebook of the future is basically a tablet with a keyboard that probably costs a bit more money and offers traditional PC functionality.
The Netbook Lives On
Tablets may be the hottest mobile devices on display at this year’s Computex. But netbooks still have a presence at the trade show, and vendors are coming out with several new models that will hit the market this year. Their low cost will continue to drive sales, analysts said.
PC maker Asus, a pioneer of the netbook concept, unveiled two new models at Computex. The Asus Eee PC 1025 C and 1025 CE are Windows netbooks that will launch worldwide in the fourth quarter of this year. Priced at $299, the devices are built with an “instant on” feature that allow users to resume Windows in two seconds from sleep mode.
The other Asus netbook that has caught some attention is the Eee PC X101, which runs Intel’s MeeGo mobile operating system. The device will launch worldwide in July and cost $199. Asus will also be releasing a Windows 7 version of the netbook that will cost between $240 and $250.
Asus’ rival Acer is also showing a low-cost netbook priced at $199. The Aspire One Happy has both Windows and Android 2.3 installed. Users can toggle between operating systems by rebooting the system. Acer launched a version of the device worldwide last month.
10-Inch Tablets For $299?
June 5, 2011 by admin
Filed under Around The Net
Comments Off on 10-Inch Tablets For $299?
Taiwan’s Micro-Star International unveiled two new Android-based tablets at Computex this week that appear much sleeker than the WindPad tablets it has manufactured in the past.
The WindPad Enjoy 10 and Enjoy 7, which are being shown in a location further away from the show floor, will start shipping to retailers at the end of July, priced at $299 for the 10-inch version and $199 for the 7-inch version, said MSI product manager Rory Chen.
The tablets on show here were running the 2.3 Gingerbread version of Android. MSI hopes to start using the 3.0 Honeycomb Android OS on the tablets later this year, but it’s unlikely to be available with the first devices that go on sale.
The Enjoy 10 isn’t as thin and light as the iPad 2, and a spec sheet shows the new tablets have no 3G option — only Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. It’s also behind the iPad in other areas such as memory and storage. But the Enjoy 10′s $299 price tag makes it considerably cheaper than Apple’s tablet, which starts at $499 for the Wi-Fi-only model.
Windows 8 For Tablets To Be Outed
There is a rumor circulating around the Internet that Microsoft will demo Windows 8 for tablets next week at All Things D and Computex. That said, Bloomberg is said to have cited a source from within Microsoft that confirmed Windows 8 tablet OS will be showcased at these events next week. They went on to say the tablet will be demoed using a Tegra based ARM processor.
Over the years Microsoft has totally dedicated their Windows operating system to x86 based processors, specifically Intel and AMD. However, things have changed as smartphones and tablets use has skyrocketed using non x86 processors. This trend left Microsoft no choice but to join the ARM party or be left totally in the dust. As Microsoft showed off the new features in Windows Phone Mango update this week; they were also in the process of getting the tablet version of Windows 8 out as soon as possible.