Tag Archives: x86

Aug 15

Lenovo Yoga Convertible Laptop-Tablet Coming with ...

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Lenovo officially announced its Windows 8 ThinkPad Tablet 2 this week, which will be aimed at professionals. But the company’s consumer side is also preparing its Windows 8 products, including its IdeaPad Yoga, which was shown off earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The computer has a unique design: it looks like a regular laptop until the screen folds backwards to morph it into a tablet.

The device is scheduled to hit the market around the time of the general availability of Windows 8, which is slated for Oct. 26, ABC News has learned. There will be two versions of the Yoga – one that has an Intel processor and one that has a lower-powered ARM Nvidia Tegra processor. The ARM version will have double the battery life of the Intel version, sources said.

Microsoft has three versions of Windows 8 – Windows RT for ARM processors, which are lower-powered, and Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro for x86 Intel and AMD processors.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier today that Lenovo is prepping to release a Windows RT tablet with a “keyboard that flips around.” ABC News’ sources confirmed that this tablet is, in fact, the Yoga.

While Windows RT tablets based on ARM won’t have access to all the legacy applications for Windows, Windows RT tablets, like the Yoga, will have access to all the apps in Microsoft’s Store, which will be launched alongside Windows 8 in October. a lot of Windows 8 computers and tablets are expected in October, including Microsoft’s own Surface tablet. Earlier this week Lenovo’s Dilip Bhatia told ABC News that Surface has brought excitement to the market.

When reached, a Lenovo spokesperson said the company will have a number of Windows 8 devices, but wouldn’t comment on unannounced products.

Lenovo Yoga Convertible Laptop-Tablet Coming with Windows 8 RT

Jul 26

Intel Not Porting Google’s Android for ...

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Intel isn’t actively porting Android to work on tablets based on the upcoming Atom chip code-named Clover Trail, which is purpose built for Microsoft’s Windows 8, according to a source familiar with the company’s plans.

Initial tablets using Clover Trail will launch later this year, and will coincide with the release of Microsoft’s Windows 8, which is also expected later this year. Intel has said 20 Clover Trail tablet designs are in the works, and the companies launching tablets will include Acer.

Intel has worked closely with Microsoft to tune tablets with Clover Trail chips for Windows 8 OS, which has a touch user interface. A handful of Clover Trail tablets have been shown running Windows 8, but none have been shown running Android.

Intel is a big backer of Android, but the source did not disclose what direction the company would take on Android OS for tablets. A prototype tablet with another Intel Atom chip code-named Medfield has been shown running Android, and Vizio is expected to use the chip in an upcoming tablet with a 10-inch screen, which is also expected to have the Android OS.

The Medfield chip is also being used in smartphones from Lenovo, Lava International and Orange. Intel continues to work closely with Google to tune Android for Intel Inside smartphones, and Motorola Mobility, now a part of Google, will start selling x86 smartphones in the next few months.

Intel is placing big bets on Clover Trail and Windows 8 to grow in the tablet market, where it has a minimal presence. Microsoft has announced Windows RT for tablets with ARM processors, which dominate the tablet market. Intel’s first dedicated Atom chip for tablets, code-named Oak Trail, was launched last year and is being used in a few business tablets that run the Windows 7 OS.

Apple’s iPad rules the tablet market, and Microsoft’s Windows 8 is being seen as a big threat to Google’s Android OS. though successful in smartphones, Android has failed to break Apple’s dominance in tablets, tasting success only through a few tablets such as Google’s Nexus 7 and Amazon’s Kindle Fire.

Some major device makers such as Acer and Asus, which currently offer Android tablets, have also announced Windows 8 tablet-PC hybrids with Intel’s Ivy Bridge processors. An exception is Dell, which is putting its full weight behind Windows 8. Hewlett-Packard, which abandoned WebOS, said its next tablet will also be based on Windows 8. Lenovo has showed a ThinkPad tablet running on Windows 8.

Intel is keeping its OS options open for mobile devices. The chip maker has said it would evaluate Windows Phone OS for smartphones, and is actively supporting Tizen OS, which is being developed in collaboration with Samsung and other companies.

Agam Shah covers PCs, tablets, servers, chips and semiconductors for IDG News Service. Follow Agam on Twitter at @agamsh. Agam’s e-mail address is agam_shah@idg.com

Intel Not Porting Google’s Android for Clover Trail Tablets

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Jul 14

Microsoft could alienate hardware partners with ...

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IDG News Service – Microsoft’s Surface tablet is a measured gamble to enter the cutthroat tablet business, but the company could be alienating longtime hardware partners that are also expected to announce Windows 8 devices starting later this year.

The Surface tablet models come with a 10.6-inch display and will be distributed directly to customers, via Microsoft stores and the company’s online store. Microsoft’s goal is to offer a package of hardware and software built around Windows so the company can effectively compete with Apple, which offers the iPad and iPhone devices running on the iOS platform, analysts said.

Microsoft is offering two tablets, the Surface with Windows RT for ARM processors, and the Surface Pro with Windows 8 Pro for x86 Intel processors. The Surface tablet with Windows RT is lighter and comes with Office 15, which includes widely used productivity applications such as Word and Excel. Microsoft’s new tablets will come with a kickstand and a thin cover that doubles as a keyboard and trackpad.

The creation of its own tablet is a sign that Microsoft has lost faith in PC manufacturers to develop devices that can take advantage of the Windows OS, analysts said. Apple has dominated the tablet market, and Microsoft had to take hardware development into its own hands as PC makers were not generating enough excitement to drive interest in Windows 8. Companies like Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Acer, Asus and Lenovo are expected to come out with tablets running the upcoming Windows 8 and RT operating systems.

If the Surface tablets become successful, Microsoft could potentially be stealing future revenues from its partners who view the tablet segment as profitable, said Roger Kay, principal analyst at Endpoint Technologies Associates.

“I have to believe that [the partners] are fairly discontent about it,” Kay said. “The tablet is the heart and soul of Windows 8, and it looks like Microsoft has reserved it.”

Microsoft has licensed Windows to hardware makers for PCs since the 1980s, but that business model may be getting antiquated, Kay said. Microsoft may be seeking a new business model around tablets, but at the same time the PC market is not going anywhere and Microsoft wants to retain its Windows licensing business, Kay said. Microsoft may be experimenting with a new tablet business model, but the software company will have to strike the right balance in maintaining a relationship with the PC makers on tablets and PCs.

Shaw Wu, a financial analyst at Sterne Agee, agreed, saying Microsoft’s tablets could eat into the sales of devices from Windows partners. The full impact of Microsoft’s tablets on PC makers has yet to be determined, Wu said in a research note sent on Tuesday.

Microsoft could alienate hardware partners with new tablets

Mar 18

Intel wants to be inside your tablet and ...

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Intel’s x86 chips may power the majority of the world’s PCs, but Santa Clara says it is now ready to "fine-tune" its processor supply chain to target the tablet and smartphone space.

Both lucrative markets are currently dominated by ARM-powered chips manufactured by companies like Apple, Nvidia, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments.  



"we will start to see more and more of our capacity and our output go to things that are mobile, like phones and tablets and other devices," Brian Krzanich, Intel’s newly appointed COO told Reuters.

"what have I [personally] brought to manufacturing? Speed and agility… That’s exactly what the PC business and exactly what the phone business will need."

However, Santa Clara will undoubtedly face a rather steep uphill climb when it comes to gaining a legitimate foothold in the hyper-competitive smartphone and tablet markets. 

Indeed, Intel’s Medfield received positive reviews from a number of analysts, but is viewed by most of the industry as little more than a first step towards a brave new mobile future.



"after 4 years, 3 process technologies and 3 different designs, Intel finally has a product with power consumption that is appropriate for smart phones," prominent Silicon Valley analyst David Kanter wrote in a recent analysis published on RealWorldTech.



"[And] judging by Intel’s plans for 14nm SoCs based on the Airmont CPU core in 2014, this process technology advantage is only likely to grow over time… [Of course], whether that advantage will yield a significant smart phone market share for Intel is uncertain, but Medfield clearly demonstrates that it is possible."



SemiAccurate’s Charlie Demerjian expressed similar sentiments.

"[Medfield] has the software support at launch to do what is necessary, and as long as Intel keeps shoveling money at software, things will stay that way. in the end, the crystal ball says that Intel still has a chance, but it is a steep uphill climb," he explained.

"[Yes], the check boxes are all ticked, and things look positive for launch. [True], the last three attempts to get Atom in to phones were an unmitigated disaster, but things really are different this time. Intel can do well with Medfield and will have some solid products on the market shortly."

Intel has confirmed that its x86-powered smartphones will soon be hitting a number of markets, including the UK, France, China and India. Although a handset for the US has yet to be announced, 2013 will undoubtedly see a slew of Intel-based Windows 8 tablets that could eke out serious market share. 


Intel wants to be inside your tablet and smartphone

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