Has Microsoft lost the tablet war before it begins?
Asus' Windows 8 tablet roadmap leaked a few days ago, revealing the company's intention to launch three tablets powered by Microsoft's soon to be released Windows 8 operating system. Bloggers and journalists have used the roadmap to argue that the pricing is too high to compete effectively against Apple iPads and Android tablets. Taken aside that the pricing may not be final, it seems like they are right, if you only compare price and nothing else.
Asus' entry model, the Vivo Tab RT, for instance, lists with a starting price of $599. That's $100 more than Apple's cheapest new iPad model, and $300 more than Google's Nexus 7 tablet. But can you really make that comparison?
Existential crisis: A tablet with a keyboard dock is just a PC, right?
Post-PC is a lifestyle I do not strive toward and I have very good reasons for that. Yet after buying my Galaxy Nexus, I started toying with the idea that maybe a tablet is not such a bad idea after all. I will not concede to the concept of a tablet being suited for all tasks, yet I can accept it for what it is -- a toy. I have not self-medicated, nor did I happen to change overnight, but there is a logic to my madness.
I am the type of person that gets easily bored by using the same thing over and over again, be it software or hardware, and it would only be a logical step to assume that a new device could put an end to my unconscious --or most likely conscious-- quest to find the perfect anti-boredom device. My needs are rather specific, and I struggle to find the reason why I would rationally want to make the switch to an all-purpose tablet, and there isn't one.
AOKP Jelly Bean Build 1 is available -- get it NOW!
Android Open Kang Project, the team behind the popular custom Android distribution AOKP, has announced the availability of the first Android 4.1 Jelly Bean official build named Jelly Bean Build 1. The number of supported devices is currently limited to the Android smartphones used by the team behind the project, but it has been announced that availability will be extended once "things slow down" and new device maintainers will join the AOKP project.
Although there is no official changelog accompanying the release of the first official AOKP Jelly Bean build, some details are available as to what changes to expect from AOKP Jelly Bean Build 1.
CyanogenMod 10 nightly builds roll out for select devices
The CyanogenMod team has announced via Google+ the official release of CyanogenMod 10 nightly builds for a limited number of devices. The list includes popular Android smartphones as well as tablets that will now be able to run the latest CyanogenMod, which is based on Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean.
The nightly builds are compatible with a select number of Android smartphones and tablets.
Asus introduces the first notebook with next-gen Wi-Fi
One of Broadcom's goals for 2012 is to bring to market new hardware that supports the fifth-generation of Wi-Fi networking standards, 802.11ac. At CES 2012, Broadcom debuted its first 802.11ac chips, then rolled out more designs in the following months so device manufacturers could take advantage of the faster throughput the new standard allowed.
Asus, D-Link, Huawei, and LG all have announced plans to support 802.11ac with consumer hardware, and this week, Asus and Broadcom unveiled the first consumer-facing notebook computer to feature full 802.11ac compliance, the Asus ROG G75VW gaming notebook.
Shut up and take my money: The first Windows RT device for consumers
Late last year, I got pretty excited about the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime Android tablet. The tablet/notebook form factor spoke to me, the specs were impressive, and the overall package looked just right for an individual looking to do more working than playing.
Asus has revisited the appealling form factor of the Transformer Prime and applied it to Windows RT, the version of Windows 8 specifically for devices running on ARM-based processors.
Windows 8 just got cooler: Asus unveils 'Taichi' dual-screen ultrabook
At Computex 2012 in Taipei, Taiwanese PC maker Asus unveiled a new Windows 8 ultrabook design that features a full-sized HD IPS touchscreen display on the "lid" portion of the device. This second screen allows the device to be used as a tablet when the lid is closed, or as a presentation/screen-sharing tool when it is open.
The Asus Taichi is currently a working design, and Asus says the specs are not yet finalized. However, the company says the Taichi will be available in both 11.6” and 13.3” profiles, will have third generation Intel Core processors with 4 GB of DDR3 memory, and an undisclosed amount of SSD-based storage.
I'm still confused about Asus Open Cloud Computing [video]
Computex is underway in Taipei, and Asus has a slew of mobile announcements we'll get to in other posts today. I'm scratching my head trying to grok the computer maker's cloud strategy, which looks good in this video but far removed from the reality I live in, or you. It's an idealized future of everywhere sync and help holograms that's more Star Trek than today's tech.
But the concept has meaning, and so there's no misunderstanding: Windows 8 plays an important role in Asus' cloud strategy. Microsoft issued Windows 8 Release Preview on May 31 and anticipates new PCs shipping with gold code for the holidays.
Recent Headlines
Most Commented Stories
© 1998-2025 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy.