Updated: Windows 8 tablets: what you need to know

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The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga pointed the way at CES 2012

Microsoft's been pushing tablet computers for the best part of a decade, so you can imagine how happy the iPad's success makes them.

But Microsoft doesn't give up easily, and Windows 8 tablets will be with us later in the year. One such example, that we saw at CES from Lenovo, is a wrap-around convertible tablet that becomes an ultraportable laptop.

Hands on: Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga review

Unless you've been under a rock for the last few days, you'll know that Microsoft has now released the Consumer Preview of Windows 8, so you can check it out for yourself.

The Windows 8 release date is late 2012, so let's see what Windows 8 tablets will have in store for us.

Windows 8 tablets will run on ARM, Intel and AMD chips

As well as traditional x86-based AMD and Intel machines, Windows 8 can now run on ARM-based hardware - the same type of kit as the iPad or any Android tablet. Expect plenty of interesting kit to hit the streets after the launch of Windows 8.

Windows 8 for ARM tablets will come out at the same time as Windows 8 for x86 PCs, if everything goes according to plan.

Nvidia's Tegra 3 chip has been confirmed to be one of the test beds for new ARM-based tablet devices.

"Microsoft is excited to partner with Nvidia to bring developers leading edge Windows on ARM test PCs to support the creation of compelling Metro style app and device experiences for Windows 8," said Aidan Marcuss, head of the oddly-named business planning department at Microsoft.

Windows 8 tablets will have the new Metro interface

As we saw in our Hands on: Windows 8 review, Windows 8 tablets will have a marvellous new interface that looks rather like Windows Phone 7, called Metro.

10 ways Windows 8 tablets can take on the iPad

"Fast, fluid and dynamic, the experience has been transformed while keeping the power, flexibility and connectivity of Windows intact," says Microsoft's head of Windows Experience Julie Larson-Green.

"Although the new user interface is designed and optimised for touch, it works equally well with a mouse and keyboard. Our approach means no compromises - you get to use whatever kind of device you prefer, with peripherals you choose, to run the apps you love. This is sure to inspire a new generation of hardware and software development, improving the experience for PC users around the world."

In late October 2011, Microsoft was forced to talk about how Windows 8 tablets would deal with portrait orientations - all the demonstrations thus far have been of Windows 8 tablets in landscape.

Windows 8 tablets desktop

In February Microsoft confirmed that new ARM versions of Windows 8 tablets would have the traditional desktop as well as the new Metro interface - but it will only allow third-party Metro apps.

On ARM, the Windows desktop, with familiar apps like Explorer, Internet Explorer and the Windows Live apps, plus Office – but everything else will be Metro.

Windows 8 on ARM: Steven Sinofsky speaks

Windows 8 tablets Start Menu

Microsoft is also facing somewhat of a backlash as Windows 8 loses the Start Orb, better known as the Start button - it's replaced by the Metro interface.

Microsoft has had to defend the decisions it's made with the Start Menu in Windows 8.

Windows 8 tablets manufacturers

A Samsung Windows 8 tablet was shown off at Microsoft's Build conference on 13 September 2011. Check out our Hands on: Windows 8 tablet review

After it confirmed that it was to keep making PCs in late October 2011, HP also said it would be making Windows 8 tablets.

It has also been widely reported that Dell is pinning its hopes on Windows 8 and that it will be launching tablet products featuring the OS.

Windows 8 beta: new features to expect

On 9 May 2011, we reported on a rumour of a forthcoming Nokia Windows 8 tablet. The info comes from phone commentator Eldar Murtazin, who wrote on the Mobile Review forum that Nokia will launch a tablet in 2012, possibly pushed back to 2013. Nokia said at October 2011's Nokia World that Windows 8 represents a "broader opportunity" for the company, (reported by TechCrunch).

Nokia CEO Stephen Elop later said that the company was looking at the tablet market and is considering just how to take on the might of the iPad.

"There's a new tablet opportunity coming... Unquestionably, that will change the dynamics [of the tablet market]." It would appear the Nokia Windows 8 tablet could be slated for June 2012.

A leaked slide from Netbooknews.de indicates that Asus will begin selling Windows 8 tablets in Q3 2012.

Windows 8 tablets will have a lot of support

During an earnings call in mid-August, Nvidia's Jen-Hsun Huang also said: "I'm very bullish about Windows 8," adding: "I think it's going to be an amazing operating system. Windows 8 tablets and Windows 8 clam shells that Tegra is going into, I hope will translate into real growth for our company in the second half of next year."

"We're not leading the charge on Windows 8, but as we become comfortable that [Windows 8] is a viable ecosystem [and] that the quality of innovation and quality of services and quality of capabilities [are] being delivered there, we will certainly be open to that," he said in response to a question.

As we now know, Nvidia is seeding Windows 8 ARM tablest with developers.

Motorola has also said it is "completely open to Windows as a platform" according to Cnet.

Australian site Smarthouse.au claims some vendors will even move away from Android tablets in favour of Windows 8.

Windows 8 tablets will be thin and light

While Dell makes some unusually shaped tablets already, the Samsung tablet is "similar in size and shape to the Apple iPad, although it is not as thin." Unlike the iPad, "it also includes a unique and slick keyboard that slides out from below for easy typing."

Some Windows 8 tablets will be designed for business

"The company believes there is a huge market for business people who want to enjoy a slate for reading newspapers and magazines and then work on Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint while doing work," the NYT says, quoting the inevitable "person familiar with the company's tablet plans".

Windows 8 tablets will have apps and an app store

Apps are a big part of Windows 8, with Microsoft convinced that "app development will move to the web" and it has built a Windows Store with manufacturer-specific entrances. Again, we saw a lot more detail on this in the Windows 8 Consumer Preview.

Windows 8 will come with a number of pre-installed Metro apps, which look set to include things like a camera, messaging, mail, calendar, SkyDrive, people, photos, video and music.

The apps will be in the Windows Phone Metro style and some, like messaging may incorporate mobile aspects like SMS support.

Windows 8 tablet prices should be similar to Android ones

Windows 8 tablets will be up against iPads, Android tablets and Chrome OS netbooks, so if they're not priced very aggressively they're going to be a tough sell.

Tags: Windows 8, Microsoft, computing, tabletsTweetreddit!Stumbleupon  Your comments (7) Click to add a new commentlovlid

17 hours ago

7. Why is this article back in the Most Commented section?

It hasn't been commented on since last August.

If you so desperately need to draw attention to an update, why not have a separate update section?

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pal1966

August 10th 2011

6. If windows 8 Tablets are going to be so good, I hope they don't at all look like an ipad, or Apple will sue them and block their sale lol

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alphamale

June 16th 2011

5. "In December 2011, the New York Times wrote that Microsoft would unveil tablets running Windows 8 at CES 2011 in January, which proved to be incorrect."

...Nah there is nothing wrong in that phrase.

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ammalgam

December 18th 2010

4. I call BS on most of these rumors for the following reasons.

2011 is too soon.

I doubt that they have anything ready to show...

Mike

http://www.windows8update.com

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mlezz666

December 17th 2010

3. The title should "Windows 8 Tablet - What nobody really knows". Why are all so called tech sites full of rumour.

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bradavon

December 16th 2010

2. I totally agree but Microsoft have a much larger user base to support than Apple. Apple can safely remove legacy support but if Microsoft do it, they'll get lots of big business complaining because their ancient specialist software no longer works.

Microsoft did kill of 16-Bit support in Windows x64, which means the majority of DOS and all Windows 3.1 apps don't work. There are loads command line tools business uses.

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duskrider

December 16th 2010

1. "We've heard from numerous sources that Microsoft's real tablet strategy will rely on Windows 8 and a new all-touch interface that the company has been working incredibly *******."

Since last week.

By the time this ships, competitors will have had no less than 2 years, maybe 3 to get a jump on MS. Just like with smartphones. The problem MS faces is that many of us have figured out that life can be pretty good without Windows. Their incredible ineptitude and dawdling has cost them the "fear of change" advantage that they had for years and years.

I used to be pure Windows, even just a few years ago. Now I have in front of me 5 OS's and use any of them freely. In fact, I use Windows the least. Moreover, I don't really care which one I use anymore, with all of them being pretty good at most anything you will do with them. I gravitate towards OSX for my photo hobby, love the Windows 7 UI, take my iPad absolutely everywhere with me, switch phones constantly depending on my mood. With GMail, MobileMe and Dropbox, all my stuff is with me all of the time, so it's irrelevant from a data perspective which machine I'm on.

The root cause for this change is, in my mind, because of MS's refusal to drop legacy support. Windows has been a bloated, unstable, slow pig. Windows 7 fixes most of this and XP mode is a step in the right direction, but they need to fully commit. Now trying to shoehorn Windows 7 onto a tablet makes things worse and illustrates how far behind MS is. They should stop allowing that until they are tablet ready, hopefully with Windows 8.

MS used to be 'it' but now they are just another player amongst many. Good for the consumer, bad for MS. They no longer have a guarantee that they will get my dollars for anything at all, so they had better make very compelling products.

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Updated: CES 2012 highlights: what you need to know

CES 2012 highlights: what you need to know | News | TechRadar Updated 13 minutes ago

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Tweet Page 1: CES 2012 highlights

CES 2012 - the greatest tech show on Earth

The world's greatest tech show - CES 2012 - kicked off on Monday 9 January (if you're a show obsessive, note that's a week later than usual).

Running until Thursday, the show sees the entire tech world descend on Las Vegas. It covers more than 1.8 million square feet and has more than 140,000 attendees from across the globe. The biggest names in technology are there to talk about their plans for 2012.

As for every CES, TechRadar is there getting hands on with the hardware that matters and bringing you the latest breaking news from the show. We have a dedicated CES 2012 channel where you can keep up with all the news.

Here are our CES 2012 highlights…

The biggest news at CES 2012

LG unveils stunning 55-inch OLED TV
Steve Ballmer gives last ever Microsoft keynote at CES
Microsoft announces Kinect for PC
Sony develops new Crystal LED tech to rival OLED
Intel promises touch-enabled Ultrabooks
iPad 3 spotted? Or is it the iPad 2S...

CES 2012: Tablets

Without an Apple presence at CES, it's a chance for other manufacturers to shout about their tablet devices. But there's not the mad rush of iPad rivals that you might expect. Poor sales of Android tablets seem to have made the big electronics giants more cautious.

That said, this week we've nodded appreciatively in the direction of the Acer Iconia Tab A700, which will come packing Android 4.0 (aka Ice Cream Sandwich) and a huge quad-core processor. Nice.

Toshiba has also jumped back into tablet waters with the new Excite 10, a stylish 10.1-inch Android slab that boasts a 1.2GHz dual-core TI processor and a 1,280 x 800 pixel display.

But it's Lenovo that has turned heads and widened eyes with its two new tablet models. There's the Asus Transformer-alike IdeaPad S2 running Ice Cream Sandwich and the quad-core Tegra 3-powered IdeaPad K2 (see below), which looks like a supercomputer pretending to be a clipboard.

Lenovo has also been showing off the IdeaPad Yoga, a 13.1-inch laptop/tablet that has been described as "like Microsoft's vision for the Tablet PC from 2002. Only good."

We've also had a play with the ViewSonic ViewPad E70 and the Aigopad m803. While the feisty, quad-core Asus MeMo has Amazon's Kindle Fire firmly in its sights.

Looking to the future, Nvidia has been demoing a prototype Windows 8 tablet, powered by its quad-core Tegra 3 processor. It's good. Very good. Intel should be worried.

Meanwhile, Razer's 'Project Fiona' gaming tablet (see below) has got us all frothed up about gaming on the sofa in 2012. Who needs a PlayStation Vita when you can play PC games on a tablet with two controllers? We hate those fiddly touchscreen joypads...

What of RIM? Rather than unveil a new Playbook model (that would be sheer madness...), the beleaguered Blackberry builder has upgraded its tablet software to version 2.0. We wish we had some groundbreaking features to report. We don't. See for yourself.

CES 2012: Phones

While most manufacturers will be saving their big phone launches until Mobile World Congress in February, several new smartphones have been been spotted on the plush Vegas carpets.

Having absorbed Ericsson into the Sony hive mind, the newest Xperia handsets are the first to break cover without any Ericsson branding.

The Sony Xperia S (pictured above) is essentially a Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc with HD - a 4.3-inch Reality Display (1,280 x 700 pixels), a 12MP camera and the promise of an Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade in Q2.

You can also say hello to the new Sony Xperia Ion, a PlayStation-certified, dual-core (1.5GHz) smartphone with 16GB of internal storage and a 12MP rear camera.

Elsewhere, HTC has upgraded the Titan for duty on AT&T. The HTC Titan II is the same 4.7-inch, 1.5GHz Windows Phone that you might be indifferent to. But it's been souped up with a 16MP snapper, wide angle lens, dual LED flash and LTE support.

The US also gets the Nokia Lumia 800 dressed up as the Nokia Lumia 900. What's new? It's LTE-powered, larger screened (4.3 inches) and has a better front camera.

The LG Spectrum also catches the eye with a 4.5-inch IPS LCD that rivals the Retina display on the iPhone 4. While the the Huawei Ascend P1 S and Ascend P1 trumpet Super AMOLED screens and the thinnest chassis on the market. It's only 6.68mm thick.

Intel has regularly missed the boat when it comes to mobile, but that doesn't stop it trying to catch up. The chip colossus has used this year's CES to publish its reference design for smartphones, which stipulates a minimum spec for any manufacturer who wants to use its Atom chips.

Need an example? You're in luck. Lenovo has partnered with Intel to produce the Lenovo K800, an Android-powered Atom-phone with a 720p 4.5-inch display, 8MP camera, NFC and HDMI. It's good. And quite noticeably zippy. But Intel will need better phones than this to establish Atom as a credible mobile CPU.

The future of mobiles in 2012 arguably lies with quad-core handsets like Fujitsu's 1.2GHz Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core super phone prototype. Is it 'super'? Really? The inclusion of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), a 1,280x720 4.6-inch TFT LCD, 13.1MP rear-facing camera and 4GB of RAM would suggest a big, fat "hell, yeah!"

CES 2012: Laptops

Think the laptop is dead? Far from it. Acer launched the 13.3-inch Aspire S5 during its CES 2012 press conference and promised Windows 8 Ultrabooks in the second half of the year.

Forget netbooks, chromebooks and desktop replacement systems. Ultrabooks that pay design homage to Apple's skinny Macbook Air are the new laptop form factor of choice. Without any other stand-out gadgets, they've quickly become one of the stars of the 2012 show.

Lenovo, for example, has unwrapped its good looking IdeaPad U Series ultrabooks at this year's show - the 13-inch U310 model weighs in at 1.7kg and is only 18mm thick.

Intel believes that tablets can't replace laptop computers and that we'll be even happier with a convertible Ultrabook that runs Windows 8 (and is powered by Sandy Bridge/Ivy Bridge Intel CPUs. Obviously).

HP's Ultrabook effort is the good-lookin' Envy 14 Spectre, which incorporates a roomier 14-inch (1,600 x 900 pixel) panel and is only 21mm thick. Under the hood there's an Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processor, and a 128GB hard drive.

Samsung, meanwhile, joins the Ultrabook club with its Series 5 devices, which will be availble in 13- and 14-inch variants with 2nd generation Intel Core i5 engines and Radeon HD graphics.

Samsung also rolled out the second generation of its Series 9 laptops with a refined 'aerodynamic design'.

LG has also jumped on the Ultrabook bandwagon, showcasing the slender LG Z330 and LG Z430 Super Ultrabooks. What's 'Super' about them? We're not sure.

The 13-inch Z330 features a Core i7 processor, a SATA3 SSD and boasts a skinny frame that's an astounding 14.7mm thick. The Z430 is a little bigger with a 14-inch display and dual SSD/HDD storage.

Other Ultrabook contenders include the HP Folio 13 and the Dell XPS 13, a gorgeous device that could seduce you with its looks before you even thought to ask about the specs. Oh yes, the specs... a 13-inch display, narrow 316 x 205mm footprint, Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, 4 gigs of memory and a 128/256GB SSD.

But the prize for strangest laptop surely goes to Intel's Nikiski see-through notebook. It isn't an Ultrabook (although a thinner version is planned), but it does feature a clever glass touchpad that doubles up as a touchscreen when you close the lid (see below).

CES 2012: HDTVs

Despite the popularity of tablets and smartphones, CES has always been about TVs. Bigger TVs, thinner TVs, Full HD TVs, 4K TVs, OLED TVs and smart Internet-connected TVs. CES 2012 is no different.

One of the stars of the show is LG's new 4mm-thick 55-inch OLED 3D HDTV, which has got Vegas crowds dribbling down their free promotional T-shirts. Only 4mm. That's thinner than your smartphone. It's quite simply stunning and still shots don't do it justice.

Not to be outdone (although it clearly has been), Samsung also has a 55-inch OLED telly of its own. Check out our photos and video.

Could this finally be the year that OLED becomes more than a headline-grabbing technology demo? Our fingers are crossed. Again. Just like last year...

As for Sony, it pressganged Hollywood star Will Smith to look impressed by its prototype Crystal LED technology. Fusing LCD and OLED, the futuristic TV works by packing in six million LEDs to give it OLED levels of clarity, colour and brightness.

In the battle of the BIG screens, LG and Sharp duked it out for the 'largest 3D TV of the show' award. Sharp came close with its 80-incher, but LG just nabbed the gong with its 84-inch ultra definition (3,840 x 2,160 pixel) set. The 1mm bezel "enhances the illusion that the 3D is borderless".

And if you think 4K2K TV is impressive, wait until you clap your eyes on Sharp's prototype 8K panel, which boasts 7,680 x 4,320 pixels. That's 16 times the resolution of HD.

Of course, the next generation of TVs will also be smarter. Sony has plans to play around with Google TV STBs, LG also has a Smart TV running Google's Android telly system, while Opera has unveiled more about its television app store.

While we wait for a Siri-powered Apple iTV, Samsung and LG have both been pimping Kinect-style gesture technology as a replacement for the remote control.

In fact, LG's system uses an add-on camera (pictured above) that looks suspiciously similar to Microsoft's Xbox 360 peripheral. Samsung's tech uses the camera that's built into its 8000-series HD TVs.

Panasonic, meanwhile, enlisted the help of Justin Timberlake to launch MySpace TV, which will feature on new Viera HDTVs. Does anybody still use MySpace? And can any of them afford a TV? We're not convinced. Panasonic also has a big OLED TV in the works, but it just wasn't ready for this year's show.

CES 2012: Gadgets

What else have we been impressed by at this year's CES? Sure there have been novelty USB sticks, remote-controlled iPhone-copters and Microsoft had a tweet choir during its keynote. But here are the gadgets that have really caught our giant, Sauron-esque eye...

For a peek into the future of cloud computing, look no further than the OnLive Desktop for iPad. Want to use the Microsoft Office Suite on your tablet? OnLive is happy to oblige.

JVC has announced the world's first handheld 4K camcorder. The GY-HMQ10 can take 3,840 x 2,160 footage at 24 or 50p.

Pico projectors may not have the lustre they had when first released but there's certain companies which keep churning out the pint-sized product again and again. Check out the Optoma PK32.

If you want Apple's AirPlay but don't want to spend hundreds replacing the speakers you've already spent hundreds on, Griffin has a treat for you.

CES 2012: Cameras

PMA@CES Preview video

Photographers will doubtless be intrigued by Fujifilm's newly designed X-Trans 16-million pixel APS-C CMOS sensor. Built into the new X-Pro 1 mirrorless camera, Fuji claims that it is capable of delivering resolution of the same quality, if not superior, to a full-frame sensor. Here's our hands on: Fuji X-Pro1 review.

We've also had some hands on time with the Canon G1 X, which boasts a 14.3MP CMOS sensor, 4x optical zoom, raw shooting and Full HD video recording.

CES is also overflowing with compact cameras. Panasonic has introduced five new models to sit in its Lumix range. They include the 16.1-megapixel FS45 and 14.1-megapixel FS40 models; 16.1-megapixel Panasonic Lumix S5; the 14.1-megapixel SZ7 and the 16.1-megapixel SZ1.

Sony has added three new cameras to its enduring CyberShot range - the DSC-W610, DSC-W620 and DSC-W650. While Samsung has been showing off its WB850F and WB150F high-end compacts.

Olympus, meanwhile, has announced five new compact cameras, including a rugged "Tough" camera. The TG-320 is shockproof, waterproof and freezeproof, and is, according to Olympus, "virtually indestructible".

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Tags: CES 2012, computing, home entertainment, gaming, mobile phones, tabletsTweetreddit!Stumbleupon  Your comments (3) Click to add a new commentafree10

January 5th

3. I Think the windows desktop will be avalible for arm because there is a ARM fxc.exe (shader compiler) in the visaul studio developer preview sdk C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\8.0\bin\arm when the visaul studio preview is installed

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munichlondon

December 13th 2011

2. Nice pre show round-up, cheers.

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drmussey

December 7th 2011

1. The greatest new Tablet to show up at CES 2012 is supposed to be "The Tablee!" We captured a sneak peek in this short comic Animation on YouTube:

http://youtu.be/lLycvKNWGsU

Don't worry! It's office friendly!

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