Windows 8, Intel Atom SoC Will Be iPad Killer

Informationweek ^ | June 04, 2012 | George Ou

[SmokingJoe]

When Intel announced its Windows 8 Tablet check list running on a soon-to-be-released Intel Atom Z2760 dual-core System on Chip (SoC), the reaction was mild enthusiasm with a healthy dose of skepticism. Intel said that Intel Windows 8 tablets would come with 10- or 11-inch screens, measure less than 9 mm thick, weigh less than 1.5 lbs, and offer more than nine hours of battery. The typical reaction was disbelief because no Intel notebook or netbook has ever come close to being as thin and light as an iPad with the battery life of an iPad.

Conventional wisdom among tech pundits held that Intel can't match tablets running ARM architecture processors because Intel had never delivered anything close to such a product. Intel-based Microsoft Tablet PCs were too heavy at over three pounds, too expensive with prices between $1,000 and $3,000, too short on battery life, and too inconvenient with an OS that had to be shut down or suspended. With Intel and Microsoft having a miserable 11-year track record in the tablet computing space and the fact that not much was known about the mystery Intel Atom Z2760 "Clover Trail" processor, all the skepticism was warranted.

Now that we can actually see hands-on product videos of the Acer Iconia W510 ($400 to $800 range) transformable tablet with 18 hours battery life in docked mode, it's clear that Intel was not bluffing. PC World reports that the Iconia uses an Intel SoC. That makes sense given the fact that there is no way a full-size notebook chip can even fit into a 9-mm-thin detachable chassis that also has to accommodate an LCD panel and achieve phenomenal battery life.

[SmokingJoe]

IPad killer? Maybe not, but Windows 8 and the innovative Windows 8 tablets we just saw at Comuptex 2012 in Taiwan is going to put Microsoft firmly in the tablet game.

Acer Iconia W510 Windows 8 tablet hands-on video link:
http://www.viddler.com/v/d54c5646?secret=71163275

Acer Iconia W700 Windows 8 tablet hands-on video:
http://www.viddler.com/v/816f4f5b?secret=84543402

[Red Badger]

It may be a PC Killer instead...............oops!.......

[dfwgator]

Microsoft isn’t thinking things through, they have a core advantage at the Desktop, which is still by far the biggest market, they are willing to sacrifice that to pursue this pipedream of catching Apple in the Tablet market...not gonna work.

[Swordmaker]

 Pundit claims Windows 8 on ARM will be iPad killer —PING!

Apple ipad Ping!

Please, No Flame Wars!
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[Principled]

I have read [no experience myself] that Win 8 sucks big time.

[Dan Nunn]

"[X] Will Be i[Fill in the blank] Killer..." Heard that before:

• Zune was supposed to kill iPod.
• Blackberry Storm was supposed to kill iPhone.
• Galaxy Tab was supposed to kill iPad.
• Google TV was supposed to be the Apple TV killer. (verdict's still out, wait until next week)
• Ultrabooks were supposed to be the Macbook Air killer.
• All-In-One PCs were supposed to be the iMac killer.

I think I've made my point. Apple is still #1 in all of those categories. And yet you have idiot execs downplaying any rumors about Apple.

I guess those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat the mistakes of Michael Dell, Steve Ballmer, Jon Rubenstein, and Jim Ballsillie.

[Swordmaker]

Oops, make that Intel Atom. Brain Fart. Explainable in that I turned 63 yesterday.

[Drill Thrawl]

The “WinTel POS” is probably a better description.

[SmokingJoe]

“Microsoft isn’t thinking things through, they have a core advantage at the Desktop, which is still by far the biggest market, they are willing to sacrifice that to pursue this pipedream of catching Apple in the Tablet market...not gonna work.”

You still don't get it do ya?
Windows 8 on Intel is both a tablet and a desktop. They are sacrificing nothing. Watch this video of the Acer Iconia W510 Windows 8 tablet/Desktop :
http://www.viddler.com/v/d54c5646?secret=71163275

[Breto]

I don’t think there is anymore murdered hardware than the iPhone and iPad in the history of tech. Killers here, killers there, killers all over. This new killer vaporware is so scary my 2 iPads saw me reading it and immediately jumped off the desk and hung themselves by the charging cord.

[Sudetenland]

That’s odd, because everything I have read says that Windows 8 absolutely kills the I-Pad. Superior OS in virtually every way—not so great for PC’s (needs touch screen to be fully appreciated), but the perfect tablet OS.

[big'ol_freeper]

Wow!! This is hugh and series. Another Apple product killer!! Just like those that killed the iPod, iPhone and laptops etc. Woot!

[Poser]

iPad killer? Very unlikely. Unless it does something extraordinary than an iPad won't do, the Apple app store and the iTunes interface pretty much guarantee iPad will keep its dominance for the foreseeable future.

[ThomasThomas]

I have heard that the only way to get apps for an ipad is from the apple store. Is there a way for a company to develop their on apps and install them on only their equipment without putting them in the store.

[Yo-Yo]

Windows 8, Intel Atom SoC Will Be iPad Killer

Bull. The only thing that will kill the iPad is Apple making stupid decisions sans Steve Jobs.

There are too many Apple Lemmings for the iPad or any other Apple product to fail unless it is totally uselss. (And even then I'm not so sure...)

[SmokingJoe]

iPad killer? Very unlikely. Unless it does something extraordinary than an iPad won't do, the Apple app store and the iTunes interface pretty much guarantee iPad will keep its dominance for the foreseeable future

Kinda like the iPhone kept its dominance over Android phones, yes?

[adorno]

I have read [no experience myself] that Win 8 sucks big time.

Been using it since the "beta" was released, and been using the "consumer preview" and now the release candidate, and from my experience, I can testify that, it's better and faster than Windows 7. You may have to work a little bit to get used to the new interface, but, once you do, you won't be going back to Windows 7 or any other Windows. It it can work as nicely across all form-factors, including tablets, then Windows 8 will in fact become the most used Windows release within a year, and it should also eclipse iOS within 2 years for tablets (my prediction).

[Psycho_Bunny]

“but the perfect tablet OS.”

Uh. No. It’s Android ICS with the ability to run Windows apps. Only ICS is far more refined.

But when push comes to shove, I put my Transformer 2 down and go back to my iPad. In the pad form factor, iOS is still superior to everything.

[Swordmaker]

It's not the intel processor or the tablet design from Acer or other capable hardware builders, the real problem lies here:

Windows 8

[dennisw]

..... laptops have been killing desktops for a while....

Now laptop sales and prices are down being eaten into by dufus friendly iPads plus smart phones