Windows 8 Table PCs

The advancing of Windows 8 'table PCs' and supertablets 2013

Microsoft's aboriginal Surface — a computer in coffee table architecture — admiring a lot of absorption but not abounding sales. That could change acknowledgment to new Windows 8 touch-screen all-in-one PCs that can be acclimated in either a vertical or accumbent format. Screens are abate than the 40-inch Surface, which has been renamed Pixelsense. However, while aimed mainly at home users, they are still ample abundant for abounding of the aforementioned business purposes as the Surface. This includes alternate displays for artefact alternative for banking services, shopping, and casino-style gaming.

China's Lenovo fabricated the boldest introductions at CES2013 with the IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC, which it declared as its aboriginal "interpersonal PC" because it can accommodate a aggregate accretion experience. It can be acclimated in vertical approach as a desktop/all-in-one computer or angular for aggregate browsing or multi-user gaming. It's abundant at 7.7kg, but Lenovo's video shows it can be confused around, and it has abundant array to run for a brace of hours after a mains connection.

Lenovo's aboriginal Horizon Table PC has a 27-inch awning and will be accessible in aboriginal summer for "approximately $1,699".

Lenovo additionally showed a 39-inch adaptation code-named Gamma, which is alone an inch abate than the accepted Pixelsense SUR40. Lenovo said: "While still an aboriginal concept, Gamma illustrates the outstanding multi-user ball adventures such a ample awning can accommodate and is apocalyptic of Lenovo's approaching administration in Table PC computing."

Sony entered this bazaar in December with the barrage of the Vaio Tap 20, a touch-screen all-in-one that includes a congenital battery. The 20-inch awning can be set at any bend from 15 to 90 degrees, or it can be acclimated collapsed on a table. Someone who is accommodating to backpack the 5.2kg weight could additionally backpack it about as a tablet. Not abounding home users will demand to hit the streets with a Vaio Tap 20, but it would calmly fit the aback of a salesman's car. The starting amount of £999 in the UK absolutely makes it affordable for presentations and displays, abnormally area the multi-touch appearance can be exploited.

At CES, Asus arise the Transformer AiO (all-in-one) that doubles as a Windows 8 touch-screen desktop and — with the 18.4-inch affectation alone — as a standalone Android tablet. Although Asus has a accord with BlueStacks to administer its adaptation of the Android Dalvik basic apparatus for Microsoft Windows, the Transformer AiO uses an Nvidia Tegra 3 processor to run Android and Android apps. The alone awning can additionally be acclimated for Windows 8 apps by application "wireless alien desktop technology", Intel's WiDi.

Asus says the Transformer AiO will amount $1,299 with an Intel Core i3 processor, and that Core i5 and i7 versions will additionally be available. It is due to arise in the aboriginal division of this year.

Asus has already launched the ET2300 all-in-one active Windows 8. This has a 23-inch 1080p awning that folds into a accumbent position for tablet-style use.

Finally, during its Tuesday CES keynote, Panasonic apparent a 20-inch Windows 8 book with a 4K display: the awning resolution is 3840 x 2560 pixels, with an aspect arrangement of 15:10. However, it was a prototype, so there's no advice on back it ability ability the shops, or what it ability cost.

It's "thin and light" for the awning size: the ambit are 18.7 by 13.1 by 0.4 inches and the weight is 2.4kg (5.3lbs). Array activity should be about 2 hours.

The Panasonic tablet's aerial resolution affectation is aimed at able users such as photographers and architects. Also, like the Pixelsense/Surface, it could be acclimated in showrooms, banks and added retail outlets. However, it will face annealed antagonism from cheaper systems such as Lenovo's Horizon Table PC, which can advertise in college volumes.

There's a growing bazaar for all-in-one PCs because they accommodate bigger screens than you can get on laptops, and because they don't saddle you with a arrangement box. They are inherently added carriageable than desktop PCs, and with the accession of Windows 8, touch-screen all-in-ones assignment as tablets at no added cost. Obviously they can comedy movies, and a congenital TV tuner will additionally accredit them to assignment as TV sets. They can be wall-mounted or installed horizontally, congenital into tables or desks. There charge be affluence of business applications for those with the wit to see them….