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Purported ASUS holiday roadmap pegs Windows 8 tablets at $599 and above
Windows 8 tablets have had their specs bandied about for months, but their prices have continued to remain off the radar. Now, however, a purported ASUS holiday roadmap sent to ZDNet may give us a glimpse as to how badly bank accounts could be affected this fall. According to the slide, the ASUS Vivo Tab will carry a $799 price tag and its Windows RT counterpart will come in at $599, which matches the previously reported price difference between slates running Redmond's latest OS with Intel and AMD processors. The ASUS Taichi dual-screen notebook / tablet hybrid is said to ring up at a heftier $1,299. As for the firm's Transformer Book, it will supposedly set purchasers back $1,399. If these prices are any indication of what we can expect from other OEMs, Microsoft's Surface might be pricier than hoped.
Microsoft sends out a Save the Date for Windows 8, all to be revealed in NYC on October 25th
It's been a long time coming, but Microsoft has finally sent out the invites for its Windows 8 launch event. As you can see, Redmond's new multi-faceted OS will be officially revealed in Gotham on October 25th. Microsoft isn't giving us any details about the celebration itself, but rest assured, we'll be bringing all the action to you live when the Win 8 party gets poppin'.
Microsoft details Office for Windows RT: shipping on devices as a preview release, upgrade coming later
For all the explaining that Microsoft has done, there's still a fair bit that's not clear about what Windows RT will actually look like when it ships next month. The company has filled in one of those gaps today, though, detailing what it hopes will be one of the operating system's big selling points: Office for Windows RT. Perhaps the biggest news is Microsoft's confirmation of earlier reports that the productivity suite will actually ship as a preview release on Windows RT devices, with a free upgrade to the final version promised between early November and January depending on the language. What's more, Microsoft has also confirmed that Office for Windows RT will unsurprisingly be a bit stripped down compared to its standard Windows 8 counterpart -- there's no macros, for starters, and you'll have to make do without add-ins and some other features like the ability to record narrations in PowerPoint. It's also only going to be available as a pre-installed component of Windows RT -- no standalone release is planned. You can find a full breakdown of the differences at the link below.
Microsoft confirms first wave of Xbox games for Windows 8
Been wondering what your gaming options will be when you first take a new Windows 8 PC or Windows RT tablet out of the box? Microsoft has confirmed today that its first wave of Xbox titles (as they're now known) for the OS will include 40 games, 29 of which come from Microsoft Studios. Those include quite a few familiar titles like Angry Birds (and Angry Birds Space), Cut the Rope, Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride, as well as the old mainstays like Solitaire, Minesweeper and Mahjong -- anyone hoping for the likes of a Halo or Gears of War title are out of luck for now, though. As we'd heard previously, all Xbox games will be accessible from within the pre-installed Games app, and they'll each boast most of the Xbox Live features you'd expect, including achievements and leaderboards. You can find the full list after the break, and Microsoft promises that more will be added "through holiday and beyond."
Samsung introduces ATIV Tab: a 10.1-inch Windows RT tablet
Samsung's busy cranking out its fall lineup here in Berlin, and among the new entries is the ATIV Tab, a Windows RT-packing cousin of the Galaxy Note 10.1. The new 10.1-inch slate isn't quite as aggressive as its Android counterpart and centers on a 1,366 x 768 display, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, a 5MP rear camera paired with a 1.9MP front-facing cam, and ports for micro-HDMI as well as USB. Dimensionally, the tablet is as light and skinny as you'd hope: it weighs 20.1 ounces (570g) and measures a slim 8.9mm thick. The 32GB and 64GB storage options aren't shockers given the extra space Windows and the bundled copy of Office 2013 Home and Student 2013 will demand, but there's a treat for long-haul users in the battery -- it's been upgraded from the 7,000maH pack of the Note 10.1 to an ample 8,200mAh unit. Samsung hasn't handed out launch details, but it's safe to say that the ATIV Tab won't arrive any sooner than October 26th. Check out all of our IFA 2012 coverage at our event hub! Brad Molen contributed to this post.
Samsung ATIV Tab and ATIV S details leak, hint at a Windows RT and Windows Phone 8 power duo
Remember those ATIV Tab and ATIV S trademarks we saw just a couple of days ago? They may well be more than just Samsung's daydreams. As long as details at The Verge prove true, the devices attached to those names represent a two-pronged revival of Samsung's Windows-based mobile strategy. We're most interested in the ATIV S: thanks in part to Windows Phone 8's multi-core support, it's effectively a Galaxy S III for the Microsoft crowd with a similar 4.8-inch Super AMOLED HD screen, a dual-core 1.5GHz processor, a 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1.9-megapixel front shooter. Swinging attention to the ATIV Tab shows what's likely to be a commonplace list of features for a Windows RT slate. Outside of the 10.1-inch screen, it's sporting its own 1.5GHz dual-core chip and 1.9-megapixel front camera as well as a 5-megapixel rear sensor, HDMI video out and USB. We're still missing a slew of details, such as storage and launch dates, although we might not have to wait long at all to know -- if the claims are correct, one or both of the ATIV models may show their faces at Samsung's IFA 2012 events.
NVIDIA, Epic Games bringing Unreal Engine 3 to Windows 8 and Windows RT (video)
NVIDIA and Epic Games have successfully ported the full PC version of Unreal Engine 3 to both Windows 8 and, more importantly, Windows RT. Demonstrating the achievement on a Tegra 3-powered ASUS Vivo Tab RT, it played a buttery-smooth version of Epic Citadel, suggesting that developers of both PC and Xbox games should have no problem in bringing them over to the new operating system. It also casually mentioned that both Gears of War and Mass Effect were built on the engine, heavily implying that we could see titles of that caliber coming to Microsoft's low-power OS once it makes it debut on October 26th, but we'll let you decide for yourself after the break.
Toshiba backs out of Windows RT devices on launch, pins it on part delays
Microsoft was quick to champion its new Windows RT partners, but it'll have to count one out. Toshiba has opted not to join the ARM crowd at first and will limit itself to Intel-based Windows 8 systems, at least in the early days. The abstinence isn't coming from any misgivings about the platform -- there are unnamed "delayed components" that would make it "impossible" to put out a Windows RT system on time, Toshiba's Eric Paulsen says. There's no mention of when the company might dip its toe in the pool later on, and we're not getting any reassuring signs that it's anytime soon given that the firm is only "monitoring market conditions" rather than committing to a plan. Although Toshiba isn't hurting for tablets given an abundance of Excite devices, the absence narrows an ecosystem that Microsoft was no doubt hoping would grow wider.
Microsoft trumpets Windows RT OEM partners, lists ASUS, Dell, Lenovo and Samsung
Following sharp comments from Acer's JT Wang surrounding Microsoft's decision to compete with vital OEM partners in the tablet space, Mike Angiulo -- the vice president of Microsoft's Ecosystem and Planning team -- has stepped to the plate with a resounding "thank you" to those very associates. Aside from praising those who will be helping to make Windows RT more than a passing fad, the company affirmed that ASUS, Dell, Samsung and Lenovo will all be shipping ARM-based products with the aforementioned operating system onboard. This pretty much confirms that the Yoga will indeed ship as a WinRT variant, and it also makes clear that Dell's hard work for a spot in the lineup paid off. Exact model details aren't being disclosed, nor are ship dates, but it's becoming abundantly clear that Microsoft is working overtime behind the scenes to give its allies equal footing come October 26th.
Lenovo reportedly prepping Intel and ARM versions of IdeaPad Yoga transforming tablet
We've known for a while that NVIDIA is working with Lenovo (and ASUS) on a Windows RT Tablet, but ABC News believes that we might already have seen the mystery device in action. Its sources have let slip that alongside the Intel-powered IdeaPad Yoga laptop / tablet hybrid (LapLet? TabTop?), the company will release a Tegra-powered version running Windows RT, combining the same sexy hardware with ARM's power-sipping technology. If true, then we might have a very tough purchasing decision on our hands when the gear arrives -- with the launch date still expected to be on October 26th.
NVIDIA Q2 earnings bounce back through Tegra: $119 million profit on $1.04 billion in revenue
NVIDIA's fiscal performance in its second quarter shows the rewards of patience in the mobile sphere. It just saw its profit double versus a glum first quarter to $119 million, even though the company only slightly edged ahead in revenue to $1.04 billion. In explaining the success, the company is quick to point to a confluence of events that all worked in favor of its bank account: a slew of Tegra 3 phones and tablets like the Transformer Pad TF300 made NVIDIA's quarter the brightest, but it could also point to a much-expanded GeForce 600 line on the PC side and the shipments of the first phones with NVIDIA-badged Icera chips. The graphics guru expects its revenue to climb more sharply in the heat of the third quarter as well -- between the cult hit Nexus 7 tablet and a role as a major partner for Windows RT, NVIDIA has at least a temporary license to print money.
Microsoft Office RT may lack macros, add-ins, other features
Well, the good news, as you already know, is that Office RT will be preloaded on all Windows 8 RT tablets -- at least in preview form. The bad news, even if you spring for the full version, you may be dealing with a limited product. Word on the street is, that in order optimize performance and battery life, Microsoft pulled a number of features from the ARM-friendly version of its productivity suite. Among the missing features is support for macros, third-party add-ins and VBA scripts. A small number of other features are also reportedly on the chopping block, but without a final product to put our fingers on, it's not clear which ones are getting axed.
IDC: Apple extends lead in tablet market
In a bit of news that should surprise almost nobody, IDC & Macworld reported on Thursday that Apple has increased its market share of units shipped in the tablet market to almost 70 percent worldwide. By the numbers, Apple shipped a total of 17 million iPads in the April to June quarter of 2012, boosting its market share from 61.5 percent for the same quarter of 2011 to 68.2 percent this year. In that quarter of 2011, Apple shipped 9.24 million iPads, so a year over year comparison shows a growth of 84.3 percent. According to IDC, the majority of consumers favor the iPad over competing tablets, and Apple also gets the nod in vertical markets like education. Shipments of iPads do appear to be slowing in mature markets, but sales growth for the iPad in other regions is robust. In the number two spot of the tablet market for the quarter was Samsung, with 2.4 million units shipped and an almost 10 percent market share. Amazon's Kindle Fire has surged from a slow first quarter of 2012 to ship 1.25 million units for a 5 percent share of the market. Asus and Acer came in at fourth and fifth place, with Asus seeing a year-over-year increase in shipments of 115.5 percent (885,000 tablets shipped). Acer, on the other hand, had a drop of about 40 percent in sales from the same quarter in 2011, shipping only 385,000 tablets. While Apple's currently at the top of the heap, analysts expect more competition in the tablet space beginning in the second half of 2012, with new Kindle Fire models from Amazon and a number of new devices running Windows 8 and Windows RT. #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
Microsoft admits Surface might ruffle OEM feathers, vindicates Acer in annual report
Redmond's upcoming Surface slate is brimming with potential -- but Microsoft recognizes that building its own tablet comes with some inherent risks. In the firm's recently submitted annual report, Microsoft tells the Security and Exchange Commission that the new family of slates could loosen ties with some of its partners. "Our surface devices will compete with products made by our OEM partners," the report reads, "which may affect their commitment to our platform." This, of course, echos Acer's sentiment, which accused Microsoft of forgetting the PC builders that helped it become what it is today. Then again, maybe Acer was just preemptively upset it wouldn't get picked for Windows 8's starting line-up.
Windows 8 streamlines printing, puts old architecture on the chopping block
Anyone who's ever attempted to configure a new printer from their PC knows the process can be cumbersome at best and Microsoft largely agrees. So, in anticipation of its upcoming OS refresh, Redmond's pulling back the curtain on how it managed to trim the fat from its previous printing architecture. The new system which will underlie both consumer-focused iterations of Windows 8, simply dubbed v4, slims down the 768MB of disk space previously required on Vista for a significantly lighter 184MB (an average) footprint in Windows 8 and adds greater in-box support for more commonly used, contemporary printers -- specifically for Windows RT. The team's also worked hard to keep the experience consistent, separating manufacturer UIs from drivers and paving the way for Metro-style support where necessary. The changes will reportedly ease the load on ARM-based devices and streamline the end user experience with a hassle-free, plug-and-play approach. In the words of team program lead Adrian Lannin, "it just works." Indeed, we'll be sure to find out if it does this October 26th. Hit up the source below to sift through the minutiae of these behind-the-scenes changes.
Intel porting Jelly Bean to its Atom architecture, is in no hurry to tell you when it's done
Intel has revealed that it's working on bringing Jelly Bean to its low-power Atom architecture. In an email to PC World, company rep Suzy Greenberg confirmed the project was ongoing, but didn't offer a timeline as to when the latest flavor of Google's mobile OS would arrive on a device. It's the same story regarding when Ice Cream Sandwich would turn up on Medfield-powered devices like the San Diego and its brethren. The report also pours cold water on hopes for Clover Trail powered Android gear -- saying that it's pencilled in as a Windows 8-only platform.
Microsoft to Windows RT OEMs: 'If your name's not on the list, you're not making a tablet'
China Times is reporting that Microsoft is only letting an elite few companies build Windows RT tablets in order to focus its research and development resources. It reportedly asked three chipmakers to pick up to two OEMs to bring inside the tent, with NVIDIA grabbing ASUS and Lenovo, TI snagging Toshiba and Qualcomm selecting Samsung and HP. However, the latter company dropped out of the program to concentrate on x86 machines, so it's rumored that Dell's currently jockeying to take its place. The first wave of completed tablets will arrive on October 26th, and Redmond won't open up the market until January next year -- so expect Windows RT to be the buzz-word of CES 2013.
Switched On: An Office outside the Metro
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. The two worlds of Windows 8 -- one: a traditional desktop UI and the other: the touch-optimized Metro UI -- can, at first, seem so different that they contrast like the multiple personalities of Batman's enemy Two-Face. Yet, despite the different appearances, the forthcoming version of Microsoft's venerable operating system is not about absolutes, but optimizations.
EU deepens Microsoft investigation amidst claims Windows RT tablets block rival browser install
Where there's smoke, there's fire and now that the EU's caught a whiff of alleged misconduct on Microsoft's part, it's dragging Windows 8 under the hot lights. Though MS moved swiftly earlier this week to acknowledge and remedy the technical glitch that prevented users from selecting alternate browsers on early 2011 Win7 machines, it now faces similar claims from third parties regarding its upcoming Win8 tablets. According to Reuters, the European Commission's broadening its investigation to encompass allegations that Redmond is blocking the install of rival browsers on Win RT tablets running ARM chips and withholding access to full APIs. The company's yet to issue a response to this latest bout of legal drama, but when the stakes are this high, you can be sure it won't be before long.
Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 to be bundled on all Windows RT tablets
The playing field in the world of Windows tablets became a bit more level today, as Microsoft has announced that Office Home and Student 2013 will be bundled for free with all Windows RT computers. Perhaps the move shouldn't come as a complete surprise, as the company had previously revealed the inclusion of Office on its own ARM-based Surface tablet. For those who'd feared that Microsoft wouldn't play fairly with its hardware partners, however, it seems that at least some of those concerns can be put aside. Naturally, everything you've come to expect in the Home and Student edition will be there, which includes Microsoft Word, Excel, OneNote and PowerPoint. If you're unsure of what to expect, be sure to check out our recent preview of the productivity suite.
