Microsoft has been looking to re-capture the market since the launch of the Windows 8, last year. Though its presence at the just concluded International Consumer Electronics Show or what is popularly known as CES, was not huge but still both the exhibitors and the participants were looking forward to what Microsoft will bring out. The new Windows 8 has also been launched as a cool OS for your mobile device. Though there have been some glitches but then things look to have become smooth off late.
The partners that Microsoft has made over the world came out with a bevy of new devices which were showcased at the CES and all of these have Windows 8 as the operating system. The various Microsoft partners are Acer, Dell, Gigabyte, Toshiba, Sony, Samsung, Asus, Lenovo and Vizio. They came up with new devices which can be placed user categories like Tablets, hybrids, Ultrabooks and laptops.
Below we have described the various Windows 8 devices that were launched by Microsoft along with its partners that enchanted the CES attendees and brought them in hordes:
Contents
Acer Aspire S 7
This sleek laptop with Full HD IPS touchscreen, an Intel Core i5 processor clocked at 1.7GHz has grabbed eyeballs at CES. It has 4GB of RAM and 128GB SSD storage (it can be upgraded to 128 GB). The backlit keyboard gives it a classy, upscale look. Battery life is a bit of a letdown, hardly lasting four hours of activity.
Acer Iconia W700
This is a good looking addition to the Acer Iconia tablet series; it is built in the thick slab style; it can be docked on a stand and used with the included keyboard. It has a 11.6inch screen of 1920 x 1080p resolution. It is run on a 1.7GHz Inter Core i5-3317U processor with 4GB of RAM, 128GB of hard drive and Intel HM77 chipset.
Asus Vivo Tab Smart Tablet
It is one of the best devices shown off by Asus at the CES this year. It has a 10.1inch IPS screen of 1366 x 769p resolution. It is powered by an Intel Atom Z2760 processor at 1.8GHz with 2GB of RAM. It has 64GB of internal storage, a 8MP rear camera and a 2MP front snapper. The tab cannot be propped up without detaching keyboard, which is a fiddly task in itself.
Asus Transformer Book TX300CA
As futuristic as the name sounds, this gadget is essentially an Ultrabook that can be converted to a tablet by detaching the screen. It has a 13inch Full HD IPS display of 1920 x 1080p. It runs on the latest Intel Core i7 processor with 4GB of RAM, HD4000 graphics, SSD and HDD storage. It has a 5MP rear facing camera and a HD front facing camera.
Dell Inspiron R Series
The series consists of laptops of 14inch, 15inch (both 720p WLED 1366 x 768p) and 17inch (900p WLED 1600 x 900p) displays. The CPUs range from Intel Celeron 887 to the brand new Intel Core i7-3517U. Hard drive storage is staggering, ranging from 320GB to 1TB. The price tags are as low as $430 and the most expensive one is $650.
Dell XPS 13
It has a 13.3inch HD display with Gorilla Glass cover. It is run by 3rd generation Intel Core i7 processor with 4 and 8GB of internal memory. It has up to 256GB solid state hard drive memory. It is powered by a 47Wh Li-polymer battery.
Gigabyte S1082
It has a 10inch backlit multitouch screen of 1366 x 768 TN based display. It is a bit chunky for many tab users, but it is equipped with a 1.1GHz Intel Celeron dual core processor. With Intel HD graphics, up to 8GB or internal memory, 64 to 256Gb of SSD storage, it is a reliable tablet. It contains a Li-polymer battery of 29.6Wh and an entended 2700mAh battery.
Gigabyte S1185
It has a 11.6inch 1080p IPS display. It runs on a Intel Core i5 chip (you can opt for i3 chip too). It has a 5MP rear camera and a 1.3MP front camera for video chatting. It has 64Gb to 256GB of flash storage, depending on the model. The battery lasts for 7-8 hours.The gadget comes with a Surface-style stand, a magnetic keyboard and trackpad dock.
Lenovo ThinkPad Helix
It has a 11.6inch 1080p multitouch IPS screen running on Intel Core i7 processor. The battery life is of 10 hours. The convertible notebook is NFC compatible and has Intel’s TPM module for device management and security.
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga
It has a 13.3inch HD+ and IPS display of 1600 x 900p. It runs on Intel Core i7 processor with 8GB internal memory and 128GB of SSD memory. The battery lasts up to 8 hours, according to the official claim.
Microsoft Surface Pro
This tablet by the very makers of Windows 8 have 10.6inch screen of 1920 x 1080p. It runs on Intel Core i5 processor. It has both 64GB and 128GB versions are available with 4GB of RAM. It comes with a range of connectivity options and a detachable keyboard.
Samsung Series 7 Chronos
This laptop has a 15.6inch screen of 1920 x 1080p resolution. It consists of a powerful processor with 16GB of internal memory, 1TB of storage and a battery that lasts up to 11 hours. It has been compared to MacBook, but with touch screen and Windows 8 on its side, Chronos is all set to win the battle.
Samsung Series 7 Ultra Touch
The ultra-mobile Series 7 has a 13.3inch screen of the same resolution as Chronos laptop. It runs on Intel Core i5 (or you can opt for the i7 model too) with 16GB of RAM. The battery lasts almost 8 hours.
Sony Vaio T Series 15
This is a high end laptop features a 14inch LED backlit Full HD touch display of 1366 x 768p resolution. It comes in Intel Core i3, i5, i7 processors with 8GB of Ram and 500GB of RAM.
Toshiba Qosmio X875
Another laptop that grabs attention from the first look, this gadget has a 17.3inch 1920 x 1080p display. It runs on an Intel Core i7 processor with 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage, where 1TB is hybrid storage.
Toshiba Satellite U845T
It is a budget Ultrabook with a 14inch display of 1366 x 768p resolution. It runs on Intel Core i3 or i5 Ivy bridge processor with up to 6GB of Ram, 32GB of solid state hard disk and 500GB of hard drive. It has one USB 3.0, 2 USB 2.0, HDMi, Ethernet and SD card ports.
Vizio Thin + Light
This laptop has a 14inch and a 15.6inch model. The 14inch model has resolution of 1600 x 900p and the 15.6inch model sports a 1920 x 1080p HD resolution. They run on Intel Core i5 (you can choose a i7 model too) processors with 4GB of RAM and storage of 128 up to 256GB.
Panasonic Toughpad
Panasonic FZ-G1, also known as Toughpad, is available as the WWAN model and Wireless LAN model. It has 10.1inch IPS WUXGA touch display of 1920 x 1200p resolution. It is powered by Intel Core i5 processor clocked at 1.9GHz along with 4GB of Ram, 128GB of SSD storage.
Panasonic Toughbook
The Toughbook series consists of three models: CF-C2, CF-10, CF-H2. All of them have touchscreens by default and their battery lives are excellent, ranging from 7.5 hours to 14 hours. They sport Intel Core third generation processors with Intel Turbo Boost. Bridge battery support is also available for the Toughbook C2, which allows the main battery to be switched without powering down. The keyboard is spill resistant.
These are twenty new gadgets that are slated to take the market by storm. From the first look, critics are really excited about the coming year when these devices would be launched. Not only do they have impressive specs, they also showcase Windows 8 in a user friendly, fluid interface.