I’m writing on a Mac, but I have to say I’ve been impressed with Windows 8.1, while many of my colleagues have been less charitable to the operating system. I think the reason Windows 8.1 sings for me while others are staying with Win 7 is because I use the newish Microsoft (News - Alert) OS on my tablet-laptop convertible.
Windows 8.1 was made for hybrid devices that double up as both a laptop and a tablet, and all its design innovations prepare for that computing environment. While this may seem a niche route for Windows to tread, it actually is pretty forward-thinking because convertibles are all the rage and for many they are the future of computing.
Not just Microsoft is positioned for this future; other firms such as Intel (News - Alert) also are betting on convertibles.
Intel has positioned itself well for the convertible revolution, where performance must meet long battery life. Its new Core M line of processors, which sit between its Atom and Core I lines in terms of performance, is a perfect fit for convertibles. Core M processors will be based on 14nm FinFET, codenamed Broadwell, and will be used in a wide range of devices.
Performance will be increased by 20 to 40 percent, power requirements will be cut roughly 45 percent, and the processors will have a thermal design power of less than 10W. That’s better than Bay Trail, the current processor darling for mobile devices, and Core M also require up to 50 percent less space than its predecessors.
Intel also is playing a big role with the embedded systems community, which helps it be on the forefront of systems that must be power-efficient and good in mobility situations, also the heart of convertibles.
Intel has partnered with leaders such as UNICOM (News - Alert) Engineering, Microsoft, Dell and HP to advance embedded computing systems, and the two-way interaction between companies such as UNICOM and Intel mean that both stay at the top of their game in the space. This undoubtedly will help Intel in the convertible market.
While many people are still pooh-poohing convertibles and the OS that runs them, Windows 8.1, I think releases such as Microsoft’s Surface 3 and the Asus T300 will start to change that. It still is early days for convertibles, and I can say from firsthand experience that being able to mix the form-factor of consumption devices such as tablets with the productivity advantages of a laptop is a heady experience.
More folks should be sharing my enthusiasm for the segment in the near future, to the joy of companies such as Microsoft and Intel.