Microsoft’s new Surface tablets were announced with a whole bunch of hype, but the specs pf the things have been practically non-existent. Now, some details have come out about the Surface RT tablets, revealing that they’ll not only be thinner and lighter than the iPad, but also play HD video for 13 consecutive hours. More »
Lenovo has been showing a lot of support for Windows 8 lately, and today it showed even more. ABC News reports that the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga will be running the Windows RT version of Windows 8 when it arrives later this year, but that isn’t all, as Lenovo is apparently preparing multiple versions of the Yoga for release. Even better is that the IdeaPad Yoga is expected to launch around the same time Windows 8 does, which is on October 26.
According to ABC, Lenovo is making two versions of the Yoga: one with an ARM NVIDIA Tegra processor, and one with that uses the more powerful line of Intel processors. The ARM-based model will have a longer battery life, obviously, and sources say that it can last up to two times longer than Intel-based models. Earlier reports suggested that Lenovo was working with NVIDIA to build a Windows RT tablet, and ABC confirms that the tablet in question is indeed the Yoga.
The Lenovo Yoga was announced at CES earlier this year, and is something of a laptop-tablet hybrid. The unit looks like a laptop, but comes with a rotatable screen that can flip over and fold in on the keyboard, turning it into a tablet (get it? Yoga?). The unit is 0.67-inches thick and weighs in at just over three pounds, so despite the 13.3-inch screen, it’s definitely a very portable device. It also supports up to 8GB of RAM and comes equipped with a 256GB SSD, so you probably won’t want for speed when using the Yoga.
Sadly, we don’t know the exact date the Yoga will be available, nor do we know specific pricing details for all models. Intel-based Yogas will cost somewhere in the area of $1,199, but there haven’t been any such estimates for the price of the ARM-based Yoga. With the launch of the Yoga apparently just around the corner, expect Lenovo to unleash those details soon. Stay tuned to SlashGear for additional information.
Lenovo hits Windows 8 with IdeaPad Yoga is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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.
Filed under: Tablet PCs
Microsoft trumpets Windows RT OEM partners, lists ASUS, Dell, Lenovo and Samsung originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Aug 2012 13:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Last week it was reported that Lenovo was working on a convertible tablet that would run Windows RT, Microsoft’s ARM-based version of Windows 8. The concept was the same as the IdeaPad Yoga first shown off at CES 2012, but instead of running full-blown Windows 8 and using Intel’s Core i5 chip, the tablet would be utilizing one of NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 processors and running Windows RT. ABC News corroborates the report, saying that the tablet will carry the IdeaPad Yoga branding.
Lenovo’s plan is to release two versions of the convertible tablet, with the NVIDIA-based version to feature “double the battery life of the Intel version.” According to ABC News, the tablet should hit the market around the same time as the general Windows 8 release on October 26th. At a Lenovo event last Wednesday, the company dropped a hint that that it was working on a Windows RT product, but declined to give specifics.
The IdeaPad Yoga that was shown off earlier in the year was a convertible ultrabook featuring one of Intel’s ULV Core processors. The device functions as a normal laptop, but the screen can be folded backwards, transforming the notebook into a tablet, allowing users to interact with Windows 8 using the touchscreen. The Intel version is said to cost around £1,199 (~$1,880).
ASUS is also working on a similar product, having shown off the TAICHI at Computex back in June. Featuring an Intel Ivy Bridge processor, the TAICHI comes with dual 13.3-inch and 11.6-inch displays, both running a 1080p resolution. The 13.3-inch screen serves as a regular display when in notebook mode, while the 11.6-inch display serves as a touchscreen (complete with stylus support) when the laptop is closed.
[via The Verge]
Lenovo’s Windows RT tablet will be ARM-based IdeaPad Yoga is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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.
Filed under: Laptops, Tablet PCs
Lenovo reportedly prepping Intel and ARM versions of IdeaPad Yoga transforming tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 12 Aug 2012 00:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | 
ABC News | Email this | Comments
This morning we’re getting several tips on the future of Microsoft’s own Surface tablet – coming to stores near you soon. The first is a plee from Acer to Microsoft that they don’t make the devices too cheap. Next you’ll find these tablets coming with Windows 8 and their recently rebranded Modern UI Style. On the Android side of things, if you’ve got an HTC One X specifically, software updates are on the way.
If you’re looking for every single little bit of information you can grasp at about the new iPhone, you’ll be super pumped up about the battery that leaked today. The next generation of iMac and Mac Pro may well have no optical drives – though the current newest generation MacBook Pro says different. The folks at Lenovo are coming on strong soon with what very well may be a convertible Windows RT tablet soon and very soon.
Over at Disney they’ve got some brand new touch-sensitive plants by the name of Botanicus Interacticus – multi-touch plans for the future! Yahoo is continuing their head-hunt with an eye on Twitter’s head of international markets. The Apple vs Samsung trail has done what Apple feared most: it’s revealed iPhone and iPad sales numbers – whoppers!
There’s a wireless DJ system from Pioneer appearing today that you really should have a peek at. Samsung has already begun detailing the Samsung Exynos 5 Dual processor with two 1.7GHz cores – backward from the four before? Hardly!
IBM is being tipped as having considered purchasing RIM – and earlier this week it was Samsung. Get your tinfoil hats out folks, RIM’s stock is about to rise again. Have a peek at Pitfall for iOS as it swings on in from 1982 – this time with a bit more advanced graphics. Battle.net has been hacked and Blizzard has commented, telling everyone to chill but be cautious.
SlashGear Morning Wrap-up: August 10, 2012 is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Acer has renewed its commitment to Windows 8 and Windows RT tablets, with chairman JT Wang saying that the company’s criticisms of Microsoft’s Surface don’t mean it is ditching its Windows slate plans. The company made headlines after criticizing Microsoft’s own-brand hardware, arguing that the tablets would “create a huge negative impact” to the Windows ecosystem. Now, DigiTimes reports, Wang has tempered his comments, though still believes that Surface will do more harm than good.
The Microsoft slates – one of which will run Windows RT, the other Windows 8 – will be more negative overall than positive, Wang says, but Acer still intends to launch its own products running the new OS. In fact, Wang claims to be “the most optimistic CEO” about Windows, claiming that the company’s concerns were around understanding “the new rules of the game.”
Microsoft, he said, was now considering possible differentiation strategies to minimize any possible impact on OEM partners, including introducing an artificial price gap. Still, it sound like Acer’s expectations of Surface are somewhat skewed in the first place; Wang supposedly claimed that the major damage would be done if Microsoft priced the entry-level tablet at $199 – thus directly competing with the Nexus 7, a figure which would be very unlikely. If Surface was $499-599, however, Wang sees less of an issue.
Those latter numbers are far more in line with what Microsoft has hinted at to-date, with the company indicating that it has taken the iPad – which begins at $499 – as its starting point. The Windows 8 version will be more expensive, more akin to an ultrabook.
Acer: Please Microsoft, just don’t make Surface too cheap is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Yesterday we heard word that Microsoft was ditching the Metro branding for UI design and elements within Windows 8, replacing it instead with “Windows 8 design.” It looks like the company might still be at odds as to the final naming decision, with Microsoft employees reportedly using the term “Modern UI design” in reference to Windows 8 apps and design language.
Several upcoming Microsoft events relating to Windows 8 and Bing maps reference “modern UI design” and “modern UI style” instead of Metro or Windows 8 design. The move is sure to confuse consumers and developers alike, and we’re curious as to why Microsoft hasn’t simply come out on the issue and finalized the correct terminology.
Whatever branding Microsoft arrivesat will extend to Windows Phone 8 as well, as the mobile operating system shares the same design language as the full blown desktop operating system. The company reportedly moved away from the Metro branding due to potential legal troubles. A German company by the name of Metro AG apparently took issue with Microsoft’s use of the Metro terminology, prompting the company to change the branding internally.
Lenovo recently updated its own marketing materials to reflect the change, with an image for its recently announced ThinkPad Tablet 2 referencing “desktop and Windows 8 apps” instead of Metro apps. Microsoft hasn’t officially commented on any of the changes just yet, but with the launch of Windows 8 in October drawing closer, the issue will most likely be put to rest sooner rather than later.
[via The Verge]
Microsoft rebrands yet again with “Modern UI Style” is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
When Microsoft announced its Surface tablet running Windows RT, it was reported that NVIDIA’s quad-core Tegra 3 chip would be powering the tablet. Now NVIDIA looks to have signed a deal with Lenovo that will see the Chinese manufacturer making use of the same silicon, according to sources speaking to the Wall Street Journal. Not only that, but Lenovo is reportedly working on yet another convertible tablet device, this time using an ARM chip instead of an Intel processor.
During Lenovo’s Thinkpad Tablet 2 event on Wednesday, Dilip Bhatia, general manager of the ThinkPad business, said the company was working on a Windows RT product along with the Intel-based IdeaPad Yoga, but didn’t go into specific details. If the Wall Street Journal’s source is correct, then Lenovo looks to be planning a convertible tablet running Windows RT powered by NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 chip.
Earlier this year Lenovo showed off the IdeaPad Yoga, a convertible ultrabook that featured a 13.3-inch IPS touchscreen running Windows 7, powered by one of Intel’s ULV processors. The company says that product will be released sometime in October, lining up nicely with the official launch of Windows 8. It’ll be a bit pricey, however, with the basic model starting at £1,199 (~$1,870).
ASUS and Samsung also have Windows 8 products, including tablets, coming in the near future. The companies showed off several models at Computex, with ASUS demoing the Windows 8 equivalent of the popular Transformer tablets, allowing users to dock their tablets with keyboards for a better typing experience. The company also showed off the TAICHI, a convertible tablet with dual 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch touchscreens.
Lenovo reportedly readying convertible Windows RT tablet is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Ready for some news that’s so anti-climactic it hurts? We all know that Microsoft has been forced to ditch the Metro branding it gave Windows 8 and Windows RT, but what we didn’t know was which new brand it chose to take Metro’s place. We might have an idea now, as ZDNet is reporting that Microsoft has made the woefully bland decision to just begin calling everything Windows 8.
According to ZDNet’s sources, Microsoft has opted to start using terms like “Windows 8 user interface” and “Windows 8 design.” It’s a practical solution, but it’s one that leaves us feeling a little bored. Microsoft had the chance to really capture some attention with new branding, but instead, it just fell back on what was already there.
Despite our complaints, doing this is probably Microsoft’s best bet. The company now has the unenviable task of wiping the Metro branding from public memory, and it isn’t going to be easy to do that when Microsoft itself was using the term Metro at every opportunity. The best way for Microsoft to make the public forget about Metro is to just begin calling everything Windows 8, since that term has already worked its way into our minds as well.
This new Windows 8 branding apparently goes for Windows Phone too, so expect everything featuring that tile-based layout to be called “Windows 8 this and that” before long. Microsoft hasn’t confirmed this switch yet, but we wouldn’t expect it to – after all, it would probably prefer to avoid any talk of this branding debacle if it can. Instead, we’re thinking that Microsoft will begin casually using the “Windows 8″ brand where it once would have said “Metro.” Stay tuned for more information.
Microsoft reportedly replacing ‘Metro’ branding with just ‘Windows 8′ is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
