Will New Ultrabooks, Tablets, Touch, Convertibles and Tablets Replace eReaders

Will New Ultrabooks, Tablets, Touch, Convertibles and Tablets Replace eReaders

2011 could be called the year of the tablet. With more than 60 million devices shipped, and many new flavors—such as the Amazon Kindle Fire*—available, slate tablets have certainly hit the mainstream. Does this surge in popularity signal the demise of eReaders?

ABI Research predicts that nearly three quarters of total "slate" shipments from 2011 through 2013 will be tablets, compared to about one quarter eReaders. Even so, the company expects both devices to coexist in the future.

One reason for this might be that the 2 devices meet very different audience needs. eReaders feature low-power displays better suited for the reading experience. On the other hand, tablets deliver a media and Web (and eReading) experience similar to that experienced on a PC or smartphone.

Both devices will see price drops and battery life increases over the next few years. However, if a hybrid display—incorporating both LCD and ePaper technology—were to emerge, tablets could become an all-in-one device suitable for both audiences.

New Ultrabooks™, Tablets, Touch, Convertibles

Adapted from an article by Megan langer

An exciting theme emerged at IFA*, the annual tech fest in Berlin, Germany, last month: the up-and-comer “convertible” design for computing devices. It’s a PC, then it’s a tablet, then it’s back to a PC. (Or vice versa if you choose!) The industry is bringing the best attributes of these platforms together. And based on the news at IFA*, there is a ton of variety to choose from depending on consumers' design preferences and how they’ll use it—and of course there are different price ranges, sizes, weights, battery life, and more.

For Intel, this is really exciting. The company's investments in the eco-system for Ultrabook™ have provided an important stimulant to drive innovation in computing. Intel is excited about the additive effect this has had in the development of Ultrabook™ convertible1 designs and thinks it has tremendous potential to bring many of the best attributes of these platforms together. The Lenovo Yoga*, Toshiba Satellite U925t* , Sony VAIO Duo 11*, ASUS TAICHI*, and Dell XPS Duo 12* convertible1 Ultrabook™ are just a couple of examples of these beautiful devices.

Why should consumers go for an Ultrabook™ convertible1? Think of it as a device that gives them what they need: premium, secure, powerful productivity first, combined with an excellent tablet option that gives them what they want in a fun, lightweight design with cool apps.

Want more of a tablet for surfing and consuming online content, but nice to have PC or “creative mode” option? Check out the ASUS Vivo Tab*, HP ENVY x2*, and Samsung Series 5 Slate*. These are all tablet convertibles—a consumption device with an intensified focus on battery life and portability. Intel has more than 20 Intel® Atom™ processor-based tablets and convertibles running Windows 8* in the pipeline.

And let’s not forget touch1 for the traditional clamshell Ultrabook™ devices and laptops. IFA* attendees saw how touch will enhance computing experiences: It’s so intuitive, even on a clamshell, that after just a few minutes it feels completely normal—in fact, preferred—to reach out to the screen instead of grabbing the mouse or trackpad.

The real winner here is the consumer with more choices based on how they want to use their new device. This choice of devices gives people a range of performance and flexibility to do everything they want and maintain compatibility with millions of existing software titles and peripheral devices that they count on today.

At IFA*, Intel showed off 60 different Ultrabook™ models from a number of its partners. These systems are part of the next wave of devices powered by 3rd generation Intel® Core™ processors and enable more choices in style and design, while delivering increased responsiveness, improved power efficiency, greater security, and up to 2x better media and graphics over previous generations.