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Lost between tablet and cloud

IT IS no secret that sales of laptop and desktop computers are in terminal decline. Apple's iPads, along with various Android tablets, are eating their lunch. Now, it seems, tablets want their supper, too. Announcements on October 22nd of a raft of professional-grade tablets-from Apple, Microsoft and Nokia-show how determined their makers now are to address the needs of business users, as well as mainstream consumers.This is further proof, were it needed, that the 'consumerisation of IT' that got under way several years ago-with tablets and other consumer devices, designed originally for individuals, invading the office and taking over much of the work done by computers-is happening even faster than anticipated (see ' Beyond the PC', October 8th 2011).In the race to supply tablets to business, Microsoft and its partner Nokia (whose phones and devices are about to become part of Microsoft) have the inside track. Their tablets, along with those from a handful of other suppliers, run Microsoft Office and various Windows-based applications. That is a huge advantage in business. In offices around the world, Microsoft Word is the de facto standard word-processor; Microsoft Excel the standard spreadsheet; and Microsoft Outlook the standard messaging, scheduling and contact software. While a version of Microsoft Office exists for Macintosh computers, there is no native version for iPads.Even so, Apple is not to be discounted. Its latest tablets-a refreshed iPad Mini, starting at $399, along with an even slicker bigger brother, the iPad Air, costing $499 and up-have an advantage rivals cannot touch: their instant brand recognition and popularity among consumers everywhere. Though cheaper Android devices have grabbed much of the market, iPads are still the tablets of choice for one out of three buyers. The iPad Mini, in particular, remains the most popular tablet on the planet.Nowadays that counts for a lot in enterprises. Why so? Because IT managers no longer wield quite so much authority over what computing equipment companies install for their employees. Things began to change several years ago. That was when firms started allowing staff to bring their own smartphones and tablets to work, and to connect them to the company's computer network.Since then, the BYOD (bring you own device) phenomenon has gathered pace, as tablets have become cheaper, more secure, and have proved themselves capable of doing real work. That has given iPads a better chance to go head-to-head with the various Windows tablets that are making inroads in the enterprise world.To improve its chances further, Apple is expected to introduce an enterprise-class iPad in the not too distant future-if the way it relabelled the larger of its two tablets the 'iPad Air' is anything to go by. Assuming Apple adheres to the same naming convention it uses for its laptops, it has left itself room to add a beefier and more expensive 'iPad Pro' to its tablet lineup. Presumably, this would come with a keyboard-cover, like Microsoft's Surface Pro tablets. Even with touch-screens, tablets still need keyboards to do serious office work.Why this scramble by tablet-makers to conquer the office? As the consumer market gets crowded, the enterprise sector is the last place where profit margins remain reasonably robust. Apple is being forced to abandon the lower reaches of the consumer business, as cheap Android tablets grab the bulk of sales and erode profit margins all round. Worse, some tablet upstarts are not playing by the rules.Take online retailer Amazon. Its well-received Kindle Fire tablets start at $139-probably less than they cost to make. Amazon is not interested in turning a profit on Kindle hardware. Its profit comes instead from making it easy for Kindle customers to buy yet more physical goods from Amazon.com, while also downloading lots of feature films, music tracks, video games, books, magazines, and anything else that can be displayed on a Kindle tablet or e-reader screen.Much the same goes for search giant Google. It, too, makes next to nothing on the Nexus range of smartphones and tablets it supplies. Google's motive is simply to get mobile devices into the hands of as many users as possible-to increase the amount of mobile searching done on the internet. That allows Google to sell yet more advertising to go alongside the search results prompted by users' queries. That, after all, was the reason for developing the Android mobile operating system in the first place and why Google gives it away free to phone- and tablet-makers everywhere.As the consumerisation trend continues, the computer industry is being cratered by the onslaught of tablets. At work, people are now using them to do even more of the jobs previously done on laptops or desktop machines. At home, they are using tablets as a second screen, not only to do their e-mail and other light computing tasks, but also to play video games, and watch films and television shows streamed from the web. As a result, owners feel no compulsion to replace their aging PCs. These are usually considered good enough to do the few remaining chores where iPads and other tablets are inadequate.The 'good enough' factor has been another nail in the industry's coffin. Ever since Windows 7 came along four years ago, there has been little reason to upgrade to a later PC. Windows 7, famed for getting more out of a computer's underlying hardware than any other version of Windows, has extended the life of many an elderly PC. Meanwhile, thanks to better quality control, components inside computers no longer fail as frequently as they used to do.

Coincidentally, processors have ceased getting faster. Chip design reached a point several years ago where packing any more transistors onto a sliver of silicon made the processor run too hot and become unstable, as quantum effects began to dominate. For most computer tasks, there were then few gains to be had from upgrading to multi-core architectures. It is hardly surprising that sales of personal computers, once the beneficiary of double-digit growth, are now collapsing at double-digit rates. This year, shipments of laptops and desktop computers are expected to be little more than 300m world-wide-down over 11% from last year.Meanwhile, 184m tablets of various shapes and sizes are likely to be shipped globally-an increase of 53% over last year. At that pace, tablets will outstrip computers within two years, reckons Gartner, a technology consultancy based in Stamford, Connecticut.Tablets have taken off spectacularly simply because, compared with computers, they are good enough and easy to use-a result of being conceived primarily as consumer products for individuals, rather than as professional tools for business. Switch on a tablet and-like a toaster or television set-it simply works, immediately. Turn on a computer and wait a couple of minutes for it to load a bloated operating system, perform some ritual diagnostics, and fire up a stack of background processes before being ready to start work. The difference highlights the clash of computing cultures that is now playing out in offices everywhere. And, no question, the consumer-focused tablet-makers have the upper hand. Much of the innovation in IT is now being driven, at one end of the scale, by makers of mobile devices with consumers in mind. At the other end are a handful of firms that have ceased making PCs or writing software for them, to focus instead on building and enabling the commodity servers that power the cloud.In the coming post-PC era, all the smart functionality needed to do things will reside either in some consumer device at the user's fingertips, or in the cloud at the user's instant beck and call. In between, where laptops and desktops once reigned, will be a void. In the process, the original-equipment makers who grew up and grew old supplying PCs to offices and homes will become irrelevant. Their business models-devised for a different type of customer and a different way of doing things-rendered obsolete by a different age.

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BBC iPlayer: viewers ditch computers for tablets and mobiles

Viewing of BBC shows on the iPlayer via tablets and smartphones overtook computers for the first time in September, with 70m requests, according to new figures.

Mobile and tablet viewing accounted for 41% of the 176m requests for BBC TV programmes on the iPlayer in September.

This compares with the 33m requests from viewers using computers, 33% of the total, a milestone that underlines the rise of portable devices.

'With tablets at the top of many people's Christmas list for 2013, we expect this to continue to grow even further,' said the head of BBC iPlayer, Dan Taylor.

The BBC said that it is has found that viewers flock to the iPlayer at 10pm, with many choosing to switch from watching traditional TV to tablets to catch their favourite shows in bed.

There is another spike in the morning as consumers choose to go mobile to catch TV on the way to work.

Just three years ago the iPlayer notched up only 5m requests a month from mobiles and tablets, just 6% of total viewing.

The figures published on Thursday also highlight the rapid rise of the TV-friendly size of the iPad over other mobile devices.

Tablets accounted for 43 million of the 70m requests to portable devices, well ahead of mobiles on 27m despite the ubiquity of smartphones.

Requests to view TV shows on tablet devices have grown 250% in a year - from almost level pegging with mobiles on 17m last September to 43m last month - while mobile requests have climbed 29%.

The only platform on which the iPlayer is available to see a decline in viewing requests is computers, down from 70m to 58m in a year, a 17% decline.

The level of iPlayer requests via TV sets offering on-demand viewing - via services such as BSkyB, YouView, Virgin Media and BT - have stayed pretty stable year on year at 29m.

The BBC said that there has been a total of 20m downloads of the BBC iPlayer mobile app for Apple and Android devices.

'Twenty million downloads of the BBC iPlayer mobile app marks a golden age of public service television,' said the head of TV content for BBC iPlayer, Victoria Jaye. 'It cements iPlayer's role as BBC television's fifth channel, enabling audiences to fit their enjoyment of the full range of BBC programmes around their busy lives.'

* To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email media@theguardian.com or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly 'for publication'. * To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on and . www.best-budget-tablet.com For tablet reviews of the best budget tablets

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Finns quickly embracing tablet computers

Image: Hanna Juopperi / Yle

Finns have always been quick to adopt new technologies. Now tablet computers are rapidly becoming a basic part of many Finnish homes -- and young lives.

'Well, the tablet has changed our lives in that our six-year-old son's first device is a tablet. Basically gaming is his great passion at the moment,' says Timo Pihlaja, who was shopping at an electronics store in Espoo on Tuesday.

Image: Nokia

The same day in Abu Dhabi, at the last-ever Nokia World event, Finland's tech giant presented its first tablet -- long after many of its competitors. Apple introduced its iPad nearly four years ago, setting off a firestorm of tablet sales. That has been mirrored by a slump in sales of traditional computers.

According to Toni Nygren, chief analyst at the Espoo-based IT consultancy Marketvisio, tablets and smartphones together have already eaten away more than 10 percent of the PC market. This year tablet sales are still well below those of desktops and notebooks. But that is projected to flip in 2014.

Nygren predicts that tablet sales will begin to level off after that -- only to be followed by new device formats including thin, soft flexible tablets.

So far tablets are optimal for entertainment use, with most companies seeing them as too flimsy and clumsy for full-time office use.

Yet accessories are making them a more viable option for work as well. Hybrid models that can be attached to full-sized keyboards will bring even stronger competition for old-fashioned formats.

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Apple Unveils New IPads Amid Crowded Tablet Market

Apple Inc. (AAPL) introduced new iPads in time for holiday shoppers, as it battles to stay ahead of rivals in the increasingly crowded market for tablet computers.

Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook debuted a new iPad mini with a high-definition screen, as well as a thinner and lighter design for the larger tablet named the iPad Air. The iPad Air goes on sale on Nov. 1, starting at $499. The iPad mini will be available later in November for $399 and up, higher than the previous model's starting price of $329.

'This is just the beginning for iPad,' Cook said to a crowd of media and technology-industry insiders at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in downtown San Francisco. 'We have been busy working on the next generation of iPad.'

In the year since Apple last updated the iPad, companies including Samsung Electronics Co. (005930), Asustek Computer Inc. (2357), Google Inc. (GOOG) and Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) have unveiled new tablets, often at lower prices. The competition adds pressure to Apple because the iPad is its second-largest source of revenue after its flagship iPhone. Success of the new models will be critical as the Cupertino, California-based company attempts to reignite revenue growth, which has slowed.

New Macs

Apple today also introduced new Mac software, called Mavericks, which is available free of charge. The software may stoke hardware sales, with the company also showing an updated high-end Mac Pro desktop computer aimed at professions that need extra computing power, as well as new MacBook Pro laptops.

'We still believe deeply in this category and we're not slowing down on our innovations' in Macs, said Cook. The Mac Pro will be assembled in the U.S., he said.

Apple shares rose less than 1 percent to close at $519.87 in New York, leaving the stock down 2 percent for the year, compared with a 23 percent increase in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index.

Apple is updating its products ahead of the lucrative holiday shopping season. As part of the lineup, the company released new iPhones -- the iPhone 5s and 5c -- last month.

Yet more than three years after Steve Jobs unveiled the iPad, the growth of the global tablet market is showing signs of decelerating. Tablet shipments are projected to increase 28 percent in 2014 to 301 million units, after doubling in 2012, according to Counterpoint Research.

Competitors are cutting into Apple's lead. The company's tablet market share slid to 32 percent in the second quarter, compared to 60 percent a year earlier, according to IDC.

Samsung, Asustek, Lenovo Group Ltd. (992), Acer Inc. (2353) and others are offering devices with prices starting at less than half of the iPad mini's previous starting cost of $329. Amazon.com introduced new Kindle Fires last month with higher-resolution screens at prices starting from $229, while Microsoft Corp. and Nokia Oyj (NOK1V) took the wraps off new tablets this week.

Biggest Usage

Cook alluded to the competition today, noting that 'everybody seems to be making a tablet.' He said the iPad is still used more than four times more than all other tablets put together. Apple has sold more than 170 million iPads, he said.

In a move to spur growth, Apple will also roll out the new iPad Air in China at the same time as other markets, said Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of product marketing. Apple also dropped the price of last year's iPad mini model to $299.

No Worries

Benedict Evans of Enders Analysis said the higher starting price of the iPad mini shows Apple isn't worried about competitors. He said the tablet market has bifurcated into two, with Apple controlling the high-end with its collection of popular iPad-specific apps, and a slew of other lower-end tablets used mainly to watch video or browse the Web.

'Apple apparently doesn't fear much tablet competition,' he said.

Some rivals' tablet efforts have flopped. Microsoft took an $900 million writedown earlier this year after its Surface failed to catch on with consumers.

Apple is also going on the offensive by offering its operating system software for free. That threatens companies such as Microsoft, which typically sells its software in pricier packages. Carl Howe, an analyst at Yankee Group, said Apple giving away its software is tantamount to 'challenging the Microsoft model.'

Developers at Apple's event said the updated iPads will attract consumers, especially the lighter and thinner iPad Air.

'When you have a lighter weight device, you're going to get more usage,' said Mike McCue, co-founder of news-reading application Flipboard Inc. 'People are more likely to throw it in a backpack, pick it up or use it.'

Some carriers and developers immediately began using the new iPads as a marketing opportunity. T-Mobile US Inc. (TMUS), which is selling the iPad for the first time, is offering users 200-megabits of high-speed data service at no extra cost, to help the fourth-largest carrier stand apart from its rivals. The 200-megabit allotment covers about five Web page downloads a day, according to the company's data calculator. Users can buy 2.5GB of additional data for $30 or 4.5GB for $40.

To contact the reporter on this story: Adam Satariano in San Francisco at asatariano1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Pui-Wing Tam at ptam13@bloomberg.net

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Nokia unveils new tablet and 'phablets' at event in Abu Dhabi

ONE-TIME mobile phone leader Nokia beat new rival Apple at its own game late on Tuesday, revealing a tablet computer and two big-screen smartphones at an event in Abu Dhabi.

The Finnish company used its first event since being bought by Microsoft to reveal what chief executive Stephen Elop called its 'first tablet' and promising it would be more mobile than others on the market.

Mr Elop's comments come just hours before Apple is due to release a refresh of its iPad range of tablet computers, in an attempt to win back some of the market share it has lost to rival companies.

The Nokia 2520 tablet computer, to be released later this year for $US499, will feature a 10.1-inch screen, 6.7-megapixel camera, Windows RT 8.1 software and 4G connectivity.

But Mr Elop said it would be different to other tablets in the market, as it was designed to be genuinely portable.

'Tablet use peaks between six and eight in the morning,' Mr Elop said. 'During the rest of the day tablet usage drops.

'We are looking to shift this traditional trend. Your tablet should be as mobile as you. Our approach is to give people a tablet that is actually mobile.'

Nokia also unveiled two big-screen phones, or phablets, at the event in the Nokia Lumia 1520 and 1320.

Both Windows Phone handsets will feature six-inch screens, but the higher end model, the 1520, will also feature a 20-megapixel camera. It will begin shipping next year at a price of $US749.

Nokia's announcements beat Apple to the punch, with the Cupertino company expected to reveal refreshed iPads at a San Francisco event at 4am AEDST.

Research firm IDC recently revealed Apple's share of the tablet computer market had almost halved in the past year, falling from 60 per cent in the second quarter of last year to just 32 per cent in the same quarter this year.

###

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With New Apple iPads, Tablets Move Closer to Passing PCs in Sales

SAN FRANCISCO - Three years ago, Steven P. Jobs compared personal computers to trucks and tablets to cars. PCs will still be around, he said, but more people will want tablets.

Apple on Tuesday took another step toward making that prediction come true. It souped up its iPad tablets with faster processors and zippier Internet connections.

The company upgraded its iPad Mini, the smaller tablet, with a higher-resolution display. The full-size iPad with a 9.7-inch screen was renamed the iPad Air, because it has a slimmer design and has lost some weight. The small iPad starts at $400 and the bigger iPad will cost $500. Both iPads will ship in November.

'This is our biggest leap forward ever in a full-sized iPad,' said Philip W. Schiller, vice president for marketing at Apple, at a company event here.

Mr. Jobs, who died in 2011, declared at a business conference in 2010 that the era of the personal computer was nearly over. He said that tablets, which are more portable and easier to use, would cut people's ties to old-school computers, relegating PCs - like trucks - to carrying the heaviest loads.

'When we were an agrarian nation, all cars were trucks, because that's what you needed on the farm,' Mr. Jobs said. As cars became faster and easier to use, trucks became passé, he said.

Tablets are already devouring the PC market. About 120 million tablets were shipped in 2012, nearly seven times as many as in 2010, when the Apple iPad was first released, according to Gartner, a market research company. IDC, another research company, predicts that sales of tablets will surpass those of PCs in the fourth quarter of this year, and on an annual basis in 2015.

The new iPad Mini gained a high-resolution Retina display. It costs $400 - $70 more than the previous iPad Mini. But Apple said it would continue selling the older iPad Mini for $300.

The iPad Air is about 20 percent thinner than the previous iPad and weighs one pound, down from 1.4 pounds.

Both new iPads will include new chips, called A7 and M7, which Apple introduced in its latest high-end iPhone last month. The A7 is a faster processor with a new architecture that makes it better at multitasking.The M7 is a separate chip dedicated to sensing movement, which could allow for new capabilities in software or games that incorporate motion, like a racing game.

Both iPads will also include an improved antenna system for faster Wi-Fi connections. They will come in silver and gray. The iPad Air goes on sale Nov. 1, but the new Mini will ship later in November, suggesting that supply is limited for the smaller tablet.

The new iPads do not include the fingerprint sensor technology, TouchID, that Apple introduced in the high-end iPhone 5S. Analysts believe that may be because parts are in limited supply, since the iPhone 5S is selling so quickly.

Mac computers have taken the back seat of Apple's business, with most of Apple's profit coming from iPhones and iPads. The company said that beginning Tuesday, it would make its new Mac operating system, Mavericks, available free.

Apple also released upgrades for some of its Mac hardware on Tuesday. The MacBook Pro notebooks with Retina displays are now thinner and faster, with better battery life. The 13-inch version will cost $1,300 and the 15-inch model will cost $2,000.

Apple also said the high-end Mac desktop computer, the Mac Pro, which was introduced in June, will begin shipping in December, for $3,000. It will be assembled in the United States.

Although the tablet market is growing quickly, tablets are not nearly as ubiquitous as smartphones yet. Gartner said that manufacturers will ship one billion smartphones and 184 million tablets this year. Carolina Milanesi, a Gartner analyst, said smartphones were probably more popular because the phone function makes a smartphone a necessity, while a tablet is still considered a device that is just nice to have.

Mr. Jobs was wrong about one thing regarding tablets. In a conference call with investors in 2010, he mocked smaller tablets, calling them 'dead on arrival' and saying they would need to come with sandpaper so people could sand down their fingertips to use them.

For Apple's competitors, smaller tablets are getting the most traction, partly because of their lower costs. And that also appears to be the case for Apple. Since the release of the lower-cost iPad Mini late last year, the average selling price of iPads over all has fallen, according to the company's financial reports, meaning the iPad Mini is most likely outselling the bigger iPad.

Apple is No. 1 in the tablet market with about a 32 percent share, according to IDC. But Apple faces fierce competition from companies like Amazon, Samsung Electronics and Google, whose tablets undercut the iPad in price. Samsung, the No. 2 tablet maker, is quickly gaining traction, with 18 percent of the market in the second quarter, up from 7.6 percent in the period a year earlier, according to IDC.

Ms. Milanesi of Gartner said she expected smaller tablets to continue gaining in popularity as the smartphone market became saturated.

'We expect this holiday season to be all about smaller tablets as even the long-term holiday favorite - the smartphone - loses its appeal,' she said.

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Analysts: PC Shipments to Drop in 2013 Amid 53% Tablet Growth

As more consumers flock to low-cost tablets, the desktop and notebook computer world is taking a hit. According to Gartner analysts, tablet shipments are projected to soar 53.4% in 2013, while traditional PCs are on track to drop 11.2% from last year.

Overall, however, the state of the tech industry seems healthy. Gartner is reporting worldwide PC, tablet and mobile smartphone shipments will grow 4.5% in 2013 (2.32 billion units expected to ship) with lower-priced devices leading the way.

Gartner noted the average screen size of the tablets in use worldwide ranges from 8.3 inches to 9.5 inches, but 47% of the 21,500 consumers surveyed owned a tablet that was 8 inches or less.

Those numbers are in line with a recent DigiTimes report that Microsoft has not kept pace with consumer demand for its Windows 8.1 computers and failed to promote the new models along the way.

'While consumers will be bombarded with ads for the new ultramobile devices, we expect their attention to be grabbed but not necessarily their money,' said Carolina Milanesi, research vice president at Gartner, in a statement. 'Continuing on the trend we saw last year, we expect this holiday season to be all about smaller tablets as even the long-term holiday favorite - the smartphone - loses its appeal.'

The mobile phone market will continue to grow, but consumers will be less attracted to higher-priced smartphones. This means growth is expected from 'mid-tier smartphones in mature markets and low-end Android smartphones in emerging markets,' the company said.

Wearables such as smartwatches are also seen as an opportunity among tech companies, but will remain a companion to smartphones for now. Gartner said less than 1% of consumers will replace mobile phones with a wearable or tablet by 2017.

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Surface 2 review: Microsoft makes progress but can't escape Windows RT

Microsoft Surface 2 review - Microsoft's second generation Windows RT tablet.

The Microsoft Surface 2 is the company's second iteration of its Windows RT tablet computer, which improves on its predecessor in almost every way.

It is a 10.6in tablet with a sharp high-definition screen packed with Microsoft's Windows 8-style modern user interface and comes equipped with a full Microsoft Office suite when work calls.

Design

The Microsoft Surface 2 continues the very strong and solid, almost industrial build quality that defined the original Surface tablet. There is no flex in the body, and the strong frame feels like you could use it as an offensive weapon, if a mugger came a knocking.

That solid, reassuring build means it is relatively heavy for a tablet; slightly heavier than the 652g iPad 4 at 676g. The 16:9 formfactor, however, makes it easier to hold in portrait one-handed due to the Surface having a smaller moment pulling the tablet out of your hand.

Unlike the original Surface, and the Surface Pro line of full Windows 8 tablets, the Surface 2 is only available in silver, which is apparently the naked colour of the magnesium used to construct the tablet's frame.

The Surface 2 is pretty thin for a 10in tablet, and is 0.5mm thinner than the iPad 4 at 8.9mm thick, meaning the Surface 2 will easily slip into most briefcases, messenger bags or backpacks.

Microsoft Surface 2 review - kickstand with two angles

The back of the Surface 2 sports a kickstand, which supports two angles making using it on a desk or your lap a lot easier than the original Surface.

Stereo speakers are fitted in the left and right-hand sides of the tablet, which are loud and clear for a tablet, making watching TV or movies satisfying, even if they aren't truly room filling.

The 10.6in screen is the biggest visible change from the first generation Surface. It is bright, clear and crisp thanks to its higher, 1920 x 1200 resolution.

While on paper the screen is beaten by the iPad 4's 9.7in 2048 x 1536 resolution 'retina' display, photos look colourful and detailed while text appears pin sharp and easily legible on websites and ebooks - a trademark of Microsoft's 'ClearType' technology, which produces clear text even on relatively low-resolution screens and makes the text on the Surface 2 really shine.

The screen also has good viewing angles making sharing video with others easy, while decent blacks and colour range make said video look great.

Specifications Screen: 10.6in full HD 1080p LCD Processor: 1.7GHz quad-coreNvidia Tegra 4 RAM: 2GB Storage: 32/64GB SSD plus microSDXC slot Operating system: Windows RT 8.1 Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Compass, USB 3.0, micro HDMI Cameras: 3.5MP front-facing and 5MP rear-facing camera Dimensions: 274.6 x 172.5 x 8.9mm Weight: 675.9g Power/Hardware Experience

Microsoft's given the Surface 2 the latest 1.7GHz Nvidia Tegra 4 quad-core processor, which provides plenty of multi-tasking and general processing power to make sure Windows RT 8.1 runs smoothly.

Web browsing, Office duties, listening to music, watching video and browsing pictures are all fluid and lag-free, even with multiple tabs and apps open simultaneously. The only slight bit of lag I experienced in my testing was during app installs, which is a common issue with tablets, phones and computers based around the relatively low-power ARM processors like the Tegra 4.

Like any other ARM-based tablet such as the iPad or Google's Nexus 10 Android tablet, the Surface 2 instantly wakes from sleep, and boots from completely turned off in seconds.

The touchscreen is responsive and accurate, although it will only recognise five-points of contact at any one time - more than enough for almost all uses.

Unlike most other tablets like the iPad or Google's Nexus line, the Surface 2 comes with a full-sized USB 3.0 port, which makes connecting to external devices and storage as easy as it is on a desktop or laptop computer.

The Surface 2 can connect to your TV or monitor to display movies or make it second screen for work, but you'll need an uncommon micro HDMI to HDMI cable to do it.

Battery life is rated at around 10 hours of video playback, which by my testing seems accurate. Microsoft also reckons that the Surface 2 will manage between seven and 15 days standby - a 25% improvement over the Surface 2.

Software Experience

The Surface 2 runs Microsoft's latest version of Windows RT 8.1, a small feature update on the previous iteration of Windows RT, which shipped on the original Surface tablet.

Windows RT 8.1 includes all the features and additions that Microsoft recently shipped in Windows 8.1, and looks and behaves exactly the same as Microsoft's full desktop operating system.

For a rundown of the modifications and enhancements Microsoft's made to Windows 8.1, read our full Windows 8.1 review

The only thing that Windows RT does not do, which is certainly large limiting factor, is run full Windows applications. That means RT is not capable of running applications like Adobe Photoshop, any web browser other than Internet Explorer, music software like iTunes, as well as syncing cloud-storage services such as Dropbox.

Windows RT relies on applications downloaded from the Windows Store. Some of these, like Dropbox, have feature-limited versions available from the Windows Store, but they often pale in comparison to their full Windows desktop experiences.

Microsoft has included a full Windows RT conversion of its Office suite, which looks and behaves exactly like the latest version of Office on desktop Windows. Windows RT 8.1 even includes a full version of Outlook for accessing your work email, address book, calendar and contacts.

For the most part Windows RT works very well. Its touch-driven interface suits a 10in tablet screen, with big, bold icons to on which to tap.

Microsoft Surface 2 review - high-resolution 1080p 10.6in screen

Most tasks are completed by swiping gestures, with hidden bars for things like browser tabs and the address bar accessible with a swipe up from the bottom. Likewise the options menus with settings and search are accessible with a swipe from the right-hand side of the screen.

Once you understand that menus and actions are hidden off the edges of the screen, the interface becomes fairly intuitive, and makes good use of the screen real estate available on a 10in screen.

Since Windows RT 8, Microsoft's added better window management, which makes multi-tasking on the Surface 2 a really great experience.

Up to three Windows can be open and on-screen at any one time, arranged in resizable panes arranged side-by-side when the tablet is held in landscape. It means, for instance, that you can be browsing the internet while still having your Twitter feed accessible at a glance on one side of the screen.

Likewise, if you're reading email, you can launch attached photos directly into the photo browser in another pane and still see your email while you flick through them.

It's a very solid, and effortless experience. Some windows come pre-defined with an optimum width when launched, but they're all resizable by just dragging the vertical bars separating each app on the screen.

Camera

Microsoft has improved the cameras on the Surface 2 dramatically. The rear 5-megapixel camera shoots decent, if not spectacular photos.

The front-facing 3.5-megapixel camera has vastly improved low-light performance. The result is that Skype video chats look great in the kind of poor lighting conditions you get in homes.

Keyboard

The Surface 2 has a range of accessories of which the black, backlit Touch Cover 2 is the most notable.

Unfortunately it doesn't come in the box with the Surface 2, but extends the usability of the tablet by providing a full sized touch keyboard and attaches to the bottom of the Surface 2 by a strong magnetic clasp.

The keys are touch-sensitive, and while they don't actually move when hit by your fingers, provide enough tactile feedback to allow for touch-typing.

Microsoft Surface 2 review - Type Cover 2 ultra-thin keyboard

Below the keyboard is a trackpad, for when touching the screen isn't accurate enough or you need a traditional mousing setup for productivity like selecting text.

When not in use the Touch Cover 2 provides a hard cover for the screen, and will automatically put the Surface 2 to sleep. It's only 2.75mm thin, so won't add bulk to the tablet.

Microsoft will also offer the Type Cover 2, which acts like the Touch Cover 2, but has slim-profile traditional Chiclet keyboard keys with a very small amount of travel, and the Power Cover, which adds a battery to the Type Cover 2 to extend the battery life of the Surface 2.

Price

The Surface 2 comes in two storage variants: 32GB of built-in storage for £359 or 64GB of storage for £439. The tablet also has a microSD card slot that will accept cards up to 64GB for additional storage.

Verdict

The Microsoft Surface 2 is a marked improvement over the original Surface. Its faster processor, increased battery life and dramatically improved screen make the Surface 2 a compelling option.

The biggest problem with the Surface 2 is its operating system. Windows RT looks and operates like Windows but without access to the large legacy software library. The Windows Store has over 100,000 apps available, but many of those apps are poor imitations of their full desktop Windows counterparts.

Microsoft has, however, developed Windows RT versions of its Office productivity suite including Outlook, which look and operate identically to the full Windows variants of Office and come included free with the Surface 2.

Overall, the Surface 2 is a solid tablet and is a good option for those that spend most of their time interacting with Office or a web browser.

Star rating: 4/5

Pros: Microsoft Office as standard, solid build, great screen, decent battery life.Cons: Windows RT, lack of apps, heavy, Touch Cover 2 doesn't come as standard.

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Windows 8.1 RT Upgrade Pulled as Microsoft Addresses a 'Situation'

Microsoft pulled a version of its Windows 8.1 update from the Microsoft Store over the weekend following complaints 'from a limited number of users.'

Some people who installed the Windows RT operating system (OS) update on their tablet computers experienced boot configuration data errors, which resulted in that infamous Blue Screen of Death.

Microsoft claims the situation is 'temporary' - and suggested affected users will be able to restore their devices without losing data, although it has not officially released a fix.

Blue Screens of Death

Just last Thursday, Microsoft launched its massive Windows 8.1 update for both Intel and ARM machines. The Windows update for Pro users seems to have gone okay, with limited griping across social media. The closest we got to drama on one of our own machines was that we had to manually install an audio driver.

However, things did not go as well for some users updating their ARM-based devices to Windows 8.1 RT, an OS optimized for thin and light PCs. Some people got an ominous blue-screen message that their 'PC needs to be repaired.' Microsoft isn't estimating how many people are affected, but with relatively low sales and only a small number of RT models (Samsung's ATIV being the most memorable alternative) on the market it should represent a relatively small percentage of Windows users.

Microsoft pulled the update from its App store Saturday to prevent further issues. According to a company statement, it is 'investigating a situation affecting a limited number of users updating their Windows RT devices to Windows RT 8.1. As a result, we have temporarily removed the Windows RT 8.1 update from the Windows Store.'

Microsoft has not issued any guidance about how affected users can restore their computers. But users are already sharing advice about ways to get tablets working again and interest in the workaround fix seems pretty lively.

Windows 8.1 Pro updates are unaffected.

Apps Running On All Your Hardware

The new Surface 2 tablets (dropping the RT name) come with the latest version of the Windows OS already installed and seem to be working fine. These beefed-up machines with high-definition screens, improved battery life, quad-core CPUs and refined keyboards and stands are Microsoft's main hope for selling Windows RT to consumers. It's anyone's guess whether the new OS and improvements in hardware will actually get that particular train moving.

An interesting nugget of Windows-related information that cropped up over the weekend was a statement from Dell, which suggested Windows 8 apps should run fine on Microsoft's upcoming Xbox One console. Microsoft has never confirmed this, but since the XB1 runs Windows 8, it should be possible.

Perhaps Dell is getting ahead of itself, but Microsoft would benefit from having a single app store across phones, tablets, PCs and console. It might be a distant dream, but one it could actively be working toward.

If you are one of the unlucky users who experienced problems with the Windows 8.1 RT update, we'd like to hear from you. Share your experiences below.

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Tablets To Grow 42.7% This Year, Says Gartner, As The Traditional PC declines ...

The tablet category is continuing to eat the PC's lunch, albeit it's a large lunch so the feast is taking a while. Analyst Gartner expects worldwide tablet shipments to grow 42.7% this year, with shipments reaching 184 million units. And while traditional PCs are still shipping a lot more units (303,100 forecast for this year), those shipments are continuing to decline - predicted to be down 11.2% on 2012 shipments.

That's lower even than Gartner's prior forecast, back in April, when it said it expected PCs to decline 7.3% this year.

Growth in the so-called ultramobile category - aka lightweight laptops and portables running a full desktop OS such as Microsoft's Surface Pro tablet - is offsetting the traditional PC decline somewhat. But even adding in that category, overall PCs plus ultramobiles are forecast to decline 8.4% this year. Gartner previously said it expects tablets to be outshipping desktop computers and ultramobiles combined by 2017.

By 2014, it now expects the gap between traditional PCs and tablet shipments to have narrowed to just over 18,000 more PCs than tablets shipped, although it expects ultramobiles to have grown to close to 40,000 units shipped by then (up from around 18,600 this year).

Growth in the ultramobile category will be down to serving users that need to 'balance work and play' considerations in a single device, said Gartner - thereby allowing hybrid ultramobiles to step in and offer the functionality of a PC in the form factor of a tablet.

Turning to tablets proper, smaller and cheaper is the order of the day - with consumers' preference for the 7-inch form factor causing continued price decline in premium tablets. The raft of cheaper priced tablet hardware - from the likes of Amazon with its Kindle Fire line and Google with its Nexus-branded slates - is clearly helping to underpin overall tablet growth, taking share away from Apple's more expensive iPad line.

Smaller tablets are also going to put a dent in the smartphone's holiday appeal, according to Gartner. 'Continuing on the trend we saw last year, we expect this holiday season to be all about smaller tablets as even the long-term holiday favourite - the smartphone - loses its appeal,' said Carolina Milanesi, research vice president at Gartner, in a statement.

More generally, while the mobile phone market is expected to continue to experience steady growth, Gartner is calling time on the 'opportunity for high average selling price (ASP) smartphones'. It expects growth in the mobile segment to be powered by mid-tier smartphones in mature markets, and low-end Android smartphones in emerging markets. So again, cheap devices are winning out. The wider point there is that many developed markets are saturated - pushing smartphone growth to emerging countries where lower ASP devices are required.

Gartner's forecast for worldwide device shipments by operating system this year and next (below) shows Android continuing to build out its empire - helped by growth in cheaper tablets and smartphones. Android will be approaching a half-market share across all the device types by 2014, while Windows/Windows Phone and iOS/Mac OS manage only marginal growth:

2013

2014

On the wearables front, Gartner expects the market opportunity to remain primarily about companion devices that are used in conjunction with mobile phones, rather than replacing them. Gartner predicts that less than 1% of consumers will replace their mobile phones with a combination of a wearable device and a tablet by 2017.

'In the short term, we expect consumers to look at wearables as nice to have rather than a 'must have', leaving smartphones to play the role of our faithful companion throughout the day,' added Milanesi. 'For wearables to be successful, they need to add to the user experience by complementing and enhancing what other devices already offer. They also need to be stylish yet practical, and most of all hit the right price.'

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New Property Investment Visa Attracts Foreign Buyers To Spain - Property Abroad News

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Which tablet computer is right for you?

Apple launches its new iPad on Tuesday. But since it first appeared in 2010, the market for tablet computers has been flooded with rivals of different sizes, brands and specifications. Which one should you choose?

Full-sized tablets (typically about 10in wide) Best for reading

The fourth-generation iPad (£399) dominates the market for bigger tablets and boasts the famed 'retina' display - a super high-quality screen. Huge choice of apps and magazines in the Apple app store.

Best for travel

The Sony Xperia Tablet Z (£380) is super-thin and even claims to be waterproof. It has a high-quality screen and a fast processor running on Google's Android software. An impressive piece of kit.

Best for techies

The Nexus 10 (£319) is made by Google, and therefore well integrated with the Android operating system - updates are immediate. It is fast and well built.

Best for beginners

Amazon's Kindle Fire HDX (£329) has a high-resolution screen and fast processor, but runs a custom version of Android that locks the user into Amazon's music and books services. It does have 'Mayday' support - a real person on video to assist you.

Smaller tablets (typically about 7in wide) Best for apps

Apple's iPad Mini (£269) is still the one to beat: small and beautifully formed. And like its larger brother it has full access to Apple's apps and services. It is little surprise this one has sold 7m units.

Best for gaming

Google Nexus 7 (£199), one of many cheaper Android options, wins on power: it has a fast processor, high-resolution screen and solid build.

Best for books

The 7in version of Amazon's Kindle Fire HDX (£199) has the same high-resolution screen and plenty of processing power, but similarly lacks access to Google's Play Store and the full range of apps.

Best for kids

Tesco's 7in Hudl tablet (£119 - or as little as £60, if you can pay in Tesco Clubcard points) has a decent screen, good build quality and access to all the normal Android apps and services. Tesco cut a few corners (the camera quality is terrible) but the Hudl is an ideal first tablet.

And one to avoid ...

Argos's MyTablet (£99) might be the cheapest, but it feels it - creaky, a poor-quality screen and a very slow processor.

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Apple Computers will be happy — Tablet ownership still rising

Before the anticipated launch of the next range of Apple Computer iPads, newly released data of tablet and e-book reader ownership shows that the rapid increase in numbers of those in possession of these digital gadget shows no signs of slowing down.

Just before the expected release of information about the launch of new Apple iPads, in a national phone survey of 6,224 Americans ages 16 and older conducted over the summer by Pew Research Center's Internet Project, newly published research findings show that 35 percent have a tablet and 24 percent have ownership of e-book reader like Kindles and Nooks.

These findings show a significant rise in ownership has taken place over the last year in digital mobile connectivity devices.

Pew Research Center Internet Project

These latest figures come from a survey by the Pew Research Center's Internet Project which was conducted from July 18 to September 20, 1013 among 6,224 Americans ages 16 and older. The margin of error is plus or minus 1.4 percentage points.

Overall, the number of people who have a tablet or an e-book reader among those 16 and older now stands at 43%. This figure is up from 25% last year.

Pew Research Center Internet Project

These latest figures come from a survey by the Pew Research Center's Internet Project which was conducted from July 18 to September 20, 1013 among 6,224 Americans ages 16 and older. The margin of error is plus or minus 1.4 percentage points.

Regarding the rise in ownership of mobile devices, Kristen Purcell, Associate Director of the Pew Research Center Internet Project says:

'Mobile connectivity continues to grow and its impact is much broader than business stories about which computer makers are selling the most units.'

Pew Research Center Internet Project

These latest figures come from a survey by the Pew Research Center's Internet Project which was conducted from July 18 to September 20, 1013 among 6,224 Americans ages 16 and older. The margin of error is plus or minus 1.4 percentage points.

Commenting on the effects of mobile connectivity Kristen Purcell says:

'We see mobile connectivity affecting everything from the way people get news and learn to the way they take care of their health and the way they share their lives through social media. It's been a rapid, broad reaching change that will likely continue for some time.'

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La Vida Spain Offers Discounted Spanish Government Bank Property - SYS-CON Media (press release)

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La Vida Spain Offers Discounted Spanish Government Bank Property - Sacramento Bee

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La Vida Spain Offers Discounted Spanish Government Bank Property - PR Newswire (press release)

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Spain Attracts Foreign Property Buyers - NuWire Investor

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Review: Samsung tablet offers PC

New York * Remember when people used personal computers - desktops and laptops - to check email, view video and keep tabs on Facebook? Back in that far-away era, I'd have several windows open for Web browsers, a word processor, a photo editor and sometimes a reader for PDF documents.

I miss that capability on mobile devices, particularly on full-size tablets with a decent amount of display space. With iPads and Android tablets, I'm typically limited to one window displayed at a time; other apps run in the background, out of sight. With Windows 8 tablets, I can run two windows side by side, but I'm constrained in what I can do with them. It gets better with the Windows 8.1 update due out next week, but it's still not the free-for-all I had with PCs.

­­

About the Galaxy Note tablet

So I marveled at a pair of multitasking features that come with Samsung's new tablet, formally called Galaxy Note 10.1 - 2014 Edition. Sporting a 10.1-inch display, measured diagonally, the Note tablet goes on sale in the U.S. on Thursday at a starting price of $550.

The first of the multitasking features, called Multi-Window, has been available in Samsung devices for about a year, but it works with many more apps now. You can run two apps side by side, such as Facebook on one side and YouTube video on the other.

Like Windows 8 tablets, you're limited to just two apps. You can change how much of the screen each one takes, a capability coming with Windows 8.1, but you can't choose to have a window take up just the top left corner, the way you can on PCs. In addition, Multi-Window isn't a universal feature. Apps for Netflix and Hulu won't work, for instance. You currently have about 18 apps to choose from, including Facebook and a variety of Google and Samsung apps.

With that limitation, it's nice that Samsung Electronics Co. is supplementing Multi-Window with a feature called Pen Window.

With it, simply draw a box on the screen with the included stylus, and choose one of seven apps to open in a new window. Do it again and again until you open all seven apps, if you wish. That's nine in all, counting the two with Multi-Window. Each Pen Window app appears in a window that floats over your main app (or two apps if you use Multi-Window). You can move that window around on your screen and resize it, just as you can on PCs. Need a break from it? Just minimize it into a small dot and move it out of the way.

Like Multi-Window, you're restricted in what apps you can use with Pen Window, though I expect more to get added over time. For now, Pen Window on the tablet works with YouTube, the calculator, the alarm clock, your contacts list, the Web browser and two chat apps - Samsung's ChatOn and Google's Hangouts. I like the fact that you can open all of them and keep them out of the way in a minimized state. That way, it's just one click when you need the calculator and one click when you're done.

The iPad doesn't do that. Amazon's Kindle Fire doesn't do that. Other Android tablets don't do that. Windows 8.1 won't do that - at least not in the tablet-style viewing mode that Microsoft prefers you stick with. You'll have to go to the classic, desktop mode to resize windows, which defeats the purpose of having Windows 8 or 8.1. Windows 8.1 will go further than Multi-Window in letting you run up to four apps side by side, but that works only on larger screens, not portable tablets.

Beyond multitasking, the new Note tablet offers a My Magazine mode giving you personalized highlights, such as news topics of interest, content from your social media feeds and suggestions on things to do and see, based on your current location. It's a good concept, though Facebook isn't available through it yet.

The new tablet also gives you quick access to the tools you can accomplish with its stylus. Pen Window is one. Another feature lets you add notes to a screenshot of what you see. Another lets you clip a section of a Web page and store it with a Web link.

Unfortunately, not everything worked. Text recognition was poor. I'm supposed to be able to jot down an email address or a phone number with the stylus and have that handwriting converted into a contacts entry. But the device constantly confuses the letters 'o' and 'l' with the numerals '0' and '1.'

Pen Window also is more difficult than necessary to set up. You need to take out the stylus for an Air Command tool to appear on the screen. You choose Pen Window, then draw a box on your screen with your stylus. Then you choose the app you want to open. Do all of that again to get additional apps, after figuring out how to get Air Command again with your stylus already out. It would have been simpler to have a button on the home screen that you can tap with your finger or stylus.

In addition, Samsung could have done more with the apps in minimized state. Google's chat app is reduced to a circular icon. It could have flashed or changed colors to notify me of a new chat message, rather than make me open and close it regularly to check.

The tablet's back is still made of plastic, but it feels like leather - an improvement over previous Samsung devices. The tablet does feel heavy, at 1.2 pounds, but that's still lighter than the 1.4 pounds for the full-size iPad. If you want light, wait until early November for the large-size version of Amazon's Kindle Fire HDX. It weighs just 0.83 pound.

Samsung's tablet is also pricey - the $550 starting price tops the iPad's $499 and the Fire's $379. Of course, neither the iPad nor the Fire offers a stylus.

One more complaint: Although the tablet uses the latest version of Android, 4.3, it doesn't offer that system's feature of letting multiple people share a device with separate profiles.

With the Note, it's clear some of the functionality we've long associated with PCs is coming to devices we're just getting to know. There's more to be done, including support for multiple users, but I'm glad Samsung is leading us in that direction.

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Windows 8.1seeks smoother transition from tablets to PCs

Error on line 91 position 6: 'undefined' is null or not an object Operating system intended to bridge that gap receives upgrade

Oct. 17, 2013 4:14 PM |

KEY TIMING

Microsoft's release of the Windows 8.1 upgrade comes as sales of traditional desktop and laptop computers continue to decline because consumers are spending money instead on the latest smartphones and tablets. * It also comes at a time of transition for Microsoft as the Redmond, Wash., company focuses on devices and services, not just software. Earlier this month, Microsoft struck a deal to acquire Nokia's phone business and patent rights for more than $7 billion. * Microsoft is also searching for a new CEO to replace Steve Ballmer, who announced last month that he plans to retire within the next year.

LOS ANGELES - Microsoft released its long-awaited Windows 8.1 upgrade as a free download Thursday. It addresses some of the gripes people have had with Windows 8, the dramatically different operating system that attempts to bridge the divide between tablets and PCs.

Windows 8.1 still features the dual worlds that Windows 8 — which attempted to bridge the divide between tablets and PCs — created when it came out last October.

On one hand, it features a touch-enabled tile interface resembling what's found in tablet computers. On the other, there's the old desktop mode where the keyboard and mouse still reign. The update adds some new finger- and gesture-friendly shortcuts for touch-based apps, while restoring some respect for the desktop mode that a billion users have become accustomed to.

The Window 8.1 update is free for current owners of Windows 8. Simply go to the Windows Store app to find it. Computers with Windows 8.1 already installed will go on sale Friday, which is also when people will be able to buy stand-alone copies of Windows 8.1.

The changes range from the cosmetic to improved functionality:

Restoring the desktop

* Start me up: The Start button is back in desktop mode, although not the way it was before Windows 8 came along. Now, one tap on Start flips you back to the new tile interface, where you can click or tap tiles to open programs. A long press brings up crucial settings such as the Control Panel.

* Boot to desktop: You can now start up the machine in desktop mode, bypassing the tiles for a short time.

Touch, gesture updates

* Onscreen keyboard swipes: The onscreen keyboard now includes the ability to type numbers or punctuation marks by swiping up or away from certain keys on the standard 'QWERTY' layout, eliminating the need to toggle between numeric and alphabetic layouts. You can also select from suggested words midstream using side swipes and taps on the virtual spacebar.

* Gesture-enabled apps: You can now wave in the air in front of the front-facing camera to get a response.

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How Intel's new Atom chips could finally make fast Windows 8 tablets cheap

Windows 8 finally gave computer manufacturers a much-needed chance to buoy plunging PC sales with Windows-based tablets and convertibles. While some companies have had more success in this than others, it's clear that consumers are not adopting these new touch PCs as quickly as been hoped. Even the most aggressive analyst estimates put market share for Windows tablets and convertibles at just 15 percent.

While Windows 8 no doubt deserves some blame, price is also a culprit. The first convertible and tablet PCs debuted above $1,000, and while the average MSRP has gradually dropped, most still sell for more than $800. That's well above the average buyer's budget.

Part of the problem is a lack of powerful, efficient yet affordable hardware for slim tablets and convertibles. But that may soon change. Intel's new Atom processors are around the corner, and they promise the arrival of PC tablets that may sell for as little as $199. Here's what the new hardware will be capable of, and why the latest crop of touch PCs may interest you a lot more than the last.

New Atoms

At the center of the new low- cost PC tablet is Bay Trail, a system-on-chip architecture built around Intel's new Silvermont cores. This core is the first major revision Atom has received in years is designed to be much faster than what it replaces.

We don't have to take Intel's word for it, either. The company allowed a small group of reviewers to grab some hands-on time with an Atom Z3770 quad-core during the last Intel Developer's Forum. Among this group was The Tech Report's Scott Wasson, who ran the same 7-Zip benchmark we use to gauge processor performance in our PC reviews. The result returned to him was a combined score of 6,279 MIPS.

That's just a hair behind Intel Core products. The Dell XPS 12 with a fourth-gen Core i5-4200U, for example, scored 6,888, suggesting the new Silvermont-based Atoms will be just 10 to 20 percent slower than a modern Core processor. That's a huge leap forward; the last Atom-based system we tested, the HP Envy x2, scored only 2,719 in the same benchmark.

The improvement in graphics is even more dramatic. The old version of Atom was saddled with a terrible GPU that can't run most modern benchmarks, but the Silvermont revision uses the same architecture found in the latest Intel Core processors. Though far fewer execution units are available in Bay Trail than in a fourth-gen Core processor (4 vs. 20), the new Atoms can score just over 12,000 in the 3DMark Ice Storm benchmark. That's just slightly behind the quickest ARM system-on-chip designs.

Better still, the added performance don't seem to come at the expense of power draw. Reports indicate the new Atoms consume around two watts at idle, and up to four watts at load, which is similar to the previous version. This means battery life should range from 6 to 12 hours, with most coming in around the 8-hour mark.

Cutting through the numbers

What the benchmarks tell us is that the new Atom is not a budget processor that punishes the user for being frugal, but instead a powerful architecture that's just a hair behind Intel's best Core products. Determining the difference between the two should prove very difficult in everyday use, and only demanding tasks like games and video editing will make the difference obvious. When used in conjunction with a solid-state drive, the Bay Trail Atoms should provide a snappy experience no matter which operating system is used with it.

While this simply 'good enough' performance may not seem exciting, it is in the context of price. We've liked some of the Atom-powered convertibles and tablets we've previously reviewed, but performance has always barred them from earning an Editor's Choice. A small PC that occasionally sputters and stutters can't earn our highest marks, no matter how light or how long the battery lasts. The new Atoms will resolve this complaint and, in doing so, remove a barrier that has constrained Windows tablets and convertibles targeted at the budget market.

All shapes and sizes

Intel's vision of what the tablet and convertible PC market will look like after the introduction of Bay Trail based Atom processors is very broad. At low end of the market the company expects to see stand-alone tablets that sell for as little as $199 and have display sizes similar to existing Android and iOS tablets (between 7 and 10 inches). These will presumably come in a variety of sizes and shapes and have varying capabilities. While most Bay Trail chips are quad-core, Intel is going to release two dual-core variants, and those will most likely lead the affordability charge. Consumers should expect to pay between $299 and $399 for a PC tablet with a quad-core Atom.

The improvement in graphics is even more dramatic.

and sole tablet.

Consumers can also expect to see 1080p displays in systems sold around the $549 price point; older Atoms were rarely paired with 1080p because the aging IGP struggled to display video smoothly at that resolution. The most powerful Bay Trail variants can even support 2560 x 1600, though we think few systems will make sue of the capability.

In many respects, these new entries will be hard to differentiate from more expensive Core-powered computers. Given the lower prices, they'll likely have less robust design, with greater use of inexpensive plastic and less visual flair. But the Atom-powered products should also be much lighter, and some may rival the weight of the current iPad. That's an important point; current Intel Core convertibles and tablets usually weigh between two and four pounds, which makes them uncomfortable to use as a tablet for long periods of time.

The availability of low-cost Windows 8 tablets could be a boon for Microsoft, but the company shouldn't stop sweating just yet. Intel has worked hard to expand support for Android, and expects that at least some (if not all) of the least expensive Atom-based tablets to run it instead of Windows. While Android is still a poor operating system for a traditional notebook or desktop, there's no reason to believe it wouldn't work on a dedicated tablet.

A new dawn for the PC?

Predicting the impact of new low-cost PC tablets and convertibles is difficult. While Atom helps to solve the problem of affordable performance, Microsoft's Windows 8 is still an obstacle. Will consumers choose Windows if tablets and convertibles based on it are as affordable as the iPad and Nexus 7? Or will the operating system's flaws continue to turn off buyers? That is anyone's guess.

What can be said for sure, however, is that the market for PC tablets and convertibles will be much different by this time next year. The current $800 price barrier, which very few systems have ducked under, should be gone, and that will translate to a wide variety of affordable Atom-based systems from every manufacturer.

While the first of these new options should be on the market by the end of the 2013 holiday season, we think most will debut throughout the spring and summer of 2014. If you're looking for an inexpensive Windows tablet or convertible, we suggest holding off on a purchase until then. Systems based on Bay Trail will be more affordable and much quicker than their predecessors - what's not to like?

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