AMD Windows 8 Tablet Revealed At ComputexAMD Windows 8 Tablet Revealed At Computex

8 Tablets Fit For Windows 8 Beta

When it comes to the silicon that will power Windows 8 tablets, most of the buzz has centered around Intel versus chips that use ARM's SoC reference design. But AMD made it clear this week that it also plans to be a player in the Windows 8 market.

At Computex Wednesday, the company for the first time showed off a prototype tablet running its new Trinity Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) architecture.

The prototype, manufactured by Taiwan's Compal Electronics, features an 11.6-inch display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. It's also got a kickstand and detachable keyboard, an indication that AMD is looking to play in the hybrid space.

AMD hopes Trinity, with its emphasis on high performance and low power consumption, will give Intel's Atom line a run in the mobile market. Intel has promised that Atom-based Windows 8 systems, be they tablets or notebooks, will offer support for legacy Windows apps. Beyond its demo at Computex, AMD has yet to reveal much about Windows 8-on-Trinity performance.

ARM-based chips from Qualcomm, Motorola, and Nvidia will support only Windows 8 RT, a tablet-only version that will run only approved Windows 8 apps downloaded from Microsoft's Windows Store.

[ Considering a Windows 8 ARM tablet? Here's what you need to know now: Windows 8 ARM Tablets: 8 Must-Know Facts. ]

Microsoft is hoping that the wide range of Windows 8 devices that will likely arrive this fall will be enough to make it a serious player in the tablet market, where it currently trails well behind Apple, with its iPad, and Google and its Android partners.

Earlier this week at the Taipei techfest, Acer previewed several Windows 8 systems, including a pair of tablets: the Iconia W510 and the Iconia W700. The former offers a 10.1-inch touch display and comes with a detachable keyboard dock. The larger w700 boasts an 11.6-inch display, which, on its docking cradle, can be swiveled into landscape or portrait mode.

And Asus introduced a pair of tablets. The 10.1-inch Tablet 600 runs Windows RT on an Nvidia Tegra 3 processor. Specs include 2MB of RAM, 32GB of storage, and an 8-megapixel camera. The larger Tablet 810 runs Windows 8 on Intel Atom, features an 11.6-inch display, 64GB of storage, and a front-facing videoconferencing camera in addition to an 8MP photo camera.

More vendors are expected to announce Windows 8 systems as Computex continues through the week.

information is conducting a survey on Windows 8 adoption. Upon completion of our survey, you will be eligible to enter a drawing to receive an 16-GB Apple iPad. Take our information 2012 Windows 8 Survey now. Survey ends June 15.