Down the road: ASUS will release a Transformer-like Windows 8 on ARM tablet
Posted on 07. Jan, 2012 by Albert Madison in Tablets
The new Google Android powered Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime. Image: Asustek Computer Inc.
If you like hearing promises of future products you should enjoy the latest from Asustek Computer Inc. who makes ASUS branded tablets. According to Netbook News the Taiwanese company is promising to have a Windows 8 tablet that is powered by an ARM processing chip in the marketplace late this year.
The Windows 8 on ARM tablet is reportedly going to feature a design that is similar to the popular ASUS Eee Pad Transformer tablet. You should know that the Transformer tablet features the ability to be docked onto a compatible keyboard dock that provides physical keys like a laptop/netbook, a touchpad like a laptop/netbook, ports, and extra battery life. Right now there is no photo evidence to back up the bit about the final design of the Windows 8 on ARM tablet from Asustek.
Microsoft has detailed Windows 8 for their developers already and in doing that they also revealed how Windows 8 is capable of working on both X86 (Intel and AMD CPUs) as well as ARM based processors. For ARM based computers Windows 8 will provide users with a Metro UI which includes live tiles and just a generally different look from normal Windows. At this time it’s said that ARM based computers will get access to only Metro UI and X86 based computers will get classic Windows desktop access in addition to the Metro UI.
The tile-ified home screen in Windows 8 is optimized for touch. Image: Microsoft
Some things to keep in mind when you envision the unannounced ASUS Windows 8 on ARM tablet is that the current crop of Windows applications won’t be compatible with the tablet. As it is now Windows 8 on ARM will be starting from scratch when it comes to applications, although developers have been working on applications since last year. All ARM applications will use the Metro UI template for design and Microsoft plans to offer Windows 8 users access to those ARM applications through their own Windows App Store.
[Via]
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