Just as Apple is about to release an updated iPad line, rival Microsoft has launched its second effort in the tablet market. The Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2, which feature significant performance upgrades over their predecessors, launch in 21 countries today.
Amazon Unveils 2013 Kindle Fire HDX Tablets with Quad-Core CPUs
Amazon late Tuesday unveiled the next generation of the company’s Kindle Fire tablet line. The new models feature quad-core CPUs, improved graphics, ultra-high density displays, and impressive battery life for hundreds of dollars less than competing tablets from Apple.
IDC Lowers 2013 Tablet Shipment Forecast as Market Matures
The tablet market has seen explosive growth since Apple launched the first iPad in 2010, but new data from research firm IDC suggests that the market’s growth may finally be starting to slow as it reaches maturity and competing devices attract consumer attention.
Lack of New iPad Sinks Apple Shipment Share; Android Leads 2Q13
A lack of product launches and the continued improvement of competing products has led to a complete flip in worldwide tablet shipments between Apple and its Android foes in the past year, according to data released Monday by research firm IDC. Although still the number one tablet manufacturer, Apple’s shipment market share declined year-over-year while rival Samsung’s tablet shipments soared. Worldwide Tablet Shipments by Vendor (Millions of Units) Source: IDC Q2 2013 Q2 2013 Market Share Q2 2012 Q2 2012…
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Office to Be Included with “Small Screen” x86 Windows 8 Tablets
A major selling point of tablets running ARM-based Windows RT was that Office, Microsoft’s flagship productivity software, was included for free. The company oddly chose not to extend the same offer to x86-based Windows 8 tablets, including its own Surface Pro. Those devices could still run Office, of course, but users had to purchase the software in addition to the cost of the hardware. At Computex last night, however, Microsoft Windows chief Tami Reller announced a change in policy… at…
Intel Teases Passively Cooled Core Processor for Tablets
Computex 2013 is underway in Taiwan and the announcements of new hardware are flooding the news cycle. Among the most interesting releases thus far is Intel’s preview of a Core series processor running with only passive cooling in a small form-factor tablet. While Intel’s less powerful processors have long been capable of running sans fans, the evolution of a high-end Core processor that can power a passively-cooled tablet is a huge step for the Santa Clara chipmaker. Intel briefly teased…
Microsoft Uses Siri to Narrate Windows 8 vs iPad Commercial
Microsoft is out today with a humorous new ad for the company’s Windows 8 tablet platform. The ad pits an ASUS tablet (the 10.1-inch VivoTab Smart) against the fourth generation iPad and uses Apple’s Siri digital assistant to highlight the more advanced capabilities of the Windows platform. In order, Siri informs the viewer that the iPad can’t “update like that,” showcasing Windows’ live tiles on the Start Screen; can only “do one thing at a time,” referring to Windows’ ability…
5th Gen iPad to Be 33% Lighter, Rumored for Production in July
One of the unfortunate tradeoffs that Apple was forced to make with the third-generation iPad was an increase in thickness and weight to accommodate the then-new tablet-sized Retina display. The company was not able to make changes to the design for the product’s fourth generation but new rumors from DigiTimes suggest that the fifth-generation iPad may finally see a much-need reduction in size and weight. Trial production of the fifth-generation full-size iPad is reportedly set to begin soon with full…
eBooks Account for 23% of U.S. Publisher Revenue in 2012
Last week’s news that Microsoft is considering a $1 billion buyout of the Nook eBook company it formed with Barnes & Noble is less surprising in light of data revealed today by research firm Statista. According to data from the Association of American Publishers, eBooks accounted for nearly 23 percent of U.S. publisher revenue in 2012. On the year, eBooks accounted for 22.6 percent of sales as a percentage of U.S. trade publishers’ net revenue, up from 17.0 percent in…
Amazon Preparing Broad Hardware Push Including 3D Smartphones
Following rumors that Amazon is preparing a Kindle branded TV set-top box, the company may also be on the verge of announcing its first line of smartphones, according to sources speaking with The Wall Street Journal. Two smartphones, including a high-end model with a 3D screen and an “audio-only streaming device” are said to be in the works. Rumors of Amazon’s interest in smartphones first began in mid–2012. The company reportedly hoped to use the product to secure a slice…