First Windows 8 tablet May be Revealed next week: Rumor

According to rumors, Microsoft and Samsung are teaming up on a Windows 8 quad-core tablet and it may be unveiled at Microsoft's BUILD conference next week.Windows 8 may not be so far out after all. According to the AFP, which cites the Korea Economic Daily, Microsoft is working on a Windows 8 tablet with Samsung. More interesting, it may be unveiled at Mirosoft’s BUILD conference in California, which runs Sept. 13-16. ThisIsMyNext claims that the tablet may be given away to attendees at the conference and run on Nvidia‘s upcoming Kal-El quad-core processor. 

   

The move makes sense for Samsung, which is facing stiff tablet and smartphone pressure from other Android manufacturers as well as a myriad of lawsuits from Apple, which claims that many Samsung products steal its technology and design. Google’s pending purchase of Motorola is also cause for concern for the manufacturer. Motorola products could have an edge in the market, going forward.

What doesn’t make sense is how early this device is coming. Microsoft executives, and most analysts, have pegged the release of Windows 8 around June – Nov. of 2012. Many expected Microsoft to release a beta of the OS at BUILD next week, but not a full-fledged device. Will this device simply be a beta product?

In recent days, we’ve expressed doubts about the direction of Windows 8, which is looking more and more like two disparate operating systems glued together rather than one seamless experience. We hope to be proven wrong and look forward to learning more about Windows 8 at the BUILD conference next week.

Samsung Discloses 5.3-Inch Phone, Tablet

Samsung didn't get the memo when Dell axed its 5-inch phone, because it has introduced its own 5.3-inch smartphone-tablet crossover called the Galaxy Note. The slender Android 2.3 device blurs the line between phones and tablets and comes with a bundled stylus for those who don't want to use their fingers.The Samsung Galaxy Note (whatever happened to the new naming convention?) sports some impressive features: It runs on an unspecified dual-core 1.4GHz processor; has 1GB of RAM; carries an 8-megapixel HD camera on the back and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera; and comes with either 16GB or 32GB of storage.The most astounding aspect of the Note is its screen. It's a 5.3-inch Super Amoled display with a resolution of 1280 by 800 pixels (that's 285 dots per inch--the iPhone 4 has 326 dpi). Despite the size of the display, Samsung managed to keep the Galaxy Note very svelte, stuffing all of the components into a 9.65mm-thin, 0.39-pound-heavy case.

If gadget history is anything to go by, the Note will be another device with a 5-inch screen trying to be a phone and a tablet that won't catch on. Dell tried it with the Streak 5 and amid criticism that the device was too big for a phone, yet too small for a tablet. Android phone manufacturers are adding big screens to their phones, too, but usually failed up to 4.5 inches--still considerably smaller than the Note's 5.3-inch screen.Like the HTC Flyer tablet, the Galaxy Note comes with a stylus, which Samsung dubs the S Pen. The stylus works with a bunch of built-in apps, including calendar, to-do, and note taking. Third-party developers will be able to add S Pen functionality to their apps.

Pricing will be an important factor in the Note's success. Will it be priced as a smartphone, or as a tablet? The Streak 5 was handicapped by its price, which was $100 more (with a two-year contract) than most smartphones ($199), and some $50 more (unlocked) than the cheapest iPad. Samsung hasn't said when or for how much the Galaxy Note will retail, but it has announced that it's working on two versions of the phone--one with HSPA+ and one with 4G LTE.