Is this a sign of a vote of confidence for the Android operating system? Word is getting out that Intel is planning on being part of the Android based convertible laptop netbook market. I would suspect this involves that handy dandy Intel Atom processor that was the brains behind the netbook invasion a few years ago. Low price, low power and increasing graphical capability sounds like a sure winner. Ah, but the missing ingredient to a low price point is in the operating system. Atom in Android based systems means a $200 or lower price point most likely. That’s what Intel is all but promising. A story from Digitimes indicates that Intel powered Android tablet convertibles from Lenovo, HP, Toshiba, Acer and Asus are all on deck. That’s a massive line-up indeed.
This must be troubling to Microsoft. Depending on how these Intel powered tablets do in the marketplace, it could be a real game changer for price points and profit. Microsoft came to market with high priced Windows 8 tablets and hybrids but lacked sales. If Android based tablets with Intel hardware come along at the same time? That’s trouble.
You might be asking where this is all heading. Well it means a lot more options if you want a netbook/laptop that has a touchscreen display that detaches. The dust certainly hasn’t settled just yet. It’s unclear what the market is for hybrid convertible style laptops at this point. If that $200 price point can be reached, then certainly it’s going to create vast interest. Netbooks dominated because of their price point. It sounds to me like netbooks all over again except this time they will have touchscreens, detachable displays, and run Android OS. Hard to imagine a $200 price point with all those features, but you never know.
If you want some more details on this story, check out CNET and Digitimes.
I think shopping is going to be fun during the build-up to the holiday 2013 season!
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