Intel previewed a wave of tablet computers powered by a microprocessor that the company redesigned to make a bigger dent in the growing mobile market.
An assortment of major computer vendors made the tablets that were shown Thursday. All the devices depend on Intel Corp.'s new processor and Windows 8, a dramatic overhaul of the widely used operating system made by Microsoft.
The tablets won't go on sale until Oct. 26 when Windows 8 is released. The prices for the various machines will be revealed during the next few weeks.
Intel held the event in an attempt to prove it's adapting to the market upheaval caused by the increasing popularity of smartphones and tablets such as Apple Inc.'s iPad. The shift to mobile devices poses a threat to Intel because its previous chip designs weren't well suited for the needs of smartphones and mobile devices. As a result, Intel's sales are now falling as demand for its personal computer microprocessors tapers off.
Intel's new tablet chip, code named Clover Trail while it was in development, is called the Atom Z2760. It boasts a dual-processing feature that makes tablets run faster and with low power consumption so the battery life of a device should last 10 hours while it's showing video or performing other tasks.
The chips that Intel makes for PC devour more power, making them illequipped for tablets that are often used for long stretches without a recharge.
