Transformer called key to expansion of Windows 8 notebooks

Transformation will become a key form factor for notebook computers running the Windows 8 operating system to win more market share in the business segment, according to the Taipei Computer Association, a co-organizer of Computex Taipei.Association officials said Saturday that PC vendors, including Acer Inc., Asustek Computer Inc. and Micro-Star International Co., are ready to install Windows 8 on tablet computers, Ultrabooks and all-in-one PCs, one day before the opening of Computex Taipei, scheduled for June 5-9. 

Microsoft Corp. announced on June 1 that the final pre-release of Windows 8 is available for download in 14 languages, while customers who purchase Windows 7 PCs will be charged US$14.99 to upgrade to the touch-enabled software. Among cross-platform devices, transformer notebooks will become a new sales driver in the commercial market because they can be used as either a regular laptop computer in offices or as a touch-enabled tablet when taken outdoors, fulfilling multiple demands for business representatives, the association said. 

Moreover, chipmakers, including Intel Corp., Advanced Micro Devices and Nvidia Corp., are scheduled to introduce new products for mobile devices at Computex Taipei, such as tablet PCs sized from 7 to 10 inches and based on Windows 8 and Android 4.0 operating systems, officials added. Computex Taipei, the world's second largest, and Asia's largest tech trade fair, will generate US$28 billion in business, up from US$25 billion in 2011, the organizers estimated.