Panasonic's 4K Tablet Could Kill All-in-One PCs

Panasonic has a 20-inch tablet prototype with a 4K resolution.

If there are only three known truths in the universe, it's that (1) we must die, (2) we must pay taxes and (3) the PC platform will never die. But Panasonic is seemingly trying to prove the third truth wrong at CES 2013 in Las Vegas with a very interesting prototype: a 20-inch 4K tablet. If anything, it may kill off the AIOs, at least.

According to a provided spec list, the tablet has a 20-inch IPS Alpha 10-point multi-touch screen with a 3840 x 2560 (230ppi) resolution and a 15:10 aspect ratio. It also has an Intel Core i5 3427U vPro CPU clocked at 1.8 GHz, Nvidia GeForce graphics, 4 GB of RAM (16 GB max), and a 128 GB SSD. Other features include 802.11 a/b/g/n and Bluetooth v4 connectivity, one USB 2.0 port, a microSD card, a front-facing HD camera, and more.

A Panasonic rep said that the prototype tablet will be geared for three applications: marketing, designers and architects, and photographers. When asked about the consumer market, the rep said that will be a wait-and-see based on demand. A 20-inch 4K tablet may cost a pretty penny to be honest, so it's possible it will stay in the professional sector until the price takes a significant drop.

Some other notable items in Samsung's CES 2013 plot includes a nifty Bluetooth touch pen that allows the user to write and draw on Bluetooth-enabled Smart Viera HDTVs (shown below). The company also showcased its "Future Craft" philosophy for designing which includes a metal and glass form factor. One prototype shown was super thin, had invisible side speakers, 3 HDMI ports, 3 USB ports and more.

Here's what Panasonic has announced for the show (all of which are linked here):

* Panasonic Develops 56-inch 4k2k OLED Panel
* Panasonic Develops New Tablet with 20-inch 4k IPS Alpha LCD Panel
* Panasonic VIERA TC-L50E60 Named as 2013 Design and Engineering Awards BEST OF INNOVATIONS Honoree
* Panasonic Unveils Enhanced 2013 Smart VIERA Plasma HDTV Lineup
* Panasonic Unveils Stunning Design Innovations and Cutting-Edge Features on VIERA 2013 LED/LCD Models
* Panasonic Announces Wireless Bone Conduction Headphones to the 2013 Product Lineup
* Panasonic Offers Flexible Listening Options for Tablet Users with the New SC-NP10 Wireless Speaker
* Panasonic Announces the LUMIX DMC-LZ30
* Panasonic Unveils 2013 LUMIX Compact Lineup at CES

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Top Comments

21

TheViper , January 9, 2013 11:05 PM

That thing isn't killing anything off but battery life.
17

ccovemaker , January 10, 2013 12:04 AM

threefishThis is really getting ridiculous. REDUCE YOUR FRACTIONS! It is a 3:2 aspect ratio.

but 15:10 is a large number so its better duh.
13

threefish , January 9, 2013 11:55 PM

Quote:
with a 3840 x 2560 (230ppi) resolution and a 15:10 aspect ratio

This is really getting ridiculous. REDUCE YOUR FRACTIONS! It is a 3:2 aspect ratio.

Other Comments

-5

Killingmaster , January 9, 2013 10:45 PM

I can't wait to use a smartphone with this hardware + maybe hologram ;D
0

davewolfgang , January 9, 2013 10:46 PM

Make it in a 27" - with that high rez......drooooooooooooool!!!!!
8

hannibal , January 9, 2013 10:51 PM

You have big pockets for a phone this big ;-)
It is interesting to see that tablets leaves tabletop PC to the dust in screen resolution... O tempora, o mores...
13

ccovemaker , January 9, 2013 11:01 PM

"It also has an Intel Core i5 3427U vPro CPU clocked at 1.8 GHz" Try harder please. It won't be "killing the PC platform" with that choked up I5.

CES is supposed to be the future not computing power from 5 years ago.
21

TheViper , January 9, 2013 11:05 PM

That thing isn't killing anything off but battery life.
10

Killingmaster , January 9, 2013 11:07 PM

TheViperThat thing isn't killing anything off but battery life.

Hmm indeed:
Battery Life: Approx. 2 hours (using internal battery)
5

bigdragon , January 9, 2013 11:09 PM

I want to see Panasonic try to take on Wacom's Cintiq lineup with this tablet and future successors. Competition in that arena is badly needed to break up Wacom's monopoly of high-end artist tools. This product could do just that for Panasonic if they have the vision and drive to give it a try. I know lots of professionals who would love this thing and eagerly jump on the chance to get away from being chained to their desks for a good high-end art experience.
2

zzz_b , January 9, 2013 11:11 PM

Why do you say " Some other notable items in Samsung's CES ..." when the article is about Panasonic?
1

MKBL , January 9, 2013 11:12 PM

"Some other notable items in Samsung's CES 2013 plot includes a nifty Bluetooth touch pen that allows the user to write and draw on Bluetooth-enabled Smart Viera HDTVs (shown below)."

Typo
8

maxinexus , January 9, 2013 11:12 PM

put that sucker in your lap and it will make you sterile
5

bak0n , January 9, 2013 11:41 PM

Good luck playing any game other than angry birds on a 4k screen with that config. Unless you enjoy non native resolution gaming or 1FPS.
13

threefish , January 9, 2013 11:55 PM

Quote:
with a 3840 x 2560 (230ppi) resolution and a 15:10 aspect ratio

This is really getting ridiculous. REDUCE YOUR FRACTIONS! It is a 3:2 aspect ratio.
17

ccovemaker , January 10, 2013 12:04 AM

threefishThis is really getting ridiculous. REDUCE YOUR FRACTIONS! It is a 3:2 aspect ratio.

but 15:10 is a large number so its better duh.
2

InvalidError , January 10, 2013 1:23 AM

ccovemakerbut 15:10 is a large number so its better duh.

If all they wanted was big numbers by half-assing their fraction reduction, they could have simply said their display has a 3840:2560 aspect ratio, not even bothering to drop the trailing 0 for a quick divide by 10!
1

hate machine , January 10, 2013 2:48 AM

Oh I am sure my physicians, techs and nurses in our Radiology department would love to have some of these.
0

sublime2k , January 10, 2013 2:59 AM

threefishThis is really getting ridiculous. REDUCE YOUR FRACTIONS! It is a 3:2 aspect ratio.

15:10 is easier to compare to 16:10 or 16:9 than 3:2.
3

A Bad Day , January 10, 2013 3:42 AM

hannibalYou have big pockets for a phone this big ;-)It is interesting to see that tablets leaves tabletop PC to the dust in screen resolution... O tempora, o mores...

Yeah, laptop resolutions have not increased as fast as tablets. 768p res is still the standard for many mid-range laptops...
2

dozerman , January 10, 2013 4:27 AM

4K really seems to be a big thing this year...
0

soldier2013 , January 10, 2013 4:36 AM

davewolfgangMake it in a 27" - with that high rez......drooooooooooooool!!!!!

Why not a 30 inch like my current desktop display at 2560 x 1600, your limiting yourself.
2

calmstateofmind , January 10, 2013 5:06 AM

Well I'm glad it has a USB port...

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