CNET reports that Gigabyte is gearing up to launch a Windows 8 slate and a convertible Ultrabook sometime after Windows 8 launches. The slate will arrive with an optional docking station that adds a DVD drive, two speakers and a subwoofer, turning the gadget into a miniature movie theater. There's also an optional keyboard kit to turn it into a notebook as well.
According to the specs, which can be accessed here, the S1082 slate will feature a 10.1-inch capacitive multi-touch LED-backlit screen with a 1366 x 768 resolution. Also packed into this flattened PC will be an Intel Celeron dual-core 847 processor clocked at 1.1 GHz, up to 8 GB of DDR3 RAM, Intel HD graphics, and up to 500 GB of HDD space, or up to 256 GB of SSD space.
On the connectivity side, this device will provide two USB 2.0 ports, one HDMI port, Gigabit Ethernet, an SD card reader, a docking station/extended battery port, and audio jacks. On the wireless side, it will offer 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v4.0 + LE, and an optional WWAN 3.5G. The gadget will even sport a 1.3MP camera, two 1.5 watt speakers, a microphone, and a Li-polymer battery (7.4v, 29.6Wh). There's also an optional Li-ion 2-cell extended battery (2700mAh, 20.25Wh).
"The S1082 is equipped with an optical finger navigation button as well as left/right mouse buttons," reads the product page. "This excellent design gives users the ability to operate the S1082 like they would with any non-slate computer. Now opening applications and making precise edits to documents is simply a breeze. The optical navigation button can also be used for clicking, dragging and page scrolling, just like a real mouse. The buttons can even be used to bring out the task manager by pressing them together at the same time."
Pricing for this new slate is expected to be between $599 and $799, depending on the configuration. An actual release date was not provided.
In addition to the S1082 slate, CNET said Gigabyte will also release a Windows 8 convertible Ultrabook, the U2142. As of this writing, the device hasn't appeared on Gigabyte's website, but it will reportedly feature an 11.6-inch multitouch display (1366 x 768 pixels) for easy wandering through Windows 8's blocky interface, and both a 256 GB SSD and a 1 TB HDD.
Hanif Wang, Senior Specialist in the Channel Marketing Section at Gigabyte, told the site that the U2142 is targeting "road warriors" who need lots of space and connectivity options while on the road. Under the hood it will sport a 3rd-generation Core i3 or i5 ULV processor, up to 16 GB of RAM, and connectivity options like USB 3.0, HDMI output, Bluetooth v4.0, 3.5G and more.
Like the slate, this convertible Ultrabook is expected to arrive on the market soon after Windows 8 hits the streets this Friday. Pricing will start at $999, barely sliding in under Intel's required Ultrabook pricing spec.
