The launch of Lenovo’s IdeaCenter Horizon PC certainly piqued our curiosity since it seemed to combine the characteristics of a tablet with a standard all-in-one PC to provide an experience that was reminiscent of the 2007 demo of Microsoft’s Surface Table PC.
According to a report from DigiTimes, Intel clearly sees promise in this kind of computer and has begun promoting a standard for an “adaptive all-in-one PC” that it hopes will triple the sales of AIO PCs in 2008 by the end of 2013.
Intel’s Adaptive AIO computers share “a similar industrial design as standard all-in-one PCs, but have an internal battery, letting users carry them around. The devices also feature high-end specifications and a large-size touch panel to allow interactions between multiple users for gaming or art.” More specifically, the company suggests the following base specifications:
- A screen size of between 18.4” to 27” with PMMA touch panels
- Industrial design that allows it to lay completely flat
- Based on Thin Mini-ITX form factor motherboards
- Use of magnesium-aluminum alloy for the chassis
- Use of high-density lithium-polymer batteries
In addition to the Lenovo Ideacenter Horizon, the Dell XPS 18 and Sony Tap 20 would all seem to meet Intel’s specifications and could consequently be classified as adaptive AIOs. Taking into account the subsidies and supply guarantees Intel has provided to support Ultrabook manufacturers, we fully expect the company to unveil a similar program for Adaptive AIOs and to see far more OEMs developing Adaptive AIO PCs.
