This year’s Computex is expected to provide visitors the earliest opportunities in the world to put their hands on a variety of Windows 8 devices, an executive of the show’s co-organizer said yesterday.
“As Windows 8 works across a number of different platforms, visitors can expect to see a variety of Windows 8 devices at the upcoming Computex,” Taipei Computer Association (TCA, 台北市電腦公會) deputy secretary-general Chang Li (張笠) said on the sideline of a product award ceremony. “Visitors can also expect to see devices running the operating system’s preview version, such as tablets for medical, military and security purposes.”
Taiwanese information technology companies are good at making tablet and notebook PCs and that is where they have focused in developing Windows 8 devices, Chang said.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
More than 10 brand vendors and original design manufacturers across platforms will debut their first Windows 8 devices at this year’s Computex, which is set to be held at the Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Halls 1 to 3 and the Taipei International Convention Center in Xinyi District (信義) as well as Nangang Exhibition Hall, from Tuesday through Saturday next week.
Asustek Computer Inc (華碩) plans to unveil a number of 10.1-inch tablet PCs running on the touch-enabled Windows 8 operating system at Computex, with a 1366x768 resolution, which is lower than what Asustek’s current premium lines use. This is because Microsoft has asked manufacturers to follow certain specifications when producing the first wave of Windows 8 tablets, according to the company.
Unlike in the past few years, British investment bank Barclays PLC expects this year’s expo to generate more excitement, as in 2007 when netbooks were first introduced.
“We will, for the first time, be able to see actual working PCs running on Windows 8 [preview version], in addition to various models of Ultrabooks running Intel Corp’s Ivy Bridge CPU,” Kirk Yang (楊應超), an analyst at Barclays in Hong Kong, wrote in a note.
TCA, the co-organizer of the annual trade show, yesterday hosted a pre-show conference that showcased winning products of the 11th Best Choice Award BC Award.
There were 425 product entries for this year’s BC Awards selection and 37 of them were recognized as winning products, with nine crowned the Golden Award. TCA said this year’s winning products feature thin-light, portable and mobile computing qualities.
The nine Golden Award winners include AAEON Technology’s (研揚科技) IP65 Rugged Tablet Computer, Asustek’s Transformer Pad TF700 series and PadFone, and Elan Microelectronics Corp’s (義隆電子) Smart-Touchscreen.
Asustek’s Transformer Pad TF700KL is the company’s second tablet computer supporting 4G wireless broadband communication. The tablet will hit stores in the US and Europe next month.
NEW MARKET: The partnership opens up India to the Dutch company, which already has a strong hold in the semiconductor market of South Korea, Taiwan and China ASML Holding NV entered into a partnership agreement with Tata Electronics Pvt Ltd aimed at ramping up India’s goal to develop domestic chip-manufacturing capabilities. The Dutch company’s technology would help power Tata Electronics’ planned 300 millimeter (mm) semiconductor foundry in Gujarat, according to a joint statement from the two companies on Saturday. The signing of a memorandum of understanding coincides with a visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Netherlands, which is looking to deepen bilateral relations with New Delhi. ASML, whose top customers include Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) and Samsung Electronics Co, makes lithography machines that can print
PORTFOLIO REBALANCING: The adjustments in three global equity indices reflect rising investor appetite for semiconductor and artificial intelligence-related stocks Taiwan’s weighting in major global equity indices compiled by MSCI Inc is to rise modestly following the latest quarterly review, underscoring the market’s expanding role in emerging-market portfolios, as global investors continue to favor the nation’s technology sector. Taiwan’s weighting in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index is to increase by 0.30 percentage points to 23.76 percent, after the changes take effect at the close of the May 29 session. Its weighting in the MSCI All-Country Asia ex-Japan Index is to rise 0.37 percentage points to 27.16 percent, while that in the MSCI All Country World Index is to edge up slightly to
The Hsinchu County Government’s Labor Affairs Department yesterday said that it has received a plan from cosmetics brand Taiwan Shiseido Co (台灣資生堂) detailing mass layoffs at its plant in Hukou Township (湖口). While the labor authorities did not disclose the number of employees to be laid off, Japanese news media earlier in the day reported that the closure of the company’s factory in Hukou would result in 170 employees losing their jobs. Shiseido followed the law by reporting its layoff plan, the department said, adding that authorities would closely monitor negotiations between the management and affected employees and step in if any
ROUGH RECORDS: Bonds in Japan, as well is in New Zealand, Australia and the US, are seeing the effects of a nervy market as stock exchanges across Asia edge down A deepening slump in Japanese government bonds added fuel to the selloff in global debt markets as rising oil prices stoked inflation fears and pushed yields to multi-decade highs. Japan’s 30-year yield yesterday surged as much as 20 basis points to the highest level since the tenor’s debut in 1999, before paring some of the move. Shorter-maturity Japanese debt was also under pressure, underscored by weak demand at a sale of five-year notes that offered a record-high coupon of 2 percent. Concerns over inflation and government spending rippling through markets including the US, Australia and New Zealand are being amplified in Japan,
RSS