The chip giant is getting more and more serious on the tablet front. After being swept aside by the ARM architecture on both smartphones and tablets, Intel is responding with some impressive discounts to cover some lost ground.
Things were altogether different in the processor landscape a few years back.
The x86 architecture enjoyed clear domination on both the PC and server markets, while ARM took care of the mobile segment. But the rise of smartphones gave way to the tablet, and finally a link was established between both platforms.
Both the x86 and ARM architecture staked their claims into each other’s territory. ARM has PC and computing ambitions, while Intel wants to break into the tablets realm. Neither platforms have found much success, but several advances have been made in this regard.
Now Intel seems poised to make its Atom CPUs more appealing to mobile gadget makers.
That is one of the reasons why Intel has announced its plans to further reduce the prices of Atom CPUs. The low power requirements and low cost of ARM chips is too strong a combination for Intel to ignore, particularly on the low-end of the market.
Atom, obviously, comes with the distinct advantage of running standard Windows software programs, something that Android tablets cannot claim.
But while the CPU maker has opened its doors for Intel tablets running Android, its main focus still remains the Windows operating system, particularly the upcoming Windows 8.1 (or Windows Blue) upgrade, set to see daylight before the year is out.
The tablet wars are set to get real interesting in the months to follow.
