by Brooke Crothers
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LAS VEGAS--2010 indeed many the year of the tablet. Intel Senior Vice
President Sean Maloney said his company's customers are working
diligently on tablet designs.
And Intel should know. It supplies the core silicon to virtually every
PC maker in the world. "We have lots and lots of tablet designs going
down with our customers," said Maloney in an interview Thursday at the
Consumer Electronics Show.
Intel Senior VP Sean Maloney speaking at CES Thursday
Intel Senior VP Sean Maloney speaks at CES Thursday.
(Credit: Brooke Crothers)
Maloney favors the larger size tablets. "It seems likely to me that
you have a large screen. And you want a pure Internet experience," he
said about potential tablet designs. "The larger the screen, the more
likely you are to want to connect peripherals lying around your home,"
Maloney said.
Maloney would not give any specifics about shipment dates, but some
tablets could be expected to appear later this year. And he wouldn't
predict if the tablet would be a hit. "The closer you get to the
consumer design, the more fickle and unpredictable it is. Some
companies like Apple have a track record of getting it right. I think
prudently you wait to see what happens," he said.
He also addressed the ultrathin laptop, which vies with the Netbook
for customers at retailers. "It took longer for (ultrathins) to take
off than we thought. We thought it was going to be a Netbook-style
ramp. But that didn't happen. But then September, October, November,
things definitely picked up. There was was substantial increase in
volume in the fourth quarter over the third quarter. I think they are
firmly ensconced as a type (of laptop)."