Intel and Google have set the stage for a shake up in the Android Honeycomb tablet scene. A report from PCWorld confirms Intel is working with Google to bring low-powered Atom chips, code-named Oak Trail, to the world of Honeycomb. With Intel’s Atom chips powering the Google TV and Cr-48 laptops, tablets are the next logical progression.
ARM processors dominate the tablet and smartphone markets, featured in everything from the Galaxy Tab to the iPad. Oak Trail will have its sights set on capturing this market share, beginning first with tablets. It’s clear that Andy Rubin, Google’s vice president of engineering, does not believe “one size fits all”, and plans support Android development across many devices platforms and architectures. With a strong history working alongside Google and Andy Rubin on its side, Intel looks poised for success.
Honeycomb will not be the only OS sporting Oak Trail. Approximately 35 tablets featuring the processor will become available this May from companies like Lenovo, Fujitsu and Samsung. Windows 7 and Meego will likely beat Honeycomb to the punch as the first to use the chip. There will be multiple screen sizes and configurations for Oak Trail tablets, one in particular is the single-core Atom Z670. This 1.5 GHz chip features Imagination’s PowerVR SGX535 graphics core, also used in the original Apple iPad.
This week Intel is expected to showcase Oak Trail tablets at the Intel Developer Forum show in Beijing. The real question is whether the chips can compete in processing power and battery life when compared to nVidia’s Tegra2 and Samsung’s dual-core silicon.
via PCWorld
