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AMD shows off 11-inch Compal Windows 8 hybrid tablet (update: video)

AMD shows off 11-inch Compal Windows 8 hybrid tablet (update: video)

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Hands-on impressions of the 11-inch Compal Windows 8 hybrid tablet shown off by AMD at Computex.

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Gallery Photo: Compal AMD Windows 8 hybrid tablet hands-on photos
Gallery Photo: Compal AMD Windows 8 hybrid tablet hands-on photos

We've seen Intel's vision for Windows 8 already, but don't count out AMD. The company is showing off a Windows 8 tablet from Compal here at Computex Taipei, and it's in the hot form factor of the moment — the detachable keyboard dock. We spent some time with the 11.6-inch device, and while it's not the most attractive or thinnest (at "under 20mm") Windows 8 machine we've seen this week we didn't have any complaints about the unspecified AMD chip's performance. AMD also says that the tablet will have upgraded performance and thermal capability when in docked mode.

Update: We've now learned that the Compal prototype is running a 17W AMD Trinity BGA APU.

It's no secret that AMD has been moving toward the ultrathin notebook market, as evidenced by its recently-announced Trinity APUs, and the Compal prototype gives an early glimpse of what these thin systems will look like. On the outside, perhaps the most unusual feature of the tablet is a kickstand that should provide a more comfortable typing position for when you don't have the dock on your person. Elsewhere the incredibly glossy screen proved unfortunately prone to picking up fingerprints (as you'll notice in the photos, and that was after we cleaned it with a microfiber cloth), and the hinge is a little bulkier than we'd prefer, but overall AMD seems keen to show it can keep up with the Intel-powered machines that have dominated Computex so far.

Compal AMD Windows 8 hybrid tablet hands-on photos

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