Microsoft used its keynote presentation at the Computex tech show in Taiwan to show off some previously unseen new hardware from its partners, all of which use the company’s forthcoming new operating system, Windows 10. Microsoft VP Tony Prophet reiterated the firm wants a billion devices running Windows 10 in the next two or three years, while fellow VP Nick Parker said everything on display represented prime examples of how Microsoft’s partners were “pushing the envelope of innovation” with the new OS.
What was revealed? A selection of Windows 10 PCs, laptops, and tablets, from manufacturers including Asus, Acer, and HP. Dell was also part of the showcase, catching attention with its new XPS 15 — shown for the very first time here — complete with a larger borderless display than the one seen on the XPS 13.
Asus’ new Transformer Book T100HA was demonstrated, along with the Zen AiO Z240, which boasts a quad-core Intel Core i7, a Nvidia GTX 960M graphics card, and a 3D camera system. Asus says it’ll be a great gaming system. Acer also brought along an all-in-one system called the Aspire Z3-710, the chassis of which measures a slim 1.4-inches.
HP also had two new devices on stage, starting with an unnamed tablet that will feature an as yet unknown, but apparently “revolutionary” note-taking feature. It was joined by the X2, a clever 2-in-1 laptop/tablet hybrid designed for Windows 10, and equipped with a magnetic hinge for fast conversion between the two states. HP calls it a tablet-first machine.
Finally, Toshiba showed a Windows 10 PC with support for Windows Hello using a biometric scanner and a camera that supports facial recognition. It’s matched to an Ultra HD 4K screen, and also uses the Cortana virtual assistant to full effect. Foxconn and Quanta both had plug-in PCs to turn televisions into computers, which also use the Windows Hello system and Cortana.
Sadly, no other details on the new hardware has been made available yet, and neither has any release date news; but with Windows 10’s official release fast approaching — July 29, to be exact — we shouldn’t have to wait long for further information.
