Can’t decide if you want a tablet that runs Android or Windows? Asus has you covered. An unannounced series of tablets passed through the FCC this week, and it looks like there are Windows-only, Android-only, and Dual OS versions.

These wouldn’t be the first tablets to dual-boot the operating system. But now that Intel’s latest Atom chips offer ARM-like battery life plus the ability to run full Windows desktop apps, these could be interesting machines to watch.

Asus M80T

Details at the FCC are scarce — so it’s also  possible that these tablets are ARM-based devices that run Windows RT rather than the full Windows 8.1 operating system. My guess is that’s not the case though — no company has released a dual-booting tablet with Windows RT yet, and it’s not clear if Microsoft would license the operating system for that type of device.

Here’s what we do know: the tablet will support 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 and will come in at least three versions. The Asus M80T runs Windows, the Asus M81T runs Android, and the Asus M82T is a dual-boot model.

There are also models labeled L80T, L81T, L82T, R80T, R81T, and R82T. It’s not clear if these models will have more storage, different processors, or other changes. I suppose they could also be models with cellular capabilities, which means they’d most likely eventually show up in separate FCC documents.

via Engadget

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7 replies on “Upcoming Asus tablet to run Android, Windows, or both”

  1. I wish they put at least 4GB RAM inside. And for God sake, I really don’t want to wait 3-6 months (like with Nexus7FHD) from announcement to actual release (in EU). If they (ASUS) announce them on CES 2014, then better make these tablets available in late January – February, not in August-September, as these guys usually do! Preferably, with 3G/FHD, if possible 🙂

  2. I wan’t Asus to make a version of the T100 with better build quality and a higher resolution display. I would through down some serious cash for this.

  3. Would buy this: Boots Windows 8.1, Android runs on top of that either in a window or full screen; instantly switch back and forth; access to the same data at the same time; full access to Google Play. I think Asus demo’d this a few months back.

    Would not buy: Dual boot (shut down Windows and reboot into Android); any Android device without all Google apps and Play store.

    Basically it would be cool to have full Windows 8.1 desktop, with Android available for tablet use instead of Metro to take advantage of all my Android apps. Yes Metro is getting some better apps these days but still nowhere near the variety and depth of Android.

    However you are adding a fair bit of complexity anytime you have to support two full OS’s and their app ecosystems. Dual booting is a real pain. And that other 3-in-1 thing with two cpus running Windows and Android on completely different hardware sets . . . oy, just too much. Just get two separate computers.

    1. I agree wholeheartedly. I’ve never found a use for dual-booting devices. Plus, such a device would require much more storage than a single boot device. The added storage would increase the product’s cost, hence its price, weight, cooling, battery requirements, etc. The same way a multi-function printer is more substantial than a single function one.

      The good news is that so far, the HP 7 Atom-based Android tablet sold by Walmart, appears to run all Google Play Android apps. This means that old PCs, that are too slow to run Windows 8.1, can be repurposed to run Android. This may let future Andoid apps that will require more horsepower (such as 64 bit apps) to scale up using obsolete (or even current and future) Intel-based PCs. (This latter possibility has got to worry Microsoft even as it gives hardware makers hope in reversing PC shipments’ decline.) Hopefully this will force Microsoft to rework its licensing deals with hardware makers so they don’t have to pay a royalty based on all their production (including exclusively Android products), only on products with Windows loaded onto them.

      1. Intel has versions of the ATOM SoC specifically for running Android, Bay Trail just needed to be re-optimized and drivers developed for it that didn’t carry over from the previous Clover Trail and thus the Android releases are about two months behind the W8 releases…

        But Bay Trail should also make it easier to run both OS once they get all the software changes sorted…

        Mind, dual booting isn’t as bad as it use to be… There’s FW now that lets you switch between two or more OS in a mere under 4 seconds and immediately continue what you were doing on the other OS…

        Basically, one OS is just suspended instead of shut down and you can go back and forth as you wish without rebooting…

        The issue with drive storage space is still there but it’s otherwise much less a hassle now…

        1. Commercial success of the Android optimized versions of Intel’s Atom would give Intel tremendous financial incentive to incorporate Android compatibility in its higher end CPUs.

          Android already runs on some Core-based laptops.

          While I don’t expect Intel to fund Android ports on old CPUs, ports to new Core i CPUs are a no-brainer.
          Intel’s development work will also help out AMD.

          PC shipments are declining (10% this year, and the trend appears irreversible). I’m sure Intel would love to make up the decline by having Andoid-based “PCs”.

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