14 DAY TRIAL // Some time ago, Intel delivered its first Oak Trail Atom central processing unit, and it looks like that chip is precisely what NEC intends to use in its construction of a certain tablet PC.
The tablet market will definitely keep growing now that the iPad 2 is in full swing and Android-loaded or Windows models have been showing up as well.
Granted, those few non-iPad models that have come to market seem to be suffering from a rather severe case of unavailability.
The ASUS Eee Pad Transformer is just one example, apparently plagued by component shortages, although the company says high demand is the real cause.
NEC has now revealed that it wants to also provide a slate, although it won't go for an ARM-based platform, like Tegra.
Instead, the outfit will construct a mobile device powered by the Intel Atom Z670 central processing unit, presented back in April.
For those that want a reminder or quick update, the processor is the first Oak Trail chip to arrive and has a frequency of 1.5 GHz.
The tablet is dubbed VersaPro VK15V/TM-C and is set to feature capabilities fairly similar to those of today's netbooks, save, perhaps, for the fact that a solid state drive is used instead of a HDD.
Speaking of SSD storage, the capacity available in this case if 64 GB, while a memory card slot allows one to add even more.
Additionally, the CPU will be backed up by 2 GB of RAM (random access memory) and its built-in graphics will have a 10.1-inch display to work with.
Said panel has a native resolution of 1,280 x 800 pixel resolution, meaning that the Full HD capabilities of the Atom platform won't be fully exploited. Fortunately, an HDMI port will let one stream to an auxiliary monitor or HDTV.
Armed with Bluetooth and WiFi, the NEC VersaPro tablet will be made available this summer in Japan, although the price is still a mystery.