CES 2011 NVIDIA's Tegra Coming Out Party

By Ben Bajarin/Updated: Jan. 7, 2011 3:02 pm EST

There has been a lot of hype and speculation about NVIDIA's Tegra 2 dual core processor. Many of us in the industry have been waiting to see it in action for some time and at this-years CES our wishes have come true.Nearly every major press conference I attended included the release of a super phone or tablet running NVIDIA's dual core ARM processor named Tegra 2. The total count so far is five Tegra 2 devices and the show just started.

All the vendors launching devices with Tegra 2 remarked at how fast and powerful the products were. Referencing the Atrix 4G Motorola called it the world's most powerful smartphone. The demo of the Atrix powering a secondary display and being used to power a desktop and notebook shell all demonstrated how powerful the processor is and showcased what it could do.

NVIDIA will also be launching an application that will be on Tegra 2 super phones called the "Tegra Zone" which will contain applications specifically created for Tegra 2 super phones. The Tegra Zone will launch with games first which are incredibly graphically rich and take advantage of NVIDIA's graphics expertise but will also include other apps for other media as well this year.

We are at a very interesting time for personal computers. These new class of mobile devices certainly have the processing power to do nearly all the tasks every day consumers regularly do. The emphasis and interest level of those who make computers and those who buy them are quickly moving from PC's to things like super phones and tablets.

I'm not saying PC's will go away, I do think PC sales stay consistent. It's simply that the computing habits of consumers are shifting. As the every day devices we use become more intelligent and powerful personal computing transitions to become a personal computing ecosystem.

These new devices are landmarks for the end of the PC era or perhaps the beginning of a new era of computing. What do you think this new class of dual core super phones and tablets means for the industry?