Atom

Some things are too good to be true or, at the very least, too good to last. Microsoft has committed to continually update Windows 10 and offer those updates for free as part of its “Windows as a Service” paradigm but everyone knows by now it’s a less than perfect strategy. Now reality is hitting some Windows PC owners even harder as they discover their 2 to 3 year old digital partners, many of them 2-in-1 tablets, locked out of the latest Windows 10 Creators Update. All because they have been deemed incompatible, despite having just received the Anniversary Update last year.

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Rumors of Intel Atom's death have been greatly exaggerated. And Intel has only itself to blame for that. Now it seems that the company is clarifying, or further muddling, its plans for its low-power processor line. Intel is, indeed, axing the Atom but that is true only as far as mobile devices, laptops, and even wearables go. It still has Atoms planned, newer ones based on its Apollo Lake architecture. Those, however, will be heading towards smart cars and smart appliances as Intel tries to make a grab for the IoT market instead.

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When Intel suddenly revealed that it was discontinuing the Atom line of processors, the Internet was ablaze with questions about the future of devices. As underpowered and disappointing as the chips might be compared to the ARM processors they are competing against, Atoms do power a good number of current devices as well as some that are still in development. Apparently, one of those is Microsoft's HoloLens. Windows Central took a peek inside the mixed reality headset to find an Intel Atom x5, which raises the question of the device's future iterations.

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Has Intel finally thrown in the towel in the smartphone market? It seem so. As part of the company's comprehensive reforms, which also saw 11% of its worforce get pink slips, Intel has revealed the immediate cancellation of two of its current and still coming products: the SoFIA platform and the next gen Broxton chips. While those names might not ring too many bells, these basically means that Intel has effectively killed off the future of its Atom processors, putting into question the very future of its smartphone and, more importantly, low-cost tablet dreams.

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In same areas, the PC landscape hasn't changed one bit. But in a relatively smaller corner, a new breed of computing devices are growing in number. Sometimes called 2-in-1 laptops, tablet/laptop hybrids, convertibles, and even detachables, this sub-category is being poised by some analysts to help mitigate the decline of the PC market. And Intel naturally wants its processors to power that next wave. At its annual IDF, it announced Apollo Lake, the platform for its next gen Atom processors that it envisions will make such devices more powerful while also bringing down not just costs but also sizes.

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Intel's "Cherry Trail" line of Atom X5 and X7 processing chips is featured in Microsoft's newest tablet, the Surface 3. Cherry Trail chips are the next generation of processors for mobile devices and tablets. These chips surpass their predecessor "Bay Trail" chips when it comes to graphics. In fact, users can expect twice the graphics performance from the Atom X5 and X5. This will be great for gamers who are looking for a chip to keep up with their high frame rates during gameplay.

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You have to hand it to Intel. It just doesn't let go of a dream. Despite not being able to make a big enough dent in the smartphone market, it is still soldiering on, revising its strategy again and again. While many of us thought (or hoped) that the chip maker would just focus on wearables, it's taking another stab at smartphones, phablets, and tablets. This time with a new line of mobile chips under the names of the Atom x3, Atom x5, and Atom x7.

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Lenovo might be more known for its notebooks, but its smartphones, especially its VIBE line, is definitely catching up in fame. Here at CES 2015, the manufacturer is showing off a new kind of smartphone, the P90. This 5.5 incher boasts of the best that Intel has to offer in the market space, being the first to bear the chip maker's newest 64-bit smartphone processor as well as its new LTE-A compatible modem, giving buyers the power and speed that consumers expect in this smartphone day and age.

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Zotac is on a roll with its Windows-powered "pico" desktop computers. Popular for delivering small computers, some of which run Linux or are powered by ARM processors, Zotac has lately been delving into tiny boxes that run Windows 8.1 right out of the box, pardon the pun. Last month saw the rise of the BI320, its first Windows 8.1 mini box. Now we have the ZBOX PI320, with an even more powerful processor and a price tag that matches its extremely portable body.

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ASUS has revamped its MeMO Pad 7 Android tablet, bringing the 7-inch Android 4.4 slate down to 8.3mm thick and throwing Intel's Atom Z3560 processor inside. Revealed at IFA 2014 today, the MeMO Pad 7 has a 1920 x 1200 Full HD IPS display which ASUS is pushing for video consumption, along with Bluetooth aptX for higher-quality audio while you try not to disturb everyone else on the plane.

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DIY types that like to build up various small PCs or other projects using cheap and compact hardware have several options on the market today. One of those options is the Raspberry Pi. Those looking for something with more power than the Raspberry Pi can now get their hands on a product called the MinnowBoard Max.

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Intel has pulled the wraps off a new Atom processor that is aimed directly at Android smartphones and tablets. The product is the Intel Atom Z3480 code-named Merrifield that promises performance and battery life for Android devices. The SoC is a 64-bit ready chip that promises both best in class battery life and performance.

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