Intel unveils all-in-one desktop that doubles as a 27-inch tablet

13.09.2012
Intel used its in San Francisco to unveil a desktop computer prototype that has a display that can double as a 27-inch tablet with a four-hour battery life.

Slate producers like Samsung, with its , and Apple, with its , are down-sizing the tablet's classic 10-inch form factor. But Intel must think that there's room to push the form at the other end of things.

Called the Adaptive All-In-One, the 2.5-inch thick unit has 1080p HD resolution and has the guts of a personal computer, including optical drive, input/output ports and high-performance graphics processor. On the desktop, it plugs into a dock that charges its battery and connects it to peripherals such as a keyboard and mouse. Its touchscreen can be used both on and off the dock.

The display panel weighs 14 pounds. That may have been portable in the days of the , but it's not very portable by today's standards. Intel recognizes that deficiency and is working with screen and battery manufacturers to slim down the units, Ernesto Martinez, a client innovation engineer at Intel who helped develop the prototype, .

All-In-One computers aren't anything new, and in recent times they've been gaining popularity. Apple has been flogging the form for years with its iMac line and just this week HP introduced a slick new addition to the category, the .

Some tablet makers have also dipped their toes in the detachable screen waters. For example, line has a dock that transforms the slates into a mini-laptop.