Intel and Samsung have come up with a novel PC design: a “slidable” gadget with a screen that can be pulled out to a considerably greater size.
The sliding PC resembled a tablet in design, as it lacked a traditional keyboard. However, it was more like a laptop in size, with a screen diagonal of between 13 and 17 inches. The gadget was demonstrated on Tuesday at Intel Innovation, the same conference where Intel’s new 13th Generation Core CPUs were unveiled, by Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger and J.S. Choi, head of Samsung’s display division.
Gelsinger argued that a sliding PC device may meet the demand for both a big display and mobility. It’s a proof of concept for the capabilities of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display technology implemented on a plastic substrate.
It’s unclear if or when the concept of a sliding personal computer will become a marketable good. But the design highlights how the PC industry continues to test out new technology to stretch beyond classic clamshell laptops with a keyboard and screen joined by a hinge.
The ThinkPad X1 Fold is only one example of a laptop with a foldable screen; other examples include devices with displays that bend all the way back to the device and may be converted into a tablet.
Problems with complexity and dependability are compounded by the presence of moving elements and flexible parts. The rising price is another worry in a time when the PC market is contracting. Michelle Johnston Holthaus, president of Intel’s PC chip group, stated at the conference that luxury PCs are doing better than affordable PCs but that unique designs may find a niche.
Samsung showed off a sliding phone screen and other innovative features earlier this year.
Though Holthaus acknowledged that the prototype slidable PC lacked a keyboard, he stated that such a feature may be introduced in the future by, for instance, folding out from below.
Welcome, Raptor Lake processors
New Raptor Lake processors, which will be available to the public on October 20th, were also displayed by Gelsinger during the occasion. The processors quadruple the number of cores available for efficiently conducting low-priority processes while speeding up the cores allocated to high-priority workloads.
These new processors are capable of speeds up to 5.8GHz, albeit at the cost of increased power consumption in desktop computers. In 2023, we may anticipate an uptick: As Gelsinger put it, “early next year we’ll offer a [model] that for the first time ever achieves 6 gigahertz out of the box,” albeit Intel will ship it in restricted quantities.
Crucial to Intel’s long-term success are its PC chips, but the company confronts intense rivalry in this space. AMD’s Ryzen 7000 range promises a big speed jump, and the company has made major inroads against Intel, especially in the high-end gaming PC market.
When Apple decided to use its own M1 and M2 CPUs in its Mac laptops and desktops, it became another competitor for Intel.
“They pose a serious threat, and they have a solid offering. We intend to create a replacement that performs as well as the original, “To quote Holthaus: You may expect future generations to have devices that can keep up with Apple in terms of performance per watt, and we have already said as much.