IDG News Service - A new tablet from Vizio will come with Intel's upcoming Atom chip, code-named Medfield, and will run Google's Android operating system, a source with knowledge of the product plans said.
The M-Series tablet with a 10-in. screen was announced by Vizio at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), and the device will be "coming soon," according to Vizio's website. The tablet is being shown at the trade show in Las Vegas this week.
Vizio has not shared further details on the tablet, saying it is "powerful" and has Wi-Fi. The tablet provides "a world of entertainment right at your fingertips," according to the company's website.
The Vizio tablet could be the launching pad for Intel's Medfield chip, which is not yet available in devices. The Medfield chip has been designed for smartphones and tablets, and Intel later this week is also expected to announce its first smartphone customers for the chip.
Vizio already offers an 8-inch tablet based on an ARM processor, the type used in most smartphones and tablets today. Device makers usually stick to one chip architecture for software compatibility. Intel has already shown a Medfield tablet running on Android 3.x, code-named Honeycomb, and has said that it has ported Android 4.0 to work with Intel chips.
Intel also offers the Atom chip code-named Oak Trail, which is used mostly in business tablets such as HP's Slate 2. The chip maker is showing a tablet based on its upcoming Atom chip code-named Clover Trail at CES.
Vizio is known mostly for its TVs and last week said it was venturing into the PC business as it tries to expand into new markets. Vizio hopes to add tablets to its line of products and, through its software ecosystem, provide a common entertainment experience across multiple screens and devices.
At CES, Vizio also will show new laptops that will work on Microsoft's Windows 8.
Vizio did not immediately return requests for comment.
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