Microsoft tries to gain traction for Windows, OS will be free for mobile devices

Microsoft wants to make sure its Windows operating system gets out there more. According to Engadget, the company has announced that hardware makers will gain free access to Windows if they plan to use it on smartphones, tablets with screens under nine inches, and on Internet of Things gadgets. Let’s see how this strategy pans out for them.

Samsung Canada officially launches Galaxy Pro series of tablets

Samsung Canada announced the Canadian availability of the Galaxy PRO Series of tablets reimagined for the business and enterprise space. Rolling out to retail shelves at the end of February through to the end of March, Samsung says the PRO Series offers a superior viewing experience and unmatched productivity tools.

The GALAXY PRO Series includes the GALAXY NotePRO which comes with a 12.2-inch screen as well as the SPen wielding GALAXY TabPRO which come with a 12.2-inch, 10.1-inch or 8.4-inch screen. 

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First look at Samsung's TabPro and NotePro slates from CES 2014

It's no secret that Samsung is shooting for a big enterprise and BYOD play, it's KNOX security solution has been a huge part of recent model releases and now it has a bevy of 'Pro' focused tablets and notes that have a higher-spec than the consumer versions.

The TabPro models appear in 12.2-inch, 10.1-inch, and 8.4-inch sizes and are expected to come in both WiFi and LTE enabled versions. TouchWiz on these devices is running the new Magazine UX, which at first glance looks a lot like Windows 8. The NotePro slate comes in a 12.2-inch version and seems to be a variant of the TabPro. Is a business oriented Android tablet something that will excite the knowledge workers? That remains to be seen, but Samsung seems confident these are the tools pro users will want.

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Photos by Alex Davies - Shot with a Sony CyberShot RX10 courtesy of Sony Canada

Acer targeting 7-inch and 8-inch tablet space with new Iconia models

The hottest space in tablets is the 8-inch and under form factor right now and we're going to see a lot of new models. take for example Acer's new Iconia A-1 and B-1 models which challenge exisiting tablets in the 7-inch and the 7.8-inch category right now. Sporting Intel Atom processors (another trend we're expecting to see continue past CES), 1GB or RAM and a price tag of $180, the 7.9-inch Iconia A1 should be good for 7 hours of battery life. The cheaper B1 has the 7-inch screen, runs Android on a 1.3GHz dual-core processor and will cost around $130.

Source: Engadget