Vizio Launches First AMD Windows 8 Tablet with Full HD Screen

Vizio's first Windows 8 tablet is also the first for consumers with an AMD processor under the hood, hoping to give ARM- and Intel-powered slates a run for their money. Announced here at CES 2013 and shipping this spring, the Vizio 11.6" Tablet PC sports a full 1080p display and an AMD Z-60 CPU with discrete-level Radeon HD graphics. That means you should be able to play demanding games as well as create content at "full throttle." And because this is an X86-based chip, the tablet will run traditional desktop apps as well as newer Windows Store apps.

The 11.6" Tablet PC is a bit on the heavy side at 1.7 pounds, but it cuts a fairly slim 0.4-inch profile and includes both a microUSB and microHDMI port. Other highlights include a front-facing 2-MP camera for HD video chats and stereo speakers with SRS sound. A 64GB SSD, 2GB of RAM and dual-band Wi-Fi round out the specs. Like Vizio's notebooks, the tablet comes with the Microsoft Signature experience, which means you won't have to deal with crapware.

Vizio wouldn't get specific about battery life but told us that this slate should be able to last through at least one full HD movie. The company is investigating keyboard dock options - and by opting for an 11.6-inch design Vizio can avoid netbook-ish layouts. Stay tuned for our hands-on impressions.

Mark Spoonauer
Editor-in-Chief
Responsible for the editorial vision for Laptopmag.com, Mark Spoonauer has been Editor in Chief of LAPTOP since 2003 and has covered technology for nearly 15 years. Mark speaks at key tech industry events and makes regular media appearances on CNBC, Fox and CNN. Mark was previously reviews editor at Mobile Computing, and his work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc.