Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) is set to enter the tablet market next month with its Atom-based Oak Trail platform. The new Atom Z670 processor is clocked at 1.5 GHz and will offer a single core that runs two threads courtesy of Intel's Hyper-Threading technology. Together, with a supporting chipset known as Whitney Point, Oak Trail was designed to support tablet devices running on Windows 7, Intel's MeeGo, and Android based operating systems. As highlighted by ZDNet however, it does not appear that Oak Trail will support Android 3.0 Honeycomb at the moment.

Intel has said in the past that the Oak Trail platform will offer full 1080p HD video support and reduced battery consumption and heat generation. Depending on screen size and specifications, one vendor has let slip that tablets based on Oak Trail could also offer up to 10 hours of battery life. It remains to be seen how Intel will fare against ARM, which is deeply entrenched in the mobile market. On the plus side, the release of Oak Trail will certainly alleviate some pressure on the Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) front; the company has announced that Windows 8 will be available for the ARM architecture in a move some have speculated to stem from frustration over the comparatively poorer mobile performance of Intel's x86 platform.

For now, Intel has declined to divulge the names of specific vendors. However, computer makers such as Lenovo, Fujitsu, Samsung and Motion Computing, have already shown off Oak Trail tablets running Windows 7, noted PC Advisor, who broke the news on Oak Trail's launch window of May. In addition, Intel President and CEO Otellini have also said in December last year that there were already 35 tablet designs in the works to be powered by Atom.

For more on this story:
- check out this article at PC Advisor
- check out this article at CRN
- check out this article at ZDNet
- check out this article at eWeek

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