Panasonic’s New Baby: The 20-Inch 4K Windows 8 Tablet

The annual International Consumer Electronics Show 2013 revealed quite a lot  of brand new technologies that had tech junkies paying attention. As usual, the big names in the electronics world had made appearances in order to unveil new devices which ranged from smartphones to digital SLR cameras. Among these names is Panasonic, which seems to be trying to get its own horse into the tablet race.

Tablets have been in demand for the past two years, the landscape having been dictated by the unparalleled iPad (which, at this point, is the basis of comparison), which continues to dominate the market. They can do everything: it lets you browse the web, create documents and presentations, and run games; it provides apps that enable to you to go from email to fax in seamless transition (provided the app is for professionals, such as what RingCentral offers), and even hold conversations (voice and video) online.

Panasonic is trying to get a foothold in this market by releasing a stunner in the form of a 20-inch tablet at their keynote speech in CES this year.

Panasonic 4K Tablet

The 20-inch 4K Windows 8 Tablet

The largest tablets in the market have been, at most, 10-inch tablets or so, which is really what one should expect out of a tablet. Since it’s designed to be more mobile and portable than a laptop while still being capable of running programs and multiple processes, 10 inches seemed to be the biggest you can allow a tablet to be before it becomes too cumbersome – at which point, you’re better off just using a laptop.

But Panasonic seems determined to defy this unspoken rule, thuse their 20-inch tablet device that runs on Windows 8. Now, surely a lot of people will have misgivings about this: last year, Microsoft had an almost humiliating defeat when it pitted its own tablet, the Microsoft Surface, against the other tablets already in the market. It runs on Windows 8 RT, with the full Windows 8 version still slated for release sometime this year. However, the response towards the Surface was mostly negative, and not even the power of Oprah Winfrey’s endorsement could change that.

So Panasonic throwing in a tablet running on Windows 8 could be a little risky for that company. However, from what can be seen right now, it does look a little promising.

Known Positive Points (So Far)

  • Less than half an inch thick. In spite of its size, this thinness could help lighten the load of anyone who would like to carry it around. According to reviewers at CES, it is incredibly light.
  • 20-inch screen with a 4K resolution. This is rather unprecedented. At most, even the iPad’s famous retina display only handles 2048×1536 pixels. The 4k-resolution screen guarantees unbelievably crisp images.
  • Professional device. It runs on the full Windows 8 OS, and the size clearly shows that it’s engineered for discerning professionals who need a mobile workstation with them. Since it is a tablet, graphic designers will have an easier time creating high-resolution digital art from anywhere, since it also has a pen input. Editing images through it would be even easier as well.

Instead of catering to the casual consumer, Panasonic went ahead and aimed for the pros. Though we can’t say right now exactly how this device will perform, it’s surely something professionals will want to look into for business.