14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has just managed to sign another important deal for the worldwide adoption of Windows tablets, as the company has joined forces with Alaska Airlines to power its brand new inflight entertainment system.
Toshiba Encore 2 tablets will be at the core of the new system called Alaska Beyond, Redmond has announced today, with 7,000 such devices to be purchased as part of the deal.
In addition to providing tablets and Windows 8.1 to power the inflight entertainment system, Microsoft is also working with Skycast Solutions to operate all these devices. Skycast already has the necessary experience in the aviation space, Microsoft says, and its owner “invented the first stored content portable IFE device.”
Needless to say, Windows 8.1 praising statements have been offered by officials on both parts, as both expect the new tablets to greatly enhance the experience passengers get when traveling with Alaska Airlines.
“We are excited about this partnership with Microsoft. Today, our inflight entertainment tablets are running Windows 8.1, which provides a great foundation for the experiences we are looking to deliver,” Curtis Kopf, Alaska’s vice president of innovation, has said. “The launch with our Windows 8.1 devices has gone well and we’re excited to see how Windows 10 can enhance the solution.”
Toshiba Encore 2 specs
Toshiba Encore 2 is one of the most affordable Windows 8.1 tablets on the market right now and it comes in two different sizes, with 8- or 10-inch screens.
The top configuration features a 10-inch display and boasts an Intel Atom Processor Z3735G (2MB Cache, up to 1.83GHz), 1 GB of RAM, 32 GB of storage space on eMMC, a 5-megapixel rear camera, and a 1.2-megapixel unit, micro HDMI and micro USB ports, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi.
Pricing for the 8-inch model starts at $199 (€150), whereas the bigger 10-inch version costs $249 (€210).
