The Ultrabook is born. While Cove Point was still early in it's development, the Ultrabook initiative was beginning to take form within Intel. The company recognizes this as a time when computing has begun to evolve quickly, and Intel wanted to push the boundaries of what high-performance Intel Architecture can offer in thin and light form factors. The work we were doing in Cove Point fed directly into the process of defining Ultrabook, and visa versa. We quickly found areas in the ecosystem that were ready for Ultrabook innovations (battery technology, materials and processes) and some that weren't ready and needed enabling (touch screens and IPS displays in sizes beyond 10", ultra thin keyboard technology, etc). Our work with Microsoft and understanding of Win8 helped set the vision and expectation for what is to come for Ultrabook. Cove Point is the first Ultrabook defined and developed inside Intel which offers a look into the future of Intel-based PC experiences.
Touch First. Cove Point is all about connecting: connecting to information, to people, to work and to play. Unlike typical notebooks which hide the screen when closed, Cove Point features a "screen up" configuration - the screen is always available, and with it comes a full multi-touch interactive surface
Cove Point is not just a tablet, it is a PC first. It is a PC that provides the convenience of touch. This means you have full access to all of your files, all of the programs you rely on, which is great. It also means that Cove Point is a wonderful canvas for interacting with Modern touch-focused Windows 8 applications as well, whether you are at your desk, in bed or on the couch.
The answer is in the space between. Cove Point offers incredible flexibility in how you use your computer: You can have instant access to information and touch applications in tablet mode, or a deep and highly productive PC interaction in laptop mode...but the secret to a great experience does not lie in just providing these dual modes. The secret is in how elegantly the device transitions between those modes, how easy it is to move from one to the other, and how flexible the usages are in between. Shown above is an example of Cove Point providing a touch experience beyond a simple tablet with an intimate and adjustable viewing angle.
No compromises. You may have noticed that most, if not all convertibles are missing one very important thing: The trackpad. With windows 8, there is a new definition of what a notebook trackpad can be in a Windows environment. This means useful gestures along with a critical component of granular pointer-based interaction with high resolution desktop applications. Most convertibles do away with the trackpad because the hinge takes up too much space in the keyboard area..the solution is to push the keyboard forward and remove the trackpad entirely. Our solution in Cove Point is much better - we utilized a patented mechanism to make room for the hinge without moving the keyboard anywhere. This means ALL of the tools for PC computing are preserved.
Adding this degree of flexibility in such a small form factor is a very complex task. The key to the design, however, is to make it seem effortless. We wanted the hinge and mechanism itself to appear as a functional and elegant feature of the system, and to convey none of its complexities to the user.
About the form. Laptops are often 2- dimensional objects: the design focus is on touch points, or where the user lays their hands and eyes. This results in a fairly neglected sense of 3-dimensionality where vents and doors and all sorts of junk is left to popluate the bottom of the product. That is not the case with Cove Point. The entire form is made to be touched, it is designed for the hands, not for the table. There are no "feet" on the bottom, rather the entire bottom surface is a warm, rubberized finish characterized by durability. It is a material that also feels great in the hands.
The cupped profile of Cove Point, it's functional material message, and the visual contrast which reduces the perceived thickness of the product.
Thermals, IO and mechanical details are all consolidated into one area - the surface which provides the least amount of interference with the hands.
Regardless of what mode you are using the device in, the form language remains complete. Materials and form work together.
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Intel Cove Point
Originally code-named LXO, Cove Point is the product of an early collaboration with Microsoft in anticipation of the Windows 8 operating system. We had the opportunity to learn first-hand the exciting new capabilities the OS would bring...first and foremost was the incredible opportunity to merge "conventional computing" through traditional desktop applications with aspects of "modern computing" in the form of touch-enabled web applications and metro apps.
