Windows 8 Will Support Retina Display Tablets Just Like The iPad

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Windows 8 will ensure it won't be long before the new iPad has its Retina display rivals.
Windows 8 will ensure it won't be long before the new iPad has its Retina display rivals.

If you thought that the new iPad would be the only tablet to sport a true Retina display, then think again. Microsoft is encouraging tablet makers to introduce high-resolution displays into their devices with support for resolutions up to 2560×1440.

Windows 8 will have the ability to upscale elements of its user interface to accommodate high-definition devices. For example, for HD tablets with a resolution of 1920×1080, 140% scaling will be applied, while quad-XGA tablets with a resolution of 2560×1440 will get 180% scaling. This means that you will see the same thing on a HD display than you would of a standard-definition one, only the user interface is sharper and crisper.

Microsoft actually uses the new iPad in a post on its Building Windows 8 blog to explain scaling:

Some might be curious about the new iPad screen. For this screen, Apple has chosen a scale factor of 200%. The new screen has twice the pixel density (132 PPI to 234 PPI) on the same size screen. Because iOS and developers only need to support the predefined resolutions, they only need to design for this one additional scaling factor. In the case of iPad 2 compared to new iPad the 200% scaling factor means that what you see on 1024×768 is exactly what you see on the new resolution, only sharper because more pixels are used (as in the image of the app above).

This strengthens previous rumors that claimed Samsung was working on an 11.6-inch Windows 8 tablet that would feature an extreme 2560×1440 resolution. Samsung, of course, has already partnered with Microsoft to build the first Windows 8 tablet for developers.

With this support in Windows 8, we could see rival tablet displays with even greater pixel densities than the new iPad. It’s a shame they won’t be running iOS.

[via SlashGear]

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