ViewSonic has come to the IFA with 2 tablet devices among others. Of the 2 tablets, it is the one with the 10 inch screen that its makers had said will dual boot both the Windows 7 and the Android and it is this that was largely shrouded in mystery with the only thing that was known for sure is that it would have a 10 inch screen. However, that’s not the scenario anymore as ViewSonic has come up with a healthy dose of info about the tablet that has been elusive so far.
Like its built around an Intel Atom N455 processor and will have 1 GB of RAM along with 16 GB of SSD. The 10 inch capacitive touchscreen has a 16:9 widescreen ratio screen and surprisingly, boasts of the same 1024 x 600 pixel resolution as the Galaxy Tab as well as the nReader R100 tablet from BenQ. This in spite of the fact that the Galaxy Tab has a 7 inch screen while the ViewSonic and the BenQ offering come with 10 inch sized screens.
However, a dual booting tablet it might be with the capability to boot both Windows 7 as well as Android, the things that casts a pall of gloom is that the tablet will run a somewhat outdated version of Android, version 1.6 to be precise. This while everyone else is looking forward to the Android 2.2 Froyo or maybe even the Android 3.0 Gingerbread.
The quality of the display is also not the best in class and leave a lot to be desired, though and thankfully, the touchscreen is responsive and manages to make up for the lack of pixel density to some extent.
Also, and as things stand now, switching between the operating systems will require a reboot of the tablet PC though ViewSonic has stated the final version would fare better by the time the tablet is ready for launch.
Keep watching as more details emerge of the tablet device and hopefully the next time that we talk of the 10 inch tablet from ViewPad, we have a definite name of the tablet to refer to it.
BenQ unviels its nReader R100 Android Tablet
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While every tech freaks might be glued to what’s coming out of the IFA event now underway at Berlin, BenQ, that has traditionally been known as the maker of computer monitors and related components like projectors has lifted the viels off the tablet that it was always rumored to be making. And its not in Berlin that the tablet was brought to light but at its Global Distributors Meeting held in Taiwan that the world got to see the tablet which they have named nReader R100 for the first time.
And the tablet does look every bit a device to look forward to. To begin with, the nReader R100 sports a 10.1 inch resistive touchscreen display up front having a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixel, which incidentally is the same as the just launched Galaxy Tab features. The tablet is built around a 667MHz Samsung ARM-based processor and runs the latest version of the Android, the 2.2 Froyo. However, out of the box, the tablet will run Android 2.0 with the option to upgrade to the Froyo at a later date.
These apart, the other things that the tablet will have include HDMI port that can support video output of up to 720p, standard USB and mini-USB ports, Wi-Fi and an integrated 3G modem. The tablet will also have 4GB of flash storage as well as an SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot to further expand storage options.
The nReader R100 also has the looks that is as impressive at its feature set with the glossy black casing measuring 173 x 267 x 14.4 mm while weighing a quite convenient 700 grams. And lastly, the nReader R100 has got the one thing that many of the tablet that had set out challenging the iPad’s supremacy could not muster – a superior battery performance which, as per BenQ is rated at 12 hours. And that’s not all for BenQ is also keen to beat Apple on the price front and is rumored to have announced to make the WiFi only version of the nReader R100 at just one eighth of the iPad’s price. However, we’ll have to wait till the first quarter of 2011 to know if that’s how things pan out as its during this time that BenQ intends to introduce the tablet in Japan, China and Taiwan followed by more countries later on.
The only grouse though is the resistive touchscreen which can mean a somewhat crappy display though such a deficit can perhaps be made up if BenQ indeed sticks to the price point that it is said to have stated.
Good E-Reader IFA Exclusive – Samsung Galaxy Tab
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Welcome to a Good E-Reader IFA Exclusive! The first moments of the IFA trade show in Berlin, Germany is upon us, and the show kicked started up with the device everyone has been waiting for, the Samsung Galaxy Tab.
Many people have been salivating to get any news or new pictures on this device. We have been continously been posting videos the last few days, about this little Tablet PC in action. We now have a little bit of hands on experience with this new device that is blowing us away.
First of all, the Samsung Galaxy Tab is a 7 inch Android 2.2 driven Tablet PC, that Samsung is billing as a new breed of entertainment device. It only weights around 300 G and can easily be held in one hand.
Under the hood we have a 1GHz chip Cortex A8, PowerVR SGX540 graphics and 512MB of RAM. It has 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, 5.76 Mbps HSUPA and HSDPA 5.6 Mbps. You can upgrade the memory to 16 or 32GB. The battery is labeled a 4,000 mAh, which Samsung says can support up to seven hours of video playback.
Visually, the Tablet has a resolution of 1024 by 600 on a full color TFT touch screen, which gives almost PC like graphics and most things look so great there is little need to zoom in. Samsung announced the availability of the latest version of Flash Player, 10.1 on the device and working fine. They also mentioned that it was completly compatible with HTML 5. You can also do some Video-conference with the 1.3 megapixel front camera, and switch the conferencing up between portrait or landscape mode. There is also a dandy 3.1 MP camera on the back of the device, to take pictures with. The Camera quality does not compete with some higher end smart phones, but we will take it anyways.
Now lets talk about some applications! Google Maps and other Google core applications are built into the device, and unlike the woeful Augen Gentouch78, the Galaxy Tab has full access to the Android Market. We mentioned earlier today that Samsung had partnered with Kobo for the new Readers Hub Application, they also showed off Media Hub and Music Hub. We will report back with further news on these two new applications. One of the cooler applications shown off where the augmented reality applications
The device also includes the new Swype input method, allowing users to drag their finger over each letter, rather than tapping each letter individually to input text. Some mobile operators will offer a second SIM card so customers can use the Tab and their mobile phone from a single account.
Many people at the conference were referring to this device as a tablet, which incurred the ire of Thomas Richter, Samsung’s head of product development which continually pounded into the packed room that this device was in-fact a “Smart Media device.”
When prodded for more information on subsequent rumors of follow up devices to the Tab line, Samsung executives said that the company will probably launch several more Tab models next year, possibly with different screen sizes, to target different audiences. DJ Lee, a senior executive had mentioned that many different devices are in testing.
The one facet of this device, that left the whole room moaning and groaning, was that there was no definitive price yet. When asked for comment DJ Lee had said “Our business model is to go through go through global telephone operators,” Lee said. “The final price setting, including the rate plan, will be finalized by the rate plan operators. We cannot give an exact number. We are working to keep a very attractive and competitive price to offer the end user.”
Welcome to an Good E-Reader IFA Exclusive! The CEO of Samsung used the opening of the conference to show off the new Samsung Galaxy Tab Tablet PC! More to follow on the semantics of the Galaxy Tab in another Post, what breaking news we have, is that Kobo is deeply embeded into this new device.
The New software Kobo has pioneered for this device is called the “Readers Hub”. This new application was designed specifically for the Android 2.2 driven Galaxy Tab from the ground up. Kobo and Samsung both worked in conjunction on this application amidst great secrecy to give owners of the Galaxy Tab a viable store to use their device as an E-Reader.
Kobo is billing this new application as an application easily used and accessible for all readers. The Kobo application will allow users access to the entire book store, which features around 2.2 million popular ebooks in ePub, PDF, and Adobe DRM. The Application will even allow you to add ebooks bought or downloaded from other sources. This new application allows the user to Tap or Swipe to turn the pages of the ebook, or use the interactive table of contents to flip to specific chapters. The application also has a ton of fonts and different sizes of the fonts, so it will allow people to heavily customize their e-reading experience.
With the Samsung Galaxy Tabs built in Accelerometer you can easily switch your viewing of ebooks, from horizontal to landscape mode at the drop of a dime. This new application will also be used on all Samsung Devices going forward, including their new line of Smartphones.
For International users, this new application is great, because it will deliver localized languages on ebooks for people who live in Europe, Asia and other major languages.
It really looks like Kobo is stepping up their game, by closely working with emerging Tablet Computers and spreading their eBook store across many platforms, from Android, to Apple and more.
Also announced during the press conference not only was the Reader Hub was announced but also the ‘Media Hub,’ a gateway to a world of films and videos, and ‘Music Hub,’ an application giving access to a wide range of music tunes.
Read the updated Press Release just posted
Kindle to be sold in Staples stores later this year
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Amazon has made a major move in improving the availability of its ever-popular Kindle e-reader. The company has announced that coming this autumn, Kindles will be carried in Staples stores nationwide. With over 2000 Staples stores worldwide, this will no doubt be a huge boost to the visibility of Amazon’s popular e-reader, perhaps helping to promote the product to new, untapped market segments.
This move follows on the heels of Kindles arrival (earlier this year) into Target stores. Previously, Kindle e-readers were primarily only available through Amazon itself. Despite only being available online, Kindle has grown to become a premier option in the e-reader market. Now, with penetration into brick-and-mortar stores, this can only strengthen Amazon’s position in the ever-raging e-reader wars. Even with the blossoming popularity of e-readers, there are no doubt many folks who have yet to try one out for themselves; having demo Kindles in-stores for people to try for themselves will go far in generating exposure and interest among these new consumers.
Along with three Kindle models, a variety of Kindle accessories will also be sold in Staples stores.
New Sony e-readers include touchscreen
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Sony is back to take on the Kindle juggernaut and for that, it has equipped itself with three e-readers which though are the same that it was selling for quite some time now but has been thoroughly refurbished to make them competitive enough for the changed market dynamics. Or so thinks Sony and the latest e-reader news indicate they have introduced touchscreen version of the same three e-readers along with some other tweaks to renew their battle for the number one selling e-reader brand.
Sony has switched to the ‘Pearl’ screen from E Ink that offer a much better contrast while ensured the touchscreen layer on top of it does not lead to a murky and cloudy sort of effect. Instead of the capacitive touchscreen as is in vogue these days and can be seen on many a smartphone and tablet PCs, Sony has opted for the optical touchscreen and for the end result, the display is crisp and sharp and offers a thoroughly enhanced reading experience. The only e-reader Sony had in its line up that included a touchscreen interface was the PRS – 650 Touch Edition and this as well as the other two in their latest avatar are a generation ahead of its predecessor. Having optical touchscreen also ensures, they are responsive to even little finger actions as well as stylus inputs.
So the baby of the lot, the Sony PRS-350 Pocket Edition too has been endowed with the optical touchscreen, making it perhaps the smallest e-reader of repute to be so. However, what remains the same is the 5 inch screen and 2GB of internal memory along with an SD card slot that will let you stretch your storage options even more. However, the one other thing and an important thing at that that has remained unchanged is the price so that the PRS – 350 still starts at $179. That too without either WiFi or 3G.
“The bottom line is we didn’t want to compete on price.” “We wanted to build quality and overall experience. We want to give consumers the feel of buying an e-reader, not a toy,” is how Steve Haber, president of Sony’s digital reading business division justified their move to keep price unchanged.
What this means is adding e-books to the Pocket Edition will require connecting it to the PC via an USB cable. Compare this to the WiFi only versions of the new Kindle that cost $139 while the Nook costs $149. Both the 3G enabled versions of the Kindle and the Nook are slightly more than the Sony Pocket Edition and it would be interesting to see which way consumer preference goes.
The Touch Edition with a 6 inch display has been priced at $229 and comes with a 2 GB onboard memory which can be jacked up to an additional 32 GB by way of the expansion slots. The Touch Edition is also capable of playing back audio files, has Wi-Fi connectivity and weight in at 4 pounds.
The costliest of the lot is the Daily Edition that includes both Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity while display area too is bigger at 7 inches. Onboard storage still is 2 GB with the option of enhancing it to 32 GB via the expansion slot. Price has been kept unchanged at $300, making it perhaps the costliest e-reader around when it hits store shelves around November.
Sony is betting on better design and not price to make their e-readers an enticing buy. The new Sony e-readers are colorful and are available in shades of hot pink, red, silver and black and come with an aluminum body. This provides them with a better finish and feel compared to the Kindle or the Nook which can look and feel plasticky at times.
Jetbook Mini e-reader from Ectaco
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There was a time when e-reader sprouted like mushrooms and soon, within a very short time span, e-reader in various shades and hue, and of various shapes and sizes were seen having emerged vying for consumer attention. Its somewhat a same thing that is being replayed once more though this time its Tablet PCs that is being seen germinating at a phenomenal rate. A rate so high that e-readers are getting trampled in the process with only a select few (read fittest) that can be seen still existing and not having gone the dinosaur way.
Any way, lest we deviate from the topic on hand further, a recent sighting of an e-reader called the Jetbook Mini from Ectaco has made us drift into a play back mode and reminded of an e-reader of that name that did exist. Only problem is it did not make its presence felt at regular intervals, and thereby refreshing public memory. Some pictures of the Jetbook Mini e-reader did drift into the public realms but it was too less to make to make for a credible impact. Public memory is short and it had got erased.
This time though, there is a video of the elusive e-reader available. Details of the e-reader are extremely scare and the only thing known is that it has a 5 inch screen. The video also revealed some physical buttons on the e-reader, which perhaps is an indication of the e-reader not having a touchscreen. Also the Jetbook Mini looks a lot different than what we had shown towards the beginning of this year. And guess who the Jetbook Mini has for company – the other 5 inch e-reader in news right now. The Sony PRS – 350 Pocket Edition.
Archos readies 5 pronged attack at the tablet segment
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It was just a few days ago that we reported the Archos 5 might be withdrawn with a new tablet introduced in its place. Well, little did we know Archos is out to pamper us with not one or two but a whole lot of 5 tablet devices spanning the entire range from the miniscule 2.8 inches to the largest of the lot measuring 10.1 inch. Apart form the number of tablets slated for launch, the other impressive aspect of the tablets is that Archos has finally woken up to the benefits of the more responsive capacitive screen technology and have come to replace the resistive screen of yore though its only the larger tablets that are fortunate enough to receive the capacitive touch. Further, each of the tablets run the latest Android 2.2 Froyo right from the word go. Surely Archos wants to erase from public memory what their last tablet adventure yielded and they are pinning their hopes on these latest tablet quintuplets to deliver the goods. Will that happen? Lets explore the tablets a bit more to find that out.
Taking an ascending approach, the smallest tablet of the lot is the one with a 2.8 inch screen and is more of a cute littlePMP and less of a tablet. The resistive touchscreen display has a resolution of 320 × 240 pixels and is powered by an 800MHz ARM Cortex A8 processor. On board storage amounts to 4 GB and has built in WiFi. The Archos 28 also boasts of a custom designed music application that is several notches better than the standard Android version. Cost has been kept below $100, $99.99 to be precise and will be hitting store shelves by the end of September.
The next tablet higher up the scale is the Archos 32 with a 3.2 inch screen (you may have guessed it right, product names are an indication of screen sizes). Still a bit too small to be classified a full fledged tablet, the Archos 32 includes 8 GB of internal memory and comes with a built in camera at the back that can pick up 720p quality videos. A port at the bottom of the Archos 32 will let you get hooked on to the TV while continues with the same 800 MHz ARM Cortex A8 chip. A bigger size also means a bigger price tag so that the 32 will cost $149.99 and is another one to make it to the market by end September.
Next in line is the Archos 43 and it is from this point onwards that things begin to take an exciting turn. Featuring a 4.3 inch 854 × 480 screen, it is this tablet – well it is from here that we can use the term tablet liberally – that will eventually replace the Archos 5 and is slimmer and more powerful than the tablet it replaces. In fact, its just .35-inches thick, which means it’s tight enough to fit your pocket though you will have to first shell out $199 before you can slip it in. Inside, there is a 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor and has an integrated camera that can record 720p quality video. There is also an accelerometer for automatic screen rotation though the touchscreen continues to be resistive. Shipping date has been fixed at around mid October.
Archos 70 comes next while screen size has grown to 7 inches. The Archos 7 is also the first in the series to feature capacitive touchscreen display and has a 800 × 480 pixel resolution. Other feature the tablet comes with include an accelerometer, MicroSD storage, a front-facing VGA camera (none at the back), a standard USB port, and a mini-HDMI port. Again, the Archos 7 has a smaller form factor than the Archos Home Tablet 7 and comes pre-loaded with video chat applications. Cost of the device, $274.99.
The last in line is the big boss of the tablet range with a 10.1 inch 1024 × 600 resolution capacitive touchscreen display and is the one that will fight with the, well you may have again guessed it right – the iPad. Named Archos 101, the tablet is half an inch think and has a 1 Ghz processor running behind the scene, which is enough for a smooth playback of a 720p video. The Archos 101 also includes a front facing VGA camera along with an USB port and an HDMI out, just as its & inch brethren does. The .93 pound tablet cost $300 and will also ship from middle of October.
However, on the flip side, the lack of access to the official Android Market place can mar things as Archos has revealed all apps will have to be sourced from Archos AppsLib. Not much is known of the AppsLib and might not have reached a level of maturity or have the numbers to boast of as yet. However, whether the tablets become a hit with consumers will be known only by the end of October by which time all the tablets have gone on sale.
The Kindle can now read comics as well
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Here is something that will put the Kindle in the same league as the iPad. Its true both the devices are as diverse as chalk is from cheese. Sure the iPad can also be an e-reader though its e-book reading credentials is just one of the many things that the tablet PC is capable of. The Kindle, on the other hand is purely an e-reader and every bit of the e-reader is optimized for a superior e-reading experience.
Still, the Kindle was not without its limitations as an e-reader (the iPad too is not without faults) and was never known to be able to read comics, something that the iPad was able to by way of a plethora of comic reading apps while its color screen too acted as a boon.
But not any more, thanks to an open-source software tool Mangle. Which means, the black and white comics like the Scott Pilgrim series along with most other Manga work is now Kindle ready.
Created by FooSoft’s Alex Yatsov, the Mangle is a cross between the Manga and the Kindle with Manga contributing ‘Mang’ and Kindle adding the ‘le’ to it to give rise to Mangle and is excellent in rendering comic images on to the Kindle in the right order and allignment.
LG Optimus tablet coming ’soon’
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With its domestic compatriot Samsung hogging all the limelight with the soon to be launched Galaxy Pad tablet, how can LG be far behind. For the second largest business conglomerate in South Korea too is increasingly being seen upping the ante with the tablet device of its own. Named the Optimus Pad, LG too is keen to see the iPad toppled from the top slot that its holding right now and is banking on a mix of superior performance along with a sleeker and thinner form to see it rise to the top of the tablet heap.
Unfortunately, very little is known of the Optimus Pad even though LG maintains the tablet will be having a lot of firsts in the segment. Which means it will be capable of a lot of things that no other tablet device have so far been able to pull off. Exactly what these ‘firsts’ are has been kept a secret and will be so until the ‘fourth quarter’ which is when LG is expected to introduce the tablet.
Another thing that has been kept under wraps is whether the tablet will run the latest Android 2.2 Froyo right out of the box or will it follow the more usual method of pre-installing the tablet with an earlier version following by providing them with the upgrade version later on.
In any case, this is another tablet that is expected to steal the show as the IFA unfolds in just a few days.
Boarder’s cuts e-reader price
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If you had thought the e-reader price wars has settled down, well here is some surprise for you. For as per the latest e-reader news, Borders has slashed the prices of its Kobo and Aluratek e-book reading devices so that it will now require you to shell out $129.99 for a Kobo e-reader, down from $149.99 while if its an Aluratek Libre reader that you’d like to have, the good thing is it has breached the proverbial $100 mark, by a whisker though so that its now available for $99.99, down from the $119.99 that it earlier commanded.
The latest round of price cuts to affect the e-reader segment is a continuation of the trend that started with Barnes & Noble having slashed the prices of its Nook e-reader to $199 while also introducing a Wi-Fi only Nook that costs $149. Amazon matched the move by not only cutting prices of the Kindle range of e-readers but also introducing a much improved third generation Kindle that cost $189 for the 3G version while the Wi-Fi only Kindle will set one back by just $139. Sony too had resorted to an across the board price cuts of all its e-reader devices for though it had recently stated there isn’t any more round of price cuts forthcoming from the company.
So while all of this started with Barnes & Noble having announced a price cut of its e-readers, it remains to be seen who is the next in line to announce a drop in prices. Or, in extreme cases, who is calling it quits as we also did see quite a few e-readers throwing in their towels.
Hotmail email features can now be pushed to iPad
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A post at the Windows Live blog has brought to the forefront an interesting development that should elicit cheers from hotmail users who rued the lack of proper support for their e-mail accounts with the iPad. As per the latest tablet PC news, all of these stand rectified since it’s now possible to push e-mail, contacts and calendars automatically to their devices, thanks to Hotmail’s newly implemented Microsoft’s Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) technology. What this essentially means is that users will now be able to access their accounts from a PC, a Mac, or any supported device while any changes made will still be retained and will be reflected the next time they log in, which is independent of the device they use to log in.
The way the EAS works is that it keeps all data in sync saving users the trouble to manually re-enter the data once again. Another good thing is that the service is available over a wireless data connection and there is no need for any tethering.
The latest move on part of Hotmail comes on the back of similar developments from Mobile Me and Yahoo! mail that had also introduced push services earlier in the year.
It can be mentioned here that Gmail users could also heave a sigh of relief finally after the two toolbars that they had to juggle and which was making life difficult for them had been done away with. A stacked card interface appears in its place and has made things a lot more simple for gmail users. The interface that rests on the right edge is where selected conversations are place, from where they can be sorted, deleted, or archived conveniently. This eliminates the need for the second toolbar that could create more confusion than it could clear.
