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Archive for nvidia
Asus Transformer Pad Now Shipping, Prices Start at $379
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Those who cannot afford the Transformer Prime need not despair. Asus has come along with a cheaper alternative of its Prime in the form of the Transformer Pad TF300. Of course, there are some compromises to be made, but those have been ameliorated with a quite affordable $379 price tag. That amount of money will fetch one the base 16 GB versions, while twice the storage space will see the price jack up to $399. However, while online tablet retailers in the US have been listing the 32GB Transformer Pad for $399, the 16 GB version has yet to make an appearance.
The corners that have been cut to keep costs low include a smaller battery than that on its big brother Transformer Prime. Similarly, the processor on the TF300 is also a bit slower while the Led flash has been done away with completely. Though not as fast as the Transformer Prime, the TF300 comes with a 1.2 GHz NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad core processor. It will have a display resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, while for connectivity, the tablet is 802.11b/g/n WiFi capable while also featuring Bluetooth 3.1. Other features of the TF300 include a 1 GB RAM, a micro HDMI slot, and a microSD reader for memory extension.
Also, the TF300 will continue with the Transformer legacy of being attachable with a keypad dock which will transform the TF300 into a laptop running Android 4.0. The Transformer Pad TF300 will also come pre-loaded with Polaris Office, which will enable users to get started with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files on the tablet right away.
via electronista
Acer Iconia Tablets to Get Ice Cream Sandwich Update April 27th
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It’s time for owners of the Acer Iconia Tab range of tablets to take a bite out of the very tasty Ice Cream Sandwich. Iconia’s A100 and A500 will be getting the Android 4.0 update on April 27th. The first to get it will be customers in the USA and Canada, and other regions will get it in the coming weeks. If you simply can’t wait for it to be automatically updated, we will host the update ourselves and teach you how to install it on your device.
In other news, Acer’s quad core tablet, the Iconia Tab A510 with Android ICS preloaded is now up for sale for $450. The 10 inch tablet is based on a 1.3 GHz quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 CPU. It has solid specs with 1 GB RAM, 32 GB of storage, and a 10 inch 1280 x 800 pixel display. Acer is also claiming a 12 hours of backup time with the tablet, equipped as it is with a 9800mAh battery unit.
The A510 can be picked up from Amazon or Acer stores, though the versions being sold now are the Olympics editions with an Olympic design on the rear. However, apart from the special logo, there is nothing else that differentiates it from the regular Iconia Tab A510s.
Huawei MediaPad 10 Image Leaked
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The Mobile World Congress is still a few days away, though early images of Huawei’s MediaPad 10 have already made it online. It is expected to be unveiled on the 26th of Feb, and here is what to expect on that day at the MCW event in Barcelona.
The tablet will be slim and thin with stereo speakers clearly visible in one of the images. Also, the choice material for MediaPAd 10 will be aluminum with plastic inserts at strategic points to allow for 3G (likely) and Wi-Fi reception.
Also, the Huawei 10 inch tablet is expected to come with a microSD card slot, camera, and data and charging ports. While it would be surprising if the MediaPad 10 is not seen running Android 4.0 ICS, the debate is still open on the choice of processor powering the device. It may be the latest Tegra 3 chip, though there is no way one can rule out a dual-core Snapdragon processor as well.
Stay tuned for more on this in the coming days.
via hi-tech
Asus Padfone to be Launched During MCW Event
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The Padfone tablet + smartphone concept has been doing the rounds for quite sometime now though we never got to know for sure when the device will actually be seen reaching markets. However, things finally seem to be reaching the culmination stage at Acer so that the company has at last confirmed the Padfone will be there to be seen in action at Mobile World Congress. The event gets underway at Barcelone from Feb 27 to March 1.
Coming back to the unique Padfone, Asus isn’t in the mood to reveal anything right now. So details like what the tablet will cost or when exactly it will be making its market debut is anybody’s guess right now. It is however believed the tablet will be powered by a Tegra 3 chip though its almost a surety the device will run Android 4.0 ICS. This since the latest Android version is compatible on both a tablet and a smartphone.
Keep watching as we bring you more on this during the coming weeks.
via androidcentral
Acer Iconia Tab A510, A700 Price and Launch Details
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Acer may have its new tablets, the Iconia Tab A700 and A510, ready for a market launch this April. Both the tablets will come with the latest Tegra 3 quad core CPUs and Android 4.0 as the OS. We also have an idea of what the tablets might cost, though nothing is confirmed as yet. The starting price of the A510 will likely be €500 ($647) including tax. Similarly, the A700 model (with 64 GB storage, 3G, and Wi-Fi) may be priced €749 or $969. When the tablets are launched in the US, prices could be expected to be in the range of $499 to $749 excluding tax. Both the prices look a bit on the higher side and let’s just hope competition forces Acer to re-think that. There is also news about the A511 model, which will have 3G functionality. Production of the A510 should kick off by February or March.
Both the tablets will have a 10 inch screen and run on a Tegra 3 processor. The difference between the tablets will be their screen resolution. The A510 would have a screen resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. This is the same as the current A500 model, which the A510 is going to replace. The A700 model will have a higher screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, and which naturally creates a much sharper display. A 9800 mAh battery will be powering the A700, which Acer claims will be enough to support 5-6 hours of tablet operation under a full load and for about 10 hours under normal usage.
NVIDIA shows off Tegra 3 based tablet running Windows 8
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NVIDIA Today showed off a prototype tablet that is built around its latest Tegra 3 quad core processor at the ongoing CES event. However, for a change, the tablet isn’t going to run Android 4.0 (or for that matter any other flavor of Android). Instead, the tablet is seen running Windows 8. However, the tablet isn’t seen doing much though the lock screen, start screen, and Windows store are there to be seen.
“I can’t wait to ship it,” said Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang. “This is going to be a fantastic tablet year, with (Google’s) Ice Cream Sandwich and Windows 8.”
Already it’s been a year since Microsoft announced that Windows 8 will be running on devices both based on ARM based processors or on X86 chips. However, the problem lies elsewhere. There are hundreds of thousands of Windows apps already available in the market though nearly all of them are compliant with X86 platform and not on ARM based devices. However, Microsoft is attracting developers to develop apps so that the full screen Windows 8 Metro user will be able to run on devices with both ARM and X86 processors.
All this notwithstanding, the excitement Windows 8 has generated can be measured in Huang’s words when he said: “Windows 8 is coming to market and I don’t remember another Windows version as exciting as this one since Windows 95,” said he before also adding, “Just as Windows 95 enabled a new class of devices in consumer PCs, Windows 8 is going to enable a new class of devices, this time moving Windows to mobile devices. This is an epic event.”
Windows had long been associated with Intel though the emergence of Windows 8 is set to change all of that as its ARM based platforms that we will also be seeing a lot of Windows 8 action in the coming days.
via pocket-lint
Lenovo IdeaPad S2 10 to Take on Transformer Prime, IdeaPad K2 to Feature Tegra 3
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The Asus Transformer Prime finally has some competition and company from Lenovo. At least this applies to the unique ability of the former to also double up as a netbook with its ability to dock onto a keypad. Recently, Lenovo has also applied the idea to their new IdeaTab S2 10 that comes with a dockable keybaord complete with a battery source of its own.
Of of the new launches in the tablet sector that Lenovo is going to add this year, the 10 inch IdeaTab S2 10 tablet is especially interesting. Apart from its own separate battery backup, the docking station also includes a number of ports which adds to the overall capability of the device.
However, one of the main difference between the IdeaPad S2 10 and the Transformer Prime is that while the former is based on the 1.7 GHz Qualcomm 8960 dual core processor, the Asus offering has the latest Nvidia quad core Tegra 3 chip at its core.
Other features of the Lenovo tablet is that the display is of 1280 x 800 resolution with external device adding capability via the onboard microHDMI port. It has a storage capacity of 64 GB. The device comes with dual cameras and is also Wi-Fi enabled. All these features are packed into the 0.34 inch device that weighs 1.1 pounds.
With the external keyboard docking station and its battery pack attached, the Lenovo tablet gets a thoroughly impressive 20 hours of run time, which comes down to 9 hours without the docking station. Further, the keyboard docking station comes with a card reader, two USB 2.0 ports, and multi-touch touchpad.
As of now, the device is being introduced in the Chinese market and should also be available in the US by the second quarter of 2012.
Meanwhile, Lenovo’s Tegra 3 based tablet offering is all set to be the IdeaPad K2 tablet device, which in turn can be considered the successor to its K1 tablet series that it launched last year.
The K2 tablet model will come with a 10 inch IPS display with 1920 x 1200 resolution. With the latest NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core chip on-board, the tablet will have USB port for expansion, as well as a microHDMI port to attach external devices. For entertainment, the 4 speakers SRS sound should come in handy.
This K2 tablet, however, will not be coming with a detachable docking station and separate battery pack, which would have enhanced its appeal all the more. On offer will be two variants of the K2—3G and Wi-Fi versions—though both will have 65 GB of memory capacity.
via liliputing
ASUS Confirms Transformer Prime is on Schedule
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Asus today put to rest all rumors that said its Transformer Prime tablet has been hit by the delay bug, claiming the world’s first quad core tablet is very much on track for a December launch. This no doubt is a very welcome piece of news, more so when almost every online retailer is reporting to have been sold out of the new tablet.
It appears that online vendor NCIX have sold out of the Transformer Prime and after it cancelled many orders word was there on the street that ASUS had belated the much awaited tablet because of Wi-Fi issues. The good thing though is that Asus was quick to respond and denied any of such things while speaking to slashgear.
“We are trying to confirm who released this statement and for what purpose right now. At this point, we still show to be on schedule to start shipments the week of 12/19. I will provide an update once I have additional information,” Asus sources revealed.
So as things stand now, the Transformer Prime is all set to break into the big league on 19th December and there shouldn’t be any further ambiguity on that any more after the prompt response from Asus.
Microsoft Ramps up Plans to Run Windows 8 on ARM Tablets
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Microsoft has selected chip makers Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, and NVIDIA to take their Windows 8 into the tablet and mobile world ahead. These chip makers have their processors on the ARM platform and the device makers that are involved with them are Samsung, Toshiba, and Lenovo. Digitimes reports of each of the chip makers having selected two device makers to partner with and the whole play is being orchestrated by Microsoft.
Qualcomm has a name in the component manufacturing sector and that includes memory units as well as displays. They also have a significant presence in the tablet scene already and have now selected Samsung as well as Sony for their Windows 8 venture. Texas Instruments has teamed up with Samsung, as well, with Toshiba being the second collaborator for the project. Lenovo, on the other hand, has a huge presence in the Chinese market, something that made NVIDIA zero in on them for collaboration, while the secondary partner that NVIDIA has selected is Acer.
Interestingly, Asus does not feature anywhere in this Windows 8 venture in spite of it being NIVIDIA’s biggest client this year for the Tegra series of chipsets. Asus is already known to be developing a Windows 8 based tablet, though the fact that the upcoming tablet will be based on some X86 based processor and not on an ARM chip may have acted against it.
However, while the Asus tablet is likely to be available towards the second half of 2012, leaks suggest ARM based tablets with Windows 8 as their OS can be expected only in mid 2013.
Meanwhile, upstream ODMs like Quanta Computer, Compal Electronics, Wistron, and Pegatron Technology are reported to have already started putting together suitable R&D teams to ensure they remain in contention for the upcoming platform.
Asus Transformer Prime Review Roundup
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Asus had tasted reasonable success with the first generation Transformer. In fact, it has been among the better selling Android tablets though it never could get into a position from where it can pose a threat to the mighty iPad. However, while all of that is past (though the first gen Transformer continues to be available), the future is about the new Transformer Prime and Asus has done a fine job with the new tablet.
To begin with, the Transformer Prime continues the same form factor that had made the Transformer lineup so unique. Like apart from being a conventional tablet device, the Transformer created a niche of its own by also including a keyboard dock as part of the package. Also, the keypad had a battery unit of its own which, in conjugation with the same on the tablet ensured almost 15-16 hours of back-up time.
Cut back to the Transformer Prime and what we have here is all the goodness of its predecessor in a package that has been made more lucrative with some nice enhancements. Like the Transformer Prime is thinner and lighter.
On the aesthetic side, the Transformer Prime shares the same design as the ZEN ultrabooks that Asus has come up with. Numerous concentric circles emanating from the company logo occupying pride of place at the center of the device radiate towards the tablet’s edge. This against a metallic colored background does add to the style factor significantly.
With just 8.3 mm in thickness, the Prime is also even more thin than the iPad 2 though at 586 gms, it’s a bit heavier than the Galaxy Tab 10.1. However, that’s the price to be paid for a device made of metal though the best thing is that it is lighter than the first gen Transformer. Once interlocked with the keypad, the Transformer Prime gets transformed instantly into a netbook and is ready for prime time action. For post this makeover, the Prime is ready to do battle with the netbooks and ultrabooks out there with total battery backup time is a thoroughly impressive 18 hours. Here the Prime is in a league of its own with no other netbooks /ultrabooks even coming close to it. Further, the docking and undocking process is simple and quick and once attached, the keypad does hold the tablet quite firmly.
However, that’s just what they say is the tip of the iceberg. For there is more to the Transformer Prime than meets the eye (pun intended). Like behind the beautifully crafted exteriors (coming to that later) lies the latest NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad core processor which is a step or two ahead of the Tegra 2 thing that we have heard of so much this year. The quad core SoS has a clock speed of 1.3 GHz and has twice the number of CPU cores and three times the power to decode graphics files. Or to cut a long story short, The Prime is all about just amazing performance.
Working together with the Tegra 3 chipset is a 1 GB RAM though double of that would have made the Transformer Prime future proof. Right now, its Android 3.2 Honeycomb that runs the show on the Prime though Asus has promised the update to Android ICS is very much in the works and should be available towards the end of this month itself.
Coming to its features, the Prime takes digital photography with a tablet device to newer heights with a very capable 8 megapixel camera complete with LED flash built into its rear while on the front, it’s a rather low 1.2 megapixel unit for video chatting and self portraits. There is only one more tablet in the world to come fitted with a 8 megapixel camera – the HTC Jetstream — but that also costs 100 times more than the number of megapixels it boasts of and is also one reason why it is not making much noise. One can also shoot 1080p videos with the rear camera and the result is excellent. However, color reproduction with the Transformer Prime’s camera leaves a bit to be desired.
Up front, it’s a 10.1 inch IPS display that greets you, one that has a resolution of 1280 × 800 pixels and has been reinforced with Gorilla glass. So while the Gorilla in the glass will ensure the display is resistant to some level of harsh treatment, what might not be to the liking to Transformer Prime fans is the fact that the smaller and much cheaper Kindle Fire has more pixel density.
Coming to the software side of the Transformer Prime, well here too it has got enough to surprise and impress. Like the Transformer Prime. It comes preloaded with all the necessary apps that you need to get started right away while a lot more is waiting to be downloaded from the Android Market. So if you’d like to play games or read e-books, the Prime can do it all and do it in style.
In the end, the one thing that is sure to be on the minds of a lot of people out there is whether the Transformer Prime is better than the iPad 2.
Chris Burns from Slashgear has this to say: “if you’re deciding between an iPad 2 and this device, you’re doing it wrong. Buy the one that feels better to you, and go with it. There’s no perfect test to decide between the two, it always comes down to personal preference if you ask me. If you’re deciding on which Android tablet to get, look no further. The rest of the Android slate world has been completely blown away.”
However, comparing the Prime with the iPad 2 might not be the best thing to do as the Apple tablet is on the last throes of life while a new iPad 3 is due anytime during the first half of 2012. So the real battle with the Transformer Prime might well be with the next version of the Apple tablet.
However, if anyone has any doubts of its ability as an Android tablet, it can be summed up in the words of Hubert Nguyen from Ubergizmo who said: “To put it simply, the ASUS Transformer Prime is easily the best Android tablet and is possibly the best tablet, period. It depends mainly on your own taste and usage model. By itself, the Transformer Prime is a superbly designed and powerful tablet with an excellent display, application processor and overall user experience. However, with the optional laptop dock, the Prime turns itself into an ultra-mobile productivity machine that can play HD video for 18hrs – try that with a laptop. This means that Asus customers won’t have to worry about battery life anymore.”
Consider this fact if you wish to know why the Transformer Prime is the best thing money can buy right now. For there is no other Android tablet at the moment that can hold a candle to the Prime and yet cost $500 and $600 for the 32 GB and 64 GB versions.
ASUS confirms Transformer Prime to reach US on December 12
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The Asus Transformer Prime tablet PC, hailed for it being the first to come with a quad core Tegra 3 chipset from NVIDIA is all set to storm markets in Taiwan from today, December 1st. Similarly, the tablet will be made available online to those in the US from December 12 (and not Dec 08 as was earlier announced) while the tablet will be seen sharing retail space in the US another week later from December 19th. Europeans will have to wait longer as the tablet will reach there not before January 2012.
The Transformer Prime has been on pre-order for some time now and is on offer in gray or champagne gold color scheme. The base version with 32 GB of storage come for a price tag of $500 while the tp of the line model featuring 64 GB of internal memory will set one back by $600. The keyboard dock which is also available with the two color choices comes for an additional $150.
Meanwhile, Asus have come out with a more detailed video which brings to the fore more capabilities of the device, like the camera that the tablet comes integrated with. For a start, the camera at the rear is of 8 megapixel resolution and boasts of features like time lapse videos, inverted colors, classic black & white, and even sepia tone.
The video depicted below is shot in shot in 1080p at 30 FPS (frames per second). The video quality is impressive with sharp images and no frame dropping. Check it out for yourself.
Windows 8 tablet might be too little too late
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Windows 8 did manage to build up a lot of excitement when it was unveiled earlier in the year though the fact remains, all of that might remain too far fetched if its not on time. Windows next iteration is coming at a time when the Apple iOS and Google Android has already entrenched themselves considerably in the tablet space, which means Windows 8 has to hit ground running. To be spot on is another aspect that Microsoft can’t be found wanting in if it does not wish to lose critical space to its competitors.
What has to be kept in mind is that both Apple and Samsung are already into launching their second and third generation devices while the entire tablet demographics too has undergone a sea change with the opening up of a new segment comprising of low cost tablets of the likes of the Kindle Fire or the Nook Tablet. While these continue to be the rage right now, the earliest that we can expect to come across commercially available tablet devices running Windows 8 is mid 2012 though those will be based on Intel chips. The same with an ARM chipset will take almost another year by which time both Apple and Google will have enough time to up their game even more. What should be even more depressing for those expecting to see a viable ARM – Windows 8 combination in a tablet device is the fact that all those apps that have been written to be operable on X86 and Win 8 tablet devices will have to be reworked to allow them to be operable in their ARM based counterparts as well.
“In Q1 2011, Windows was by far the top choice of consumers — while no touch-first Windows tablets existed, 46% of U.S. consumers yearned for one,” Forrester analyst JP Gownder stated. “By Q3 2011, that picture had changed dramatically: Windows was no longer No. 1 in choice preference, and interest among consumers dropped to 25%. Microsoft has missed the peak of consumer desire for a product they haven’t yet released.”
Windows with its unique Metro UI had raked up considerable interest among tablet enthusiasts but to have the OS in a real tablet seems further down the line than earlier expected.
“For product strategists, Windows 8 tablets provide a cautionary tale: To be a fast-follower, you must amp up the experience — and do so quickly, before the market changes beyond recognition,” Gownder wrote. “Windows 8 tablets must provide consumers with a more differentiated product experience than it otherwise would have, had Microsoft entered the market sooner. They’ll have to take a lesson from Amazon’s product strategists, who fundamentally changed the tablet product experience by leading with content and services rather than feeds and speeds, at a compelling price point. In the rapidly evolving tablet market, Amazon — and Barnes & Noble, with its Nook Tablet — demonstrate fast following done right.”
Forrester though believes Windows 8 can have considerable impact in the desktop and laptop computing segments. It will be worth mentioning here that Microsoft had earlier cancelled its dual screen Courier tablet concept as it set out to devote more on developing Windows 8 which is optimized more for touch based operations.
Transformer Prime now on pre-order: price starts at $492
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For those who are interested — and surely there will be lot’s of them — Amazon have the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime up for sale. The tablet would cost $492.20 for the 32 GB and $584.22 for the 64 GB model. However, the prices mentioned are only for the tablet and does not include the optional keyboard docking station. The keyboard which comes as an accessory to be attached to the tablet, one has to shell out a further $150 though the site does not even list this item as available for sale yet. CDW too is accepting pre-orders for the Transformer Prime though the prices here are a bit hefty, $535.99 for the 32 GB version. Also, no shipping dates are mentioned anywhere though those who are placing their orders now will surely like to have the brand new Android tablet delivered by Christmas.
As for its claim-to-fame, the Transformer Prime is not just about being a sequel to one of the best selling Android tablet — the first gen Transformer but is also the first tablet to be based on the latest 1.4 GHz NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad core processor. The tablet otherwise measures 10.4 x 7.1 x 0.33 inches which is thinner than the previous variant of the Transformer as well as lighter, being 1.3 pounds. The Transformer together with the keyboard never felt light and it will be interesting to see how the Prime measures up here.
Rest of the spec sheet is impressive too, like 1 GB RAM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, front facing 1.2 megapixel camera along with a 8 megapixel auto focusing camera at the rear with LED flash. Then there is a micro SD card reader, micro HDMI port, G-sensor, gyroscope, E-compass, GPS, and built-in light sensor as well. The Transformer Prime also scores heavily on the battery front, with a back up time of 12 hours.
No information as of now as to what apps the tablet will come pre-loaded with apart from the usual Google application of gmail, gtalk or google maps. Access to google books can be a boon here for e-book lovers though its not yet confirmed.
The OS as of now is Android 3.2 Honeycomb with an upgrade to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich to be offered by Asus at a later date.
Till then, NVIDIA has released a video of the Transformer Prime running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, which provides a glimpse to what to expect when Asus officially releases the ICS update. So while everything is smooth with no hiccups whatsoever, what also impressed is the iOS like method of creating folder when one icon is dragged and dropped on another. This along with more has only made us impatient for the real stuff.
