The year 2010 is well turning out to be the year of Slates and Tablet PCs when everyone had thought its e-readers that would walk away with the crown. Apple’s iPad is the first major device to enter this segment and will soon be joined by similar or seemingly better products form a host of companies like HP, Dell, Acer, Notion Ink, Samsung and even cellphone giant Nokia, to name just a few. And if that is not all, online search giant Google too is rumored to have a no-frills Slate PC in the making that would be easy on the pocket. Or maybe it will be provided even free to those who are willing to accept data plans spanning at least 2-years.
Just as it is with netbooks, slates too are sought after, what with the intuitive touchscreen interface they come with, the reasonably good processing power they have and a screen that is miles ahead of what even the best phones can boast of. The stupendous success that Apple’s iPad has met with is further proof that there does exist a market for slates. However, the question that is doing the rounds is that which OS is best suited to gain traction as Slate demand picks up.
While quite a few of the upcoming Slates is based on the Android OS from Google, the iPad from Apple is featuring a modified version of the iPhone OS. Jolicloud, a start up company is in negotiations with several manufacturers to integrate its OS with their hardware. Moblin too is drawing applause for the latest version of its mobile OS that many believe is particularly suited for devices that are smaller than netbooks. JooJoo from Fusion Garage is garnering positive feedback for its proprietary OS that is Linux-based, though the device as a whole has come up with dismal performance so far.
The biggest surprise might in this scenario can be the Google Chrome OS that experts believe is the best OS for compact mobile devices like the Slate. While Apple with its iPad along with many more will surely find buyers for their high-end devices, it is Google along with its Chrome OS that could emerge as the absolute winner in the slate segment if the search giant can come up with a suitable hardware that won’t burn a hole in user’s pockets, something that the company is believed to be up to. So there’s a lot of excitement left in this segment.
Be at our Good E-Reader Blog for more on this as well as the latest Slate/Tablet or e-reader news.
Also, the April edition of our Good E-Reader Magazine is already out. So hurry if you don’t want to miss out on the introductory price offer of just $1.99. Subsequent issues will cost only $3.99.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.
