With several netbooks and the Pico smartbook to show off in their product line-up, its perhaps entirely natural for the Germany based company Smartbook AG to next get into doing what everyone else is doing – develop a tablet PC. And they have done just that, which they have named the ‘Smartbook Surfer’ – a tablet in the 7 inch category with some nice features that can make the sleek device stand out on its own in an otherwise crowded segment.
The Smartbook Surfer has been built for the budget conscious consumers, though in doing so, the tablet does look a lot like the Augen GenTouch78 tablet which has only recently gone on sale in the US. With a 7-inch 800 x 480 pixel resolution WVGA touch screen display upfront, the Smartbook Surfer has a 720MHz Telechips TTC8902 processor at its core coupled to a 256MB DDR2 RAM while also having a 2GB NAND flash memory. There is also a microSD card slot that will let you expand your storage options even further. The operating system is Google’s Android OS, version 2.1.
Among the other features that the Smartbook Surfer boasts of include a built-in camera, a GPS module, two USB 2.0 ports, and an HDMI port. Connectivity options though is limited to just 802.11b/g WiFi. Smartbook AG has also stated the tablet can play back 1080p video effortlessly. The company also claims their tablet is compatible with Adobe Flash though its likely to be only Flash Lite at best since the tablet comes pre-loaded with the 2.1 version of Android and its Android 2.2 that is needed to run Adobe Flash. Coming to the batteries, it’s a 1400mAh lithium-polymer that has been included though its not known how long will that be able to sustain operations.
Overall, the Smartbook Surfer packs a sleek design and measures 7.3 x 4.5 x 0.57 inches while weighing at just 12.35 ounces. The tablet comes with a complimentary leather case and is on sale in Germany now for €179 which translates to around $234 USD. However, Smartbook AG hasn’t yet come up with an international launch schedule.
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.
