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All posts tagged "slate"


Friday, August 26, 2011

HTC Puccini Coming To AT&T With LTE

Posted by Hooch Tan in "Digital Home News" @ 02:00 PM

http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/24/...port-confirmed/

"Have a gander. Take as long as you need. That, friends, is the AT&T-bound HTC Puccini, and it'll be the first tablet to hit Ma Bell with inbuilt LTE support. According to our sources, the Android-based slate is currently in testing, and should be hitting the markets in the not-too-distant future."

Can you imagine if we were all still stuck with GPRS speeds? As good a start as it was, the increase in speeds for our mobile wireless activities has payed a really large role in our adoption of smartphones and what they are capable of. Of course, we now see speeds where we can stream HD movies, share pictures in the blink of an eye and exceed our data caps in mere hours. The only complaint that I have with tablets and netbooks having built in LTE or wireless data connections for that matter is that they usually tend to be tied to specific carriers. Yes, each carrier uses different technologies or frequencies, but if an expensive device like a modern tablet is going to have wireless connectivity, why not make it compatible with more carriers so that if one does not fit your liking, you can always change?


Thursday, June 23, 2011

Seagate Delivers Unmatched Price-Performance Storage For World's First Tablet's Featuring Hard Drives

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Laptop Thoughts News" @ 09:45 AM

http://www.seagate.com

"Seagate (NASDAQ: STX) is delivering hard disk drive storage for the world's first handheld tablet computers with hard drives. The ARCHOS G9 8- and 10-inch tablets, announced today in Paris, feature the Seagate Momentus® Thin hard drive, a speedy notebook drive with a super-slim 7mm profile. The performance and capacity of the Momentus Thin drive are the perfect complement for the cutting-edge speed of the ARCHOS G9 family of tablets that features the industry's fastest dual-core 1.5 GHz processor and, on the strength of the Momentus Thin drive, gives users 250GB of capacity, eight times more than a standard 32GB tablet but at the same cost, making the ARCHOS G9 one of the tablet industry's best cost-performance values."

A hard drive that's only 7mm thin? Now that's impressive. 250 GB of storage on a tablet really changes the game when it comes to storage; if you're a movie, photo or music enthusiast, being able to carry all your media content on your tablet would be fantastic. Myself, I'd need 60 GB for all my photos (with some videos thrown in the mix), and another 99 GB to carry all my music. It will be 2016 until I'm able to get anywhere near that with Flash storage. On the flip side, even with as good as hard drives have become with shock tolerance, I'd feel like I'd have to treat the tablet in a more gentle fashion knowing that it had a spinning hard drive in it. It's a trade off to be sure. These two Archos tablets sound pretty interesting though - an 8 inch tablet with a dual-core 1.5 Ghz CPU for $279? Hmm. The remainder of the press release is after the break. Read more...


Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Tekkeon’s New Dual Port Power Pack, Certified by Apple for iPod, iPhone and iPad, Charges Two Devices at Once

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Laptop Thoughts Accessories" @ 09:00 AM

http://www.tekkeon.com/products-tekcharge1860.html

"TekChargeTM MP1860A, a dual port power pack with two USB outputs, simultaneously charges and powers your iPadTM, iPhone®, iPod® nano or iPod® touch, and a second small portable device. With mobile power at your fingertips, this high-capacity, lightweight battery lets you enjoy hours of extended play time on many of your small portable electronic products. Most portable devices are often in need of recharging after a few hours of use. By taking advantage of the TekCharge MP1860A rechargeable lithium ion battery, you can enjoy hours of extended play time on your iPad, iPhone, iPod, mobile phones, smartphones, Zune® and MP3 players, portable routers, e-readers, and other small portable electronic products. As an added bonus, TekCharge MP1860A includes a flashlight so you have emergency light at your fingertips."

Got an iPad or another tablet that needs a hefty bump of juice to charge? The Tekkeon MP1860A might have a uninspired product name, but it offers plenty of power - up to 2.1 amps, enough to charge an iPad or iPad 2. It's also been officially certified by Apple, so you know it will work. The battery holds 4400 mAH of power, which should be enough to recharge several smaller devices and partially recharge the iPad or another tablet device. I'm working on a review of another Tekkeon battery pack and it's quite impressive. Tekkeon really knows their batteries!


Thursday, January 13, 2011

CES 2011: Dell's Press Conference Announcing the Dell Streak 7, Venue Phone, and Other New Hardware

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Digital Home Events" @ 04:00 PM

For full-screen viewing, click click on the video above and watch it on YouTube.

This is a video shot in Las Vegas at CES 2011, the Consumer Electronics Show. This is the first time the Dell Streak 7 has been officially unveiled, along with the Dell Venue, and the un-named 10 inch tablet. Other announced hardware includes a 3D version of the XPS 17 laptop, a new Alienware Aurora desktop PC, a new XPS 8300 desktop PC, and a few other odds and ends. The press conference was almost an hour long, so I tried to include only the interesting parts. Enjoy!


Everki Track Laptop Messenger Bag

Posted by Chris Baxter in "Laptop Thoughts Accessories" @ 09:00 AM

Product Category: Laptop Bag
Manufacturer: Everki
Where to Buy: Amazon (affiliate link)
Price: $59.99
Specifications: Length: 16.54 in., Width: 7.09 in., Height: 12.99 in., Weight 1.98 lbs.

Pros:

  • Handy compartment designed for Apple iPad or any other similar sized tablet computer;
  • Lots of additional compartments to store other electronics, including power cords;
  • Small enough in size to take anywhere, yet can hold a lot more equipment than you would think.
Cons:
  • Clasps on front flap are difficult to manage while on the move;
  • The bag only accommodates up to a 15.6" laptop.

Summary: The Everki Track Laptop Messenger Bag, is a bag with a twist. It comes with a compartment especially designed to carry an Apple iPad. Given the wildly popular reception the iPad has received since its debut, there have been a lot of products designed to carry and protect it, but this is the first time I have seen a solution designed into a laptop bag, and that makes it rather unique. While some people might argue that the whole reason they bought an iPad was to ditch their laptop, for other people, myself included, that just isn't realistic. As handy as my iPad is, there are just some things that are done more efficiently with a laptop. So how do I easily carry both? Everki attempts to answer that question with their Track Laptop Bag. Just how successful are they? Let's see!

Read more...


Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Can The Kindle Survive In a Tablet World?

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Laptop Thoughts Articles & Resources" @ 08:00 PM

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/...pr_levy_kindle/

"We can read books on our phones, laptops, and tablets. So why would we throw in a dedicated e-reader like the Kindle when packing our already cramped carry-on bags? As you might expect, Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos is happy to supply an answer: angry birds."

An interesting perspective, and one that I ultimately agree with. Although the Kindle and the iPad look similar on the surface, when one weighs 1.6 pounds and the other 8.7 ounces, one lasts hours on a charge while the other lasts weeks, and one is $139 and the other is $499, you start to realize they're very different sort of devices. I'm planning on getting a Kindle this holiday season - the cheap Wi-Fi one - and am hoping I'll like it quite a bit. I love reading, but devices have never reached the price point where I was willing to take the risk of purchasing digital, DRM-protected content. I think that point has finally come...and, yeah, I'm still thinking about buying an iPad. I think I'll wait for v2 there as well...


Wednesday, August 4, 2010

The iPad Will Rule The US Tablet Market

Posted by Hooch Tan in "Digital Home News" @ 03:00 PM

http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/08/0...-ebook-readers/

"But did Apple just destroy the US tablet market in the same way? Are manufacturers really going to invest millions upon millions of dollars in R&D and marketing when consumers are buying the iPad by the millions? Is the US tablet market dead?"

Tablets, even slate tablets, have been around for a very long time, so I do not think that the iPad has preemptively killed the US market in any fashion. I believe that the iPad will certainly dominate for quite some time, as the tablet market was about as stagnant as the phone market was when the iPhone was introduced, but competition for the iPad already exists in the form of netbooks, and I am fairly sure that other major manufacturers will also look into entering the market with their own slates. The iPad certainly has a lead in the market but just as they drew from the resources and lessons learned with the iPhone, other manufacturers already have numerous tools, largely from the phone market, which can be used to compete.


Tuesday, June 1, 2010

First Impressions of the ExoPC

Posted by Hooch Tan in "Digital Home News" @ 07:00 AM

http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/...slate-hands-on/

"After months of following along, we finally got to spend some quality time with the 11.6-inch slate at Computex, and came away surprisingly impressed. Read on after the break for our impressions of this Windows 7 tablet, what that funky UI is all about, and a video of the Slate in action."

The ExoPC will invariably be compared to the hottest Slate on the market, the iPad. It packs what one would normally see in a netbook with the addition of a Broadcom Crystal HD chip so its performance will not break any records, but the big question is how well does Windows 7 work on it. With its capacitive touchscreen, the multi-touch features of Windows 7 have a chance to show themselves. Is it worth it? Well, the current generation of Slates are still fairly new and I am not convinced that Windows 7 is the best choice, but the release of the ExoPC gives us just that, choice. While the iPad is still headlining every few days, it is nice to see a greater selection coming out to let consumers figure out what best suits their needs. Tempting as the Slates are though, I hear no voice telling me that any of these are a must buy.


Friday, May 28, 2010

Where in the World is Microsoft's Slate?

Posted by Hooch Tan in "Digital Home News" @ 11:00 AM

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-20006146-56.html

"Microsoft could also build its own device from start to finish, using Windows 7, Windows Phone 7, or potentially some other software. That could allow for a more tightly integrated experience but runs the risk of further alienating partners. The company's recent decision to kill the Courier project suggests that Microsoft may have considered and rejected this option. "

Image credit: Gizmodo

I would have to agree with Forrester research. While Microsoft has had a strong brand name (good or evil, take your pick) it is definitely losing mindshare these days with the successes that Apple has had. More importantly, it looks as if the computing landscape is changing, with other devices being used in combination with your traditional PC. What Microsoft could see is the erosion of what people think Microsoft is for which may make it harder for the company to stay relevant. With consumer expectations in mind, I believe that Windows Phone 7 may be the best option, since it is designed to be instant on and power sipping. Of course, Windows Phone 7 is not out yet, so that may end up being a horrible disaster. The 800lb gorilla needs to wake up!


Monday, April 19, 2010

A Peek Into the Upcoming HP Slate

Posted by Hooch Tan in "Digital Home News" @ 05:30 PM

http://conecti.ca/2010/04/15/mini-r...comment-page-1/

"Each develops a gadget that Apple does not spare those who come after announcing that they have a replacement. Just as there are a lot of iPod Killers (still waiting) and iPhone Killers (Hello?), now has been the range of IPAD Killers. Case to light, the HP Slate. We had a short in our hands."

The review, in Spanish (translation through Google here), looks at a pre-production HP Slate, so I would take some of the comments with a grain of salt. The one thing I do take away from it is that HP seems to have considered the Slate a netbook sans keyboard, which I believe to be a mistake. It seems that after years of tablets, both convertibles and slates, manufacturers should be aware that a different interface is what is needed, and this is where competition against the iPad needs to be made. I am reminded of the lesson that Microsoft learned with Windows CE and then the PocketPC OS/Windows Mobile. When Microsoft first came out with Windows CE, they mirrored the Windows 95 interface which failed horribly. Then they tried what is seen up to Windows Mobile 6 which still has its limitations. The form factor dictates a different interface. As it stands, it looks like the HP Slate will be a disappointment. Anyone still interested in getting one?


Monday, April 5, 2010

HP Slate Specs Leaked?

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 08:00 PM

http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/05/...5-hour-battery/

"Well, well -- what's this? We just got our hands on what looks like an internal HP Slate presentation given to cool down some of the iPad hype amongst HP employees, and it just happens to have specs and pricing details on the elusive Windows 7 tablet."

This looks official enough, but anyone with moderate skills can mock up nearly anything, so I'll hold off on believing this 100%...but there's nothing on here that's difficult to believe. An Atom Z530 CPU makes sense, as does 1 GB of RAM (I wish it were 2 GB though) and everything else makes sense. It's nice to see they didn't cripple it with Windows 7 Starter edition - what with its non-background changing and all - and the two cameras are a nice addition. The hardware addresses many of the things that the iPad lacks - but the Slate clearly falls short in the battery life department when stacked up against the iPad. So what do you think? If the HP Slate comes out at $549, will you buy one?


New HP Slate Video Looks Amazing

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Digital Home News" @ 10:22 AM

http://h20435.www2.hp.com/t5/Voodoo...ence/ba-p/54735

"Up to now, we've given you only tiny glimpses of the HP slate device coming out later this year. You saw it first in a video we released during CES and most recently in videos demoing its Web experience and Adobe Flash and Air support. We've also blogged about the evolution of the slate category and our history in the space. So far, almost everything we've shared showcases how you'll consume media with the device. And by media we mean all types of digital content, whether it's a story from a major news outlet or videos and photos you've shot. But we also believe that media consumption is only half of the ideal mobile experience."

One word: WOW. I've been cautiously optimistic about the HP Slate, and what was holding me back was the fact that Windows 7 isn't a touch-focused operating system, or is it an operating system that tends to work really well on low-end hardware. While I can't speak to the performance yet (and frankly I'm a bit worried about that), if the work that HP has done on this custom UI goes fairly deep, I could see spending most of my time inside this software suite. It's hard to judge the final product based on a slick marketing video, but I see a lot of things here that I like.


Thursday, March 18, 2010

Slate Tablets Just Keep Getting Cheaper

Posted by Hooch Tan in "Digital Home News" @ 04:30 PM

http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/...s/Marvell-Moby/

"If priced at just $100, the Moby will presumably feature conventional LCD technology, not an E Ink display. However, Marvell says downloadable textbooks for the Moby could sell for a fraction of bound versions, adding that the device should also help children from being injured by toting overweight backpacks. "

A teardown of the venerable iPad estimates the hardware costs at around $275. By comparison, Marvell seems intent on being able to sell a tablet for $100. The question will be just how well the Moby will perform in comparison to other tablets. It will offer Android and Windows CE support and claims support for a wealth of other components we expect in this increasingly mobile world. While I think the iPad will offer a lot, this kind of slate tablet interests me much more as the price definitely makes it an impulse buy, and makes computing even more accessible.


Saturday, January 9, 2010

Say Hello to Dell's Little Friend: The Mini 5

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 04:00 AM

http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/307..._medium=twitter

"Dell's 5-inch Internet tablet is to be called the Dell Mini 5 according to the company, suggesting that it will fit in its portable products range as the second handset to follow the Dell Mini 3 and slot in under the "Mini" range of netbooks. Dell told Pocket-lint the news at an exclusive round table event with a handful of journalists at its suite in the Palm's hotel in Las Vegas."

Pocket-lint has a bunch more photos of the forthcoming Dell Mini 5, and some further details such as the fact that it will come with both a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, and a front-facing one of unknown resolution. Exactly what you'd need for video conferencing. This could be a really interesting device depending on the price point. Has it captured your imagination?


Thursday, January 7, 2010

Dell Launching Small Android Slate Device

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Digital Home News" @ 10:12 AM

http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/07/...west&refresh=15

I'm watching the Engadget liveblog of the Dell keynote, and just for a moment, the speaker took out a small slate-type device, looks like a five inch screen to me, and then quickly put it away. The new "tease 'em" style of press conference that Dell started last year with the first Adamo. It's running "Dell Andriod", version of Andriod that Dell is customizing for their devices. Sounds like different screen sizes are in the works, with different OS' as well.

UPDATE: Engadget and Pocket-lint were given a closer look, so check out the photos. Looks like it has a SIM slot, so expect a carrier partnership...

Tags: dell, ces 2010, slate

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