X2 intros iTablet, comes in two display sizes

Hot on the heels from Apple’s iPad launch, UK company X2 has introduced a new tablet. They’ve named it the iTablet (one of the rumoured names for the iPad), but takes one step ahead of the iPad by adding Flash, Windows/Linux versions, as well as a plethora of ports including HDMI and USB.

It will come in two display sizes, 10.2-inch and 12.1-inch (1024 x 768) displays with optional multi-touch. Not sure why they didn’t make it multi-touch out of the box, especially for a tablet that size. It will be powered by a 1.6GHz CPU (Atom?) and support up to 250GB of storage. Other features include built-in speakers, a 1.3MP webcam, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and optional 3G. Read more

JooJoo Tablet gears up to full production; app store on horizon

All of the fuss may still be over the Apple iPad, however let’s not forget Fusion Garage’s JooJoo tablet that offers a larger 12.1-inch display and flash support for the same price as the iPad ($499). The company has confirmed that production of the tablet has “moved into full production” with shipments expected to hit consumers by the end of February.

It has teamed up with Malaysia’s largest OEM, CSL who will absorb the upfront manufacturing costs in exchange for a royalty on each JooJoo sold. CSL has also made a strategic investment in Fusion Garage. The company’s founder, Chandrasekar “Chandra” Rathakrishnan, has also said that a full app store is in the works. “We have a bigger ‘app store’ than Apple because we have the full Internet,” Chandra said. The company is certainly ambitious, not that I really understand why seemingly every manufacturer wants their own app store these days…

Google tablet concept hints at Chrome OS touch support [Video]

Google may be setting itself on a collision course with Apple’s iPad if new pictures and video of a tablet concept is anything to go by. The company has remained quiet on whether there will be full multi-touch support in Chrome OS, although I’d be very surprised if there wasn’t. Recently TechRadar attended a talk where Google’s Senior Product Manager of Search indicated that touch may indeed be on the horizon.

The tablet concept images have shown up on the Chromium development site, where Google is sharing some of its mock-ups. Whilst this is purely a prototype it shows the direction Google is taking and likely means that it is considering all form-factors (netbooks, smartbooks, MIDs as well as tablets). Check out the concept video for yourself after the break. Read more

MSI Wind in sliding touchscreen tablet mod

One enterprising MSI Wind owner is conducted a nifty mod where he is looking to turn his Advent 4211c netbook (a rebadged MSI Wind U100) into a touchscreen tablet that opens up to reveal the keyboard, much like a slide form-factor seen on some mobile phones.

The whole project is work in progress, but he has managed to install the touchscreen and flip the display around. He has even added some custom buttons allowing him to dual boot the device between Windows 7 or OS X 10.6.2. The whole thing is working as a normal tablet but he hasn’t got round to installing the rails so far. That to me sound like the biggest challenge, so fingers crossed he completes his vision!

Via Netbooked.

ExoPC Slate: 8.9-inch tablet with Windows 7, 32GB SSD for $599

ExoPC will soon launch its 8.9-inch ExoPC Slate tablet that will be powered by a 1.6GHz N270 Atom processor (no Pineview love here), 2GB RAM, a 32GB SSD and Windows 7.

The 8.9-inch (1024 x 600) display will support multi-touch input and have a four hour battery life. Other features include three USB ports, a 1.3MP webcam, Wi-Fi (b/g), Bluetooth, VGA and Ethernet.

The ExoPC Slate will launch in March for $599, the same price as the 32GB Apple iPad. It’s not as thin as the iPad at 2.1cm in thickness but at least appears to more fully featured.

Via Engadget.

Tablet makers rethink strategy in wake of low Apple iPad pricing

The Apple iPad has certainly divided opinion since its official launch earlier this week. However, if there has been one universal positive, it is the low starting price of $499. Many expected a much higher price given Apple’s history of healthy margins on most of its products. Apple appear to be trying to carve this tablet market out for itself, and it has priced the iPad accordingly.

This unexpectedly low pricing has set the cat amongst the pigeons at manufacturers planning on releasing their own tablet products this year. The likes of Asus and MSI originally believed that they would price their products around 20 to 30 percent lower than the Apple iPad. But this was when a $1,000 price point was rumoured. The surprise $499 entry level pricing has caught many of these manufacturers off guard and will need to adjust prices even lower at the cost of margins. The end result is probably great news for the consumer as we’re likely to see quite keenly priced tablet products from the Taiwanese manufacturers.

Via Digitimes.

Apple iPad compared against 5 other upcoming slates

If CES wasn’t an indication enough that 2010 is likely to be the year of the tablet (or slate if you prefer), then Gizmodo has a nice comparison table where it has compared six slates (including the recently announced Apple iPad).

Having a quick run through the list, the Notion Ink stands out for me. It’s the only one to come with a Pixel Qi display for e-reading duties and sports Android, Tegra 2 and even a HDMI out. The only glaring omission is Adobe Flash support, but I’m sure Android will support this at some point down the line. Check out the detailed comparison table after the break. Read more

MSI prepping 10-inch Tegra/Android tablet for $500 later this year

MSI is planning on launching its 10-inch Tegra tablet, first shown off at CES, later this year for $500 according to Digitimes. It should be armed with Tegra’s Cortex A9 chipset and Android operating system.

This will pit it against the Apple iPad, with a similar price point, display and computing power. However the MSI tablet should benefit from multitasking and it is reported to be “thin and light.” Tegra should also be able to handle 1080p video as opposed to 720p for the Apple iPad. There are still question marks over a full spec-list but we’ll keep you posted.

Apple iPad finally unveiled – official pics, specs and video

Apple has finally revealed the iPad, a 9.7-inch tablet device that will be powered by a custom 1GHz Apple A4 processor and a 10-hour battery life. As expected, the iPad certainly looks gorgeous, measuring half an inch in thickness and will come in various flash storage options from 16GB to 64GB.

It will run the iPhone OS with a new UI. Included is a new e-book reading app called iBooks with a wireless online store. The company has partnered with Penguin, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, MacMillan and Hachett Book Group. Read more

HP demos Slate Tablet with video hands-on

Perhaps reminding people that there are other tablets coming to the market apart from Apple’s mythical device, HP has released a timely video where a few employees talk about its Slate tablet device. The device is demoed by HP Spokesperson Greta Schlender and Phil McKinney, CTO of HP’s Personal Systems Group.

Apparently it was conceived two years ago but shelved as it wasn’t ready for the market. Since then a “perfect storm” of hardware and software has made it viable again. It is expected to arrive at some point during 2010. Check out the video after the break. Read more

Nvidia Tegra 2 Tablet/Smartbook CES Roundup [Video]

Following the official Nvidia Tegra 2 announcement, a whole number of different next-gen Tegra powered products were shown on the trade floor at CES. Rather than creating a post for every single one, we’ve summarised each below and attached any relevant videos. Most of these consisted of tablets, rather than smartbooks, but it gives you a good idea of what to expect over the coming year. Check out the Tegra 2 action after the jump. Read more

Freescale’s tablet smartbook with dockable keyboard hands-on

Earlier in the week, Freescale announced a $200 tablet reference design that it hopes will come to the market via an OEM partner as early as this Summer. The tablet has a 7-inch (1024 x 600) display and is powered by the i.MX515 processor (including the ARM Cortex A8 chip), 512MB RAM and 4-64 GB of flash storage.

A number of publications went hands-on during CES this week with a mixed reception. The UI tended to be a bit laggy but the resistive touchscreen worked well. The build quality also wasn’t great and neither was the keyboard according to some reports.

Interestingly, there is an optional ($50) docking keyboard that the tablet slides right into turning it into a quasi-netbook. However, the dock keeps the display at one angle and can’t be folded over, so it’s only real use will be on a desk. Check out some videos of the device in action after the break. Read more

Nvidia Tegra 2 officially announced; 4x the power of its predecessor

Nvidia has formally announced the 40nm Tegra 2 chipset. The new chip combines a dual-core ARM Cortex A9 processor (running up to 1GHz speeds) with Nvidia graphics to create a platform expected to be used in a number of HD tablets, smartbooks and smartphones launching this year.

As you would expect, Tegra 2 can stream 1080p video, has HDMI-out and benefits from Flash Player 10.1 hardware acceleration. It does all this with an all day battery life. According to Nvidia, Tegra can deliver over 16 hours of HD video (140 hours of music) on a single charge – astonishing if true. Read more

HP Slate Tablet with mystery specs unveiled [Video]

HP drew back the curtains on a Slate tablet device running Windows 7. The device was unveiled at the Microsoft CES keynote by Steve Ballmer but very little is actually known about, including the name.

The slate tablet has been confirmed by HP who said it will be “available later this year.” Judging by the pictures it looks like it sports a 10-inch flush display surrounded by metal chassis. Check out a promo video of the mystery slate after the break. We’ve also attached a couple of larger shots of the slate courtesy of Gizmodo. Read more

Lenovo Ideapad U1 Hybrid hands-on video roundup

One of the more exciting ultraportables to be announced so far at CES is the 11.6-inch Ideapad U1 Hybrid that can be used as CULV notebook or tablet depending on preference. It was officially announced yesterday, so check out our previous post for all the details.

However, a number of publications have since gone hands-on with the device and posted their impressions. After the break, you’ll find six videos of the U1 Hybrid. It’s interesting to see that overall impressions were extremely positive, even more impressive given that this was only a pre-production model as the U1 isn’t set to launch until June.

Below you will find videos from Engadget, Liliputing, JKKMobile, NetbookNews, Laptop Mag and Slashgear. Gizmodo’s write-up is also worth a read if you’re fishing for information. Read more

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