Lenovo’s Ideapad U1 Hybrid converts from 11.6” CULV to tablet

Lenovo has announced an interesting new form-factor that bears a similarity to Always Innovating’s TouchBook. The Ideapad U1 Hybrid is effectively an 11.6-inch (1366 x 768) multi-touch tablet device that docks into a traditional laptop design. When paired the U1 runs off the Intel CULV processor and when in tablet mode, it is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset.

The U1 Hybrid comes with 4GB RAM (512MB in tablet mode) and can support a 128GB SSD (16GB is used for the tablet). Other features include two USB ports, eSATA, VGA, HDMI, 4-in-1 card reader, and a 1.3MP webcam. The operating system is catered for by Windows 7 when using as a laptop and Lenovo’s custom Linux OS in tablet mode (probably the same that will be used in the Lenovo Skylight smartbook). Read more

Freescale unveils $200 7-inch smartbook tablet reference design

We expect to see a whole raft of smartbook devices at CES this week. Right on cue, Freescale has revealed a 7-inch (1024 x 600) tablet reference design that it is shopping to potential OEMs. The company hopes that its tablet design would be able to hit retail for less than $200 and could appear as soon as Summer 2010.

As with all smartbooks, the tablet is expected to be always-on and have an all-day battery life. In terms of specifics, the smartbook tablet is based on the i.MX515 processor, which incorporates the ARM Cortex A8 chip. It will also come with 512MB RAM and 4-64 GB of flash storage. Read more

Nvidia prepping Tegra 2 announcement for CES 2010

Nvidia’s Tegra chipset is similar to ION but differs in that it marries an ARM-based processor with an Nvidia GeForce GPU whereas ION pairs an Intel Atom CPU instead. The benefits of the Tegra SoC (system-on-chip) includes the ability to handle 1080p video, HD Flash, GPS, Wi-Fi, 3G and a huge battery life. All of this while being very energy efficient.

However, Tegra hasn’t taken off as well as Nvidia would have hoped. It is used in the Zune HD but not too many other high profile products. In response to this, Nvidia is set to announce the second-generation Tegra chipset at CES in January. Tegra 2 is believed to be twice as powerful as the original and run on a 40nm dual-core ARM processor. A number of new devices sporting the Tegra 2 chipset are expected to appear at CES 2010. Read more

Harlequin dual-screen ‘Courier’ tablet created from Dell Mini 9

Now this is a mod we’ve not come across before. MyDellMini member pakkei decided to embark on the Harlequin project, which was to create something similar to the Microsoft Courier. For those that don’t know, the fabled Microsoft Courier has dual-screen multi-touch panels and is designed for writing, flicking and drawing with a stylus, in addition to fingers.

The Harlequin is pakkei’s take on the project, where he has modded his Dell Mini 9 netbook to form a slate and then added another 9-inch USB touchscreen. The left panel will be used for reading content and the right panel will be used for taking notes. The orientation of the displays can also be reversed to be used in a more normal netbook form-factor too.

As the device uses Windows 7 it features both handwriting and voice recognition. The Harlequin is mostly working although it does need a dual-hinged chassis. Seems like some good handy work from pakkei.

Via Netbooked.

JooJoo tablet hands-on video roundup

The JooJoo web tablet (formerly known as the CrunchPad) was christened its new name just yesterday, but with no accompanying media. However, it looks like Fusion Garage’s Chandra Rathakrishnan has been doing the rounds, as video hands-on impressions from both Cnet and Engadget have surfaced.

The JooJoo uses a number of multi-touch gestures including two finger swipes to move backwards/forwards. Cnet feels that the virtual keyboard is “poorly positioned”, although you can always use a Bluetooth/USB keyboard (kind of defeats the purpose though). Cnet were impressed with the 12.1-inch (1366 x 768) capacitive display, describing it as “pleasing to hold” and “gorgeous”. However, the $499 price point is likely to be a sticking point for many saying that it’s great “if you have money to burn.”

The hardware has a dedicated GPU powerful enough to run 1080p YouTube content. Engadget managed to experience this first-hand, describing the 1080p Avatar trailer as “crisp and lag-free.” Performance will be dependent on wireless bandwidth though. Engadget’s main gripe was that the “touch sensitivity is pretty bad” with the keyboard being “painful” to use. A pretty big problem for a tablet. Check out both hands-on videos below.

Update: Gizmodo and Wired have also posted their hands-on impressions. Read more

CrunchPad tablet morphs into the $499 JooJoo

Following on from the very public falling out between TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington and hardware partners Fusion Garage, the CrunchPad now has a new name. The 12.1-inch tablet will now be known as the JooJoo. Fusion Garage’s founder, Chandra Rathakrishnan, also went on the record to say that the device was already being worked on before Arrington approached them. He also claims that there was no contract between them.

The specs are mostly what we already know, it has a 12.1” capacitive touchscreen display and includes a 4GB SSD. It boots straight into the browser and runs a UNIX-based operating system. It includes Wi-Fi but no sim-slot for 3G. Battery life is quoted to last for around 5 hours. Pre-orders start from December 11th and will cost $499. Initial deliveries will begin in 8-10 weeks. Demos of the JooJoo are expected later this week.

First Pixel Qi displays target multi-touch tablets; DIY kits promised

The production of Pixel Qi’s 3Qi Hybrid Display is starting shortly and will ramp up over the first quarter of 2010. The company also confirmed that the first displays will hit “specialized tablet devices with multi-touch.”

The driving force behind the project, Mary Lou Jepsen, did not give any hints as to which manufacturers she is working with but expects further announcements at CES 2010 in early January. Interestingly, for those budding modders out there, Pixel Qi also confirmed that it plans to make its displays available through a DIY kit.

The 3-in-1 display can not only switch between an efficient black-and-white mode and a high resolution colour screen, but also to an e-paper mode suitable for reading in direct sunlight.

The CrunchPad is no more

The CrunchPad project from TechCrunch founder, Michael Arrington has been sensationally axed today following what Arrington describes as “greed, jealousy and miscommunication.” This is a sharp turnaround, following positive momentum and an imminent launch.

The 12-inch touchscreen internet tablet was being manufactured by Fusion Garage, According to Arrington’s side of the story, it seems that Fusion Garage was looking to cut ties and push ahead with the CrunchPad without full ownership of the intellectual property.

Obviously Arrington is not happy about this. “We will almost certainly be filing multiple lawsuits against Fusion Garage, and possibly Chandra [Founder of Fusion Garage] and his shareholders as individuals, shortly. The legal system will work it all out over time,” he said. Disappointing news indeed. Click through for one of the key excerpts from Arrington’s post. Read more

Stantum’s multi-touch resistive Slate PC demoed [Video]

Stantum’s Slate PC may be just a concept device right now, but that hasn’t stopped the company showing off its multi-touch resistive panel. The Stantum Slate PC is basically a keyboard-less Dell Mini 10. Netbooked managed to get a demonstration of the technology behind the Slate. Initial impressions pointed to a sensitive and responsive panel.

It supports 10 points on the screen i.e. all ten fingers, which is demoed on the video. They even show how sensitive the screen is by using it with a paintbrush! A number of gestures and swipes are also supported. There’s no release date for this but hopefully we’ll see one of these panels in a tablet netbook soon. Check out the video after the break. Read more

Apple tablet delayed till H2 2010?

It’s difficult to understand how something can be delayed when it hasn’t even been announced, but Digitimes is reporting that the oft-rumoured Apple tablet will now launch in the second half of 2010. It has been pushed back from a March launch schedule as it has switched components and now plans to launch two models; one with an OLED screen and another with a TFT LCD display.

The OLED panel will be supplied by LG Display according to the report and will be 9.7-inches in size. The TFT LCD model will come with a 10.6-inch display and will be manufactured by Foxconn, Quanta and Pegatron Technology.

Looking at current OLED 9.7-inch display prices of $500, you can estimate that the tablet will have a total whopping cost of around $1,500 to $1,700 (panel costs typically account for around 30 percent of the device’s total cost). However, as prices are dropping all of the time, Apple is expected that the cost of the OLED model will be in the region of $1,200-1,500 by the time of release. This will lead to a retail price of around $2,000. The 10.6-inch TFT model is expected to be priced between $800 and $1000.

CrunchPad tablet still alive; to cost between $300 – $400

Mike Arrington’s CrunchPad tablet project is still underway and on schedule despite rumours to the contrary. Speaking on the Gillmor Gang video, he reaffirmed that the “CrunchPad is steamrolling” and that “costs keep coming down”. In terms of the price tag, Arrington expects the cost to sit somewhere between $300 and $400.

Interestingly, he expects the device to be supported by “soft revenue” from “sponsorships”. Further news is expected very soon according to Arrington, who hopefully will give further detail on how adverts will be implemented. This may involve preloaded links or adverts, however Arrington has promised that they will be used “without impacting the user experience”. You can check out the video after the break, with the CrunchPad action starting at around the 39 minute mark. Read more

Dell Mini 9 slate tablet mod now gets accelerometer

We previously reported on a mod that enabled you to convert your Dell Mini 9 netbook into a slate tablet. For those of you that actually went through the effort then you’ll be glad to hear that another mod exists that puts accelerometer functionality into the tablet.

You can check out the results after the jump, but it seems pretty good and much cheaper than pre-packaged alternatives. The full guide on how to do this can be checked over on the MyDellMini forums. Read more

Dell Mini 9 mod converts netbook to slate tablet

Windows 7 is expected to herald a new dawn for touchscreen PC devices, mainly due to its in-built touch functionality (as long as you’re running Home Premium or higher). MyDellMini member Rob928 wanted to join in on the action and decided to mod his Dell Inspiron Mini 9 netbook to convert it into a touchscreen slate tablet.

This certainly looks like a complex mod involving removing the lid and trimming the hinges. A solder-less touchscreen kit was used for the finished result. Whilst the modder got the tablet to work with Windows 7, it is subject to heat build-up (40-50 degrees) as much of the heat is normally vented through the keyboard. Some pictures of his work in progress can be found here.

Via GadgetMix.

Toshiba JournE: 7-inch tablet plays HD video

Toshiba has announced a new MID at IFA in Germany, called the JournE. This device is a 7-inch touchscreen tablet that has a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. As it is powered by an ARM-based processor, it runs the Windows CE 6.0 Pro operating system. However, judging by the pictures it seems that it runs a custom UI.

The JournE can play back sub-1080p video or full HD video via the HDMI output. It also supports a broad range of codecs (H.264, DivX, WMV). Other features include Wi-Fi (b/g), HDMI functionality in the dock, 1GB of storage (although this can be expanded via the SD card slot).

The device measures just 14mm in thickness. The JournE will hit the market for €249 when it is released in the further quarter this year. Check out some hands-on videos from Engadget and NetbookNews after the break. Read more

HP & MSI planning Pineview-powered tablet netbooks for H1 2010?

Both Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Micro-Star International (MSI) are planning to launch convertible netbooks during the first half of 2010, according to Digitimes. MSI will be launching a 10-inch tablet netbook at the start of 2010, whilst HP plans a similar release for April/May 2010 manufactured by OEM Inventec.

The report says that both convertible netbooks will use Intel’s next-gen Pineview N450 Atom processor. It’s therefore very likely that they will be powered by Windows 7, taking advantage of the operating system’s touch features. It also says that Asus will be launching its 10-inch Eee PC T101 tablet netbook with Windows 7. The report goes on to say that Apple may be launching its tablet device as early as November 2009.

Via Electronista.

« Previous Page — Next Page »