Top 5 Upcoming Tablets

Motorolla Xoom

The Motorola Xoom tablet is now available for online order, or you can pick one up at a best buy. It ships with Google’s new Honeycomb OS which is basically Android for Tablets. The Xoom has a lot under the hood that makes it comparable to iPad like 4G from Verizon, Flash, and a larger display (10.1 inches). It’s also got a 1GHz Tegra dual core processor and 1GB of RAM to boot. Not bad Motorolla not bad.

 

 

 

Notion Ink Adam

This tablet was the first of the bunch to actually go on sale. It boasts a Pixel Qi screen which allows you to turn the back light on and off enabling daylight reading. It also has a custom Android interface and will be upgrading to Honeycomb. Ad to that a 1GHz Tegra dual core processor and swiveling 3.2 MP camera and you have an inexpensive rival. The most expensive 3G + wifi version will run you only 500 bucks. Plus its got a whole slew of ports including HDMI, USB (x2) and Micros USB.

 

 

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 will have Honeycomb with Samsung’s “Touchflocustomization. It will be super thin at only 8.6 mm which is slightly thinner than the iPad2 which comes in at 8.8mm. It also has a dual core 1GHz processor and front and rear cameras of course.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Playbook

 

The Playbook is RIM’s definition of a tablet and I think its a pretty good one. The OS will be RIM’s so it’s neither Android or iOS. It’ll be a little think at 10mm in depth. It’s also smaller coming in at a more mobile 7 inches. It will also have a 1GHz processor with 1GB of RAM. Front and rear facing camera, 3 and 5MP respectively, however, the difference lies in its ability to sync with your Blackberry. We are talking contacts, calendar appointments…the works.

 

 

 

G Slate

The Gslate is another Honeycomb tablet that will be running on Tmobile’s 4G network which means 1GHz dual core processor, 1 GB Ram. The screen will not be as big as the other guy’s (only 8.9 in) however the display will be HD. Nothing out of the ordinary except for they sucker punch you with this little trick. It will have dual rear cameras for 3D and HD video capture. Booyah.


 

Notion Ink Adam Finally Shipping!

Someone out there finally got their Adam Tablet. Care to guess who? Yup Rohan the CEO of NotionInk himself, and he posted pictures as well. If your frothing at the mouth for one you’ll have to wait for the next batch of Pixel Qi screens to come in. However, word on the street is that more tablets will be available to order before the end of the month. Take a look at the Notion Ink Blog for more pics!

Notion Ink’s Adam Finally Gets a Demo Video

If you have been following this tablet at all, then you will know the events of the past week or so. The Adam, running Android 2.2 with custom UI, just went up for pre-order. It was a disaster, and many blogs including androidpolice.com were calling NI out for what looked like scammish behavior. However, Rohan reached out to them, and they have an interview which can be found here. Strangely enough, because of their bad-mouthing, they also got exclusivity to a video of the device working in all its naked glory. I think it’s a great start, however, the lack of a marketing team, or a strong one, is pretty evident but to be truthful – I’m not getting this device because of how well it was advertised that’s for sure! The video shows off the custom UI, it’s multiple ports, web-browser, and custom email app to name a few.

Check the video here:

Update:  New Video!!!



Longbox Blowes up Notion Ink’s Spot with Digital Comics Partnership

Well, well, well….what do we have here? According to the folks over at Longbox…Notion Ink’s Adam will be the first tablet to include Longbox’s Digital Comic Library. Looking at the video below – I am thoroughly excited. Rather than dealing directly with a publisher – it seems Notion Ink is providing access to different publishers on one platform through their “Genesis” store – much like iTunes, a place where you can purchase video and music content regardless of the source. Talking about the Notion Ink team, Longbox CEO Rantz Hoseley had this to say :

“It’s easy to talk big lofty ideas.  To see a company deliver the goods, even when it isn’t easy to do so?  Those are the kind of people you want to partner with, and Rohan and his team have been phenomenal in that regard.”

That’s one strong endorsement, especially about a new start-up that many people didn’t think would have made it this far. They are so confident in the experience that Hoseley goes on to say:

“Yes, a generic Android version of LongBox Digital, as well as an iOS version for iPhone and iPad will be released shortly after the launch of the ADAM tablet.  We’re confident that the experience of LongBox on the ADAM is a superior one, but we also strongly believe that you cannot dictate to people how, or on what device, they consume their entertainment media.”

Big talk, and I wouldnt mind putting the Adam to the test with a shiny review unit if I must say so myself! You can check out the Adam Specs here. There will be four versions:

  • LCD – Wifi only = $339
  • LCD – 3g + Wifi = $449
  • PixelQi – Wifi only = $449
  • PixelQi – 3g + Wifi = $498

Enough of the words Video below.

[source: Longboxdigital.com, Notionink.com]

Notion Ink Tablet Goodness!

Update: 8.4

So Rohan has been busy lately. Not only has he managed to update his blog, he has managed to get the site looking quite snazzy. Its flash, but he is working on an Ipad compatible version as well! The new site re-design makes me think that the “Buy Now” button can’t be to far off.

Another development was the confirmation that the present hardware will be compatible with the next version of Android that comes after Froyo. Chocolate Frosty Surprise I think it is…

Lastly, wifi will be b/g/n not just b/g which basically means greater range and increased performance.

Update: 6.27

I have been looking around the Notionink.com website and just realized that I can only get to the blog portion of the site. There used to be a website portion where you could view pictures of the tablet and see the specifications. There was even a store icon that said “coming soon”. Now all of that is missing which has my interest highly peaked! Does this mean what I think it means??? Are they going to announce a release date or better yet, are they modifying the site for pre-orders and new specs??? I’ll keep you posted..

If you are like me, then you are probably holding out for a tablet that is a little more functional than the iPad. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a hater, I’m just not that much of an early adopter. I like to see what my options are before I make a purchase! We did a tablet article a while back, before the iPad launched, where we talked about some of the tablets that were coming down the pipe. One of our favorites was Notion Ink’s “Adam” Tablet. Not only were we impressed by its creator, Rohan Shravan, but we were also impressed by the overall design and hardware specs. You can find the iPad comparison here. The tech world was all a-buzz a few days ago because Rohan mentioned that there might be some launch delays pushing the launch all the way back to November. Needless to say, people were sorely disappointed. However, Rohan has just recently cleared the air on his blog and he says things are “on track” whatever that means. As longs as things are on the track rather than off the track I say.  Below are some reasons for why I definitely want to wait a bit till this bad boy comes out sometime in Q3:

  • The Screen is one of the biggest factors. Made by Pixel Qi, it has the ability to basically turn black and white with the push of a button making viewing in direct sunlight much more do-able. This also boosts battery performance quite a bit. Will also come with an ambient light sensor which will automatically adjust the screen depending on lighting conditions.
  • It has a camera. Not just any camera…a 180 degree swiveling camera at that! This is for taking pictures or video of you or your surroundings with the push of a finger.
  • Track-pad on the back. Some people might think this is a small point, but I think the smallest points are sometimes the biggest. I predict this will be extremely useful because you wont have to hold the tablet with one hand just to select something on screen which will lessen hand fatigue and make the overall browsing experience that much more enjoyable.

Those are just a few key points, but you get the gist. Check out Notion Ink’s site here for more details.

Microsoft Stepping their Game up…FINALLY

Update:

Yea, so about that whole stepping up their game thing…turns out its more of the same. Courier has been cancelled as we all tried not to believe. Way to go Microsoft, for killing dreams. C’mon Adam, your our last hope and we don’t want any more delays! Anything past November and all bets are off!

On another note I’ll go ahead and add the ExoPc “Slate” to this list…

Its 11.6 inches, slightly bigger than the iPad, and runs Windows 7 which should be quite useful for people who still need to get stuff done. What really drew me in was the interface. Love the WebOs reminiscent swipe-to-exit functionality there. I also think the app launcher is pretty neat as well. Full HD playback, camera, and Adobe Flash support don’t hurt the cause either.

Ok Guys,

I’ve got more tablet news. If you are still thinking about purchasing the iPad, or one of the other tablets out there so you can let everyone in the office know what a trend-setter and awesome guy (or gal) you are then pause a quick second before you open that wallet.

Remember Microsoft’s rumored tablet? No, not that HP thingy, the two screened one that had the awesome demo vid? Yeah, its called the Courier, and its really shaping up to be a great device to rival the best.

I’ve included a nice video from Engadget below.

Now a couple of comparison notes:

  • iPad has an actual pre-order date of March 12th and a shipping date of April 3rd, so its the first to actually materialize. Notion ink’s Adam and the Courier are still Q3 or Q4, whatever that means.
  • Adam will have two modes – one for reading and one for content viewing which should dramatically increase battery life. It should also be able to run Javascript and have full HD playback making it an ideal content consumption device.
  • Courier is smaller than both, but has two screens which could become interesting with game-play. Think Nintendo DS.  It uses the stylus heavily for better or for worse, but the UI is quite captivating. If Microsoft can deliver on its promises in the video below they may have a winner. No word on pricing, video playback quality or battery life as Microsoft hasn’t even confirmed its existence yet, but I know you can’t wait!

My First Tablet will not be an iPad

Remember like a month ago when everyone was frothing at the mouth over Apple’s iPad? People were saying all sorts of things and then when the official announcement came, things just kinda simmered down. This was mostly because the iPad couldn’t do half the things everyone had thought it was going to be able to. People were thinking it was going to have a camera with gesture recognition, multi-tasking capabilities, making breakfast in bed, the whole shabang. Now granted, the iPad is still quite impressive, and the entry price-point of $499 certainly helps matters. Yet, there was this nagging feeling of what could have been. Then from left field we have Rohan Shravan, founder of Notion Ink busting onto the scene with his “Adam Tablet”.  Now here is where things get quite interesting… The Adam tablet not only has a 3.2 Megapixel camera, but it swivels as well. The Adam can not only double as an e-book reader, but it can turn off the backlighting for easier readability in direct sunlight with pixel Qi’s new screen which gives it increased battery life. Oh, and it runs flash, and has an entry cost of $327. Interested? Yeah I thought so. Check out the the below chart i picked up at Gizmodo:

Here is a video from Technoholik showing a version of the Adam that looks really quite nice.

Here is another one cause I know the first video isn’t enough