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All posts tagged "tablet pc"


Friday, December 23, 2011

Slipping into the LTE Jetstream -- a review of Rogers' HTC Jetstream

Posted by Don Tolson in "Other Slates & Tablets" @ 08:30 AM

Product Category: Tablet
Manufacturer: HTC
Where to Buy: Rogers or AT&T
Price: USD $499 w/3 year contract, $799 w/o contract from Rogers; $599 with w/2 year contract, $749 w/o contract from AT&T
System Requirements: Android 3.1 (Honeycomb) with HTC Sense
Specifications: 256mm (10.1in diagonal) LCD tablet with 1.5GHz, dual core CPU; 1G RAM; Quad band GPRS, Tri-band HPSA + LTE; 32G internal memory (28G available) + microSD card slot (32G maximum); 250mm (9.87in) x 178mm (7in) x 13mm (0.5in); 750g (26.5oz). Full specifications can be found here.

Pros:

  • First LTE-capable tablet available in Canada;
  • Very comfortable size and weight;

Cons:

  • Pricey compared to other tablet offerings available;
  • Yet another non-standard charging/sync port.

Summary: In October 2011, with much fanfare, Rogers announced the availability of the HTC Jetstream (aka the HTC P715a) -- Canada's first LTE-capable tablet. Even though the LTE network is limited to three cities in Canada (Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver) we were able to get one of the preview units and play with it for a week in Victoria and Vancouver! So, does an LTE-equipped tablet run circles around mere 3G/H models? The results were surprising. Read more...


Tuesday, June 28, 2011

A Slate For Every Taste

Posted by Hooch Tan in "Laptop Thoughts News" @ 01:00 PM

http://blog.laptopmag.com/top-10-ipad-alternatives

"Between a slew of new Android Honeycomb slates and the HP TouchPad, shoppers have plenty of compelling Apple alternatives to choose from. Here are the 10 tablets we’re most excited about."

The iPad has been out for over a year now and continues to dominate the consumer tablet marketplace. Competitors have had over a year to develop their own slate goodness and some alternatives are starting to gain traction. Unfortunately, few will ever seen a fraction of the media attention that the iPad gets, but Laptop Magazine has compiled a useful list of some options. After being inundated with tablet after tablet, I have to admit that they are all starting to look alike to me, even the iPad. I wonder how long it will be before the slate tablet, with all the energy put into it, will start turning out to be a commodity item, much like how the traditional computer is seen.


Thursday, June 16, 2011

Surf The Friendly Skies With A Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

Posted by Jason Lee in "Android Slates/Tablets & Accessories" @ 02:00 PM

http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/13/...-seats-on-amer/

"Move on over, Delta. The 200 iPads at your JFK terminal may entertain some folks waiting to board, but before the year's out American Airlines will start switching out 6,000 in-flight entertainment systems with Samsung 10.1-inch Galaxy Tabs."

When I fly it's usually one step above luggage class so this is something I'll never see. It looks like American Airlines will be replacing their old media devices available to those who sit in the front seats with fancy new Galaxy Tab 10.1s. Samsung made quite the splash in the Android phone market with their Galaxy S phones. Now it appears they are off to a pretty good start in the tablet realm. Good news for Samsung, even better news for Android.


Tuesday, May 17, 2011

LG Optimus Pad 3D to Help Canadians Work Harder and Play Harder

Posted by Michael Knutson in "Android Slates/Tablets & Accessories" @ 09:30 PM

"Today, LG is bringing media content to life with the release of the Optimus Pad, the world's first tablet with a 3D camera. The tablet is the latest in mobile technology, with a dual-core processor and running on the newest Android 3.0 Honeycomb OS. The LG Optimus Pad with Android 3.0 Honeycomb means that, not only will you be able to access all the latest apps from the Android Market, but you'll also be able run multiple apps simultaneously."

Another Android 3.0 tablet thrown into the mix, but this one has a gimmick, a 3D camera. With an 8.9-inch screen, LG is betting that maybe this is the tablet for people that think a 7-inch screen is too small, and a 10-inch screen is too large and unwieldy. Oddly enough, the resolution is 1280x768, or a 15:9 aspect ratio. The ability to capture 3D images and video is interesting, but unless a 3D TV is available, it remains simply a gimmick. Do 3D images seen in 2D still look bad? Does the addition of a 3D camera add value? Price at Rogers range from $449 subsidized (with plan), to $699 (unsubsidized). Canadian readers - thumbs up? thumbs down?


Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 LE Reviewed

Posted by Michael Knutson in "Other Slates & Tablets" @ 02:30 PM

http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/17/...edition-review/

"It may be a bit difficult to pay attention to the spate of Honeycomb tablets that seem to be popping up left, right and center -- you know, now that Ice Cream Sandwich has been officially promised -- but what's not easy to overlook is an 8.6mm slate. Checking in at a sliver of a pinch thinner than the illustrious iPad 2, Samsung's rethought-out, redesigned and definitely-not-renamed Galaxy Tab 10.1 is the first Android tablet to date that seriously goes toe-to-toe with Apple in both specifications and design."

Looks like we may soon have a new leader in the Android Tablet Race. Scheduled for release on or about June 8, 2011, Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 is, in the reviewer's eyes, the first Android tablet to equal and (or) surpass the iPad 2 in most areas. Larger (wide) screen, sleek and attractive, better resolution @ 1280x800, lighter, and arguably more powerful, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 appears to be arriving at the same price as the iPad2, starting at $499 for a 16GB WiFi model. Come on, Samsung, how about being a tad cheaper than the iPad?!

Still, looking at the video, I think that the iPad still leads in ease-of-use out of the box, but Android seems to be catching up. With Android 3.1 on the near horizon, some of the complains are remedied, like adding re-sizeable widgets, USB host support, better HTML5 support, task switcher improvements, and improved performance. Looks like the gauntlet has been thrown down - it'll be interesting to see if iOS now 'borrows' some of the better features from Android. And, again, the consumer benefits!


Sunday, January 2, 2011

Could The Scribe Be A Tablet?

Posted by Hooch Tan in "Laptop Thoughts News" @ 03:30 PM

http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/30/...ld-be-a-tablet/

"It's an open secret at this point that HTC is almost certainly working on one or more tablets for introduction in 2011 -- and with heavyweights like Samsung, Motorola, and LG all playing the game (or about to play the game), really, how could they not?"

The USPTO (along with the FCC) seems to be a wonderful source for technological speculation. Whenever a company submits a documents, it usually it not long before enthusiasts unearth any details hidden in the filing. This time, HTC is the target and the prize is a tablet, possibly running on Android. HTC has a strong heritage in smartphones and is also no stranger to tablets and tablet like devices. With Samsung showing that Apple is not the only company capable of making a successful tablet, HTC might be able to produce yet another happy story for Android fans. Of course, while it might be Android based, I suspect that HTC's Sense UI may play a role.


Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Viewsonic ViewPad 7 Disappoints

Posted by Chris Gohlke in "Other Slates & Tablets" @ 03:00 AM

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/re...iewpad_7_review

"At first glance, the ViewPad 7 looks like an iPad 4 that’s been taking injections of gadget growth hormone. Like the latest iPhone, ViewSonic’s tablet has rounded-off edges, a handsome metal band skirting its circumference, and a glossy black backing plate. From an industrial design perspective, it’s the slickest Android tablet we’ve tested. And, while the ViewPad 7 easily bests the Dell Streak and lesser Android tablets from a real-world use perspective, it falls short of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, and lags far behind the iPad."

I'm really having a hard time figuring why there hasn't been an awesome Android tablet yet. At least from my perspective, the requirements don't seem too stringent. Make it do the same thing my phone does, just in a larger package. You can also drop the 3G coverage and make it WiFi only as far as I'm concerned as I'll mostly be using it where there is a network or just tether it to my phone. Now come on, somebody get it done!


Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Angry Birds and the Root of All Nooks

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

http://androinica.com/2010/11/30/no...nd-launcherpro/

"In his review of Barnes & Noble’s e-reader Nook Color, Andrew mentioned that eventual root access perhaps could provide the somewhat limited tablet with extra functionality. Thanks to the industrious and experimental gadget lovers at the xda-developers, the Nook Color has now indeed been rooted, but the process is still pretty complicated."

Hacking hardware seems to be a tradition of popular, or even semi-popular electronics. From the Linksys WRT54G series to various HTC phones, hackers have been busy stretching the boundaries of what these electronics are capable of. The Nook Color is no exception. Why root an eBook reader? Well, since the Nook has Android underpinnings, rooting means that you can install your own apps. This is a Good Thing, since the Nook does not give access to the Market. It also makes the Nook a very tempting colour Android tablet. I hope Barnes and Noble priced their tablet so they do not sell it at a loss, as I suspect that once the rooting process is streamlined, quite a few sales of the Nooks will be for non-eBook purposes.


Monday, November 29, 2010

When is an iPad not an iPad?

Posted by Hooch Tan in "Laptop Thoughts News" @ 01:00 PM

http://www.daniweb.com/reviews/review327951.html

"The iPad, without doubt, energized a genre by pretty much redefining it. Of course, that energy is boosted by competition and nowhere is this stronger than the small army of Android-powered tablets that are now available for the seasonal shopper."

If anyone mentions the word tablet these days, most people will immediately think iPad. Slate tablets have definitely been around a long time, but the recent generation of tablets are unlike anything we have seen. While the iPad continues to dominate, there are many competitors which might be worth your consideration. Based on the reviews and comments from Daniweb, there seems to be many limitations to the current crop of Android tablets, and it may be best to wait for them to start supporting to newer Android OS versions which are much more tablet friendly. These tablets also seem to be lacking support for the Android Market, which pretty much means that that lovely tablet you just bought is likely to offer very little in terms of what you can do with it. If you must go Android though, the Froyo tablets are your best bet as they will give you as close to a full Internet experience as can be had. Otherwise, look towards the Fruit for your tablet needs.


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