Reported on JustinsAdvice and elsewhere on the web, thousands of original iPad owners have rushed to sell their devices to online gadget buyers such Gazelle. Within hours of the official announcement the company purchased over 2000 used iPads! Thanks to the abundance of used iPads, anyone looking for an iPad can now get a 16GB WiFi 1st gen model for $300 US!! Amazing what the technology cycle does. I suppose this will even be harder on the competition as I suspect many customers would rather have a 1st generation iPad than an expensive new model (whatever that may be).
The Current Crop of Tablets Fairly Compared?
Droid-Life has posted an article on the specifications for the iPad2 and competitors for those interested in knowing which hardware to buy. I see a flaw here in that it presents the iPad2 as nothing more than a device with a "cheaper price and thinner body" and that all others already have what the iPad2 introduced. Well, I think it's more than that. I think it is a synergy of the hardware and software that provides the overall value and ultimate functionality of a device. That is a formula I think competitors have yet to match. I can see HP's WebOS tablet as the closest follower of that next to Apple. Which is why I will be paying attention to that tablet this year when I decide on a purchase by the fall, if not sooner.
Concept NoteSlate looks promising!
The NoteSlate, $99 concept, with a possible introduction in in June, is a tablet that offers touch or pen input in single color "E-Ink". With a 4-color version sometime down the road, The Noteslate offers an interesting direction to to E-Readers. It will offer up to 180 hours of battery life and be fully open-source with an initial software release supporting storable notes, simple drawing and MP3 playback! I wonder if Kindle is not far behind on this as an iPadesque Kindle tablet. Imaging using this as an E-Reader and possibly a few applications! Hope the NoteSlate takes note! Read more.
What if: Hybrid PC/Tablet, hey I am thinking beyond!
Upon reading Engadgets “webOS on PCs will be an 'integrated experience'" Article It really got me thinking about HP’s “Think Beyond” event. No details were brought forth, but what if WebOS or IOS or Android for that matter could be used as a bootable operating system in next generation laptops? I don’t mean virtual execution or even using multi-boot or boot camp, but booting into a different architecture altogether? There are switchable graphics laptops that boot or change into a whole new graphics hardware scheme for power savings or performance. Why not combine for example, Intel architecture with ARM architecture and have the user “switch” to normal pc computer or a power saving tablet OS? The laptops can then truly take advantage of both worlds! A small thin foldable laptop that converts to a tablet (with a keyboard if one so desires by rotating the screen) and then a normal PC workhouse running on different architecture with a simple boot or even a flip of a switch!
Using my Tungsten E2 as an HTPC controller!
My HTPC keyboards are really good for typing and maintaining the HTPC in shape, but when I want to sit back and enjoy movies and music I want a portable remote. That's were my old Palm PDA's come to the rescue! The cheapest wireless touchpads are about the same price as an old Tungsten E2, but nowhere near as functional or useful! I have repurposed a Palm Tungsten E2 as a dedicated HPTC remote. Using NoviiRemote I can turn on my TV and stereo surround receiver and control their functions to my liking by macro programming. I then switch to Pebbles Project Remote Commander which allows me to use the E2 connected via Bluetooth Dongle to my PC and control the mouse cursor and keyboard input. I have a key remapper installed on the PC so tapping on the appropriate key combination on the E2 Screen will perform the desired action. I can start/stop music and movies and adjust volume as well as suspend my
HTPC when I want to go to sleep! Using McPhling (which is now free), I can switch back to NoviiRemote and turn of the IR controlled systems when I am finished. I dare iPod to do that without the expensive addons! :)
Still a "Palm Addict" after all these years...
My interest and "love" if you can call it that, for Palm PDA's started way back in 1999 with my first PDA, the "Handspring Visor Deluxe", which I still have as a memento. I was amazed at how I could carry my entire outlook information , Bible and other data and ebooks all in in a "tiny"portable device! Since then I have owned several models up to the Palm TX and can't seem to let go! My Palm TX died last June and I sold it on Ebay for parts. I bought another one a few weeks ago because I had invested so much on applications and I needed my information on hand with me! Besides I missed it! I had an iPod a while back but wasn't satisfied with it because I couldn't take all my Outlook information back then so I stuck with Palm even till now. This weekend I purchased a Tungsten E2 on Craigslist and am enjoying using that device as a dedicated HTPC remote control (more on that in another post). My LifeDrive for Movies and and internet radio, my TX for Office, RSS and references. I still have that Palm Fever! I can use these things to their potential and then some now. I can even repair them now and have fun doing it. The best part about it is that they are cheaper than ever as I can grab them from Ebay or Craigslist and enjoy something hitherto unable to purchase due to their high price tag. Now they are so cheap and still very useful! They still have at least another 5-7 years of usefullnes left in my book, and that's a long time in computer years! :)
Intel MeeGo Tablet and Phone coming?
Engadget spotted an Intel poster at the Barcelona Mobile World Congress showing a tablet and phone. Concept or something down the pipe for intel? HP was already a bit late in the game but WebOS looks promising. Nokia left for Microsoft. Will Intel hold its own? Read on..
HP Touchpad coming in June possibly for $699?
BGR is reporting the price of the upcoming HP Touchpad will be $699 with a June release. The leak is from some anonymous source "in the know". Anonymous or not, this is a fairly good guess based on the the tablet pricing range of competitors. Reading the HP website articles and watching the ZDnet videos make this Tablet look real nice. I for one always thought that WebOS is in many ways superior to iOS and will be taking a closer look at the device when it comes to buying a tablet sometime this year I hope. WebOS looks really nice on the ZDnet blog article Sammy posted here prior, take a look! I was impressed with the finesse of the cards and applications and the multitasking. The OS seems to look and work better on a tablet as I figured it may, the Palm Pre was a marvel to play with and to this day I still am amazed Palm made so many mistakes to lose themselves. Hopefully HP will carry and burn the torch brighter than ever.
IPad 2's production news may put a hold on consumer tablet buys
ZDnet is reporting that Apple's timing of the news of IPad 2 production couldn't get any better with the introduction of a slew of tablets hitting the market this week. They are betting that the news of the Ipad 2 and rumours of its new features have consumers holding their breath and waiting to see what unfolds before deciding on what tablet to put down their hard earned cash on. I for one am. I have been eageraly waiting to see what Apple has to offer on the 2G version and will carefully be weighing my choices when the time comes. Read on...
Nook Color get an update
- Barnes and Noble seems pretty serious about keeping the Nook Color a viable competitor in the ever growing tablet market. Today they released a software update for the device which includes:
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- Improved WiFi performance
- Pinch and Zoom Browser ability
- enhanced reading experience for children's books and magazines
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Further blurring the lines between E-reader and pad computers.