Yeah, I guess we all knew that Apple's announcement of a new kind of computing device would provoke other manufacturers to create similar geeky things. According to
this review there are at least 9 PC tablet alternatives coming out. Here is one that I found interesting:
Notion Ink Adam: This 10-inch iPad challenger will be available this summer (hopefully). Starting at $327 (with the most expensive version priced at $800), the Adam tablet is built around nVidia's Tegra 2 processor and operates on Android technology. It features a rear-facing trackpad, USB and HDMI ports, and 3G. The tablet offers multitasking (a feature the iPad notably lacks) and its Android platform offers users access to an app store, the Android market, that is a rival to Apple's. In addition, the screen supports multitouch.
I think that these tablet type devices have been out for a while but have not seen much popularity until the iPad announcement which also may have been a reaction to the popularity of
Amazon's Kindle Reader and the Barnes and Noble Nook.
What is your opinion? How much would you be willing to spend on a tablet/reader type of device? I think that I will be interested when the price is around $200.
$200 for me too. We have a netbook and an e-reader which both do exactly what we want.
ReplyDeleteOne of the problems with the iPad is people tend to compare it to devices that it is not. It's not a dedicated eReader like the Kindle, which I would not have paid more than $300 for. It's not a laptop computer because it doesn't have enough storage and really doesn't multitask. It's an instant-on quick surfing device that can also be used as an eReader or to play games on.
ReplyDeleteI do think it's overpriced for what it does. Personally, it does everything I use my laptop computer for which is surfing when I'm sitting on the couch and for checking email when I'm on the road (before I got my iPhone). So, I would choose this over my MacBook if I had to make the decision today. It's a lot cheaper than my MacBook and it's really convenient to pop on while I'm sitting on the couch.
The closest comparison would be a netbook and it's way more expensive than a netbook.
I think pretty much only Apple geeks will get these right of the gate. The price has to come way down before they do mainstream because they really don't do any more than a smartphone does today. It's just a bigger screen. Otherwise, it's an iPod Touch.
According to this article Kindle is releasing to iPad type tablets.
ReplyDeleteI'm on a Dell netbook right now. While it is not as fast as my regular laptop(which is nothing special either) this serves the purpose quite well. It also fits in my (very) big purse...and I take it with me often...and use it at the plethora of places that offer free wifi these days.
ReplyDeleteCindi....
@Cindi - I have to to think that a tablet would not be a good option for someone who carries it in a purse because of the scratching potential. Considering this maybe netbooks are a better option? They do after all have a real keyboard!
ReplyDeleteAs far as purses go, we keep Robyn's Sony Reader in the neoprene pouch it came with and it protects it very nicely.
ReplyDelete@Mike - Gotta wonder what the difference is between a pouch and a lid?
ReplyDeleteCheck out the 2:00 mark of this unboxing to see what I'm talking about. Unboxing the Sony Pocket Edition eReader
ReplyDeleteI checked it out Mike, Seems that flipping a lid might be a bit easier than the pouch?
ReplyDeleteIf the lid could be folded back, like a tablet PC, I might like that.
ReplyDelete