As you
may have noticed, we had a chance to get our hands on a fairly interesting little tablet made by
ICD dubbed the Ultra. The 7-inch, touchscreen tablet (resistive in the version we saw, but with capacitive versions to come) sports quite an impressive set of specs, including a 1GHz
Tegra T20 CPU, 512MB of RAM and 512MB of ROM, 4GB of hardwired storage, 2G / 3G radios, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, HDMI out, USB 2.0, and a microSD slot. The device also has an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, and 3.5mm headphone jack. The version we had a chance to play with -- a prototype running Android 2.0 -- was blazingly fast when it came to 1080p playback and web browsing (as you can see in the video), but was pretty incomplete as far as the rest of the software was concerned (though the company says they're working on optimizing the experience all around). In terms of pricing, ICD reps didn't have a solid number, though they said they expect the Ultra to sell for somewhere in the $249 price range, with potential for free, subsidized versions depending on what kind of deals they work out with partners. We expect to see a whole slew of devices like this at CES in just a few weeks, but this is nice a taste of things to come. Check out our exclusive hands-on pics in the gallery below!
Update: The video in question is
right here!
posted December 20th 2009 3:28PM
So if its running 2.0 why does it have the old app drawer slider? Is the new one just for the Droid?
@malibumac
It also has the old icons. I thought the new icons were part of 2.0
@geoken Those are the 2.0 icons on the homescreen
@malibumac also curious if they'll update it to have more than 16 icons..
@malibumac
Thats definitely not the same 2.0 that was (is? 2.01) on my Droid, most of the icons are different as well as the tray
1 Ghz Tegra??
@TareG
Yeah, what is this thing using? There is no Tegra over 600mhz, and all of the current chips are still using the lame old ARM11 architecture instead of the newer Cortex-A8/Cortex-A9. Considering the fact that you never hear of a 1000Mhz ARM11, I'd imagine this new "Tegra T20" must be a next-generation "Tegra 2" and uses a dual-core Cortex-A9...
@looselycoupled
If this is the Tegra 2, then, THIS IS THE REAL NEWS, and not the fugly hardware demoed above.
@looselycoupled
On the (http://www.nvidia.com/page/handheld.html) page under additional info it has a link to a "Tegra 250"(Not sure if anybody has seen this yet..) although it 404's. I've tried multiple variations too..
Man...
I have a great respect for Google's Android OS, but that's an awful lot of 'nothing' space around that screen.
@DaHarder it's because of the high screen size & resolution
@AndroidRokz I think the point was(and I agree), isn't the point of going android the relative ease with which one should be able to scale the OS?
It "looks" like a mobile phone version plunked onto a tablet. what with the icons being so small and spaced so far apart.
yes, i know it's changed for "x" number of reasons. It just looks a little sloppy. now, if they gave it a properly suited interface. I'm all for it.
@DaHarder
when you buy a new computer isn't the "desktop" full of nothing?
use the device for a week, and the nothing will be priced...
@Tycho81
The OS officially supports resolutions up to 854 x 480. If you attempt to run it on a screen with anything higher than that, it may look weird.
@DaHarder
I agree. If this is the normal amount of space between any 2 icons, then yeah, an AWFUL AMOUNT of wasted space there.
where's the video?
yo....wherez the video ????
@njsrikar The video is here
http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/19/josh-and-jimmy-yuk-it-up-late-night-style-video/
All that for 250! Yes please!
Take that Fusion Garage/Apple/Archos/anyone else who wants to make a tablet ever! Boom!
Id go for the archos 5 at any day over this thing, its too big for what you can do with it.
wow all the icons are really far apart
@AndroidRokz
You sicken me.
In case the other twenty people who asked the same thing haven't said this yet - where is the video?
@Hydraulics I had my avatar first. You stole it.
@AndroidRokz
Computer says 'no'
@Hydraulics and @AndroidRokz
Don't fight kids, you can both be fanboyz together.
Muddy is completely wrong. A hand to hand battle until only one is left standing is clearly required.
@geoken
Damn, I've been out funnied.
When is Android going to be modified so it can fit more than 4x4 icons on the homescreen? I mean look at that! You could easily fit 4 times that many on that screen.
@Wes Steele
Rooted 2.1 androids have 5 homescreens..., I'm sure once android get's it all the bugs tweeked out, we'll have 2.1 with more homescreens and space modification.
I think it'd be better if it came with an SD card slot instead of a micro sd card slot.
@sinicide I think having it microSD will make it easier to swap data back and forth from your phone.
@andthemaniam That is true, but if it had a sd card slot, this would be the perfect little tablet device for me to read comic books on.
Does no one get it?
Yes try and get your tablet out and have some sort of bragging rights etc...
But simply put, no one will care until its got Cupertino's stamp all over it
@MVMNT
Well, considering the fact that this device puts a hurt on the eye, and that it's running an OS that was designed for phones, I dont really see whats there to brag about.
Now, I'm no fanboy, but I'm quite sure that when Cupertino rolls something out, it'll be a little more.....better.
so, to sum up - MORE BETTER PLEASE!
Tegra T20 ?
Never heard of that chip before, anyone has some info ?
@twe4k
I have the same question. Is it a mislabeled APX 2500 tegra (but those are only 1 GHz) or is it the first look at the ARM Cortex based Tegra rumoured to be coming at CES?
@theluketaylor
edit: Tegra APX 2500 are 600 MHz not 1 GHz. My bad.
$250 for an Internet tablet? I thought that was "unobtainable" according to the Joojoo idiots.
@dragonfli
It's impossible with x86 and a 12 inch screen. The crunchpad/joojoo missed a big opportunity being a web only device. Once they made that choice they were no longer tied to x86 for legacy applications.
@dragonfli also mind you this has a restrictive screen, and not capacitive
Aesthetics are reason for 90% of consumer electronics purchases. I rest my case.
On a side note, I like CES more than I like Christmas.
This is a really cool tablet. I may buy this.For $250 that's easy on my wallet.
Upgrade that ram and get me that capacitive touchscreen than im happy.
@MoonWalkerCTE
Upgrade RAM ? are you serious ? 512 mb isn't enough for you on a tablet? mind you u're running mobile app versions of everything! the browser wold be the biggest strain and I barely reach 400mb ram usage on my 2gb ram netbook, and i do browse with a lot of tabs open, a LOT of tabs !
It's better to come out with that $249 price tag before the coming February or I'll have to go to Archos 5. Or that Camangi WebStation...Joojoo is ridiculously expensive for me.
If that device had a minimal or zero bezel it could fit in a jeans pocket.
Tablets will fail as long as manufacturers insist on non minimal bezels.
If the device is big so it can't be held like an iPhone is held .. then make the long side have a bezekl area .. but the other two sides should have a bezel so it can slide into a pocket while the display surface width is optimal.
@JS agreed, but basically, I don't need a tablet, just give me an HD2 phone hardware-wise running Android software wise.