Notion Ink Adam hands-on (with video) at MWC 2010

We got a few minutes today to check out the latest build on Notion Ink's Adam prototype that we first saw back at CES. Like we heard a week or so ago, there will indeed be two versions of the Adam -- one which will be 12.9 mm thick and boast the Pixel Qi 3Qi e-paper screen, and another, thinner, non-Pixel Qi screen. The thinner, lighter version will measure in at 11.6 mm thick. As far as we know, the only difference in the two Tegra-powered Adams will be the display, and we also hear they are shooting for a third quarter of 2010 launch. The prototype on hand at MWC was not working, so one of the Adam's developers was kind enough to shoot a demo video of a working unit for us (and its Flash support) -- which is after the break.

Notion Ink Adam hands-on

Notion Ink Adam powered on

[Luke Posted Feb 16th 2010 1:13PM]

My wallet just leapt from my pocket. Easy boy, easy.

[Luke Posted Feb 16th 2010 1:16PM]

@Luke

Any better shots of the trackpad?

[Stengo Posted Feb 16th 2010 1:25PM]

@Luke
http://www.geek.com/articles/gadgets/video-reveals-impressive-notion-ink-adam-tablet-features-20100214/

this is a pretty good video that includes some shots of the trackpad.

[PJE66 Posted Feb 16th 2010 1:26PM]

@Luke The touchpad is a region around 5"x4" on the left hand side of the device when viewed from the front. There's a video on another site (forgot which) which showed the touchpad.

[unwynd Posted Feb 16th 2010 1:30PM]

Engadget, this deserves a lil more respect! do some justice here please...

[solarmoo900 Posted Feb 16th 2010 2:47PM]

@Luke my wallets been leaping but i'd like a more accurate price cause the promised price is just way to nice

[obarthelemy Posted Feb 16th 2010 3:11PM]

@Luke what pushed it up ?

[Luke Posted Feb 16th 2010 4:17PM]

@obarthelemy

What pushed it up? That beautiful piece of tech engadget filmed through a shower door, that's what pushed it up!

[iamsolidsnake Posted Feb 16th 2010 8:14PM]

@PJE66

it was Technoholik.

Also, Engadg, I love ya, but why do most of your hands on videos have the same handling of unprofessional new-to-the-business amateur pr0n? You guys are the standard!

[Alexandertron Posted Feb 17th 2010 1:13AM]

@Luke

That was the funniest comment i have ever read. LMAO hahahahaha lol

you crack me up. but ya i had a similar experience when i watch a video the other day of this device.

[mantrik00 Posted Feb 17th 2010 3:35AM]

@Luke
http://www.technoholik.com/news/sneak-peek-video-notion-ink-adam/
http://www.technoholik.com/news/exclusive-a-sneak-peek-at-the-notion-ink-adam-tablet-specs-pics/

These videos give the most comprehensive overview of Adam tablet.

[denisecrows Posted Feb 21st 2010 9:07AM]

@unwynd Wow that looks really nice. Finally something that blurs the distinction between tablet and eBook reader by offering a daylight readable screen as well as a responsive and fully featured OS. More: http://bit.ly/the-adam-tablet-in-action

[RandomGuy Posted Feb 16th 2010 1:17PM]

Needs focus. Way too blurry. I keep hearing about this miraculous PixelQi stuff, but I have yet to see even a remotely decent video of the stuff. Perhaps the secret magical ingredient in PixelQi is made from Loch Ness Monsters, Sasquatch and Chupa Cabra. That would explain it's mythic qualities as well as the inability for anyone to get an in focus recording of it in action.

[Stengo Posted Feb 16th 2010 1:24PM]

@RandomGuy
Actually there are plenty of videos on the Pixel Qi technology as well as the Notion Ink Adam itself. Just use Google and YouTube. There are even interviews with the developers where they introduce this technology.

[PaladinX13 Posted Feb 16th 2010 1:37PM]

@RandomGuy

http://www.pixelqi.com/products has some hi-def photos of the display v. a Kindle in daylight as well as other conditions (from June '09... or so, the tech has matured even more since then).

[engadgetcomexcludeengadget Posted Feb 16th 2010 1:18PM]

I'd rather see Iron Man 2.

[schismal Posted Feb 16th 2010 1:20PM]

Excited. But is that the final UI? Price confirmation? Reason for off-center camera? I need more, engadget.

[Laura June Posted Feb 16th 2010 1:42PM]

@schismal We don't have any of that info yet! We asked!

[schismal Posted Feb 16th 2010 1:57PM]

@Laura June Ah, well thanks for trying. Maybe I should just go ahead and get the nook for now...

[joelaf Posted Feb 16th 2010 2:04PM]

@schismal

Off center camera is for making those flattering FB portraits. It takes off 20 lbs and 10 years~

[UhClem Posted Feb 17th 2010 10:47AM]

@schismal UI: customized Android. Other OSs: Ubuntu, Chrome.

[slashcontext Posted Feb 16th 2010 1:22PM]

Yay! A laptop without a keyboard. Such a great idea! /s The swivel style make sense...

[meeku Posted Feb 16th 2010 1:22PM]

Is it just me, or does the screen look a little dull/speckled to other people? Meh, perhaps it's just the poor lighting.

[NapkinDoodle Posted Feb 16th 2010 1:25PM]

Huh, strange, the bezel seems to be popping at the edges, but from other pics it looks as if the whole design has that black bezel sticking out from the front surface.

I hope they iron out those kinks and consider not making that trackpad surface totally flush with the back, it seems like it'll take a while to figure out the boundary of the trackpad unless it has a texture differentiation.

[Serus Posted Feb 16th 2010 1:30PM]

If I recall from some other sites videos, the bezel in the model they have was removable since it wasn't the final product (but extremely close.)

Q3 for shipping? Ouch. That's kind of pushing it.

I've got 3 questions:
The Pixel Qi Screen acts as a standard LCD screen as well, right?

Is the device going to support the Android market or not? It's a deal killer for me without it.

Can the screen rotate to portrait mode? I've only seen shots in landscape, and that leads me to believe that they aren't going to support portrait.

As for price, I've heard $327 - $800. Also that a model in India will be price-conscious, ie, without the Pixel Qi and without 3G, whereas for the states they are looking at 3G partners, so we'll likely be in the $800 area.

[PaladinX13 Posted Feb 16th 2010 1:41PM]

@Serus
- Yes, Pixel Qi works as standard LCD as well... more in depth see:
http://www.popsci.com/gadgets/article/2010-01/pixel-qi-lcd-screen-could-finally-kill-paper-forever

- Android Market - I'm waiting to hear about this as well. I think they comply with all the requirements (except maybe compass?) but even if Google doesn't allow it, people will hack it on like with the Archos.

- Portrait Mode - Absolutely, http://www.notionink.in/index.php contains several portrait shots and a few YouTube videos include e-reader programs being used in portrait mode.

[hq Posted Feb 16th 2010 1:35PM]

@gentlefury http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zy9fPc1yGSU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxgRBC47SAo

[qlimax Posted Feb 16th 2010 1:41PM]

and that sould be a mobile gadget?
it's like to say that the iPad is mobile... it's a joke!

LOL

[LeJay Posted Feb 16th 2010 2:02PM]

3rd quarter? NOOO!! I wanted this for sitting in the park this summer. Hurry up, guys... Please

[budice4ever Posted Feb 16th 2010 2:12PM]

@LeJay Well technically 3rd Quarter would be July - September, so there may be summer reading available but since this device has now moved from Spring 2010 to 3rd quarter its more likely going to be December 2010 before we ever see this device on shelves

[solarmoo900 Posted Feb 16th 2010 2:38PM]

@LeJay im could be wrong but i think it means the third fiscal quarter...i think thats what they mean when they announce stuff like this

which means that it should be out april-june time period, correct me if im wrong

[LeJay Posted Feb 16th 2010 3:46PM]

@solarmoo900
Hope you're right. I heard him saying june in a video no more than a few days ago.

[juanvaldez Posted Feb 16th 2010 7:28PM]

@solarmoo900 Companies choose when their years, and hence fiscal quarters, start/begin. In other words, you can take two companies and find two diff sets of fiscal years/quarters and their dates. It wouldn't make sense for them to name (their) fiscal quarter, if that is what you mean. So, companies, when using quarters use the standard, 1st quarter being Jan-Mar, Apr-Jun, Jul-Sep, Oct-Dec

[lsword Posted Feb 16th 2010 2:14PM]

no announcements and a dead piece of screwed-up brick?? Lets hope the UI they are hiding is something awesome.

[kyphem Posted Feb 16th 2010 2:23PM]

Can we get a more blurry video in 2010 please.

[bonedog73 Posted Feb 16th 2010 2:35PM]

Does it have a UI ?

How heavy is it...looks ginormous!

[palehorse Posted Feb 16th 2010 2:35PM]

that shipping delay hurts. :(

[Dinochicken Posted Feb 16th 2010 2:44PM]

Here's another video of the Adam in action. I'll be pre-ordering one the moment they make it available...unless something better comes along from HTC and Google.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPowc1yM0NQ

[kvikramg Posted Feb 16th 2010 2:46PM]

Am I the only one who is a bit doubtful of this product.
- Its from an unknown company from India
- founded and run by recent college grads(granted they graduated from Indias top Engg Univiersity)

[naashak Posted Feb 16th 2010 3:23PM]

@kvikramg

umm...let's see which all companies were started by "unknown" guys in the last 30 years:
1) Microsoft
2) Apple
3) Sun
4) Google
....heck I would say every other successful computer company except Intel was started by "unknown" guys so, your point being?

[kvikramg Posted Feb 16th 2010 3:46PM]

@naashak Don't get me wrong, Notionink is based in my hometown of Hyderabad India. I'm cheering for them to succeed. But lets be realistic, going from prototype to mass production, then distribution...they are huge hurdles.

Also There is nothing unique or proprietary about this tablet. Its running a standard android, and Pixel qi make the eink/lcd screen. Within 6 months asus, msi, hp , dell will have a clone out.

I think this will suffer the same faith as joojoo, Always Innovating's touch book,

[unwynd Posted Feb 16th 2010 4:09PM]

@kvikramg buddy compared to what apple has done with the ipad this is a great! no one can say whats gonna happen ultimately, so lets not..

[baizhangg Posted Feb 17th 2010 11:29AM]

@kvikramg

just you, buddy, just you...

[chamcham Posted Feb 16th 2010 3:05PM]

Well Google was started by 2 new Standard PhD graduates in a rented garage in California........

[naashak Posted Feb 16th 2010 3:22PM]

@chamcham

Standard? ;-)

[MasterCKO Posted Feb 16th 2010 3:50PM]

@chamcham Standard = Stanford?

Fixed.

[PerryAJ Posted Feb 16th 2010 3:57PM]

@chamcham they were graduate students, not graduates.

Just to clarify - they didn't have graduate degrees, they were working toward it.

Makes it a little more impressive to me.

[Arebangdu Posted Feb 16th 2010 3:46PM]

kvikramg has some preconcieved notions about India
Look at the product and decide based on its merits/demerits. Not who made it
chamcham is right about google
Microsoft was also started by dropouts
Same with Facebook

[kvikramg Posted Feb 16th 2010 3:49PM]

@Arebangdu software and hardware are different.

[Arebangdu Posted Feb 16th 2010 4:12PM]

@kvikramg
Do your research before posting.
Adam is Tegra 2-based with a dual-core ARM CORTEX -A9 processor
screen with a 1,024 x 600 resolution courtesy of Pixel Q

Lets go with your notion that Hardware made in India is "bad"
Which of the above hardware is made in India?