Remind us to send a thank-you note to Hanvon for taking a break from cranking out e-readers to work on some of the best tablets we've seen at CeBIT yet -- much more advanced that what was shown by the company back in September. While the TouchPad BC10C and BA10E didn't have any special software running on top of Windows 7 Home Premium, both of their 10.1-inch, capacitive multitouch displays were extremely responsive. The BA10E was the more aesthetically-pleasing of the duo, with a smooth grey bezel and a thin, lightweight body that was cool to the touch. If you hadn't guessed already, that beauty comes at a cost to processing speed, with just a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530 processor inside. (Although the official specs list Windows XP and stylus input, as you can see in the video it was clearly using Windows 7 and multitouch -- the Atom CPU might also be an error, but the rep on hand couldn't say.) The BC10C, while bulkier, boasts an Intel Celeron chip -- a little more power, but we can't help but wonder how battery life would suffer. Hanvon told us these babies would run for about 500 euros, with release date currently unknown. You know the drill: gallery below, and video after the break.
@yulebellow You're joking, right? A last-gen Atom CPU that won't even be able to play HD videos, probably only 2GB of RAM and a huge-ass bezel for almost $700? That's "the stuff"? The irony is that one of the best features - the capacitive touchscreen - makes it impossible to use a stylus, which is pretty much a requirement when using a stock Windows 7 build.
@tonicboy Not necessarily. For tablets these big, it isn't just about capacitative vs resistive. It's about passive vs active digitizers. I believe HP has implemented the solution, that when the digitizer sense the tip of the stylus near the screen it shuts off the "touch" aspect of it allowing you to input via stylus of an active or passive digitizer (the stuff Wacom uses in their tablets). Respectively, when the stylus is far away, the touch aspect of the capcitative screen turns on, allowing you to touch the screen with your fingers.
I think with all the iPhone and capacitative vs resistive, we forget that there are other technologies that allow tablet input such as RF like what Wacom uses in their convertible tablet pc tech, which provides stylus support still.
@SDreamer You're correct that there is technology available that allows touch as well as stylus use, but there is no evidence that it is being used here. Mostly because none of the pics show a slot for a stylus.
@tonicboy Hanvon in China is like Wacom in the US, they have some pretty decent touch technologies so I'd say touch operation is probably the last thing people will be concerned. As far as the stylus goes, there are plenty of capacitive screen compatible stylus on the web you can buy for only a few bucks, no hardware or software changes needed, I've even seen key chain attached capacitive stylus.
@GenericMessage And that companies price by market, not by exchange rate. Look for this to be 600 USD or even possibly less. Cheapest iPad with a confirmed price is 500 Euro....oh, same as this....therefore, they are pricing by market. More compelling specs, same price, look for similar in the US if/when it comes stateside.
@Cnizzle Don't worry, the video's not working either... from a computer. The server maybe under extreme load from all the Android droids complaining about apple's suit on HTC - typical Engadget
too little, too late, too pricey ... It would be been awesome if it's one year ago, but w/ onslaught of much more 'popular' similar product being release... this little thing has no chance
This is exactley what I was looking for. 10" nettablet. And to top it off it looks beautiful and it's responsive. US Ship date and US pricing should hopefully come soon right?
All those weird-looking holes with labels like hdmi or usb, what where they thinking, don't they realise nobody would ever need such things on a tablet. ;-)
@Ducman69 I think only the latter will work on these devices, yes they are multitouch, but they have win7 starter edition so I don't think all of the touch features are there.
Looks pretty nice, I didn't see a stylus silo anywhere. Hope people don't forget the importance of the stylus (it's quite harder to write with finger paint than to paint with a paint brush). I can just imagine using a tablet pc with stylus and touch support. Would be great for art, Wacom needs to get on it.
@palomosan I agree, the BC10C looks great. I can't believe how blase she sounds about it at 1m10s. "Random buttons?!" (makes sound of disgusted amazement). Fast running Win7 and lightweight, seems like a winner to me.
Of course you hate it. You want so desperately for it to fail, yet you can see that the 'me too' products of the world won't do a thing to stop it from selling like hotcakes.
I don't hope that it fail, it fail because no right minded people assume that it hasn't fail. Even Google, one of Apple's partner assume it will fail. Fail can also mean many things like the ability to do stuff or fail to sell a product. In this case Apple fail to delivered anything new in the tablet department. If you buy an iPad, I feel sorry for you.
@Ian324 Overall bezel surface area actually still looks to be greater on the iPad, but if I have to take a monster bezel, I prefer a uniform one like the iPad to a thin bezel on three sides and big block on the bottom.
Tablets are about the computer fitting how you use it. Shouldn't be about having to hold it at just-that-oh-so-exact-angle to see it rather than the ceiling lights. Also... somebody needs to look into a clear surface for these things which doesn't hold fingerprints like mo-fo.
Also somebody should point out to them that tegra and others make some interesting chips for these devices. Get their head outside the intel catalog which currently is also kinda 'fail' for these devices.
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posted March 2nd 2010 12:31PM
In before the bezel comments?
@jimlivingston In before video not available comments.
@jimlivingston Now lets wait till Apple sue them for putting the word "touch" in the name of the device.
@jimlivingston Forget "touch" using the letter "i" is more than enough...
Now thats the stuff!
@yulebellow
You're joking, right? A last-gen Atom CPU that won't even be able to play HD videos, probably only 2GB of RAM and a huge-ass bezel for almost $700? That's "the stuff"? The irony is that one of the best features - the capacitive touchscreen - makes it impossible to use a stylus, which is pretty much a requirement when using a stock Windows 7 build.
@tonicboy Not necessarily. For tablets these big, it isn't just about capacitative vs resistive. It's about passive vs active digitizers. I believe HP has implemented the solution, that when the digitizer sense the tip of the stylus near the screen it shuts off the "touch" aspect of it allowing you to input via stylus of an active or passive digitizer (the stuff Wacom uses in their tablets). Respectively, when the stylus is far away, the touch aspect of the capcitative screen turns on, allowing you to touch the screen with your fingers.
I think with all the iPhone and capacitative vs resistive, we forget that there are other technologies that allow tablet input such as RF like what Wacom uses in their convertible tablet pc tech, which provides stylus support still.
@SDreamer
You're correct that there is technology available that allows touch as well as stylus use, but there is no evidence that it is being used here. Mostly because none of the pics show a slot for a stylus.
@tonicboy Hanvon in China is like Wacom in the US, they have some pretty decent touch technologies so I'd say touch operation is probably the last thing people will be concerned. As far as the stylus goes, there are plenty of capacitive screen compatible stylus on the web you can buy for only a few bucks, no hardware or software changes needed, I've even seen key chain attached capacitive stylus.
If only Hanvon could put an apple on it... It would sell by the millions.
This looks like what I wanted the iPad to be. OSX with the option to dual boot into Windows 7.
@Roisen
Too bad 500 euros is about $7000
@Roisen
Or 676 USD
But thats close!
@Roisen
Over 9000!
@GenericMessage And that companies price by market, not by exchange rate. Look for this to be 600 USD or even possibly less. Cheapest iPad with a confirmed price is 500 Euro....oh, same as this....therefore, they are pricing by market. More compelling specs, same price, look for similar in the US if/when it comes stateside.
@juanvaldez forgot to post link: http://www.9to5mac.com/ipad-europe-pricing-revealled-64574756 this has a t-mobile graphic and is the 2nd search result for ipad EU price...not saying I'm 100% on it, but this is how int'l business works.
Oh, I know the drill: click the gallery link from my iPhone, get "server not responding". Leave engadget.
@Cnizzle
Don't worry, the video's not working either... from a computer. The server maybe under extreme load from all the Android droids complaining about apple's suit on HTC - typical Engadget
@Cnizzle
They set the video to "private". I'm sure that someone will notice and fix it soon.
@Cnizzle
I know. I hate that.
too little, too late, too pricey ... It would be been awesome if it's one year ago, but w/ onslaught of much more 'popular' similar product being release... this little thing has no chance
@nothing Similar in what way???? B/c its a touch screen?
@nothing
Seriously? We're there already? It's oficially too late to launch a slate/tablet/pad? Wow - time flies.
The EMP must be one of the only buildings in the world that looks better when covered in desktop icons.
This is exactley what I was looking for. 10" nettablet. And to top it off it looks beautiful and it's responsive. US Ship date and US pricing should hopefully come soon right?
All those weird-looking holes with labels like hdmi or usb, what where they thinking, don't they realise nobody would ever need such things on a tablet. ;-)
"the Atom CPU might also be an error, but the rep on hand couldn't say"
Um, how about right clicking -> "My computer" -> Properties, and take a look?
@One Love Right clicking, lol. Though the USB ports would probably allow a mouse/keyboard, cough, cough.
@One Love All these Engadget guys use Macs. They don't know what you are talking about. lol
@One Love
That brings up an interesting question. How exactly do you right-click on a slate with no stylus?
@tonicboy On Windows 7 you hold on finger down and tap it with another.
If you don't have multi-touch, you hold your finger down, wait a second, and a menu comes up and you drag down to the option.
@Ducman69
I think only the latter will work on these devices, yes they are multitouch, but they have win7 starter edition so I don't think all of the touch features are there.
@zsmorr The article says Home Premium, had multitouch in vid, and even on the pictures you can see Aero glass is enabled.
Looks pretty nice, I didn't see a stylus silo anywhere. Hope people don't forget the importance of the stylus (it's quite harder to write with finger paint than to paint with a paint brush). I can just imagine using a tablet pc with stylus and touch support. Would be great for art, Wacom needs to get on it.
@SDreamer
HP TM2
Lenovo Thinkpad X200/201T
they're out there, but they're convertibles.
Listen manufacturers!
All tablets need a strap on the backside that you can slip your hand into, for firm one handed grasping.
Sort of what was on camcorders:
http://images.camcorderinfo.com/images/upload/Image/Sony/First%20Impressions/Sony_HDR-SR12/Sony_HDR-SR12_FI_handling.jpg
iPad Killer!?
@TheRogueFFAngel
The iPad killer was the iPad itself
@TheRogueFFAngel
Since the iPad isn't out yet wouldn't it be an iPad abortion.
@yulebellow
HA!
@TheRogueFFAngel
In B4 1 million iPads sold in the first month
Seriously, every time the haters declared something an iPod/iPhone/iWhatever killer, it has filed to kill.
I don't see this device killing anything.
That's nice, especially the black one.
@palomosan
That's what she said.
...I'm sorry.
@palomosan I agree, the BC10C looks great. I can't believe how blase she sounds about it at 1m10s. "Random buttons?!" (makes sound of disgusted amazement). Fast running Win7 and lightweight, seems like a winner to me.
The more I look @ any new tablet, the more I hated the iPad.
@cdf74dc9
Of course you hate it. You want so desperately for it to fail, yet you can see that the 'me too' products of the world won't do a thing to stop it from selling like hotcakes.
@Liquidmark
I don't hope that it fail, it fail because no right minded people assume that it hasn't fail. Even Google, one of Apple's partner assume it will fail. Fail can also mean many things like the ability to do stuff or fail to sell a product. In this case Apple fail to delivered anything new in the tablet department. If you buy an iPad, I feel sorry for you.
And they say the iPad has too much bezel.
@Ian324 Overall bezel surface area actually still looks to be greater on the iPad, but if I have to take a monster bezel, I prefer a uniform one like the iPad to a thin bezel on three sides and big block on the bottom.
glossy = fail.
Tablets are about the computer fitting how you use it. Shouldn't be about having to hold it at just-that-oh-so-exact-angle to see it rather than the ceiling lights.
Also... somebody needs to look into a clear surface for these things which doesn't hold fingerprints like mo-fo.
@savagemike
Also somebody should point out to them that tegra and others make some interesting chips for these devices.
Get their head outside the intel catalog which currently is also kinda 'fail' for these devices.