Remember the
$200 smartbook reference design that we saw at CES this year? Well, it's back, it's holding on to that same price and 7-inch enclosure, but this time it's also showing off an expanded OS compatibility. Adapting the open source Chromium OS and another Linux variant to the ARM architecture of the prototype device was apparently not much of a hurdle for Freescale, who has an Android option in the works as well and claims to be just optimizing and enhancing the user experience at this point. Presumably one of the enhancements will be the installation of a capacitive touchscreen as the present demonstration requires either a mouse and keyboard or a resistive torture test to operate, but we'll accept the company's explanation that this is just a proof of concept and not the final product. Slide past the break to see some HTML5 video running on this bargain bin tablet, and hope that your friendly neighborhood OEM picks these designs up for some retail action.
posted Mar 9th 2010 5:36AM
ARM+Mobile OS is better than ATOM+Windows 7.
But please give me quality and bigger screen, I hate juke hardware and poor software update.
@zetman
Not sure about better than Windows 7, but it is certainly a low cost to purchase option.
I agree with you about the Atom 1.6 though. It is far too slow to run any form of Windows seriously.
@zetman i agree. but i bring up a valid point here: why do these pads make these rediculous screens? ever dusty little bit gets trapped between those screen and the casing around it! its just rediculous and unsanitary! im just waiting for one of those pads to come out with a :disable dust: kind of screen that is VIRTUALLY, WELL... SEAMLESS!!!!!
@emopoops iPad?
@emopoops Um....its RIDICULOUS
@zetman
I hereby name 2010 the year of the bezel, they have returned like 70's flares did, cooler materials and yet still so uncool
@zetman
I wish to see this product
- get better enclosure
- using pixel qi
- do video conference
- using windows mobile 7 (optional)
- sale for $250 - $350
@Cy Starkman
Does nobody understand that you NEED some form of bezel on these types of devices?
Where the hell would you put your fingers?
@benjgvps
Where are the two white knobs?
Isn't this an Etch-A-Sketch?
In this video, Freescale demonstrates Chromium OS running smoothly on their i.MX51, that's not only for tablets, I spoke with Firstview at CeBIT, Chinese manufacturer of the $65 Android laptops, they are trying to get this freescale platform in their sub-$100 laptop designs as soon as possible. This could mean smooth Chromium OS ARM powered laptops below $100 within months. Let's see if cheap 128MB or 256MB ram configurations allow for unlimited amounts of tabs at full speed.
@Charbax
You call this "running smoothly" in this video, seriously?
Maybe it has market in poor country, but with this kind of quality , I am definite not on their market.
@zetman It's always impossible to get a stable WiFi internet connection when testing at consumer electronics trade shows. That's because there are literally hundreds if not thousands of WiFi routers and devices all interfering with each other at such trade shows. No matter what kind of product you want to test with an Internet connection. So performance of web browsing was just not possible to test in these conditions.
That is one angry looking Indian dude...
UI is not thinked thru ....
@DeviantmacG
just like your choice of words then
7 inches is too small
@Luffy
that's not what she said.
@c w j
I dunno, if you overhear her these days all that pr0n watching is rubbing off on her
That color!
@barac
Etch-a-Sketch!
Android, Chromium OS _OR_ Linux?
You guys know that Android and Chromium are Linux with a different flavor right?
@fdomig ... and open source, right ?
@fdomig
Nix, nix, nix or nix and of course over in the overwhelming corner... doe's
@fdomig
Well specifically Android doesn't perfectly follow the linux development route and has branched of from the main linux family tree. Its also missing some of the underworkings of linux distributions. Something that can compile in Ubuntu won't in Android.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_%28operating_system%29
Would be nice if a bunch of OEMs started producing some standard size (though I would hope for larger than 7" myself) and pixel qi diy kits become available for them.
It is important to remember @$200 price point that it becomes not just a question of whether ipad is better, but if it is several hundreds of dollars better.
It's minging.
Android, Chromium OS or Linux, you say?
Android and Chromium OS are both actually built on Linux, so you're better off saying they'll run a few flavours of Linux, including Android and Chromium OS...
Right now it's sort of like you're saying: Car powered by diesel, gas or combustion.
@graey
"Freescale's 7-inch tablet runs Linux, Linux or Linux, costs $200 (video)"
Fixed.
@The Madman
I see what you did there! Android, Chromium OS or other Linux would work too though :P
@graey Android, Chromium or other (linux-distro).
"resistive torture test"
(eyeroll)
I'll believe it when it's on market and see the reviews from actual owners.
I still prefer an atom + xp one that cost the same.
@htd
You believe atom can use on a with web pad with reasonable battery lift and won't burn your hand?
@htd XP is dead.
IMHO choosing for an ATOM/windows combo is not a very good idea on a tablet but the least you can do is taking windows 7.
Also, call me when they make a decent performing full desktop windows tablet for $200 or less. We all now what happened to the netbook market ;)
@MaTdg +1
Been saying it since netbooks arrived: $200 is the sweet spot all netbook and "iTablet" vendors should be aiming for. Then I'm in.
I saw this on G4 last night, this thing really sucks! You can check your Gmail but just the new messages, you can't go and look at the rest of your Gmail. SUCKAGE!
Looks like something I would buy at toysRus.
Is it just me... I want to glue knobs on it, and shake it upside-down.
That's one ugly gadget. What's with that stupid color. Who likes that?
@vqro Reference design - nobody will actually be making it that colour (uh, if they like sales, that is).
i.MX51 appears to be Cortex A8 if I looked it up correctly, so last year's news (don't get me wrong I'm sure this is more efficient and better integrated and whatever, but as for the core processor, still kind of slow for something larger than a phone). Not surprising for a $200 tablet but not something you'd really want in a netbook-equivalent. (Personally, I also think a 'keyboard' is something you'd really want in a netbook-equivalent, but obviously people think there's some kind of a market for all the crazy tablet stuff.)
@vqro
I hate to admit it but I think it looks cool. If it had a touchscreen, I'd consider getting it.
They better watch out, Mike Arrington might sue them.
$200? Damn. Even if it's a piece of shit, it'll be a better value then anything Archos puts out, since there stuff already is a piece of shit, it's just stupid expensive.
ZING!
It seemed quite exciting until I was bored to death by the "sales pitch".
Indian Product Manager, interviewer with a weird accent, and Google Images in Spanish. I love how the world is uniting (: