At this point we really need another
tablet like we need another hole in the head, but when this one could cost around $100 and still look quite good, well, it's worth talking about. It's the Hott MD500, an Android device with a 4.8-inch, 800 x 480 screen and plenty of OS customizations to make it rather more media-friendly, including the ability to "play every codec" according to the guy doing the demonstration. We'll believe that when we see it, but it is shown playing a 720p clip from the cinematic masterpiece
Tokyo Drift without too much trouble. The somewhat iPhone-esque design looks very nice and is much smaller than a comparable
Archos 5. The price is $92 to distributors without any flash memory and, since you can get a 4GB microSD card for a few bucks these days (even
a legit one), we wouldn't be surprised if these sell for $115 or $120. Whether they'll ever hit retail in the US is, of course, another question. Video demonstration is embedded below if you want to hear the hype, just try not to lose your breakfast every time this is enthusiastically called an
iPad killer.
posted Mar 11th 2010 9:52AM
Dude, that's hott.
@Zac89
I don't know why some editors/commentators are saying "another iPad killer"....isn't already clear for everybody that iPad was born dead ?
@sliderem YES!
@Zac89
Totally agreed.
Also, I'm pretty sure Mr. Jobs is wondering, right at this moment, why there is such a pungent smell coming from his pants.
I'd love to see a correlational study between low IQ and apple zealots.
@Janvito5 ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@cherryboom >____> and o_O;
@cherryboom
So what you're saying it that You''e Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.
Now Suck On Those Apples!
@cherryboom With all these other tablets(or tablet-esque PMPs) coming out, regardless of what kind of a (lame) force Apple may be, I feel that the iPad won't do too hot. All the people I talk to don't see the need for a $500 large iPod touch...
I'm not saying the iPad will fail. The iPad just won't be wildly popular. Devices like this and that Freescale concept, and the Archos Home Tablet 7(even though Archos has their crap track record...) will fare(technically faire) better.
@Zac89 Well it certainly is an iPad killer for anybody whose budget happens to be $120.
@Zac89 What's with the yaaaaaawwwwnniing.....?
@syph007 Yeah, 'cos it takes a high IQ to prefer devices with jittery interfaces and unresponsive gesture inputs with a TN panel 1/4 the size. You'd have to be so smart to be able to rationalize buying the lowest quality equipment for the lowest price, it's so clear now.
The functionality for the price is good. The performance sucks. As an ereader great, movies fine, everything else nah.
@syph007 vs the stale, non-creative, sheep mentality that pc users have?
This is half the size of the iPad and somehow it will compete against it? That's typical of an Apple-basher, always reaching for straws as you see another Apple product gain mass appeal and your beloved platform tanks yet again and you hope android can fill the void.
@tekdemon So Toyota is a BMW killer for people with only $20k to spend on anew car?
looks like a "squary" looking iphone...what happened to coming up with new design ideas? im tired of seeing devices that looks like the iphone/ipod
@unknownsolo Yeah, rectangular shape with a screen. Definitely done by apple first. Geez, at least TRY thinking different.
@p0p0 i meant the black bezel with the shiny silver rim...
@unknownsolo
there's only so much you can do with a rectangle. The iphone's original styling worked because it pretty much had 'no style', it was pretty much as simple as it could be. Gloss black front camouflaged the screen/bezel point and this didn't give too much choice as to what worked well as trim. Chrome while not having a colour in itself goes with everything.
Black and chrome trim has always been popular, hell look at automotive or furniture design over the last 100 years.
@unknownsolo at least, they are not copying the Apple prices and closed ecosystem ;)
@gpmoo7 damn, all i said im tired of the black bezel and chrome rim and i get bombarded with low ranks and comments...WOW
@unknownsolo
any design comparisons with the iphone are bound to cause kneejerk reactions on these boards. To be fair i'm not a big fan of the iphone design either but as i said above there's only so much you can do with a button less rectangle with a screen, hell even apple chose it for their ipad.
Personally i prefer the industrial design of the zune hd, but then again i'm a big fan of buttons, and an even bigger fan of dials and levers.
Steampunk ftw!
@HarpoonJoe oh wait,,u said iphone and ipad on your comment,,get ready to be down ranked...
@gpmoo7
"at least, they are not copying the Apple prices and closed ecosystem ;)"
Ya, their just bring you nothing but pieces of junk hardware.
Welcome the open source world, you can install your own crappy OS as long as you are hard work coder.
@unknownsolo
so did you
Five of these or one iPad...
@Nitesh Needs more bezel
@Nitesh
$92 isn't all that bad of a plunge.
ughh,,stop shaking the camera...
This thing looks awesome even at first glance :D
92 dollars... hmmm
@rhesusplus We'd have to be getting fucked some where with that price...
@niZmo
Yep. You are absolutely right. You don't get a 3.5 mm jack. Proprietary connector FTL.
@rhesusplus
$92 to distributors, which tend to at least do a 30-50 percent hike, plus whatever it costs for the memory they put in it. No mention of volume to ge the $92 rate either. So expect closer to $200.
Does this have WiFi? If it does, then thats a nice gift to give out.
@arnavdesai
It shows in the video that it has wifi. I'm still holding out for Dell though =)
I love the bezel (spelled right?) compared to the iPad.
@Schmid7y Yes, the less bezel the better.
@Schmid7y
Just what I was thinking. Finally!
However at 4.8 inches of screen I wouldn't carry this AND a phone about with me. Would definitely get one for the wife to read in bed though. It would be more entertaining than 4.8 inches of anything else I could give her.
More like a Dell Mini 5 killer at that price point. Did they mention if it had 3g or not?
@Shalabi
Mini 5 killer. My thoughts exactly. Although for the price I doubt it has 3g. I also don't see any reference to CPU. Plus with Dell being a brand I have at least heard of I would be willing to pay a premium. But if the Mini 5 is $600 consider me sold on this guy.
I don't get your first comment. Why don't we want more competition in the tablet space? Won't competition drive down prices, and increase functionality?
How many netbooks do we need? How many crappy beige PCs do we need? How many overpriced, "premium" laptops do we need? Lord knows we have enough "smart" phone floating around.
So, I politely beg to differ. Bring on the tablets. The more the merrier.
Well i was thinking that's a pretty cool gadget for 90 bucks until i saw there's no output whatsoever. no headphone jack? i mean come on... we are past the point of passing up on a 5 cent 3.5mm headphone jack and having to use a USB adapter for headphones...
All in all i think this would be a decent tablet for young kids when parents don't want to drop 500 for a tablet that will be broken in 2 months from abuse anyhow.
And as much as it pains me to say this... the iPad is much better than this. Sorry sir, this is no iPad killer.
@schultz
im not sure how u get the conclusion of "no output". i ensure you there are usb outputs and headphone jack.
i wouldnt consider buying it neither, 4.8" is tiny for a tablet.
@schultz
Uh... I'm pretty sure it has a headphone jack.
i noticed their version of android has market, which i'm pretty sure archos either doesn't have yet or charges for. now that's pretty cool.
@dr steve brule Archos has the market too, like this one, but only if you install the .apk hack for it. Google Marketplace on tablets and laptops is not yet officially supported by Google. But should be soon. Until then we can unofficially hack it onto those devices.
Another rk2808 android tablet.
@max1001 Those will be getting common soon in the China mainland, and possibly America too...
@Atkins It's called sarcasm, you should look it up sometime.
looks promising, but the battery life is 5h while reading!