Velocity Micro's Cruz Tablet has Android 2.1 with full Flash support

Some alleged spy shots of a brand-new Android tablet materialized in our inbox this afternoon, and after sending a few e-mails and making a quick phone call, we can confirm they're 100 percent legit: boutique PC retailer Velocity Micro's getting in the tablet game something fierce, with a whole new lineup of touchscreen devices it's dubbed "Cruz." Designed to compete with both e-readers and tablets, Cruz will appear in both 4 x 3 and 16 x 9 configurations over the coming months, with the high-end devices sporting 7-inch capacitive multitouch screens, 800MHz processors and Android 2.1 (complete with Flash 10.1) right out of the box. Best of all, Velocity Micro tells us they'll be relatively affordable -- all will arrive under the $300 line. A company rep couldn't tell us whether Android Market would be included or when exactly the tablets are due, but he hazarded a guess of "late summer." Hit up our gallery to see the first prototype.

[Thanks, Kendall]

Velocity Micro Cruz Tablet prototype

[DrDr Posted Apr 22nd 2010 11:13PM]

@AstroSeven Just because it supports market doesn't mean it will actually be able to use all the apps. There is no common tablet format with android, and there is a much smaller developer base. I just don't see a device like this running iPad-quality apps for a long time.

[TheOrioles33 Posted Apr 22nd 2010 11:18PM]

How in the world do Android developers know which device(s) to optimize their apps for? Do you develope for a mobile device with low en specs so it will work on more devices? Or do you develope it for high end devices but you lose the low end market? How about tablets now? Major headache.

[AstroSeven Posted Apr 22nd 2010 11:54PM]

@TheOrioles33

For standard apps and utilities that aren't going to tax the system, the display resolution is a key governing factor which devs consider. They target the most common resolutions though with more android tablets hitting the market - apps will be configured to suit them, just as Apple apps are adapting to encompass ipad compatibility

As for this device, its seems to have similar specs to the Archos 5IT, which has an active community and have been sorting out what works on its specs and what doesn't. Tracking down their wiki will go a good way to telling you what you can get away with on it. You can now enable google apps/market on the archos device, which is a big deal for many users.

A7

[pedmart Posted Apr 22nd 2010 11:24PM]

can u play evony with this?

[tmarks11 Posted Apr 23rd 2010 6:55AM]

@pedmart no, but you can see their adds...

[Johnny Rockets Posted Apr 23rd 2010 12:36AM]

Is it just me or are there 40-50 Android tablets "currently in development", yet 0 of them on the market?

[Eraser Posted Apr 23rd 2010 12:45AM]

what does this do that a smartphone doesn't do?
what gap is this gadget trying to fill? i really don't see a situation where i'd be using this...

[JojoMojo Posted Apr 23rd 2010 12:50AM]

It is just a big android phone minus the phone. In related news... ZOMG ... finally the iPad killer. Behold and weep crApple.

[mrsamo Posted Apr 23rd 2010 2:03AM]

I can't wait for this one :

"Asus, inventors of the netbook, is about to shake up the ebook world with the arrival of the world’s cheapest digital reader"

[Quiglag Posted Apr 23rd 2010 2:24AM]

I would buy it right now if it had a built in camera, usb ports and included android market.

[zsmorr Posted Apr 23rd 2010 2:30AM]

@hated one
1000% huh? Man that's a lot! Thats like 1000 out of 100... that is nuts!

[groovedafied Posted Apr 23rd 2010 3:43AM]

I still want the Adam, this looks promising too.

[groovedafied Posted Apr 23rd 2010 3:47AM]

@hated one

WHY is it you can type a large response, and can't even take less then a second to spell W-H-Y.

Steve is calling all that stuff about Flash, because he has a gripe with Adobe, as Adobe has a gripe with Apple. Flash works perfectly fine for me... blame the designers for not creating effective content not Adobe.

Plus I work at a help desk and ever since Steve said "Flash is buggy" I had tons of calls with apple users spitting the same crap. Talk about a herd of sheep following a bell.

[groovedafied Posted Apr 23rd 2010 3:50AM]

@zsmorr

ZOMG GAJILLIONS!!1!!1one!!

[tmarks11 Posted Apr 23rd 2010 6:59AM]

@hated one You mean like the sony UX490 umpc, which was released 3-4 years ago?

OK, so it was actually a core solo... although there is at least one wandering around that was modded with a core duo.

Not a bad machine, if you didn't mind the 1.5 hour battery life and the feeling like you were holding a hairdryer in your hand....

[jsevans Posted Apr 23rd 2010 8:33AM]

The iPad is the first *usable* tablet that's been released with a recognized brand and a CULT following. Therefore, it will sell no matter the price. A $1000 ipad would not have sold as much, but it still would have sold like crazy. Why? Because it's Apple.

Personally, I want a usable tablet (decent screen, battery life, OS) that costs less than $300 and I can run what I want on it, not what some maternalistic company says I can run. Therefore, I don't want the iPad and neither will a lot of folks. Give me a no name piece of equipment that does what I want, and I'll be happy. There's a niche right there that Apple can't fill.

[mrsamo Posted Apr 24th 2010 12:02AM]

@jsevans

"it still would have sold like crazy"

Only to a niche market, not everybody has the money or enthusiasm to go out and buy.

Your tablet will come out later this year, I promise!

[tduszak Posted May 4th 2010 10:20PM]

VM, focus on your gaming end of the business. This little tablet crap is for the birds, actually it makes me laugh. Thought you guys did not want to be like Apple? Look at your netbook's, that was a joke. Same thing here, you guys did not even have any part in the development in the actual tablet, you got a sample or 2 or 3 and thats it. What ever happened to your core values and beliefs? Oh, my bad are good friend greed, or your really that desperate at this point in the game.

Tim, yeah me