Though "
Neofonie" is the most apt name for a vaporware company we've heard since "
Phantom," it's looking like that very firm's 11.6-inch WePad tablet is actually the real deal. Fed up with all the
skepticism it has received of late, the German firm just held a press conference in Berlin to show off a pair of working devices and allay our fears.
Netbooknews.de was on the scene, and they took a pair of high-res videos that prove the tablets do, in fact, have a working (though somewhat laggy) touchscreen, and that
fancy-pants vertical UI is quite functional. Full screen YouTube videos were choppy, but they played, and the Atom N450 CPU loaded OpenOffice and flipped through browser windows without a hitch. But don't take our word for it -- watch the whole 25-minute demonstration after the break, plus a bonus video from
AndroidPIT. Then, if you'd be so kind, tell us what the nice company reps are
saying.
Update: AndroidPIT was kind enough to dub over their entire demo in English -- hear everything after the break.
posted April 26th 2010 4:26PM
@souljade Hope its not, looks quite good so far.. in my opinion :)
@doomke well it's just a feeling..we'll see.
Dear engadget,
I try to translate some of the most important remarks
1st video:
-wePad is used typically in landscape mode, while the iPad is used in potrait mode
-therefore they have thumb navigation on the right side
-this enables the user to navigate while holding the wePad with two hands
-live applications on the home screen, you do not need to start the application, direct interaction, they are running permanently
-he claims that the wePad supports true multitasking, not such "fake" multitasking function like in iPhone OS 4 (his opinion)
-thumb navigation on the left side for native applications
-he states that 16:9 ratio is advantageous for this kind of thumb navigation
-expose like function -> "birds eye view"
-full flash support
-he reads a computer magazine article about flash in online web stores
-the flash version in not final and still buggy, final version is included at release
-multi touch support, but the application has to support this function
-media provider can preselect applications and place commercials which you can not remove(!!!), but the wePad can be offered as a subsidized wePad by
-open office support
-some issues with the touch screen, he apologizes for the issues and promised that they are fixed in the final product
-he shows open office, a photo viewer and other applications running simultaneously
-the design is final
-you can use standard usb keyboards and mouse navigation is fully supported
@Leparadiso xD =)
It's tasteless...Who can like it?? OK maybe I'm looking at UI design too much because I'm an artist.. but look at this! Ugly... Great web experiences then u have to tap at least 5 times to play video...
I used to buy wepads all the time when my dog was a puppy. Since then I haven't had any use for one.
Watch out it resembles the Ipad so much that Jobs is going to sue. Tim Tebow Sucks.
In the AndroidPIT Video the guy says that there will be an expert mode with full linux features. When you activate the expert mode (he calls it legal jailbrake) you will loose the guarantee of the software but you still get full hardware guarantee and support
@goeschl
The Tech-Partner are Adobe, Siemens, Intel and Medion (for Support - not confirmed)
Well. I am not an Apple fan and I actually hate how evil Apple is, but recently I bought the iPad and Autodesk SketchBook Pro, and honstly? Nothing is gonna beat, kill or comes near it. It's just that good.
The only negative thing about it is there is no Alarm clock and the WIFI is a bit weak.
Can someone say iPad killer?
@Narutogrey
Oh, you mean like all of those iPhone and iPod killers??? Keep dreaming.
@Narutogrey
Expert mode is geek mode. Consumers won't touch this thing. Rocket scientists need only apply. That UI looks as confusing as can be and each vendor is going to customize it. Good lord.
He also pointed out that the content providers set their own price (e.g. Stern, the German magazine), unlike with the other pad, where he points out that somebody had to charge more on the iPad than they do for their printed versions, because Apple has the prices fixed at certain price points.
As for the UI, I'm not sure why there are a few negative comments here, but maybe I'm just lucky that I'm not a designer, and so I can enjoy the fact that it seem way more user friendly than anything I've ever seen. Don't underestimate the value of not constantly having to take one hand off the thing to operate it.
Oh, and another German magazine (c't) mentions that they said they'll have mass production by August.
Another Joojoo
@Dr Kwame Nkrumah
JooJoo is full of bunk, the Germans get shit done.
@Dr Kwame Nkrumah
This looks a lot better than JooJoo in my humble opinion. Linux is not my first choice for operating systems, but home screen widgets, along with the full version of Firefox and Flash means this is instantly a million times more useful to me than an iPad.
He also demonstrates getting a new widget (Capital) from the web store, shows the HDMI, 2 USB, SD, and SIM ports (and then says "and we're not telling yet what 'this' is."
The one thing I don't like is that the ports are on the side, so if you have a USB stick (or two) in there, or an HDMI cable plugged in, the nice left thumb navigation is probably useless...
And yes, he clearly says that Android apps will run on it as well as Adobe Air, but they're not ready to show it yet.
The browser isn't fully optimized yet, and the menu thing that he pulls down at some point (because somebody asked about a file browser or some such) is definitely not final, they're still working on that.
One more thing:
http://eu.techcrunch.com/2010/03/29/europes-biggest-publisher-embraces-the-wepad/
Looks awesome!
Hope the battery life, etc... is good.
That UI is hella-cool!
Straight-forward, functional, and not too much wiz-bang crap for no reason.
@savagemike Atom n450, so no spectacular batterylife.
Up until now, I had my radar locked onto the Notion Ink Adam, ICD Gemini, HP Slate and the MS Courier. I'm gonna add this to my list. I didn't understand anything they said, but I was impressed. Thanks to the two posters who did a rough translation.
My goodness, an Apple Hater's wet dream... look at all those widgets randomly scattered around the screen..
AWESOME!!
Can a company come up with a new naming scheme for these if they are to become mainstream? ipad tampon and now the wepad sounds like something you stick in a babies diaper.
And meanwhile, HP slumbered on.
Sorry, but this thing looks painful to use.
I think it looks an interesting device and just the fact they are using Andriod apps means there's a good supply of applications already for it.
They begin taking preorders topday with delivery due in July.
"WePad Live in Aktion"-video with english subtitles:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWMsyZV3JV0
those videos are very promising basicly a ubuntu tablet with special interface which can be unlocked (he calles it a legit jailbreak for professional users)
if they dont open the interfaces source there will be definetly a opensource version of it soon