Windows 7 tablet roundup from Computex, nay Tabletex
By Joanna Stern 
posted June 3rd 2010 7:49AM
posted June 3rd 2010 7:49AM
Viliv X10We have to say the 10-inch Viliv X10 is one of the more attractive and solidly built Wintel tablets on display at the show. It's got brushed aluminum edges and a red carabiner slot of sorts on its bottom right bezel. The model on display wasn't final, but there were placeholders for a USB port, microphone jack and MicroSD slot. It will be available with an Intel Atom Z520 or Z530 processor, 1GB of RAM, and a 32 or 64GB SSD. It has a 1.3-megapixel webcam.
Compal NEZ00 Compal's 10-inch NEZ00 looks like a fairly slim Windows 7 tablet. It has a super glossy screen, like most pictured here. (Seriously, what's wrong with matte displays people?) It boasts an Intel Atom N450 processor and 1GB of RAM. Note: we are noticing most have 2GB of RAM to run Windows 7 Home Premium faster.
CTL 2go PC Slate
We had heard about CTL's 2goPC Slate a few months back and its now found a temporary home at the Microsoft booth here in Taipei. In all honesty, the 2goPC seems thicker than most other Windows 7 tablets around, but it has a nice capactive screen. Other than that it has an Intel Atom N450 processor, two USB ports and mini-VGA jack. It will also run a Blue Dolphin skin on top of Windows.
CZC P10T
We can't tell you much about this one other than its got quite a tacky silverish CZC logo smack on its bottom bezel. Unlike most of these it has some physical buttons on its left edge. According to the placard, it's powered by an Intel Atom N455 processor and 1GB of RAM.
FIC Tycoon
This happens to be one of our favorite looking tablets at the show. It's quite thin and comes in a variety of colors, including red, orange and platinum. We're not sure why the speaker grill is on the bottom screen bezel, but it does give it a different look. Internally, this one packs an N455 Atom, Win 7 Home Premium, and a Broadcom Crystal HD decoder. It will have a 2700mAH battery.
Malata PC-A10001
Last but not least is the Malata PC-A10001, which we hope gets a more digestable name by the time it hits the market. Like the others it has an Intel Atom N450 processor and Windows 7 Home Premium. According to the specs placard Malata will be cramming in a full hard drive since there are 160GB, 250GB, 320GB options listed. And as you can see in the picture it has a 1.3-megapixel webcam.
Keep in mind that many of these are just ODM designs, meaning they will eventually be brought to market under a different name so we don't have details on pricing or availability. If that's not enough Windows 7 slates for you, you can always check out our dedicated hands-on posts with the LG UX10 and ExoPC.
Where are all the naysayers who were saying CE7 was nothing more than Vaporware now?
@SteveyAyo
Tablets only became a necessity after the Hunchback from cupertino with the dirty, stinking sneakers came up with the ipad.
Seriously, can't steve jobs change his clothes and take a wash from time to time.
@Joanna
Interesting, but what about the Android tablets?
I am sure that Notion Ink ADAM was present at Computex, any news about it?
@SteveyAyo I don't think anyone was saying it was vapourware. There were however plenty of people saying, rightly, that a desktop OS is inherently not a good fit for a tablet.
@Volkodlak Ha, believe me people seriously were ;ast night/this morning... it was depressing
@SteveyAyo These are all Windows 7 tablets not CE7. Not that I think CE7 is vapourware infact I think it's a better fit for tablets and will work well when WP7 takes off as developers will make silverlight apps to go to both platforms.
@SteveyAyo
Why didn't you save that comment for a post about CE7 instead of W7 tablets?
@Levi ive been awake for 42 hours and did not comprehend what i was reading properly, sorry commenter community... but still half of these will ship with EC7, they just dont know it yet
These Windows 7 tablets are just overflowing with meh. :(
Was hoping to see a WebOS tablet.
@drlisbon Steve jobs changes his clothes. they just all look similar. Think of it as his costume for public appearances.
@SteveyAyo
You do realize its still vaporware, right?
In order to leave vaporware status, it helps to ship something... not show more vaporware that doesn't even build on previous vaporware announcements, but simply creates new vapor products.
An ODM design is, by its nature, "vapor-central". It's not even the company bringing the device to market... which kind of puts a ship date farther and farther out (always possible no one decides to make it due to flaws or IP problems).
@drlisbon
I agree. Before Steve came with the iPad, there was no wanna-be-Pads in everyone's agenda. Now it's seems like a mass panic, every corporation and company wanna piece of that cake. What disturbs me is the intense greed I see, and no actual good product. They just pull something out of their asses, call it a tablet and offer it to the consumers. They don't even try it seems. I also agree on the Hunchback man. He really needs to dress better or at least shave before a big interview.
@CleverB No, its really not considering the software is already available ...
@SteveyAyo
Only about one or two of these tablets will ever see production. All they're doing is showing off what is possible. The only problem is that any company that puts the full Windows 7 desktop OS on an Atom tablet is doomed from the very start. Just think carefully about the HP Slate. It was all ready to go and you see what happened. Nothing. No major company gives up like that unless they know something is seriously out of whack.
@MosesusedaniPad Well dont forget that the HP slate hasnt been officially axed, its been postponed for adjustments, im assuming theyre re tooling it for a Windows Compact 7 and WebOS version to be released early next year
I dont want a Tablet that runs as slow as a Netbook.
@genomecop
I don't want a netbook with as little functionality as a tablet.
@tocharius
I really dont need the netbook, I am waiting for the best Android tablet. Until now Notion Ink ADAM (with NVIDIA Tegra 2) is very interesting, but I think Google, HTC, Asus, Acer, Motorola? will show some love for Android tablets.
I think the market will be full of tablets options in 2011 (the year of the tablets) many of them with Android or Windows 7 as OS, also tablets with better specs (better processors, more storage capacity, multi-card readers, longer battery life, more USB ports, web cam, wireless printing, stylus option for students or graphic designers, double as ereader) will eventually replace the netbooks.
@Beatnik
Forgot to say that next year the fruit brand tablet will be SO DATED, comparing it to others in price and specs.
Apple created the tablet market, no one can deny it, but they will have millions of competitors, many of them will be cheap chinese clones, but another few of them will get the exact balance of price, specs, sex-appeal, market apps and user interface; these last will win.
@Beatnik Lenovo Dell HP and HTC will most likely make up that last group... also would it be asking too much for Voodoo to create a sweet tablet for us?
@tocharius
I don't want a tablet that's really an oversized ipod touch
@Beatnik Valid argument, but apple didn't create the tablet market, they brought in the interest of the so called "slate" tablets and since the majority of consumers buying them apparently have the interest of a 10 year old (oooh my a biiiig iPod touch?! The bigger the better, right?) now here come the competitors, won't take too long till someone gets it right.
@Beatnik
Negative. All other tablets will be considered as the Zune was to the iPod. If it doesn't have the Apple logo, then it's just a lame ripoff no matter how good it is. "Oh, look! I've got this neat Brand X tablet." "Yeah, well take it someplace else, because you're not hanging with us iPad users." Many of you don't seem understand how important branding is for sales. iPad = winner, Brand X tablet = loser. This is just the reality of life.
Yum. Tablets... nah... give me a smartphone any day
Hmm, Windows 7 on a tablet, it gives me an odd 'itchy' feeling.
@Threlly
Ermm, you should probably go see a doctor...
@Threlly
My balls start to itch whenever I see a Windows 7 tablet. My balls have always started to itch when a major disaster is starting to take place. I consider it "balls itch ESP".
It will be interesting to see what we have in the market one year from now and how many of these models make it to production.
@bob e i wanna see how many of these non EC7 models go to EC7 before they release
@SteveyAyo
I think the idea is to target EC7 at lighter "devices" while using Win7 for computing devices. The apples of the world see tablets as just content consumption device hence using a lightweight OS. MS see tablets as a computing device (as do I) which leans them to Win7 on the tablet. Other people are putting Android on tablets just to try to mimic apple, but I would be surprised to see Google themselves side with MS and push for Chrome as the OS of choice for tablets. A lot of people want their tablet more netbook than ipod.
@optimusfisher
This is true, afterall, PMPs with web capabilities, they are not a new thing... Not even when the iPod touch was introduced.
But honestly Chrome OS, is not really a practial OS, since its Web-based and does not allove installing programs... And I want to be able to do my stuff offline, and I dont want the whole world filled with products that hugs all avalible network capacity, just to do things, that you can do offline.
I wish that Google come to their senses and do a full linux dist... Now that MeeGo is on the rising, they have some competition to drive them.
I still dont think of these as tablets nor do i think of the ipad as a tablet
theses are slates. tablets :you can write on them with a stylus for hand writing
@DefPoet
you can write on these (and the iPad), but the manufacturers don't showcase (or even provide) the stylus. I think it's their way of trying to appear more "futuristic"
@ror No you can not write on these or the ipad like you can on an HP touchsmart tmz that is a tablet screen
@ror there is a difference as none of these or the ipad has a digitizer so while you can *write* it is not a thin type of writing, the kind that would be used for note taking
@DefPoet - sorry, but you're wrong. Devices like this:
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19512_7-10443415-233.html
allow you to do "thin" lines on capacitive screen devices like the iPad or iPhone (in fact Apple uses a stylus like this for their point of sale application in Apple Stores).
@rbgaynor You ever actually tried one of these yourself? They suck for writing, every one. The fat fuzzy ones, the rubbery tipped ones and even the one you linked. I have at least one of each, in hopes somebody will figure it out. They are great for selecting things on the screen, or poking the keyboard, but trying to actually write legibly is almost impossible. It's like writing with a Q-Tip or an eraser on glass. The one you linked has to be held almost perpendicular to the iPad/iPhone to register. Can you sign for something at a POS? Sure, comes out as well as any other POS entry screen. Your signiture is likely not legible in the first place.
Until you get a tablet (slate) with a stylus like those found on HPs TouchSmart convertibles, these things will miss the mark as a tool for those wanting to use it like a clipboard, for notes, drawings, etc, while standing, or in situations a screen attached to a keyboard is just awkward. If you ever get the chance to play with OneNote on an HP convertible, you'll get it.
@sejohannsenearthlinknet Yes, I have used one. Takes a little practice to have it feel "natural," but not bad at all after that.
never had a netbook, so i dont know too much about atom processors. i hear that they run hot and only slightly efficient on battery life. would CULV SU processors work better in tablets? i think that would help get over 3-5 hr hurdle facing almost all these tablets.
@armodon that is what mahes me curious about the larger flavor if eepad, it is running a CULV so hopefully if there isn't a model that comes with a full version of 7 (not CE) that it would be supported by the hardware easily
How come the Courier isn't on the list? Oh ... right. *sighs angrily*
Never heard of any of these companies, they sure ain't getting my money.
Aren't those last year's Atom processors? Sigh... just rehashing older netbook tech sans keyboard. I hope next year at Computex the theme is: slate devices that can actually create something.
This would include
1) some type of dual core ULV processor (with battery life of 3-5 hours)
2) some type of decent, dedicated graphics chip
3) AMD's Fusion (if it lives up to that keynote and doesn't become vaporware)
4) 2 gigs of ram MINIMUM
5) resistive screens, so we can have pressure sensitive stylus's
6) Full OS, because phone OSes are like swiss army knives when you really need a chainsaw for the job
I'm basically looking for a tablet PC with the keyboard whacked off just like this year's was a netbook with the keyboard whacked off.
@Bhima
Add an anti-glare ips panel and sign me up...
^_^
@Bhima I agree with you, all except the usage of "whacked off"
Bhima you want something else i.e.: Motion and not all those tablets. We should be clear on that.
I'm still not giving up hope that someone will make a decent tablet with W7 that runs and functions well. I'm not looking to play DX11 games on it, but I would want a solid 5 hour battery life with moderate usage, and at least 10 hours standby. Navigating the OS, browsing the web, and watching vidos all need to be smooth. Beyond that, if a native Windows app doesn't run well, oh well. At least I'd have the option. There arexertainly things I wouldn't mind using a tablet for that require full Windows compatibility.
The one at the top seems to have a matte screen. None of that glossy crap which makes these things completely unusable outdoors and also makes them look like cheap toys.
What kind of tablet is that ?
I really question the design behind making screens glossy. Im my opinion they look way worse (kind of unsharp) and also always give me a major headache from the reflections...
@Stormstrike Something I've never understood either. All LCDs should be matte IMO.
It's née, not nay.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nee