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.
Whole things seems to be a farce so far.
Seriously...the iPad comes and gives everyone a good view of how to get some stuff right, while large groups of people bitch about what it gets wrong. There's this beautiful window of opportunity to slip in and make something truly wonderful...
...and everyone avoids it like the plague, instead hitting practically every wrong note on the entire bloody instrument.
I've lost faith in any of these companies to actually be able to deliver, that alone the fact they expect us to wait until the fall.
If you put a full blown operating system in your tablet you've failed.
Tablets need software like webOS, Android or IphoneOS.
Come on microsoft. Get with it dudes. The embedded version is not it.
Go back to the drawing board.
@FrankDTank
I think your mistaking tablets with toys... tablets need a real os... toys can have a phone os...
^_^
@FrankDTank
"The embedded version is not it."
There is no embedded version of windows 7 (like there is with Windows XP... the only thing at computex running that is the XPphone, of what ive heard). However there is the new version of windows CE, called Windows Embedded Compact 7, and that is not a full operating system.
So that is a perfect match for youre requirement!
If you dont do the study, and then comment, Youve failed!
And besides, people want to replace their desktops/laptops with a cool tablet, they are not looking for a oversized portable media player with some web-capabilities.
A tablet with netbook hardware is a pretty good idea, since it meets the requirements of that most people want to do with their computer.
However, this is a tech-blog, so most people here want some more power under the hood, to runt 1080p, and some photoshop effects.. That however is not the same as what the market want.
@Stormstrike
I think iPad sales are solid indication that the average consumer would much rather have toys instead of a "real" tablet. Most consumers are not know-it-all geeks or tech-heads living for specs and a bloated OS. In fact, they'd be perfectly happy if there was no OS that could be seen.
The Viliv x10 looks promising. (but only if the ram is upgradeable)
NONE of this matters.
What matters is PRICE and SPECS.
If price equals or exceeds iPad pricing, then they need at least to double the specs of the ipad: ram, storage, connection options. Or the people won't buy.
If price is less then iPad pricing, which it should be because actual build cost of these things is ~$200 I imagine, then it still needs to have more ram and storage, or the people won't buy.
So far, based on prices that have been released, the manufacturers are killing the market before it even happens. Most everybody has a laptop/netbook or they are still on a desktop because they have no need for portability.
Until manufacturers look at netbooks and why they sell, it's the price stupid, then the $500+ tablets will never take off. (Except iPad because people are drooling morons for Apple products)
@Showbiz
true.
with one exception, 500+ tablets, with enough cooking under the hood could take off among the tech-crowds... and that is a pretty big market.
But for the average consumer, this netbook set-up is quite good, except the ram. But yeah, youre right, the prices are too high.
300-400 tops, and then that should inclunde 3G+ modem, good storage (160 GB if harddrive, minimum 32GB if SSD), at least 2 gigs of ram, at least VGA-output, at least 2 USB-ports and a basic stand to use it as a "desktop" at home (keyboard doesnt have to be included, and the stand doesnt have to be all that compact, since trevel versions could very well be accesories).
One of these days somebody will get these things right, but until then CE 7.0 looks like a nice alternative. I never thought I'd see the day I was impressed with Windows Embeded, lol.
@kenny goo
Well these are not that far off... a netbook can run Win 7 in a way that the average consumer is satisfied with.. but almost all of these run on 1 gig of ram, and come with not nearly enough storage... many dont include 3G modems, have only one USB-port, and that will not cut it for the average consumer... and yes, the pricetag is too high.
For us tech-geeks,we sure would like more power under the hood, but that will eat batteries...
So for the average consumer, almost all of them are almost there.. one or two models on Computex might even deliver all needed for an average consumer... but with the exception of the pricetag.
On a Windows tablet, 1GB RAM = MAJOR FAIL
Are any of these tablets FANLESS?
@technobear
I agree, its just stupid... seems like they only want to rip consumers off... well they are not here jet, so they have not succeded.
There is really no reason for them not to put 2 gigs in there, to begin with.
And with the discussed pricetags, they could have easily put 4 gigs ram, larger storage capacity, 3G modems, decent GPU and HDMI-out on them, and still made a good profit.
@technobear
Are you crazy? You try running a Windows 7 tablet on a warm day while watching a youtube video without a fan. That overworked Atom will be crying mama while trying to melt down all the innards.
Computablet would have been a much better name.
Atom Zxxx + 2GB = excellent Win7 Tablet.
So why can't they deliver that?