Velocity Micro shows off $199 Cruz Reader

We haven't heard much about Velocity Micro's Android-based Cruz Reader since it sort of came out of nowhere back in April, but it's now finally nearing a release (sometime in August), and the company is starting to show it off a bit more. As expected, the Cruz Reader is just one of a series of tablets from the company and, despite the "reader" moniker, is actually more of a full-fledged Android tablet, complete with support for apps, games, web browsing, and other tablet-like activities. Velocity Micro is playing up the reader angle though, and has announced a partnership with Borders and Kobo to deliver ebooks to the device. Somewhat confusingly, however, it will be joined later in August by the $299 Cruz Tablet, which opts for a 16:9 capacitive display, adds 4GB of internal storage and an 8GB SD card, and Flash support, which the Reader apparently doesn't have (we're not quite sure what that means OS-wise). Rounding out the initial group is the kid-friendly Cruz StoryPad, which boasts a spill-resistant case and will run $149. Head on past the break for a look at the Cruz Reader on video, and the complete press release.

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Velocity Micro® Announces a Family of Android™ based color E-readers and Tablets

Cruz line launches with 7" color Cruz Reader™, 16:9 Cruz Tablet™ and kid-friendly Cruz StoryPad™

Richmond, VA – July 13, 2010 – Velocity Micro, the premier builder of premium, high performance desktop computers, notebooks, and peripherals, announces the debut products from a captivating and affordable line-up of Android powered mobile devices. Taking e-readers light-years past e-ink, the Cruz Reader features a sleek design, touch screen display, and tons of multimedia features. The Cruz Tablet offers the same multimedia capabilities as the Cruz Reader with more storage and a multi-touch screen. Perfect for kids, the Cruz StoryPad offers a touch screen, interactive content, and intuitive interface. Best of all, the Cruz line starts at just $149.

"Since 1992, Velocity Micro has been dedicated to building remarkable consumer electronics," said Randy Copeland, President and CEO of Velocity Micro. "With the development of the Cruz line, we were able to take those enthusiast sensibilities and package them for the mainstream consumer to create a product that's not only amazing, but affordable as well."

At under one pound and about a half inch thick, the $199, 7" Cruz Reader goes everywhere you do, making it perfect for students, avid readers, frequent flyers, and techies. Additional features such as video playback and web browsing provide a much richer experience than traditional e-ink readers at a more reasonable price than a tablet.
Key specs and features include:

· Crystal clear 4:3 ratio, 800x600 full color touch screen display – ideal for viewing ebooks and magazines, plus web pages and movies

· Google Android Operating System

· 802.11b/g wifi and full Web browser support

· High res video and high quality audio playback with no proprietary content restrictions

· Built-in Dictionary, Notepad, Calendar, Alarm Clock, Contacts, Games, and other useful apps

· Built in accelerometer, tilt activated

· Enough built in storage for hundreds of books

· USB and SD card slot for upgradable storage, including a 2GB SD card

· Up to 10 hours of use and over 24 hours of standby time, with a replaceable battery

· Access to over 2 Million ebooks via included Borders E-book library portal application

· Access to the Cruz Market™, an open content portal for downloading apps, magazines, and videos from a broad array of content providers.



At $299, the Cruz Tablet offers a truly mobile experience at an affordable price, finally giving consumers an Android-based tablet alternative.

Spec and feature upgrades include:

· 7" 16:9 ratio, 800x480 capacitive display – great for viewing widescreen video

· 802.11n wifi for faster wireless connectivity

· Integrated microphone for voice recording

· 4GB of built in storage with an 8GB SD card in the box for additional storage of high res photos, video, and music


Rounding out the Cruz line, the $149 Cruz StoryPad packs tons of multimedia features into a kid friendly, drop resistant package, letting children read, learn, and interact using a simple and intuitive touch interface. Features include:

· 7" 4:3 800x600 full color touch screen display

· Simplistic and intuitive navigation

· High res video and high quality audio playback

· Preinstalled audio book content – reads classic stories as the child follows along

· SD card for additional storage

· Available in pink, blue, and green


The Cruz Reader and Cruz StoryPad will be available from most major retailers and direct from Velocity Micro in August with the Cruz Tablet following on September 1st. For more information or to sign up for e-newsletter updates, visit www.CruzReader.com.

ABOUT VELOCITY MICRO, INC.

Velocity Micro, Inc. is the premier high-performance personal computer provider in North America. Founded in 1992, Richmond, Va.-based Velocity Micro custom builds award winning gaming, mobile, multimedia, small business, workstation, visual supercomputers and peripherals. Velocity Micro products are currently available at most consumer electronics retailers nationwide. For more information, please call [phone] or visit www.VelocityMicro.com.

Velocity Micro has earned over 60 industry awards, including 11 PC Magazine Editor's Choice awards. CNET, Maximum PC, Mobile PC, PC World, Computer Gaming World, Computer Shopper, and PC Gamer editors have all chosen Velocity Micro systems as some of the industry's best-performing, highest-quality, and most reliable PCs.

[dproctor331 Posted Jul 13th 2010 1:49PM]

Would love to see the specs on this!

[rspray Posted Jul 13th 2010 1:50PM]

@dproctor331
Specs are here - http://cruzreader.com/specs2.php

[rutter9 Posted Jul 13th 2010 2:20PM]

@rspray

Anyone else not give a damn about these tablets? Who is actually buying them?

[rspray Posted Jul 13th 2010 2:30PM]

@rutter9
I bought a Pandigital Novel, that you may have seen here on Engadget. I got it for ~$85 after a slew of discounts, which I was more than willing to pay for something I can surf, watch, listen to without breaking out my work laptop on the couch, in the bathroom, etc. So I guess to answer your question, I do.

[dproctor331 Posted Jul 13th 2010 2:54PM]

@rspray Thanks for sharing the link.... unfortunately there is no information on processor :(

[jturnley Posted Jul 13th 2010 2:57PM]

@rutter9 I will buy one when someone makes one that I can view large 80-120MB), full-color PDF ebooks on it in a book-like fashion with searching and indexing, and preferably hold more than on in memory so I can swap quickly. I do tabletop gaming, and I want a slate that will replace carrying 40 pounds of books with me. So far, none can (even the vaunted iPad). Being able to play video or run apps is purely secondary, I need large amounts of usable RAM.

I am likely waiting for the Win7 Netbook slates that will be coming in Q4, I guess.

[jturnley Posted Jul 13th 2010 3:09PM]

@dproctor331 Jusding From the performance, I'm betting some ~600MHz ARMv6 proc, just like the other first gen Android tablets. The Cruz Tablet will have to have a least an ARMv7 if it will indeed support Flash.

[xlaxplaya Posted Jul 13th 2010 3:27PM]

@jturnley Those specs sound likely, but does anybody have anything concrete on the difference in processing power between the reader and the tablet? I'm trying to figure out why the tablet's $100 extra.

[toddjy Posted Jul 13th 2010 5:52PM]

@xlaxplaya

Resistive vs. capacitive screens, I'm guessing.

[jellotime91 Posted Jul 13th 2010 10:00PM]

@dproctor331
Watch the video, you can tell they are not sufficient...

[VelocityMicro Posted Jul 14th 2010 12:35AM]

@rspray

GLad to see the comments everyone. In all fairness, the video shown here was done a while ago and used for some training for our sales reps and some customer demos. I assure everyone that the touch is MUCH improved over the video response.

Here's another quick video tour the Richmond Newspaper shot and edited. It shows the improved response and speed, although I am in serious need of sleep and a haircut!http://www2.timesdispatch.com/business/2010/jul/13/velo13-ar-290088/

Also, we will announce the OS shortly, please stay tuned.

Lastly, we are not trying to make another $500 tablet. We made the decision with the Reader to focus on the best product under $200, and when you see the final product, you will see we did a great job. For the tablet, more RAM, more storage, more horsepower, and a nice capacitive screen for under $300 was the goal, and we think it's going to be perfect for a LOT of people.

Again - Thanks for the interest!

[cul8r555 Posted Jul 13th 2010 1:49PM]

wow. its almost magical.

[Arkv2 Posted Jul 13th 2010 5:26PM]

@cul8r555
If someone can do it, it is them. Their PCs are awesome.

[rspray Posted Jul 13th 2010 1:50PM]

I think "Most Notably" for the Tablet is the capacitive multi-touch screen. IMO, that the feature that most have been pleading for on these tablet/ereader devices.

[DaHarder Posted Jul 13th 2010 1:50PM]

Looks Very Promising... if a bit design-derivative.

[teknoi Posted Jul 13th 2010 1:50PM]

Not a resistive screen atleast

[DaHarder Posted Jul 13th 2010 2:07PM]

@teknoi

There are two versions, the CRUZ Reader and the CRUZ Tablet.

The CRUZ Reader features a 'premium' resistive (800x600/4x3) at US 199.99, and the CRUZ Tablet has a capacitive (800x480/16x9) screen for US 299.99.

[TheSunman89 Posted Jul 13th 2010 2:21PM]

@DaHarder what does the different with "premium resistive" than regular resistive (i'm not ranting, but just asking a question)

[barry99705 Posted Jul 13th 2010 2:26PM]

@TheSunman89 Looks like higher resolution.

[teknoi Posted Jul 13th 2010 2:31PM]

@DaHarder ..Yeah actually prices are quite attractive ....Wondering about the specs ......Stock Froyo would be awesome :D

[DefPoet Posted Jul 13th 2010 2:48PM]

@TheSunman89
Probably has a resistive screen that's works as well as the n900 there are different levels of resistive touch screen. Some are literal veal while some are heaven

[patp Posted Jul 13th 2010 4:24PM]

@DefPoet Ya I used to have a lg incite and the touch on that was unbearable then I went to a htc vogue and it wasn't bad at all by any means. I would assume the premium would mean it is as good or better as the vogue or n900

[thisisit Posted Jul 13th 2010 1:51PM]

...still weeping over the canned Courier...

[TheSunman89 Posted Jul 13th 2010 2:16PM]

@thisisit same here man..... ='(

[bonaccij Posted Jul 13th 2010 1:55PM]

Am I the only person that noticed the wait timer? Where have I seen that animation before... wait.. lemme think... Oh Yeah! IT'S APPLE'S!

Also, does it just seem like every Android tablet demo seems like they are painstakingly pressing the poor little screens into submission? "So, just touch here... no wait... touch HERE... wait... HERE... Ok! Yeah, see and then you just start reading. Then you can turn the page... wait... turn... the.. page... (lemme press a little harder)...."

Crazy! Somebody show me something I can actually spend money on!

[darkninja962 Posted Jul 13th 2010 2:43PM]

@bonaccij That wait timer was in use on websites for years before Apple started using it.

[darjen Posted Jul 13th 2010 1:55PM]

looks like 1.6 on there. :(

[crow610 Posted Jul 13th 2010 1:57PM]

looks pretty snappy compared to other Android slates and actually has an attractive enclosure

[jerky79 Posted Jul 13th 2010 2:02PM]

The controls look a little wonky, in that it appeared that they guy demoing even had a hard time controlling it at a couple points in the demo.

[glamajamma Posted Jul 13th 2010 2:04PM]

Looks slow as hell

[redpanda Posted Jul 13th 2010 2:07PM]

@glamajamma You get what you pay for

[Anax Posted Jul 13th 2010 2:07PM]

It definitely does look like he's poking those controls with all his might and, even so, they aren't responding sometimes. Also, according to the specs on the manufacturer's web site, the reader has a resistive screen at 800x600 pixels for $199, but the "premium" tablet version has a capacitive screen with the lower resolution of only 800x480 pixels for $299. Why drop the screen resolution on the higher-end product? I'd prefer the capacitive screen, but I'm not going to pay more to get a screen that doesn't render ebooks as clearly.

Also, the specs mention neither the version of Android that will be shipped nor the processor.

[palehorse Posted Jul 13th 2010 4:52PM]

@Anax
That is due to the change in aspect ratio. The $199 resistive screen has a 4:3 ratio, while the $299 capacitive screen is a 16:9 ratio (widescreen) device.

[jturnley Posted Jul 13th 2010 2:09PM]

Guys, you really need to get up to speed on Android if you are going to post this stuff. The Tablet version does NOT have "mostly the same capabilities", it's a much more robust product. For one, it has double the RAM, which on Android makes for a much snappier device once you have multiple apps running. Second, since it has Flash support, it by definition must be running Android 2.2, which also means better performance. The specs also list the Reader as having a resistive screen (hence all the trouble with screen presses in the video) but the Tablet has a capacitive one - which you should definitely see as a big deal.

From the looks of it, the Cruz Tablet is likely to be the first true next-gen Android device of its class. It will definitely be interesting to see it when it ships next month!

[Ambient80 Posted Jul 13th 2010 2:33PM]

@jturnley I really hope that isn't "better performance". The guy demoing the thing was practically shoving his finger through the screen, and at times it still wasn't responding.

It looks like an alright tablet, but nothing mind-blowing.

[jturnley Posted Jul 13th 2010 2:47PM]

@Ambient80 Please re-read; I am speaking about the Tablet, the demo you saw and are writing about is the Reader. Maybe you should write for Engadget ;)

[rspray Posted Jul 13th 2010 2:22PM]

I can't believe they're including an 8gb removable SD card with the tablet version. Leave it out and price it $20 cheaper, please.

[TomSawyer Posted Jul 13th 2010 2:26PM]

there must be a TON of money in crappy $199 e-readers / tablets, since there are a million wannabes out there....do any of these crappy companies really think their product is gonna catch on?

[glamajamma Posted Jul 13th 2010 2:33PM]

Call me when they standardize the ebook format and get rid of the DRM. Until then I will stick with my DRM free, open format called the printed word on paper.

[jturnley Posted Jul 13th 2010 2:49PM]

@glamajamma Well, Apple's crappy product did, so anything is possible ;)

[jturnley Posted Jul 13th 2010 2:49PM]

@jturnley Sorry, responded the wrong post.

[Anax Posted Jul 13th 2010 2:57PM]

@glamajamma Yes, let's hope they lose the DRM soon. I don't buy DRMed e-books, but for the DRM-free books I do buy (or borrow from the library), an Android tablet would be a very nice gadget on which to read them. Certainly a step up from my Android cell phone, which is what I use now.

[o TINY o Posted Jul 13th 2010 2:46PM]

No one else is bothered by the fact that it is clearly an un-responsive resistive screen, and that the guy did not show scrolling or video playback?

[jturnley Posted Jul 13th 2010 2:48PM]

@o TINY o He did show video playback.

[SamTheGeek Posted Jul 13th 2010 2:50PM]

I've always wanted an android tablet to go with my iPhone (I like to have a foot in both worlds).
Unfortunately, this does not appear to be it, unless the tablet version gets a higher res screen and Froyo. I can't imagine dropping $300 on an android tablet without the latest OS. Maybe someone will have something competitive by the time the next iPad rolls around with facetime capability.

[davebu3 Posted Jul 13th 2010 3:04PM]

when any android tablet has the market you've got a sale.

[nefnet13 Posted Jul 13th 2010 3:20PM]

I am numb to tablets now-- and I used to want one so bad. I just can't see a reasonable use-case without a good digitizer and pen input.

I want something that runs OneNote and a web browser (and little else), lets me mark up PDF's and stuff, has a couple of USB ports with TWAIN and printer support with an interface that gets the hell outta my way. Oh and is reasonably priced. Why is this such an unattainable dream?

Had a guy offer to bribe me with an iPad the other day. I honestly didn't even consider it, and not because I have morals or anything. I just don't want one. I would have just loaded it up with Spongebob episodes and given it to my kids.

[AstroSeven Posted Jul 15th 2010 10:12AM]

@nefnet13

What you are talking about is not a consumer level device, and will never be at a "nice price" You need to look at the motion J3500. Superb kit which does everything you say, but its hardly cheap. Dont ever expect anything new with a digitiser for handwriting support to be sub $1000.

[Cats Posted Jul 13th 2010 3:43PM]

Looks like a cheap, ugly iPad. No thanks.

[misjah Posted Jul 13th 2010 3:46PM]

Whoa!! Well if THIS is what the competition can do, then the IPad seems pretty safe. This thing looks slower than my 96 year old granny. Plastic fantastic with slow response.. No thanks!

Lets hope that you Fandroiders will have better luck with the next Ipad clone ;o)