Toshiba shows off Smart Pad tablet prototype, promises launch before October
By Donald Melanson 
posted July 20th 2010 4:06PM
posted July 20th 2010 4:06PM
It may not stand out from the pack quite as much as Toshiba's dual-screen Libretto W100, but it looks like the company will soon be expanding its tablet options a bit further. The latest addition was revealed in Australia by Toshiba's Mark Whittard, who showed off a prototype of a so-called "Smart Pad" tablet but unfortunately revealed few details about it. He did say that it would have both HDMI and USB connectivity, however, and that it could run either Android or Windows 7 -- Toshiba apparently hasn't decided which, though. There's no indication of a price either, but Whittard says Toshiba is looking to launch it "before October."
In b4
"iPad Ripoff"
@SirNoDroin
*in b4 downrank *
there fixed
@SirNoDroin
oh I wasn't saying it is (There aren't enough details to make any sort of conclusion...though HDMI and Windows 7 are very "not iPad"), I just wanted to stop anyone from thinking they were being clever...looking at the comments below though, it seems my effort was in vain.
@DefPoet Why downrank? look at it, iPad ripoff to the max, how do you deny that? Just like the Envy 15 is absolutely not a MacBook Pro ripoff.
@rmbrown09 It looks like every other black digital photo frame. The UI will be the big differentiator.
@SirNoDroin
iPad = HP TC1100 rip off
@Excalibur exactly, in everything but design and user interface.
@rmbrown09
take a look at the HP TC1100, then come back and tell me who copied whom
@SirNoDroin Hey, You're using an IBM ripoff pc to post it.
@SirNoDroin
Announcing a product with no set release date, no set price and not even a final OS?? I'm betting $100 this becomes vaporware.
@Excalibur
Wrong. The HP TC1100 is a heavy brick and runs Windows.
There is something wrong with your eyes.
@rmbrown09
Were there tablets before that? Yes. Were there Sony Vaio notebooks that apple stole the looks from? Yes. Will there be people who scream "Apple did it first" Yes, and you are one of them. Stop that nonsense apple made everything first crap. Sure they can make product sell better but it doesn't mean they came up with the idea first and made the very first products!
@hero785 I love Sony's industrial design most of the time; expensive solid and professional looking products. My Clié UX-50 was awesome when new, even rushes flash, rotating touch screen tablet with backlit keyboard.
Anyway... Which Vaio did Apple copy the looks from? Just interested, as I've never seen a Vaio look anything like a Macbook / Pro, except the chiclet 2006 Macbook keyboard which (to my recollection) later appeared on Vaios.
@SirNoDroin
Android instead of windows 7.
@darwiniandude
Actually, look at the past design of sony's notebooks before damn 2006. And now you are saying Apple invented chiclet keyboard? Wow you might want to lay off that apple koolaid!
Have you seen the FS660?Or the VGN-TX1XP that displayed the first kind of true portability? I can go on and on about this. Oh forgot about how apple started to recruit sony engineers for their mobile division. So where did apple get their concept of cool notebooks. Go back to the gator!
@SirNoDroin
Seriously though, I know it's a tablet, but fuck, I thought he was holding an iPad!
@SirNoDroin
And people complained about the iPad's bezel...
@SirNoDroin
Hell, that was the first thing I thought of... "Holy iPad Clone, Batman!" I don't care about that so much, though, but I do wish that this glossy screen business would die already. :(
Windows or android? How about duel boot
@Original Nosebleed Yes, want to see Android & Windows fight on the device before it boots up. Winner chooses your experience.
Round 1. FIGHT. FINSIH HIM. FATALITY.
Welcome to [Winner OS].
@Original Nosebleed
Well, the only platform that will allow that is an Intel Atom-based SoC...Oaktrail being the Moorestown derivative that supports Windows 7...and knowing Toshiba and Microsoft's long time associations, the Windows one seems more likely...
Of course, the is nothing stopping anyone from running dual boot, given the hardware supports it. I mean, they got the iPhone running Android for God's sake...
Hi iPad, no wait, ehhhh.
@bingster
Hi HP TC1100, no wait, hi Fujitsu Stylistic, no wait, hi Motion Computing, no wait, hi slate tablet PC, no wait, ...
Pad. Meh. Slate sounds much cooler
@DefPoet Pad is the buzz word at the moment, slate and tablet have historical negative connotations in tech.
@DefPoet Imagine. The Smart Slate.
HEY LOOK, I'M USIN AN SS.
Oh wait. There was that thing around 70+ years ago... Yeah.... SS, not good.
@DefPoet
netbook = low end notebook
pad = low end slate
Windows 7 please
@mahmut Ditto! Sans Atom processor. They aren't all that...
@mahmut
OS actually designed for the form factor please. Honestly, Windows 7 was not designed for this kind of platform. You're better off with Android. Or even Maemo (Or whatever name it is now.). Hell, a touch oriented version of Linux like Jolicloud would be better.
@Teslanaut
Windows 7 was designed for touch... but Windows programs as a whole have not.
And I really doubt there will be a "touch optimized" version of Filezilla or other popular Windows programs.
Web surfing will be fine on a Windows tablet. Kindle reading will be fine, too. But I just don't see the point of putting a full version of Windows on something that has reduced functionality overall.
We've had tablets running full versions of Windows for years. Then a new tablet running a specialized OS made for touch comes out. So now full Windows tablets are suddenly desirable again?
Prove it, Microsoft.
Oh wow... original... NOT!
@armus360
for SHO!
@armus360
yeah, pretty dump to copy a device, introduced by MS in the late 90s
@armus360
I sure hope these Smartie Pads can pull it off this time, we've seen enough tablet-vaporware this year.
I hate how companies make products after Apple
@ashleythehottiest
I hate how people think Apple made things first.
@darkninja962 I hate haters
@armus360 And I hate haters, who hate haters.
@bathellfire
Well I love you all
@ddddd no were in the original article is there any mention of Toshiba calling it a "pad" it was only referred to as a tablet PC (which it is). While one would obviously draw comparisons to the iPad based on the form factor, their is not a single indication (other then Engadget's naming) that any other company will be going with the "Pad" term.
Is that a pinkie promise? Didn't we hear all this before at CES? Ship it already.
"Pad Tablet"? isn't it the same thing?
@Geaux Pads are Tablets. Slates are Tablets. This is a Tablet called the Smart Pad.
@d0mth0ma5 no its not.
@SirNoDroin "showed off a prototype of a so-called "Smart Pad" tablet"
@d0mth0ma5 But I cede to your point about it not being mentioned in the original article, but a lot of blogs seem to be calling it a "Smart Pad"
@d0mth0ma5
http://www.pcauthority.com.au/News/220435,toshiba-taking-on-the-ipad-with-both-windows-7-and-android.aspx
this is the original article, can you find that phrase for me? No? Ok thanks for playing.
@d0mth0ma5 most blogs are just regurgitating engadget's blog...its sad how few bloggers take the time to read original articles.
@SirNoDroin You were correct, but the "nice for playing" makes you seem douchey.