Olive Pad VT100 brings a voice-capable, 7-inch Android tablet to India's airwaves
By Darren Murph 
posted July 22nd 2010 10:25AM
posted July 22nd 2010 10:25AM
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
OLIVE TELECOM LAUNCHES INDIA'S FIRST 3G TABLET
OLIVEPAD-VT100
~ Launches industry's first next-generation Tablet powered by Android ~
OLIVEPAD - VT100New Delhi, July 22, 2010: Riding high on innovation, Olive Telecom, India's leading Convergence Solutions Device Developer, today announced the launch of OlivePad - VT100, India's first 3.5G Pad. The device was unveiled by Mr. Arun Khanna, Chairman, Olive Telecom Mr. David Hind, CEO, Olive Telecom, Americas and Mr. Artem Orange, CEO, Olive CIS/CEE.
After the successful launch of many Industry firsts including the OliveFrvrOn (India's 1st Hybrid Phone), OliveZipbook (India's 1st 3G embedded Netbook), OliveWiz (India's 1st Triple SIM Qwerty device), OliveGenie (India's 1st 3G Music Modem) & OLiveNexus (India's 1st Pocket Router) Olive brings India to the forefront of convergence technology with the OlivePad.
Designed as a multi functional device, Olive Pad operates on an Android Operating System and supports 3.5G HSUPA, Wi-fi, and Bluetooth. With an inbuilt three mega pixel camera and a front camera, the Olive Pad can be used as a touch notebook allowing browsing, Multimedia, Instant Messaging and easy access to the world of social networking, GPS for maps and turn by turn directions, gaming console, an e- book reader, Television and it is also a Smart Phone allowing voice and Video Calling.
Speaking at the launch of India's First Pad, Mr. Arun Khanna, Chairman, Olive Telecom said, "At Olive, it has been our constant endeavor to create products driven by technology at the forefront. With this launch, we are bringing consumers to experience cutting edge technology that the world has been talking of. It is the true convergence device that brings together the Computer, Mobile Phone and Entertainment on one platform. The Olive Pad is aimed at today's technology savvy generation who want easy on the move connectivity."
Unveiling the new product, Mr. David Hind, CEO, Olive Telecom, Americas said, "We are excited to launch the much awaited OlivePad in India. This latest creation from Olive willOLIVE PAD - VT100bring revolution in the field of technology with its magical features & stylish looks. Our global consumers are going to love this device because of the experience that it provides."
Mr. Artem Orange, CEO for Olive Telecom, CIS/CEE said " With Olive Pad we launch a new generation of mobile devices which become your true window to the world in your pocket. With the same concept, we will evolve into more and more convergence devices giving the same reach and affordable experience to customers in India and across the world. We have received tremendous response from operators and consumers in highly sophisticated markets of Central, Eastern Europe and Russia and expect to launch Olive Pad in that market in the near future."
OlivePad is equipped with distinctive features which include flash support, mini USB port, Camera and a Smartphone.
The OlivePad will be available countrywide at all Croma stores from August.
The new Olive Convergence portfolio is complete with WCDMA, CDMA, GSM and EV-DO handsets and smart-phones, Mobile Computing Devices and Advanced data modems for wireless broadband.
The more tablets released the merrier! Bring them on!
@Almo Too small to be a tablet.
You guys remember when cell phones used to be small?
@balwheeler
Whats a cell phone...
Send from my Tablet.
@DeFlanko
We can tell.
@balwheeler Is it fair to call these things cellphones. I think they have more in common with pda's of the past. The fact that it makes calls is almost ancillary now.
@balwheeler They were big at the beginning up to the late 90's
Oh you delicious little bastard.. I wish I could fit you into a double din bracket....
@Level 5
Soon enough, you may be able to! Atleast I hope so, need to replace this old USB flash drive playing Pioneer unit in my car.
@CrzySheeit The iPad is the better deal but of course droidboys will disagree just because.
@Kid Red
An iPad has no hope of fitting into a double din type setup. So no, it's not the better choice.
@paul34
I own a 350z, and suprisingly, there IS an iPad mount for it. No, really!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ipad-holder-your-nissan-350z-03-04-05-06-07-08-/140411010420
I wouldn't call that practical (or legal, or safe), but apparently it exists... part of me wants one... but I bet I'd get pulled over every goddamn 5 minutes.
Looks...delicious!?
@SlimSpaceman Thats what she said! :P
Looks...delicious!?
@SlimSpaceman soz for DP
@SlimSpaceman thats what he said!
It looks refined, Android 2.1 is a nice platform. But honestly, I have serious doubts about a tablet that is both smaller than an iPad, has less storage space than an iPad (until you buy an SD card) but costs the same or more. If this was 300 bucks, it would definitely hold up as a viable alternative, but as it stands at 500, I suspect it won't sell very well in the States.
@Bhima Has built in radio for phone support. Apple costs $600+ for 3g enabled models.. Its still less...But I still want 10"
@Bhima Its expensive until they get no sales. THEN, im sure they will have no choice but to lower the prices...
@cornelp
There are LOTS of rich Indians. Trust me, these things will sell if they make it to market.
@CrzySheeit
As someone from India, I think Indians who can afford this would rather get the iPad.
Also since most people in India still use their cell phones as their primary camera they will probably see this as an add on product to their phone and not something o buy instead of a phone. On the other hand people do have multiple phones and the plans are so cheap that the phone part of this will be simply ignored.
@Bhima It comes from India. End of story. What was the last good electronic innovation that came from India?
*crickets*
@lawl
Did you mean "comes to India"?
@lawl 'Olive Pad VT100', may be?
Forty years ago no one took China's ability to innovate and ship seriously. Sixty years ago, 'Made in Japan' was a byword for shoddy workmanship. I am reminded of Thomas Jefferson looking for a bison to stuff so he could send it to Europe and lay rest to the snarky rumour that the Americas could not support large beasts.
Former powers do not like to be reminded of their decline, and young, ambitious nations are only going to get better with time to replace them. Live with it.
@lawl I know! I know! The JooJoo. What do I win?
Voice = good chance of Google letting the market be on it. Yay for voice. Boo for dumb restrictions
@DefPoet lets hope this thing has Bluetooth, because even if I would buy this thing, I wouldn't hold it up to my face
This is the Bombay.
Crap, I forgot it's called Mumbai now. I don't have any terrible puns for that.
@Squalor
stereo :-/
Years ago I've used VT100 that was way bigger and heavier. This is a bit better than old UNIX terminal. ;-)
OK, this is by far one of THE NICEST tablet designs yet imo.
I am gonna be there next year. Better some 3.5G be running by then or else it will make me mad!
Ohh MTNL & BSNL networks are up and running since 2 yrs but I hate them. Whats the use of tablet when bandwidth is so expensive/or not available all together?
what is so special about this thing?
@Formul
"revolution in the field of technology with its magical features & stylish looks". Looks like it's not special but "magical". Sounds like their riding the Apple train....
Funny how no one brings up the term "magical" from the press release. Everyone is up in arms when apple says something like that...
@heathmaxie
Maybe because this thing is magica compared to iPad?
@zb88
The funny thing is, that this thing proly wouldnt exist if it wasnt for the iPad. The iPad has magically made a slew of vaporware and imitation "Pads" appear...
Well it has the ipad beat hands-down, no joke. Look at those specs, delicious.
Cute! We're lucky it's not made by Tata: it would have sounded bad. The Tatatablet? No thanks.
BTW, VT-100 was the name of one of DEC's famous video display terminals (AKA "Glass Terminal" by earlier generations of geeks :) ?
@GSGeek
Wait for the tatas to make a $99 version.
Actually way better than Streak tablet in my view ......2.1 :-)
Drop the price to $350 and I'll bite.
Pretty great product, all I need to know is how good the video chat is..
Looks fantastic, wish it was available here, I'd have no problems using that with a bluetooth headseat, but...
VT100 ?
really?
It better come with a decent terminal app.
@Jyve Is that bluetooth for those folks who keep their heads where the sun don't shine?
Nice!
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Terminal-dec-vt100.jpg
(Why hasn't someone stuck an iPad in an old VT100 case yet?)
@Globular
Because they don't want to remind people cloud computing is really really really old. Nor do they want to remind people why we shifted away from it in the first place.
without knowing what kind of processor that's driving this thing, it's suspect. You can put lipstick on a pig but at the end of the day, it's still a pig.
@thejsn
If only you read the source links. The tablet runs on a low cost Qualcomm MSM7227 processor which was showcased by QCOM as the processor powering low cost Android tablets. Perfect for this particular application I would say.
Besides, why would the average Indian run after processors? All that they care about is functionality and affordability. Any product housing such a processor that suits this would sell. That would explain why Nokia is still the Number 1 selling phone in India and Apple and HTC are probably selling in 100s.
@reversii You know that the middle class in India is bigger than the population of the US? So you can assume the luxury market is similar. Apple would sell better in India if they had a store, but there are plenty of retailers there and they do sell.
@CapitalGamer What you say is true. But 90% of the iPhones in India are jailbroken. Not bought in India, but "shipped" from an acquaintance in the US. Even the ones that can afford an iPhone prefer to buy it outside India. Even if Apple had a dozen stores in India, the Apple iPhone would never sell a quarter of how many N97 devices were sold. The iPod though has enjoyed humongous success in India. This is primarily because it is affordable in it's line. The iPhone is the most expensive smartphone out there in the Indian market. Hence there will not be any takers.
My point of contention here is, it does not matter if we have Snapdragons in these tablets. As long as the device provides decent performance for everyday use *and* affordable, the masses will adopt it. The average Indian does not really choose to buy a device based on what processor it has, but rather how stylish and cheap it is.