Best Buy CTO tweets RocketFish-branded tablet pics
By Joanna Stern 
posted August 6th 2010 8:22PM
posted August 6th 2010 8:22PM
We can't say we're all that surprised that Best Buy's planning to start stocking tablets, but we are slightly shocked that its CTO Robert Stephens uploaded some pics of a RocketFish-labeled slate and blasted them out over Twitter earlier today. Beyond the shot above and the one after the break, we don't know much about the HP Slate-looking tablet -- although, Stephens tweeted later that it's a "form factor proto" with no guts inside. He had also said about a month ago on Twitter that "the tablet has a front facing camera....runs Froyo 2.2." We're assuming that he's talking about the same tablet you're peering at above, but we never know what those blue shirts are up to. Obviously, we started following Mr. Stephens already and will be keeping a close eye on him and his new, apparently non-functioning gadget. If you just can't wait to see what double B is working on, we'd probably suggest you do the same.
that actually looks really good in the pictures, just as good lookin as the ipad
@Hell Angel
Every Best Buy I walk into, the internet is disabled .. so how are we supposed to try it out?
@Hell Angel
And with a front-facing camera and Froyo?
Hellz yeah!
@JS
I think they will have Internet now. Just not the Starbucks "sit and enjoy the Internet" Internet. ClearWire 4G.
@Hell Angel Finally, another company that realizes that you don't need to plaster your name and the device model all over the front in chrome. If there is one thing I like about Apple devices, and there is only the one, it is that they deliciously understate the Apple branding yet you can always tell it's an Apple device.
@JS You hook it up to your Android phone with Wifi hotspot, of course.
@Hell Angel
From the sides and the back it looks like a big iphone 4
@JS get a Nexus One and use the free wifi hotspot feature
@Hell Angel
why don't real companies start producing real tablets ha !!!
@JS not disabled at my BBY... the connection just sucks
@Hell Angel Rocketfish has always been the budget junk brand of BestBuy, no thanks!
@Hell Angel
That is a re-branded version of the Chinese 10'' android tablet which is being sold on ebay.
Even the tablet being sold in KMart is a slightly different version of Chinese EKen.
Which one? There are two devices in that (shitty) picture.
@Information Central
Well if you actually LOOK you will notice that in the second picture the bezel is similar to the device on the left in the first.
So I'll let you figure the rest out..
@JS
Not disabled, hidden. Connect to the hidden network "BestBuy" (case-sensitive, as always).
/formeremployee
@FlyingIsFun1217
Mine was actually TeHTubez and I have actually seen the same name at other best buy's, sadly I forget the password now and it was stored on my old phone. Not that the internet was worth jack shit in that building, couldn't even demo Pandora in that store or browse the best buy website to look up information for customers.
@Hell Angel
looks like an hp slate...
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/19/hp-slate-priced-at-400-for-june-launch-atom-cpu-confirmed/
@JS
Hum.... I tried the iPad at the Oceanside and San Marcos stores and had no problem hitting the net. Could be those are the exceptions...
@reallynotnick
That one's not for customers.
@insky Ive the iPad and have no issue connecting to Internet. Matter of fact it runs faster then most of the PCs even on 3G. I guess they are selling those floor models to customers. Right DA??
@IcerC
You mean like the Rocketfish cases that were rebadged Lian Li's? I'll take that 'junk' any day of the week then.
@RhymeMaster And that ain't a bad thing :) I like the fact that we're close to actually SEEING these Android tablets in the market. We've been seeing the "coming soon" far to long now. I, and a few of my friends, are waiting for a device like this to come to market. RocketFish, MAKE IT SO!
I need something like this to replace my portable DVD player
@cell128 They still make DVDs?
@cell128 yes please, and even better if it has a tv out.
As long as it don't break the $700 range (including ClearWire 4G service and wi-fi), and they update Android in timely fashion, I think it'll do well.
@shadowj0 isnt rocketfish brand items cheaper than hp anyways?
@emopoops
I'm comparing to iPad's pricing range. HP Slate, we have no established pricing range (unless I'm wrong)
Of course, store brand is always cheaper than name brand!
@shadowj0 Yup.
Now I'm stuck seeing if I want this, Samsung Tab, or Motorola's tablet.
Ugh. So many choices ...
Just get something to market someone!!!!!
I'm dying here!
No resistive screens
Looks pretty sweet so far, who knew Best Buy's in house brand could actually produce something thats lust worthy.
That second pic makes the tablet look kinda thick. But this is still cool.
Remember that the iPad is plenty thick. Apple made it essentially unholdable (with the stupid tapered edges and bulging back) for the sake of "tricking" people into thinking it's thinner than it is.
I avoid rocketfish and dynex like the plague.
It's just a big iPhone 4.
@Steve2000 your thinking of the iPad
@liftedngifted1 no this is closer to the iPhone 4 than the iPad. The iPad reminds me of the original iPhone EDGE.
@liftedngifted1
"your thinking of the iPad"
YOU + ARE = YOU'RE
@Information Central oh thank heavens someone here still knows the difference between YOU'RE and YOUR. it drives me batty every single time.
@Information Central no no no, liftedngifted1 just accidentally left a couple of words off the end of his post...
"@Steve2000 your thinking of the iPad IS ASININE."
See, no grammar prob.
Every Best Buy I walk into, the internet is disabled .. so how are we supposed to try it out?
@JS Completely incorrect. They connect all their display models to a non broadcasting SSID.
@getnormal84 Here's a hint: The network name? "BestBuy"
That silver trim makes it look like it will lose signal when held the wrong way.
@Mr Blurrycam Its ok it happens to other tablets too, there not the only one's
@Mr Blurrycam
Tabletgate?
@Mr Blurrycam
It looks like case is made out of DIELECTRIC PLASTIC!
biochemical wins
Actually...
That Hp Slate-Looking thing has much more than a passing resemblance to the iRobot aPad (RK2808) I recently picked up in China... Hmm?
@DaHarder
Ok... I sent this link to a buddy of mine who works for HoDAP in China (a popular Chinese on-line electronics retailer), and he's pretty certain that this is a rebranded version of the new RK2818-powered iRobot aPad, 'rumored' to be running Android 2.2 and sporting 512mb RAM, 512mb of core apps storage space, and 4gb of built-in user storage in addition to a microSDHC expansion slot.
We'll See Soon Enough...
@DaHarder
I agree with your opinion. Other than slight difference in port arrangement it's almost same as aPad. 2.1 for 2808 is rumored to be cancelled so 281x replacement hardware seems realistic.