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Enso's zenPad finds the funds to become reality
With only 500 units ordered and 30 scheduled to ship on May 8th, it's clear the Enso zenPad won't blow up the world, but it's nice to see a startup make good on its promises. We've yet to receive one of the cheap Android tablets ourselves, but we do finally have proof they're on the way: Enso CEO Alberto Armandi just sent us an official, signed receipt for the purchase of 500 MID-560A tablet computers from OEM SMiT, along with a bank document proving they have been bought and (mostly) paid for. What happens now is threefold: The 250 buyers who held out receive a rebranded SMiT tablet, the 250 who didn't get their money back (anecdotal reports indicate refunds are underway), and the whole mess hopefully fades into obscurity, letting the three young entrepreneurs who brought us this niche Chinese device get on with their lives. See the slightly redacted proof Enso actually purchased these things, right after the break.
Enso's zenPad is vaporware, get refunds while they last (update)
Did you order a Enso zenPad? If so, you'll be happy to hear that the company has decided on a concrete release date; its website is now ticking down the days, hours, minutes and seconds until May 8th, when Enso claims they'll finally ship the rebranded Smit MID. Problem is, if you ordered your zenPad on March 22nd -- the day we wrote about it -- you will have waited 47 days by the time the device ships, exactly two days too many to get a PayPal refund. But more importantly, manufacturer Smit has now disavowed any knowledge of a deal, and Enso itself has admitted that the zenPad as such does not currently exist. We've done quite a bit of digging and even spoke with an Enso founder to get the whole story. Enough promises have now been broken and lies told that if we were you, we'd request refunds ASAP, but if you still want to hang on for a chance at a $155 Android tablet, you can hear the whole tale right after the break. Update: We just spoke to Enso CEO Alberto Armandi, who says that the company has now secured the necessary funding to make good on orders, and promises that he will ship us a zenPad for review within two weeks. We'll revisit this story then. Meanwhile, read how we got to this juncture after the break.
