UltraNote
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Kupa X15 Windows 8 tablet gets production ready, now on sale starting at $1,100
When we first saw the Kupa UltraNote back at MobileCon 2012, the convertible Windows 8 slate had all the markings of a reference design: NFC, fingerprint scanner, LTE, digitizer and Intel Core i7 processor. But production realities change things some, and now that this particular tab is finally on sale, a few of its specs have been swapped out. Starting at $1,100 and rebadged as the X15, this 10.1-inch slate still reps a 1,920 x 1,200 IPS display, dual 1.3-megapixel front-facing / 5-megapixel rear cameras, support for WiFi a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0, as well as up to 128GB SSD, but now comes in four configurations. Most notably, its allotment of DDR3 RAM's been doubled to 8GB across the board, although users seeking that previously announced Ivy Bridge Core i7 will have to opt for the high-end Ultra model as the lesser Elite, Pro and Lux builds all feature an Intel Core i5. LTE support seems to have been dropped altogether in favor of HSPA+ connectivity on the Ultra and Lux units. If you're interested in what Kupa's selling here, you'll need to contact the company directly -- there's no easy link on its site to simply purchase the X15 tablet outright.
Kupa UltraNote Windows 8 modular tablet hands-on (video)
Keep lurking long enough and you'll find the unexpected. Even at MobileCon 2012. Exhibit A: the Kupa UltraNote modular tablet running Windows 8. This 0.6-inch (15mm) thick slate is powered by an Intel Core i7 processor (Ivy Bridge) with 4GB of DDR3 RAM and a 64GB SSD. It features a 10.1-inch 1920 x 1200-pixel IPS display with a ten-point capacitive multitouch layer and a Wacom-like digitizer for pen input. Other amenities include WiFi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 and 3G/4G (LTE) radios along with dual cameras (2MP in front, 5MP in back), NFC and a fingerprint reader. There's a SIM slot, headphone jack, mini HDMI output and two USB 3.0 ports on the right side of the device, plus a proprietary power / docking connector on the bottom edge. A 45Wh slide-out Li-Ion battery is located on the left side. While the specs are pretty much what you'd expect from a decent Windows 8 tablet, it's the modular design that makes Kupa UltraNote unique. There's an Asus Transformer-like keyboard dock which boasts an additional battery, power jack, SD card slot, Ethernet connector, VGA output and two USB 3.0 ports. Accessories such as credit card reader can be attached the left or right edge of the slate thanks to a built-in latch mechanism. It's clear that the company is targeting the enterprise and vertical markets and even positioning itself as an ODM. We spent a few minutes with the device and were impressed with how lightweight it was (760g / 1.67 lbs). Build quality, however, left a lot to be desired, even for a prototype. Still, overall performance was solid, both in terms of speed and responsiveness. There's no word yet on pricing and availability, but take a look at our gallery and be sure to peek after the break for our hands-on video. Brad Molen contributed to this report.
