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eFun's hybrid tablets offer a choice: Windows 8.1 or Android?
eFun's not one to miss out on CES festivities, and this year, the company is showing off new Windows 8.1 and Android "Nextbook" models. The Windows 8.1 lineup consists of three Quad Core Intel Atom-powered devices with screens measuring 10.1 inches (1,280 x 800 pixels, $229), 11.6 inches (1,366 x 768 pixels, $249) and 12.5 inches (1,366 x 768 pixels, $279). They're all laptop-tablet hybrids, with detachable keyboards sporting a USB connection, 32GB to 64GB internal storage (expandable with microSD) and 2GB of RAM. The 10.1-inch option also comes with something extra, though: a one-year Microsoft Office 365 Personal subscription with 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage and 60 Skype world minutes per month.
Hands-on with eFun's Nextbook 7GP and 8GP budget-friendly tablets
Not content with showing off its handy aPen Touch8 for those Windows 8 laptops which lack touch capabilities, eFun also let us play around a bit with two of its newest Nextbook tablets here at CES 2013. For starters, the 7GP, as its moniker would indicate, is a 7-inch (1024 x 600) slate that's sporting Android 4.1, a 1.5GHz dual-core CPU alongside 1GB of RAM and 8GB of built-in storage. The 8GP, on the other hand, is a tad bit larger than its sibling with an 8-inch, 1024 X 768 IPS display but boasts pretty identical internals, so essentially you'd be spending 40 more bucks for a little more screen real estate. Speaking of which, while one of the tablets biggest features could be their relatively small price tag, eFun kept emphasizing to us how it believes the fact that they are Google-certified is perhaps the most important thing -- and yes, the ability to have Mountain View's Play store is definitely worth mentioning. Much to our disappointment, however, we weren't able to download any applications from Google Play or, for that matter, even browse the web, though that's not the company's fault, since having thousands of souls packed in a room makes for some very unreliable WiFi connectivity. Internet issues aside, both the 7GP and 8GP were rather smooth and quick when doing every-day tasks such as opening up apps and swiping between pages -- which is likely due to the pair feeding off of Google's Project Butter. Furthermore, were quite happy to find how thin-and-light the tablets are, with both Nextbooks being slightly thinner than something like, say, the Nexus 7 or the 7-inch Kindle Fire. All in all, eFun's 7GP and 8GP aren't too bad a choice for those looking to keep spending to a minimum, but at $130 and $170, respectively, there's no doubt that shelling out some extra cash can still get you much, much more bang for your buck elsewhere.
eFun's aPen Touch8 makes non-touch laptops extremely friendly with Windows 8 (hands-on)
This may not be a highly priced diamond in the rough, but we were still rather pleased to come across eFun's aPen Touch8 while walking around the showfloor at a Showstoppers event here in beautiful Las Vegas. Although not exactly surprising, it's worth noting the Touch8 aPen takes an obvious cue from its A5 sibling, sporting a very similar design and being powered by the same ultrasonic infrared technology. What's different here, however, is that the newly announced Touch8's tailored for laptops (15.6-inch or lower) running Windows 8, with the pen's main purpose being to bring moderate gesture-based features to non-touch machines. According to eFun, and confirmed by us, installation is relatively simple: you plug in the included receiver (pictured below), pop into the "Tablet PC Settings," adjust the calibration, and voila, you are all golden. During our short spell with the aPen Touch8, we did notice a bit of a lag from time to time while using the peripheral, though it did manage to (somewhat) easily swipe its way between screens, launch different applications and bring up the Charms Bar. Naturally, it doesn't come anywhere near close to what you would experience on an actual touch-capable Windows 8 laptop, but it could definitely be an option if you're looking for something to hold you over until you finally decide to upgrade your gear. Those interested will have to shell out $80 on the aPen Touch8, with eFun telling us to expect it to be available in about a month.
eFun unveils Nextbook 7GP for $130: 7-inch screen, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, Android 4.1
Not to miss out on the CES action, eFun has announced it will be bringing a new slate to the show. The 7-inch Nextbook 7GP is part of the cheekily-named Google Play Series and runs Android 4.1 with help of a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and a gig of RAM -- all yours for $130 when it ships next month. The 1,024 x 600 display resolution can't really be labeled "high-definition", and most other specs are plain Jane too -- 8GB storage (expandable), dual snappers, WiFi and HDMI-out. While we aren't sure whether that moniker will jerk Mountain View's chain or not, penny-pinching shoppers can look forward to some more deets when the budget tablet graces the CES floor next week. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
eFun's Nextbook Premium 10SE tablet with ICS now available for $280
In a market slightly populated by some great well-priced tablets, and one that eFun is quite familiar with, the company decided now was a good time to add yet another slate into the mix. And while the Premium 10SE is slightly pricier than, say, the entry-level Nexus 7 model, eFun's latest Ice Cream Sandwich slab does sport a larger 9.7-inch, 1024 x 768 display. Still, the Premium 10SE won't impress many with the rest of its run-of-the-mill internals, which include a 1GHz CPU alongside 1GB of RAM, 8GB of built-in storage (expandable via microSD) and a front-facing 0.3-megapixel shooter -- it's also worth mentioning that eFun is kind enough to bundle in 25 eBooks at no extra cost. The Premium 10SE is available now for $280, though you can save a little cash by heading to your local Radio Shack or Hastings shop, where the Nextbook tablet's priced at a more affordable $250.
eFun launches $130 Next 7S tablet with Ice Cream Sandwich, 1GHz CPU
If you're still in the quest for that perfect Mother's Day gift, eFun believes you should have to look no further than its recently announced Next 7S tablet. The outfit isn't a newcomer to budget-friendly territory, and it's keeping the trend rolling by pricing its latest 7-inch slate at a mere $129.99. That small amount of cash will get you an 800 x 480 display, a 1GHz single-core processor, 4GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD) and, more importantly, a serving of Android four-dot-oh (4.0.3 to be exact). Unfortunately, the Next 7S -- which itself might be some rebadged hardware -- isn't offering support for Google Play at the moment, thus you're stuck with either Barnes & Noble's Nook shop or the lesser-known GetJar App Store. Head on past the break to check out an extra pic of the Next 7S and the official word from eFun.
eFun Nextbook Elite 10 offers Android 4.0, dual-core 1.1GHz CPU
It wasn't too long ago that we saw eFun's Nextbook Premium 9 Gingerbread tablet make its debut, but that isn't keeping the company from cranking out the hits. For CES 2012, eFun is showing off the Ice Cream Sandwich-running Nextbook Elite 10. It offers a 9.7-inch display with 1024 x 768 resolution and is powered by a Broadcom dual-core 1.1GHz CPU. We're still sketchy on a lot of the nitty gritty details, but we know it offers a 2MP front-facing cam and utilizes the SlideME app market. No availability date was given, but eFun is aiming to sell the tablet for somewhere between $250 and $280. If it sounds vaguely interesting at all, make sure to keep a close eye on our CES 2012 coverage for more information. Update: We just added the press release below. Adding to the specs we listed earlier, the Elite 10 will have a 5MP rear camera, HDMI support, 8GB of flash memory and a micro-SD expansion slot. Its "street price" is listed at $230.
eFun announces aPen A5 Smart Pen for all of your iPad / iPhone writing needs
Want to write on your tablet without all of the requisite finger grease? How about a stylus? Too pedestrian? What about a Smart Pen? Better yet, what about the aPen A5 Smart Pen? eFun's peripheral includes a stylus and a receiver that hooks into your iPad or iPhone's 30 pin connector, digitizing your handwriting or drawings via a number of compatible apps, including the company's own free Studio Basic Light. The A5 is set, broadly, for a release some time in 2012, and should run you around $99 whenever it actually hits the market.%Gallery-137038% Zach Honig contributed to this report.
eFun Nextbook Premium 9 tablet hands-on (video)
It seems like only yesterday that eFun was talking up its Nextbook Premium8 tablet (okay it was two weeks ago), but the company is already pitching the latest entry in the line. The Nextbook Premium9 has a nine-inch display, in keeping with the Southern California company's fairly straight-forward naming convention. The slate runs a basic version of Android 2.3 (though the company assures us that a Honeycomb upgrade is on the way) and packs in 4GB of memory (expandable via a MicroSD slot), a built-in speaker, a two megapixel front-facing camera and, as a bit of a throwback, a mini USB port. We had a bit of trouble on the software front -- the tablet froze up on us a few times during our hands-on trial, in spite of the 1GHz processor inside. The hardware itself is a bit more promising, however. It's actually a pretty slick little tablet that has a nice feel in hand, thanks in part to its brushed metal rear -- though the tablet does feel a bit on the thick side. The asking price for the Gingerbread slate is $299, though the company made a point of letting us know that it'll likely be a bit cheaper when it goes on sale in November / December, running consumers closer to $269 -- better, sure, but perhaps still not low enough to bring too many folks over to the eFun way.%Gallery-137035% Zach Honig contributed to this report.
eFun announces $300 Nextbook Premium 8 Android tablet
The Nextbooks 1 through 7 may not have caused much of a ripple in the Android tablet market, but eFun is keeping at it, and has now rolled out its new Nextbook Premium 8 model. There's still no Honeycomb to be found on this one (just Android 2.3), but you do get a slightly larger 8-inch capacitive screen, as well as a Rockchip RK2918 processor, 4GB of storage, a microSD card slot, and a 2 megapixel front-facing camera -- plus Kobo's eBook Store app preloaded (though there's no mention of Android Market). Unfortunately, in a season when you can get a Kindle Fire or Lenovo IdeaPad A1 for $200, this one will set you back a comparatively hefty $300 -- then again, it does have "Premium" in its name. Press release is after the break.
E FUN's aPen A3 stylus brings digitized scribbles to Android, BlackBerry users (video)
Students heading back to school this week will have a new stylus to toss in their backpacks, now that E FUN has released its aPen A3 digital pen. The company's latest note-taker is essentially like Livescribe for Android and BlackBerry users, allowing writers to digitize and record their handwritten missives directly to their devices, via Bluetooth. Compatible with Android and BlackBerry OS 4.6 and above, the tool also features a photo sketch function that allows users to scribble on digital images saved to their smartphones, PCs or Macs. If you're interested in getting your own aPen A3, hit up the source link, where you can buy one for $130. Otherwise, head past the break for a tutorial video, along with the full press release.
eFun's Nextbook Next5, Next6 now available, likely not the next big tablets
As you might recall, we weren't exactly head over heels for eFun's new line of tablets when we got our hands on the things at CES. Well, we've yet to see much of the sluggish Next4, but both the Next5 and Next6 have quietly made their way to market. Like we said before, the Next6 is more of an e-reader than a tablet, and the same goes for its sibling. Both sport Android 2.1, 7-inch LCD touchscreens, 800 x 480 displays, and WiFi connectivity -- the Next6 sports 4GB of memory, while the Next5 offers 2GB and a 600MHz dual-core processor, based on the ARM926EJ. We've said it once, and we'll say it again, the best thing about these slabs is probably the price: the Next5 rings in at $200 and the Next6 at $230. But feel free to judge for yourself -- both are currently in stock at the source link below. [Thanks, Nathan]
eFun Nextbook Next4 and Next6 hands-on
Believe it or not, the tablet world hasn't all turned into a Honeycomb / Tegra 2 monopoly. Some manufacturers, like industry newbie eFun here, are sticking with ye olde Froyo and looking to conquer a slice of the thrifty consumer market. The Nextbook Next4 is a 10-inch panel aping the iPad in offering a 1024 x 768 resolution and what will be a brushed aluminum back (ours was made out of plastic, but it was just a display prototype). Unfortunately, that's pretty much where the similarities end, as this device's software really wasn't up to scratch. It's almost stock Android 2.2, by the looks of it, but eFun opted to take the familiar Android soft keys into software, leaving the only capacitive touch for the panel. The biggest problem for us, aside from some instabilities and a random reboot, was lag when navigating through menus and an atypically long load time to get Angry Birds running. Performance might be an issue, in spite of the 1GHz Cortex A8 processor inside, but price likely won't be. The Next4 is launching in the first quarter of the year with a price somewhere around $350. Its 7-inch sibling, the Nextbook Next6, is also joining it in Q1 and also eschews Android keys for a software implementation. Its designed primarily for reading ebooks and has a pair of physical keys on the side for flipping pages, which worked well. It had similar issues, however, to its bigger brother, but maybe its target audience will be more forgiving of its lack of immediate responsiveness than we are. It'll be a Home Shopping Network exclusive for a week when it launches, with an MSRP of $300 that will likely be discounted to $250. Hit up the gallery for the hands-on action! %Gallery-113153% %Gallery-113154%
E FUN Next3 Android 2.1 tablet available for $230, real fun sold separately
Getting sick of cheap Android tablets and e-readers? Boy, we hope not, because E FUN's Next3 is just one of many being announced in time for CES 2011. As you may have gleaned from the headline, the Nextbook Next3 runs Android 2.1 and has the usual array of specs for its $230 price -- a resistive, 800 x 600-resolution 8.4-inch display, a 600MHz Rockchip processor, WiFi 802.11 b/g, 2GB of onboard storage, and an SD card slot. From the looks of the pictures in the gallery and the short press release after the break, it seems to be positioned as more of an e-reader than a tablet -- you know, with its integrated Borders eBook Store and all -- but you should be able to surf the web and watch some videos on it. No word on what apps are preloaded, but naturally there's no Market access. We're going to call a spade a spade here and say this thing looks a heck of a lot like the Pandigital Novel and Velocity Micro Cruz Reader, but we'll be checking it out in Vegas in a few weeks to get a confirmation on that. Don't let that stop you from ordering one today, though -- it's only $200 at HSN right now. %Gallery-111610%
