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ExoPC hacked to run Android 2.2, Microsoft sobs
Well, what do we have here? An ExoPC running Android 2.2? Oh yes, it's Microsoft's worst nightmare, and it has indeed been accomplished by one of ExoPC's devout forum members. The details in the forum thread are extremely sparse, but apparently ExoPC fan MrWilson has added a Froyo boot option to his 11.6-inch, Windows 7 ExoPC and has gotten both touch and WiFi working within the Google OS. We're hoping he'll post detailed instructions on how he got this all working soon, but in the meantime we leave you with the poorly shot video of it all after the break. So, does this make you even more inclined to buy the $699 tablet from Microsoft Store? Oh the irony!
ExoPC now up for pre-order at Microsoft Store, shipping next week
Been waiting to order an ExoPC here in the US of A? Well, today is your day -- ExoPC has just announced that it's teamed up with Microsoft's very own store to bring you the 11.6-inch Windows 7 tablet. There's only one configuration at the moment, but $699 buys you a rather thin 0.5-inch slate with 64GB of flash storage, an Intel Atom N450 processor, 2GB of RAM, Windows 7 Home Premium with ExoPC's unique UI layer, and a front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera. As for that UI, ExoPC just told us that a major update should be coming next week and that it'll amend a number of issues we had with our early review unit. The slate is currently up for pre-order on the Microsoft Store website, but we're told it will start shipping out early next week. And if you're waiting to check it out in person before pulling out the plastic, we hear they should be arriving in all those Microsoft retail locations soon -- apparently, San Diego and Scottsdale already have 'em in stock. Hey, looks like Mr. Ballmer was right, we will have Win 7 tablets this "crucial holiday season."
ExoPC Slate review
Of all the Atom-powered, Windows 7 tablets we've seen over the last year and a half (and boy have there been a lot!), the 11.6-inch ExoPC has been the one we've been waiting on. Sure, its specs are similar to the recently reviewed Tega v2 and CTL 2goPad -- it's also got a capacitive touchscreen, accelerometer, Atom Pinetrail processor and 2GB of RAM -- but unlike the others the company has put some serious love into its Windows 7 software layer, which we've dubbed the Connect Four UI. ExoPC's also preloaded the tablet with touch apps, built out its own app store and included a Broadcom Crystal HD accelerator to handle full 1080p video. You can clearly see why we've had high hopes for the ExoPC ever since we got to check it out at Computex, but does it live up to the promise and provide the more enhanced and finger-friendly Windows experience we've been looking for? And is the software stable and robust enough for the average consumer? We've spent the last week with the $599 tablet so read on to find out in our full review. %Gallery-106093% %Gallery-106092%
ExoPC delayed a few weeks, apologizes with free stylus and stand
Last time we heard from ExoPC on the availability front it had opened pre-orders to its forum members and set a ship date of October 15. It breaks our heart to relay this, but as we predicted could be the case, the company is now reporting some delays. According to founder Jean-Baptiste Martinoli, many of the PVT samples had serious touchscreen issues, and as a result it'll only be shipping one hundred 32GB units come that October date. The plan is to then ship 400 of the 32GB and 64GB units by the first week in November, and then completely catch up by mid-November. It's a bold promise, but he's assured us that there's now a new manufacturer that's able to provide the same configuration options in a more timely and issue-free fashion. If you happen to have ordered one you've probably already reached for the tissues, but at least you'll be getting a free stylus and three-legged stand to ease the pain when your 11.6-inch, Atom-powered tablet shows up. However, despite the delays, ExoPC still seems to be trucking along quite nicely on the partnership end -- a company in Portugal will be bringing to market an ExoPC powered Mobi-1 and others are in the works. We'll be keeping you updated on anything else we hear, whenever we find the time -- we can't promise we won't be spending our waking hours checking the mailbox, hoping for our review unit to arrive.
ExoPC Slate hands-on
We don't say this very often, but some products are just worth the wait. And well, the ExoPC Slate looks like it's going to be one of those very products. After months of following along, we finally got to spend some quality time with the 11.6-inch slate at Computex, and came away surprisingly impressed. Read on after the break for our impressions of this Windows 7 tablet, what that funky UI is all about, and a video of the Slate in action. Oh, and after you've done all that, don't forget to feast your eyes on the gallery below. %Gallery-93907%
ExoPC prototype gets handled on video, looks downright delightful
To say we've been waiting "awhile" for the ExoPC to fully emerge from under its veil and begin shipping to the world at large would be a startling understatement, but it looks like the holding period is just... about... over. We're personally getting some one-on-one time in the coming days once we touch down in Taipei for this year's Computex expo, but in the meantime, those who fancy machine translation (or who learned far too much during those high school French courses) can dig into an overview from the folks over at Blogue de Geek, who were recently able to sit down with a prototype version of the Windows 7 slate and give it a nice once-over. By and large, they were duly impressed with what they saw, noting that video playback was flawless (thanks, Broadcom!) and that bootup was shockingly quick considering that a full-on desktop OS is included. Hit that source link to get a taste (or just past the break for a video), and be sure to keep it locked here next week for continued coverage. Update: Looks like the final product name will simply be "slate" and there will be four models to choose from: 32GB WiFi, 32GB WiFi + 3G / GPS, 64GB WiFi and 64GB WiFi + 3G / GPS.
ExoPC shows its touchscreen stuff on video
Twenty four hours after exposing the 8.9-inch tablet's internals to the world, the guys at ExoPC decided that the Intel Atom-powered slate was ready for its video debut. You can watch the Win 7 Premium tablet in action after the break, but we do have to say that the "low-pressure resistive" touchscreen seems responsive enough for making selections and scrolling through your favorite technology website. And surprisingly, the viewing angles on the screen appear pretty decent. Still no sign of the touch-friendly software layer, but ExoPC assures us that will be shipping with the final units. Enough of the play-by-play from us -- hit the break and see it all for yourself.
ExoPC tablet opens up for the world to see
It was just a week ago that the $599 8.9-inch ExoPC tablet came into our lives, but now we've been lucky enough to receive some shots of its internals. If tablet or netbook organs are your thing there's plenty to see in the gallery below, including some photos of the fan, what appears to be a Ene memory card controller, and an open Mini PCI-Express slot. The Intel Atom N270 CPU, 945 Express chipset and 2GB of RAM are blurry, but ExoPC has been nice enough to confirm those specs for us. Though there's not much in terms of the externals here, it looks to be a solidly built tablet, and it does appear to have a free SIM slot on its edge. We're itching to see some more pics of the final multitouch units, including the finger-friendly ExoPC UI Layer which will run on top of its Windows 7 Premium, but in the meantime we've got the gallery below. %Gallery-84849% [Thanks, Jean-Baptiste]
8.9-inch ExoPC Slate has iPad looks, netbook internals, Windows 7 soul
Yes, we realize that it's hard to provide too much visual differentiation between tablet PCs with large, ebony bezels, but we can't help but think that this 8.9-inch multitouch tablet looks a lot like another, recently announced 9.7-inch multitouch tablet. Nevertheless this one's quite different on the inside, delivering "the web without compromise," meaning full browser support with flash courtesy of Windows 7 on an Atom N270 at 1.6GHz, with 2GB of DDR2 memory and a 32GB SSD with SD expansion. Yeah, those specs are familiar too, and while we're not thinking this will deliver the sort of snappy performance seen on the iPad, it will certainly be a lot more functional. Battery life is only four hours, but at least it's user-replaceable, and a price of $599 matches the 32GB iPad. Likewise it will be available in March -- or you can get a non-multitouch prototype for $780 right this very moment. If, that is, you speak enough French to manage the order page. %Gallery-84303% [Thanks, Jean-Baptiste]
