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Canonical making full-fledged Ubuntu tablet push in early 2011
Were Ubuntu Linux ported to any device you could name, it wouldn't be much of a surprise, but developer Canonical intends to release a tablet-specific branch of the OS this time. Like previous efforts on netbook and MID, you can expect the new version to be something of an Ubuntu Light, but with new multitouch gestures and an on-screen keyboard lovingly baked in. Based on Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat," the tablet version will actually be rolled into Ubuntu Light later on, but right now the company's busy romancing hardware providers -- Freescale, Marvell, and Texas Instruments have all signed deals, and both Intel and Pixel Qi will reportedly bring power-saving tech to the table. Time will tell if that means a Armada 618 or OMAP 4 powering the display of our dreams, or yet another ARM-based craptablet with a resistive screen.
Notion Ink Adam 'on track' for Q3 after all, may have 'more aggressive price'
Thought the Notion Ink Adam was delayed yet again? So did we, but founder Rohan Shravan just cleared up all that nonsense with a new update. If you've been pining for a Pixel Qi screen, you'll be happy to know the Tegra 2 tablet is still on track for Q3, and will be joined by a cheaper LCD version around the same period. Celebrating his good fortune at securing investment, Shravan teased lower prices and a third, more battery efficient Notion Ink as well, but on this last point even he agrees he might be getting ahead of himself. Honestly, at this point we'd be happy to see even a single retail unit -- we're already getting distracted by alternatives. Updated: We just heard from Rohan again and he tells us that the Adam will likely run Froyo. Instead of Google's Market for apps, Notion Ink has its own content and application store called Genesis. We pressed him for more exact timing and pricing, but apparently our charming personalities couldn't get him to give up anymore at the moment.
Shocker! Notion Ink Adam likely delayed (update)
Another day, another exciting tablet delayed. The Notion Ink Adam -- that 10-inch, Tegra 2-powered tablet with a Pixel Qi screen that we fell pretty hard for at CES -- is apparently going to be delayed. We can't say we're really at all surprised, but according to Slashgear, the company looks to be slipping past its Q3 ship date. Word got out that it wouldn't ship until November, though apparently there's still a sliver of a chance it could launch in some countries prior. The hold-up seems to have to do with "investor preferences," but Notion Ink CEO Rohan Shravan said it will be revealing the official launch date soon. We'll be waiting, but don't get offended if our doubts on a 2010 debut begin to swell. Updated: We heard from Rohan and apparently the Adam will hit only some countries in November, the initial list of target countires will get the tablet earlier. He tells us pre-orders in the US will start soon!
Samsung Galaxy Tab comes in three sizes, ships this fall?
In the left corner, the 4-inch Samsung Galaxy S smartphone. In the right, the 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab. Not pictured: the tablets that will dwarf both. According to a South Korean newspaper, the Galaxy Tab is only one of three touchscreen tablet devices Sammy's got planned: while the 7-inch model is slated for August, 8-inch and 10-inch varieties are rumored to appear in November and December respectively. Though the "high-ranking industry official" who informed the publication sadly failed to mention a price, he or she did add that the devices will launch with SK Telecom -- the second time we've heard that -- meaning if any of this is true, they've almost certainly got cellular modems inside. All we need now is some official confirmation, and perhaps a nice, binding promise of OTA Froyo.
Computex 2010 wrap-up: tablets, a Windows 7 eatery, and a few more tablets
Taipei's been far too kind to us Westerners, and with Computex drawing to a close here on this side of the world, we can't help but pull ourselves together for a moment and look back at the trade show that was. It's been a fairly wild week in news, in large part thanks to the smorgasbord of tablets that have surfaced for the first time during the 30th running of this great event. Both Intel and Microsoft dropped bombshells on the tech world this week, with ASUS, iiView and even the xpPhone making bigger-than-life impressions. If you missed any of the blow-by-blow action over the past week, we'll work on forgiving you, and while you can relive the memories by visiting the links below, you simply can't move on with your life without living vicariously through us during our trip to the one and only Windows 7-themed '100 Seafood' restaurant. So long, Taiwan -- we'll be back before you know it. Major news / product releases: ARM: 'Eagle' to follow Cortex-A9, will support Google TV MSI WindPad 100 is a 10-inch, Intel Atom-powered Windows 7 tablet MSI WindPad 110: a 10-inch Tegra 2-powered Android tablet ASUS Eee Pad official: Intel CULV processors, Windows 7, and a 10-hour battery life ASUS Eee Tablet goes official NVIDIA ushers in the '3D PC' with ASUS G51Jx-EE, Eee Top ET2400 and CD5390 Intel 'Oak Trail' is headed for tablets in early 2011 Intel boosts netbooks with dual-core Atom, slims 'em down with 'Canoe Lake' Qualcomm ships first dual-core Snapdragon chipsets clocking 1.2GHz ASUS EPad: like the EeePad, but with less ecstasy Hands-on / previews: ExoPC Slate hands-on ASUS Eee Pad EP101TC and EP121 preview ASUS Eee Tablet preview Exclusive: LG UX10 tablet preview at Computex Intel 'Canoe Lake' prototype netbook preview MeeGo Moorestown-powered tablet preview Microsoft reveals Windows Embedded Compact 7, hosts heaps of tablets Pixel Qi introduces tablet-ready screens, we go hands-on (video) Intel demos Android 2.1 on Moorestown smartphone (video) Microsoft Windows Embedded Compact 7 tablet prototype preview Huawei S7 runs 1GHz Snapdragon and Android 2.1 like a champ (video) iiView M1Touch is a 10-inch iPhone tablet, seriously (video) Innoversal's Pixel Qi-based tablet prototype: $530 for the display of your dreams ITG xpPhone functioning at Computex, we go head-on (video) Everything else: Labor practice protest goes down at Computex, Steve Jobs called an 'OEM profit bloodsucker' Microsoft: Windows Phone 7 not planned to hit tablets, Courier was always a concept Windows 7 tablet roundup from Computex, nay Tabletex Engadget dines at Taipei's Windows 7-themed restaurant (video) Terror in Taipei: Computex taxi drivers watch live TV, video chat while cruising After all of that, we're still just skimming the surface. For the full monty, be sure to check out our Engadget Computex 2010 landing page right here. A huge, huge thanks goes out to Andy Yang for his invaluable translation skills and all-around amazingness during the show. Another major thank you to the entire Engadget Chinese team for their hospitality and kindness. One final thank you to the nation of Taiwan and city of Taipei -- without you, the world would be far less awesome.
iiView M1Touch is a 10-inch iPhone tablet, seriously (video)
Always thought the iPad should've really just been an enlarged iPhone? No, seriously -- like an iPhone after one of those "Honey, I Blew Up the Kids" incidents? Well, iiView is bringing just that to market this month, except its M1Touch runs Windows 7 Premium and packs an Intel Atom N450 processor along with 2GB of RAM. It also has a 250GB hard drive and a 1.3-megapixel cam on its left bezel. We finally got to see the tablet up close and personal -- it's been under lock and key in the Microsoft booth all week -- and it's pretty much the biggest iPhone you've ever seen. The capacitive touchscreen was fairly responsive, though there was a noticeable lag in opening programs. We're told it also has an accelerometer and that the familiar circular button on the right bezel will bring you back to the desktop, but both were disabled on the display model. Around the edges you'll spot a trio of ports, a SIM slot, a mini HDMI output and a microphone jack. As for the actual feel of this thing, it's pretty thick from the sides and weighs 1.5 pounds. Chances are that you stopped reading this post a few minutes ago and started clicking through the gallery to see shots of bugger alongside a normal iPhone, but we'd encourage you to also peek the video waiting just past the break. Oh, and if you'd like to give your iPhone an inferiority complex, you can always head on over to that source link and order one of these for $499. %Gallery-94376%
AMD in no rush to build tablets, says netbooks are priority one
According to DigiTimes, processor vendor AMD isn't terribly concerned about powering the next iPad or even a would-be assassin; the company's still waiting to see if the tablet market even takes off. The silicon firm will still work on desktop PC products and graphics cards, but is currently focused on graphically potent ultraportables; according to the publication, they're also not terribly interested in following in competitor Intel's smartphone footsteps. Of course, that's the same basic thing AMD execs said in 2008, right before Intel ate their lunch. We reached out to a company spokesperson this afternoon, and received the following statement: Our current generation of notebook platforms has not been designed for tablets. Our focus continues to be on ultrathin and mainstream notebooks which address the vast majority of the PC market opportunity.
Huawei S7 runs 1GHz Snapdragon and Android 2.1 like a champ (video)
Another small mystery, solved. We caught a glimpse of Huawei's relatively undercover S7 tablet back in March, but little was known about what would actually power the device and what operating system would be pre-installed. Here at Computex, we learned the facts on both of those points. Sitting pretty at Qualcomm's booth, the S7 was shown boasting a 1GHz MSM8250 Snapdragon processor, and our hunting around in the settings confirmed that Android 2.1 was loaded onboard. The Qualcomm reps didn't have any other hard specifications available on the 7-incher (beyond those that we already knew), but we were able to spot a volume rocker, internal speaker, 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD card slot, USB connector and a fancy kickstand around back for sitting a spell and watching multimedia. During our time with the device, we instantly fell in love with the depressible side buttons, and the capacitive resistive touchscreen was as responsive as they come. The whole thing felt speedy and light enough for our liking, and frankly, it was easily one of our favorite tablets at the entire show. We're still no closer to nailing down a price or release date, but at least you now know it's worth your while to keep an eye out for both. Vid's after the break. %Gallery-94345%
Microsoft Windows Embedded Compact 7 tablet prototype preview
So, there may never be a Windows 7 Phone tablet, but that device above looks pretty darn close to what one may have looked like. In actuality that's just the tablet that Microsoft has been using at Computex to demo its new Windows Embedded Compact 7 supporting Silverlight for Windows Embedded, Flash 10.1, and multitouch within the browser. We caught a few minutes with the NVIDIA Tegra 2-powered, 8.9-inch slate and found ourselves drooling over the Zune / Windows Phone 7-like interface that had been built by Microsoft. But before we tell you to jump past the break to check out the short demo, we want to break the news to you that this UI was created just to show off the capabilities of the new CE platform -- there's no plan to bring it to market as is on Microsoft's end at the moment. Instead manufacturers, like ASUS and others, have to do their own engineering with the preview release and then the RTM build that will come later this year. But we certainly wouldn't object to one of those companies creating something similar to what you are about to witness in the gallery and video below. %Gallery-94262%
Microsoft Windows Embedded Compact 7 explained, trial download now available
Microsoft certainly made a bit of splash at Computex with the introduction of Windows Embedded Compact 7, but it's not necessarily the easiest thing to wrap your head around right off the bat (or say three times fast). Thankfully, Microsoft has now come through with a site that explains the new OS in detail (complete with videos), and a trial download that will let you get a sneak peek at it yourself. The short of it is that the OS is aimed at devices that don't need or aren't well suited to the full-fledged Windows 7 (or Windows Phone 7, for that matter) -- like the Eee Pad pictured above -- which, incidentally, seems to address one of the major concerns from folks like NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang. That added simplicity also means that the OS won't run regular Windows applications -- it is a successor to Windows CE, after all -- but Microsoft does at least promise a "streamlined developer experience." That's not to say the OS isn't capable in its own right, though -- it boasts a full-range of media playback capabilities (including MPEG-4 and HD video), built-in support for Silverlight for Windows Embedded and Flash 10.1, a customized version of Internet Explorer with full multitouch, support for Open GL ES 2.0, support for the latest ARM v7 architectures and, of course, "seamless" integration with Windows 7, to name just a few highlights. Still hungry for more details? Then hit up the source link for the complete rundown and Microsoft's videos, and for all the information you need to download the preview release.
Intel Moorestown tablets will arrive before smartphones, won't hit for at least six months
Digging all the Moorestown tablets and phones we've been seeing at Computex? Yeah, us too, but it looks like we're still going to be waiting a considerable amount of time for them to hit the market. According to Intel's Anand Chandrasekher, the first Moorestown devices won't pop up for at least six to twelve more months. That may be after the end of 2010 mark we had heard before, but let's hope Intel is using the time to get things just right. Anand also said that the first Moorestown products will be tablets rather than smartphones, the latter arriving sometime in the first half of 2011 -- not too surprising given handset manufacturers' history of designing and optimizing around ARM silicon and the fact that the smartphone flavor of the Intel-friendly MeeGo OS is still in development.
Pixel Qi introduces tablet-ready screens, we go hands-on (video)
When we last caught up with Pixel Qi at CES, we were downright ecstatic about its dual-mode 3Qi LCDs with switchable backlights, though we had a few wants, including touchscreen support and better viewing angles. Well, the screen company took our criticism to heart, and brought along its new touch-capable and "wideview" panels to Computex. The new displays -- which are readable indoors and out -- are also 30 percent more power-efficient than the previous models, PixelQi founder Mary Lou Jepsen told us. Much to our delight, we were able to handle a number of different tablets and netbooks infused with the new screens earlier today. The one pictured above is actually an Intel Atom Moorestown-powered 10-inch slate with a capacitive touch 3Qi screen; there's a button on the right edge that turns the backlight on and off. Another on display had a Wacom digitizer for taking notes in Windows 7 Home Premium. In the short time we spent with the tablets and mock-ups, we discovered pen and finger input to be very responsive in both LCD modes. We were similarly impressed with the wideview screen on the netbooks -- a movie trailer was viewable when the screen was tilted off axis as well as from the sides. So, that's the good news, but where the heck are the real devices? You know, the ones we can buy? We wanted to know the same thing, and CEO Mary Lou Jepsen assured us that they are currently working with major manufacturers. We hope so, Mary Lou. We hope so. Hit the gallery for tons of shots (the screen is a photographer's dream!) and a video demo after the break. %Gallery-94147%
Steve Jobs: iPhone OS 'started on a tablet'
Well, Steve Jobs just dropped a little nugget of history on us during his chat with Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher at the All Things D conference. When asked by Walt why they originally put their new OS on a phone and not a tablet, Steve said, "I'll tell you a secret. It began with the tablet." After working on the tablet OS which had a glass display and multitouch, another idea occurred to Jobs. "My God, I said, this would make a great phone ... so we shelved the tablet and built the iPhone." And there you have it.
Microsoft's Guggenheimer dismisses Android on tablets as 'an experiment'
Steve Guggenheimer, Microsoft's OEM vice pres, has pulled no punches in responding to a query about the threat posed by Android OS in the burgeoning tablet sector. Describing the early enthusiasm for Android from big hitters like Acer and Dell as a stage of experimentation, the Redmond man tells us he expects "Microsoft's support for Windows 7 will be seen as more valuable over time." In aid of this assertion, he cites the netbook market's development, which started off almost exclusively with Linux installations, yet "three years later it is 95% on Windows." That's quite an incontrovertible track record, but we can't help feeling the Guggenmeister is somewhat underestimating his competition here. He argues the continuous support of Windows 7 will keep OEMs in line, but we've seen Android iterating at a breakneck pace almost since its inception, and it'll be interesting to see if manufacturers opt for new features with Google's wares or cozy security with Microsoft. Either way, as the desktop OS leader, Microsoft is entitled to use such strong words -- we just hope Steve won't have to eat them.
VIA's WonderMedia decorates Computex with ARM 9-powered, Android 1.6 tablets
Don't let all of the Computex Wintel madness throw you off -- there are a plenty of ARM-based, Android tablets around these parts, too. We stopped by VIA's booth to check out some of its tablets, which we're told are bound to ring up in the $100 to $200 range. Virtually all of the devices on display had 7-inch resistive touch displays, and were running Android 1.6 on the company''s WonderMedia WM8505 ARM 9 based processor. It probably goes without saying that we found most of the plastic slates to be quite chintzy, but the slick Android skin and homescreen dock definitely caught our eye. Also, on display were two smartbook-like devices, which were based on a similar WM8605 chip, but running Android 2.1. That's all the specification details we have for now, but enjoy some of the pics we stole below as well as a short video after the break. %Gallery-94066%
MeeGo Moorestown-powered tablet preview
We saw a lot of new technology demoed at Intel's Computex keynote this afternoon, but the most impressive thing may have just been MeeGo running on a 10-inch Moorestown Quanta Redvale tablet. While the demo on stage was very brief, we caught up with some of the product managers right after the presser and convinced them to give us a peek at what is coming in 2011. To say we're impressed with the "pre-alpha" version of the software is a huge understatement. So, what are you still doing up here? Hit the gallery for a ton of hands-on shots and then that read more button for some impressions and video. %Gallery-94041% %Gallery-94039%
Future Acer netbooks and tablets to run MeeGo
Intel's just released its Computex press release, which beyond detailing its new Oak Trail and Canoe Lake platforms, reveals that Acer is about to take a bite out of MeeGo. Acer CEO Gianfranco Lanci is quoted saying that the company plans to run MeeGo on its future Atom-based tablets and netbooks. There's no word on using the Intel / Nokia OS on its phones, but we'll be keeping an ear to the ground on that. It's pretty ironic, huh, that Acer was rumored to launch Chrome OS netbooks at the show, but now we're hearing of this MeeGo love affair. Full Intel press release is after the break.
Intel 'Oak Trail' is headed for tablets in early 2011
Intel's been quite forthcoming over the past few weeks about its intentions to play in the booming tablet market, and apparently Oak Trail's going to be its ticket. Despite its name, the Atom SoC platform is actually closer to Moorestown than Pine Trail or Pine View -- the major difference here is that Intel's added Lincroft and Whitney Point to enable support for Windows 7. It will also support Google and MeeGo operating systems, so feel free to let your imagination run wild with that. Intel's not sharing much else right now in terms of architecture, but the long and short of it is that the fanless solution will enable thinner tablets with better battery life than the current Menlow platform, and will also add full 1080p playback and HDMI support. But we've still got a time to go until Oak Trail will be powering slates, as it won't ship until early 2011 at best. Funny enough, that certainly seems to line up well with ASUS Eee Pad's 2011 Q1 ship date, but feel free to make what you will of the so-called coincidence. Either way, it looks like the next year will be another interesting one for tablets, and the players look to be multiplying by the minute.
Sharp Netwalker PC-T1 unboxed, now available
There can be only one. Wait, wrong franchise -- this here is a Netwalker showdown. In the left corner, we have the Sharp Netwalker PC-Z1, a 5-inch Ubuntu smartbook powered by the 800MHz Freescale i.MX515 CPU, and at right, we have the Sharp Netwalker PC-T1, a 5-inch Ubuntu tablet with the exact same specs. Is the pen mightier than the keyboard? We won't find out today -- but Pocketables invite you to check out a bevy of fresh-squeezed T1 unboxing pics and comparison shots while they work on a review. See an EVO 4G make this tablet squirm at our source link, or check out our more coverage section if the juxtaposition of the words "Ubuntu" and "tablet" had you scrambling for your pocketbook three sentences ago.
MSI WindPad 110: a 10-inch Tegra 2-powered Android tablet
Oddly MSI didn't officially talk about its Android-powered WindPad 110 during the press conference, but it definitely exists. The 10-inch slate runs Android 2.1 and is powered by an NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor. It's got a different design to the WindPad 100, but retains the same 10-inch capacitive touchscreen and will have a USB port and video-out capability. While the tablet runs just stock Android, we're definitely digging the curved form factor and the ability to swap out the back cover for a more "stylish" option. We heard very conflicting things about the availability of the tablet -- one product manager told us that the company hasn't decided if it will bring it to market, while another told us that they plan to sell it for $399 by the end of the year. Hopefully we'll clear that up soon, but we've got some hands-on pictures below, along with a video after the break. %Gallery-93941%
