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Tegra 2 delay rumor makes the rounds, NVIDIA says 'everything's on track'
We bumped into NVIDIA at CTIA in Vegas last week, and even NVIDIA itself expressed some frustration at not having any finished Tegra 2-powered products to show us, but there was no talk of delays -- not that we really have many hard dates for any of the Tegra 2 devices to push up against. This morning, however, SlashGear ran a rumor from a "trusted source" saying that there were hardware and software "technical problems" with the platform, including a problem with Flash, which were delaying various tablets, including products from Notion Ink, Compal, and ICD. The source said that the Compal, which was due for a June release, has been bumped to September, while the ICD tablets won't hit until October. We asked NVIDIA for a statement, and they said that "The rumors aren't true. Everything's on track." With that sort of terse reply, we're not really sure which aspects of this rumor NVIDIA is rebutting, but we have to assume NVIDIA is at least saying that there aren't issues with Tegra 2 that are holding things back. As for when we'll see Tegra 2 tablets and smartbooks hit the market? That's anyone's guess.
Pegatron showing off miniature Tegra 2-powered home theater PC
If all these tablet and smartbook shenanigans haven't won you over, but you still feel the call of Tegra 2, Pegatron might have your number. We spotted this details-scarce nettop-ish home theater PC lurking around the NVIDIA booth today, just looking to be loved. The thin plastic box is topped by what looks to be bamboo, with HDMI, Ethernet, microphone and speaker plugs around back. We're very much in the dark as to supposed capabilities or software, but Tegra 2 gives us a good hint: the chip can decode 1080p and Flash video, runs Android or Windows CE, and is the same thing under the hood of the Boxee Box. We imagine something like this going for $100 (though no price or release date has been mentioned) or so and acting as a great little home theater PC for the right sort of user if and when it hits the market. %Gallery-88960%
EAFT Magic Tile and Compal tablets shown in India, Tegra 2 and Android in tow
We heard earlier this month that half a hundred ARM-based tablets would be launching this year, and it's pretty safe to say that these will be two of 'em. Shown off recently in Mumbai, India's own EAFT spurred interest with its Magic Tile, a presumably Billy Mays-endorsed Tegra 2-based tablet that runs on Android. We're told that it's equipped with a 7-inch touch panel (1,024 x 600 resolution), a front-mounted 1.3 megapixel webcam for video chats, 1080p video encoding / decoding abilities, optional 3G, a battery good for 8 hours of usage, inbuilt accelerometer, Bluetooth, HDMI output and a USB socket to round things out. All told, it's a pretty well-specced machine, though we're certainly hoping that the design gets a little TLC before it's launched in Q3 for an undisclosed rate. In related news, a Compal tablet was also on display, boasting a similar 7-inch layout, a Tegra 2 chip within, 512MB of DDR2 RAM, a 3 megapixel camera and a complete lack of WiFi (gasp!). Head on past the break for a hands-on vid. Update: We thought this thing looked familiar. If you had the same feeling, it's probably because the Magic Tile is actually that ICD Ultra tablet we played with a little while back. Still, "Magic Tile" has a catchy ring to it. [Thanks, Sriram]
Over 50 ARM-based tablets launching this year
While the verdict is still out with regard to consumer appetites for a 3rd portable computing device, PC makers are betting the farm on consumer interest in tablets that fill the gap between small-screened smartphones and bulky (by comparison) netbooks/laptops. We've already seen an uptick in tablet devices on display at the big CES and CeBIT trade shows, now tablet and MID device vendors look ready to blow out Computex when it kicks off on June 1st in Taipei. According to Roy Chen, ARM's ODM manager for worldwide mobile computing, more than 50 ARM-based tablet PCs will launch in 2010 starting in Q2 with "a lot more" landing in the third quarter -- a date that just happens to line up with the most optimistic Chrome OS launch schedule. ARM's seeing so much interest that it had to rent additional floor space to show off the devices. Chen said that many of the tablets are slated for China although all of the world's top 10 carriers have signed up as well. ARM was showing off two Android based tablets at the press event, including the 7-inch Compal device (pictured above) we gave a whirl at CES. Let's just hope that tablet makers have plans for some compelling content and service hook-ups with a focus on the user experience -- 50 near-identical slabs of touchscreen computing won't generate much enthusiasm around here.
Mio's Tegra-powered Moov V780 puts maps, 720p video, and the interwebs on dashboards
We're not suggesting playing a 720p vid while at the wheel, but Mio's Moov V780 -- or "premium PND," as they call it -- sure is a jack of all trades. We spent sometime playing around with the 7-inch tablet at the company's CeBIT press conference and came away surprisingly impressed with the entire experience. It's tapered edges and smooth plastic back remind us a lot of the Dell Mini 5, though Mio's gone with a NVIDIA Tegra chip (we were told Tegra 2, but our friends at jkkmobile sneaked a peak at the device's console and discovered it was apparnetly rocking the progenitor Tegra chip, at least on the show floor) and created a nice 3D user interface on top of Windows CE. Though it doesn't support multitouch, the capacitive screen made flicking through the coverflow-like interface a breeze and the virtual keyboard was a pleasure -- those who wish to use the device to fire off e-mails can always pick up the carrying case pictured above. So yes, overall we definitely like the Moov V780 and its Internet tablet/PND capabilities... but not enough to pay the 599 euros the company expects to sell it for. Perhaps the video below will convince you, but for now we'll be waiting for this one to drop in price when it starts shipping this summer. %Gallery-87351%
Notion Ink Adam gets detailed, pictured in its latest form
The folks from Notion Ink certainly haven't been shy about showing off their Adam tablet in prototype form, but they unfortunately haven't been revealing anything more than the most basic specs. That's now changed with MWC, however, which seems to have made Notion Ink quite a bit more talkative. As we'd heard previously, the Adam is Tegra 2-based with a dual-core ARM CORTEX -A9 processor, and it packs a 10-inch transflective screen with a 1,024 x 600 resolution courtesy of Pixel Qi. Also now confirmed is a swiveling 3-megapixel camera, three USB ports, an HDMI out for full 1080p video, a promised 16 hours of battery life, built-in WiFi, 3G and Bluetooth, and some welcome touches like an ambient light sensor, a proximity sensor and, of course, an accelerometer. As you can see above, the device has also undergone yet more changes from the last prototype we saw at CES, and you can check out a few more pics (and the rest of the specs) by hitting up the links below. [Thanks, Prateek and Nasman]
ASUS planning a 'killer product' for June, Eee Pad noise grows louder
ASUS CEO Jonney Shih has been speaking on the subject of the now finalized Pegatron spin-off and delivered a couple of teasing tidbits of info about the company's future direction. Naturally, most interest will be piqued by the "killer product" he has said is coming in June, but Jonney also mentions his company's intent to be "another Apple" -- only with a focus on open source -- and he specifically points out ARM and Google as a preferred hardware / software combination, while obviously not ruling out Wintel offerings where the market demands it. Taken as a whole, his words mesh perfectly with what we've heard of the Eee Pad so far, namely that it'll be powered by NVIDIA's Tegra 2 (which utilizes ARM CPUs), probably run Android, and arrive in early June. We still don't know whether that sub-$500 price will hold, but it's good to put a bit of CEO-level meat on those rumor bones anyway.
ASUS exec confirms Eee Pad tablet plans, picks a bad day
We've been hearing rumors of a Tegra-powered Eee Pad tablet for quite a while now, and it looks like ASUS exec Eric Chen has now finally confirmed the obvious, responding to a question about ASUS' tablet plans by saying, "yes, sure. We have the Eee Pad." Unfortunately, he didn't offer too much else in the way of details, saying only that it will have an ARM CPU and a 3G connection, and that Asus is paying particular attention to the user interface (even citing the iPhone as an example). Somewhat curiously, Chen also apparently dropped the term "Eee Book" when talking about ASUS' other plans, which would seem to be the first time it's been used in any sort of official capacity, although it's not clear exactly what he was referring to.
ASUS' Tegra-powered Eee Pad tablet to make sub-$500 Computex debut?
The first of June could see the introduction of the Eee Pad tablet if DigiTimes' proven ASUS sources are correct. The device has been rumored since early December and now appears to be heading to Computex Taipei for its big reveal with a price set below $500. The tablet was already rumored to feature a multitouch display, Tegra (Tegra 2, presumably) and an OS other than Windows CE. And with a name that sounds suspiciously like a feminine hygiene product for a robot, well, we'll let you guess at which Google OS the Eee Pad will run. Update: JKKMobile linked us to a video he shot of an ASUS concept tablet running Android on Tegra 2 at CES. Somehow we missed it... we blame the Waveface.
Next-gen dashboards get Tegra 2, Moblin, Atom, we go hands-on
Intel Atom processors, capacitive touchscreens, NVIDIA Tegra 2 graphics, Moblin installs... sounds like a suite of hot next-gen ultra-portables, right? Think again. Those are just some of the technologies used in the dashboards of cars that will be appearing on showrooms in the coming months and years, dashes that were largely on display at CES -- minus the cars themselves, usually. There we were treated to mobile glimpses of Google Earth, Pandora, and Slacker Radio on the go, plus the ability to lock and unlock your car via Ye Olde Internets. It's the future, and it's coming soon, so click on through already and get a sneak peek.
ASUS / Pegatron Neo with Tegra 2 hands-on
ASUS may be in the process of spinning off the Pegatron brand, but for now it's still the same company behind this here slick white smartbook. Running the inevitable Android OS on a 10-inch display, but offering the never-boring Tegra 2 combo of 1080p playback and up to a "full day" of WiFi-enabled battery juice, the prototype machine was being shown off to give us a hint of what's to come. We're told the Neo is definitely coming later in the year, though the particulars of the price tag and distributor badge are not yet revealed. For our money, this was a spectacularly thin and light pseudo-laptop -- it's hard to overstate just how deprived of weight this thing is. Opening it up shows an appealing layout and keyboard, which were rather spoiled by a number of creaky and unstable parts. We found deep flex in the keyboard panel and around the hinges, but our optimistic souls are willing to put those things down to it being a demo unit. If this featherweight design makes it to market without sacrificing any of the good bits while getting rid of the bad ones, we'd recommend it in a hot and sweaty second. %Gallery-82366%
Quanta Tegra 2 prototype hands-on
Quanta, the company that produces plenty of the hardware you know, love and fantasize about today, is showing off a new tablet prototype at NVIDIA's booth. The reason for its location is the Tegra 2 chip inside (you can see it in the nude over here), which can comfortably drive 1080p out via a HDMI cable and into your nearest HD display, while offering brain-melting battery life. Listening to music with the screen turned off can be done for 140 hours straight, and HD video playback can go on for up to ten hours -- both figures that make current battery efficiency look kinda silly. With WiFi, 3G, and Android for an OS, this prototype could be quite a nice little device, but right now there are more things wrong than right about it. The display is shockingly unprotected from the back, and we saw ripples appearing on the screen from our fingers supporting the machine. Furthermore, the touchscreen missed plenty of our taps, leaving us with a sour taste from what looked like a tasty little morsel. %Gallery-82316%
Notion Ink Adam stripped bare and our in-depth video hands-on
You have to have a pretty special product to get two Engadget posts discussing your wares during the maelstrom of CES, but this Adam thing just won't leave us alone with its Pixel Qi display, Tegra 2 innards and bona fide potential to blow the bloody doors off the homogeneous tablet market. We've gone back and grabbed video of the device in direct sunlight and it just kept on impressing us. The screen resolutely refused to be overpowered by the light, whether its backlight was on or off, but that was merely the tip of the iceberg as far as the happy impressions. Come past the break to find out more about buttery smooth 1080p playback (with a handy HDMI out), Notion Ink's plans for modifying the Android OS, and more on the likely pricing of the device which is set to land in quarter two of 2010. Oh, and yea -- we totally ripped it open and photographed the insides. Check that out below. Update: Check out SlashGear for some production artwork. %Gallery-82298%
MSI shows off 10-inch Android tablet running new Tegra chipset
Tablet-ed out yet? We didn't think so. MSI has a 10-inch Android tablet on display at CES here. There aren't many details (like price, release date and internals), but we do know it's running one of those new Tegra 2 chips. Up front there's a pretty nice 10-inch capacitive display, which is plenty responsive. Like other tablets we've been seeing, the device is a bit thicker and heavier than we'd like, but hopefully that paves the way for some substantial battery life. We might still not know the "why," but the "how" is certainly coming together. %Gallery-82296%
Compal Android tablet with next-gen Tegra demoed at CES (video)
Man, it's almost like every hour we come across another tablet-esque device here at CES 2010, and this time around it's a prototype concept device from Compal being shown off by NVIDIA. This 7-inch tablet / slate / MID / whatever was running Android 2.0 and packed Wifi -- sadly, there was no GPS or Bluetooth to be found. Up top there was a SIM card slot as well as a microSD card slot for extra storage, and an HDMI out port around the side. Unfortunately, the device is plagued from the start as its rocking a resistive touchscreen instead of a capacitive one. Despite the next-gen Tegra chip inside, our user experience was pretty abysmal, with touches barely registering and general usability pretty low. However, once we got some HD video up on the display, we got to see that Tegra doing what it was made to do... and it almost made up for that horrendous resistive display. %Gallery-82176%
Boxee Box confirmed to have Tegra 2, Boxee Beta now open to all
We had a hunch that it might be the case, and Boxee has now finally come out and confirmed that the Boxee Box is indeed powered by Tegra 2. What's more, while you can't get your hands on it just yet, everyone can now finally the Boxee Beta, which first became available to a select few exactly one month ago. Right now, that's available for Mac, Windows and Ubuntu, and Boxee is promising to make a version for Apple TV available at some point. Hit up the link below and scroll down a bit to find the download link.
NVIDIA announces Tegra 2, tablets en route
As expected, NVIDIA just announced Tegra 2, the next generation of its ARM-based Tegra platform. The new processor is a 40nm chip that's supposedly much lower power than Atom and even Snapdragon, and can still do full HD streaming and HDMI out. Supported OS's include Windows CE, Windows Mobile and Android, with Chrome OS on the drawing board -- "hundreds" of test systems are out there, and devs can order their own test units this month. It'll take a while before we see shipping production hardware, but NVIDIA says plenty of partners will be announcing Tegra 2 tablets with five to ten-inch touchscreens at CES. Why tablets and not smartbooks? Because consumers get confused when they see a keyboard and assume they're getting a full computer. Smart thinking, if you ask us. Oh, and this is interesting: there are some big wins with embedded systems in cars, so your next ride could be Tegra-powered. As for Tegra 1, it's still around and set to be a big part of some upcoming phones; we'll wait to see what happens on that front. PR after the break.
ASUS Eee Pad rumored to have multitouch, Tegra
Details on ASUS's rumored Eee Pad were fairly light when the rumors first surfaced, but it looks like things are now starting to get fleshed out a bit more as we near a possible announcement at CES next month. The latest word comes from Netbooknews' sources, who have reportedly all but confirmed that the tablet / handheld will indeed have full multitouch capabilities, and that it definitely won't be running Windows CE (still no word what it will be running). Slightly less certain but more interesting is talk that the Eee Pad will run on NVIDIA's Tegra platform -- or, possibly, Tegra 2, which just so happens to be slated to launch at CES as well.
NVIDIA promises Tegra 2 chipset and third party hardware at CES
For an upstart mobile chipset, Tegra seemed off to a decent start in 2009, but with a minimum of actual hardware actually on shelves for the holidays, we're supposed to look to 2010 now for Tegra's big break -- according to NVIDIA, anyway. NVIDIA plans to unveil its next-gen Tegra 2 chipset at CES in January, which is rumored to be around twice as powerful as the original, and we're supposed to be seeing a bunch of "interesting form factors" along side (like that Tegra tablet pictured above, for instance). We're told to expect tablet PCs, smartbooks, netbooks and MIDs running Tegra in the first half of next year, but the real traction is supposed to take place with the first smartphone entries in the second half of 2010. It sounds like a long time to wait.
Hardware battle looms for theoretical successors to Nintendo DS and Sony PSP
It's a sorry state of affairs when a media player like the Zune HD has more polygon-pushing power than the latest handheld videogame consoles on the market. If rumors are to be believed, Nintendo and Sony will set things straight with their next-generation portables -- at least for a little while. We've already heard that the successor to Nintendo's DS will have Tegra power, but the current speculation is that it'll be a Tegra 2 chip, promising twice the power of the current iteration. On the Sony side the PSP2 is apparently shaping up to use an offspring of the IMG PowerVR graphics found on the iPhone, said to be theoretically superior to what the DS2 will be able to achieve but costing more, being more difficult to develop for, and not shipping until sometime in 2011 -- potentially a year later than the DS2. In other words it's standard operating procedure if these rumors are to be believed, but even if there aren't any surprises in this showdown we'll be there in the front row with popcorn to watch the bloodshed.
