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xPC wants to be your next tablet, desktop and crowdfunding gamble
We've followed ICE Computer's modular PC design all the way from first concept to prototype to demo unit, and after several years, it's now almost ready for prime time. The company has recently taken to Indiegogo, where it's set a $300,000 crowdfunding goal that'll finally put xPC into production. The idea is xPC will be several devices in one, housing all its main components within a smartphone-sized case: x86 Intel Atom quad-core CPU (Bay Trail), 4GB RAM, 64GB SSD, WiFi, Bluetooth and webcam. Now, to make use of what's inside, you marry it with peripherals such as the xPad 10.1-inch tablet dock (much like ASUS' Padfone range), or the xAdapter dock, which turns the xPC into a mini desktop. The company talks of other accessories like the xTop (an xAdapter with external storage) and xKeyboard to compliment the xPad, but these aren't mentioned in any of the pledge descriptions, leading us to believe they'll be made later. ICE Computer's pitching the xPC as a long-term investment. Thanks to "open connector architecture," third parties are encouraged to make other docks and peripherals that'll work with this and future generations of xPC. You see, the plan is to merely refresh the base hardware -- the outfit also expects to achieve a fully functional smartphone/xPC "within the next year." For now, though, an xPC with full-fat Windows 8 installed, xAdapter and July shipping estimate is going for the early bird price of $369. It's not too enticing a figure when you're essentially betting on an underdeveloped ecosystem, but at least you'll have something to show for it, unlike a similar concept that's never risen past big promises and pretty renders.
Ice Computer demos modular xPC with working 9.7-inch xPad tablet, we go hands-on at CES (video)
We've seen plenty of Ice Computer at various trade shows in recent years, most recently at Computex in Taipei, but the company has yet to ship a product. Under most circumstances, we'd label its flagship xPC as vaporware, but there does seem to be progress, which gives us some hope that the modular computer solution will finally be available sometime this year. The company is targeting a ship date in late summer, with a production version expected at Computex in June. In the meantime, Ice Computer reps have made the trip out to CES to demo the first functional xPad tablet, which is one of several platforms for the xPC, a smartphone-sized device that contains a complete computer and slides into desktop or home theater components (xDock), laptops (xTop) and the xPad we saw today. The 9.7-inch tablet is a less polished version of the ASUS PadFone Station, but it's expected to be very affordable, at just $200 (plus another $200 for the xPC). There's a 1,366 x 768-pixel capacitive touchscreen, a front-facing camera and a battery that Ice expects will keep the duo running for six to eight hours. All of the other components fit within the xPC, which slides into the xPad's rear. The version we saw today was running Windows 8, and the experience seemed solid enough, though it's clear that the company's prototypes still have a long way to go before they're ready for a final nod of approval. We're excited to see a working prototype, though, and we've been promised a more complete version this summer in Taipei. In the meantime, though, you can check out the current xPC and xPad prototypes in our hands-on after the break.
Simmtronics' $81 XPad debuts, winning the race to the bottom
The marketplace is flooded with cheap tablets at this point. Some of them quite impressive, others are likely to make your tear your hair out. We think its safe to say that Simmtronics XPad will fall firmly in the latter category but, being a high-end pixel-pushing machine isn't the point. The XPad is a highly customizable Android slate designed to be as affordable as possible. The Indian company took the wraps off the product line in Dubai this week, revealing a 7-inch A8-powered machine that puts Ice Cream Sandwich in the palm of your hand for only AED299, or about $81. The company even claimed it could push prices down to about $40, which would make it even more affordable than the elusive Aakash. The race to the bottom isn't over just yet, but it seems like Simmtronics is now the company to beat.
ICE Computer's modular xPC returns to Computex in working-prototype form, we go hands-on (video)
From one year to the next, we see many of the same characters make an appearance at the same trade shows -- this week, it's Taipei's Computex, and today, we're back to visit ICE Computer. What last year was known as "Trinity" and hadn't progressed beyond the mock-up stage has returned for 2012 as xPC -- a working prototype of the company's modular computer concept. Internet Communication Entertainment, abbreviated as ICE, envisions xPC being the only computer you'll need. The device itself is barely larger than a smartphone, and would contain either an Intel, AMD or Tegra chipset, 2 gigs of RAM, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, a 1.3- or 2-megapixel webcam and a 32 or 64GB SSD -- all in a package that weighs in at approximately 50 grams. The sample we saw today was so light that we first mistook it for a plastic shell, yet it powered a typical desktop setup, complete with a monitor (HDTV), keyboard and mouse. The current prototype doesn't include a cooling infrastructure, so it was limited to a low-power 1.5GHz Intel Atom CPU for the time being. All of the company's various enclosures will feature built-in fans, however, opening the concept up to a variety of configurations. The xPC doesn't function on its own -- instead, you dock it within a variety of accessories, such as the xDock, which would sit permanently on a desk or in a home theater cabinet and includes HDMI input and output, speakers, a pair of USB 2.0 ports, one USB 3.0 port, Ethernet, SATA and several other connectors. The xTop is the portable variant, offering many of the same connectivity options, but on a smaller scale. Finally, there's the xPad, which brings 9.7- or 10.1-inch touchscreen control to the xPC in a tablet form-factor, yet still includes a bevy of connectivity, along with a webcam and battery. There's also an xPhone (think PadFone) concept, that packs all of the xPC's functionality into a device that doubles as a smartphone -- the California-based company didn't have any mock-ups to speak of there, however. ICE expects to ship the xPC and xDock by the end of this year, with the computer module itself ranging in price from $100 to $250 depending on how you opt to configure it. The xPad could ship late this year or sometime in early 2013, with pricing to be announced. For now, the xPhone remains a concept, without any functional prototypes or even a mock-up to speak of. ICE representatives suggested that the company may partner with a smartphone manufacturer to develop that last component, so we have no idea if or when that may come to market. All in all, it's a solid (and, thanks to PadFone, proven) concept -- you can get a closer look in our hands-on after the break.
World's first GLONASS-enabled tablet unveiled in Russia, plays nice with GPS
After rolling out the world's first GLONASS-enabled smartphone, Russia is thinking bigger -- it's tablet time. This 7-inch Froyo-powered panel runs on a 800MHz processor, and sports 512MB of RAM, a 3.2 megapixel camera, and support for both GPS and GLONASS navigation. Russian provider Skylink hopes this new Android tablet, called the Xpad, will set a trend for future navigation devices -- utilizing data from both satellite positioning systems for increased accuracy in urban environments. The future of enhanced navigation hits (Russian) shelves for 14,000 Rubles in Q4 2011; that's about 500 greenbacks, if you were wondering. [Thanks, Yakov!]
Brian Ball responds to xPad developer's claims
[UPDATE: Moments before I posted this, Brian's post on macZOT mysteriously vanished and he's not responded to my IMs regarding where the post went. So the links to Brian's post below are broken until Brian decides whether he wants his side told in his own words or not.][UPDATE 2: Brian has put a post back up at the links I reference, but he's replaced his original post with a new one indicating he's "over it" now.]Brian Ball has a few things to say about Garrett Murray's "Maniacal Rage," which I posted about earlier this evening.Brian's response appears on macZOT and it's worth reading, word for word, as it is factually accurate to the best of my knowledge and it's always good to hear both sides of a story from the involved parties themselves. And Brian spells my name right, which I always appreciate.The key points in Brian's post are not in dispute. The fact is that the contract between Garrett and Brian was not violated in the strictest sense. Garrett himself admits that and I didn't hide that fact in my post either. It was a dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb thing to have in the contract and Garrett has, I'm sure, learned his lesson.But - and there's always a but - sometimes it's about more than what's technically correct. Sometimes it's about what's "right" in the broader sense. Brian says "There is no wrong action to defend. You simply have to read what was stated and just determine if what happened is really unfair, or if somebody had unmet expectations and went into a Maniacal Rage about it." It's worth noting if you are just tuning in that Garrett's blog is called "Maniacal Rage," lest you think that Brian is overreacting. He continues... "We had every good intention of bringing lots of xPad to the market because we really like the application. But once we decided that really wasn't part of the core strategy we held up our end of the agreement we made. The fact that Garrett is making xPad free confirms the fact that he himself realizes that xPad is not worth further development but is still a very useful application."My take, and this is just my opinion as an uninvolved bystander, is that Brian lost sight of the bigger picture here and he could have handled it a lot better, while still accomplishing the same thing. He'd have come off less like a spoiled kid and more like a professional. I don't know Brian so I can't say he had ill intentions all along, but it comes off that way, whether he meant it to or not and whether he did or not. I would not go as far as many of you did in the comments on the last post, but I still think Brian blew it and his "I stuck to the exact terms of the contract and that's that" attitude really hurts him more than the act itself. Right or not, it's often about perception and not about facts. That's a lesson I have learned and forgotten and relearned many times, so it's close to my heart. Being right is great. Being perceived as being right is better.
xPad developer says macZOT and Brian Ball ripped him off.
Since MacHeist is over, we need a new punching bag in the indie Mac developer arena, right? Last week Mac App a Day crashed and burned in a predictable fiery death. Now macZOT - or at least one of the key players behind macZOT - faces some scrutiny over a licensing deal he made with the original developer of xPad. The gist of it is that - according to Garrett Murray, the aforementioned xPad developer - Brian Ball screwed him out of over $4,000 in a rather unprofessional and weasily way. There's a slight catch, however, in that the way Brian got out of honoring a gentleman's agreement was by using the loophole that Garrett himself put in the contract! Oops.Read Garrett's side of the story in detail on his blog (ahem... before you comment, please?) and decide for yourself whether he got played or not. Despite the very stupid mistake Garrett made by having a loophole in his contract that clearly had so much potential for misuse and disaster, I'm still taking his side on this one. I think Brian played dirty pool and that kind of behavior really shouldn't be rewarded, whether it's technically playing by the rules or not.The end result - no matter whose side you take on this one - is the xPad is now free for all and anyone who paid Garrett for it, since November '06 when it defaulted back to him, is getting a refund. Something tells me Brian also just got added to MacSanta's "naughty" list.UPDATE: My follow-up and comments from Brian can be found in "Ball responds to xPad developer's claims."Thanks Chris and Ryan!
