iPad Alternatives

[rajanmehta 4,056]

Tech Specs

Product capacity • Internal: 8 & 16 GB**** flash memory

• External: Micro SD Slot (SDHC compatible) Display characteristics High resolution touch screen, 1024x600 pixels (WXVGA), 10.1'' TFT LCD Application Framework Android 2.2 Froyo⁷ Processor • ARM Cortex A8 at 1 GHz with DSP

• Graphic accelerator: 3D OpenGL ES 2.0 Video Playback¹ • MPEG-4² HD (up to 720p, 30 fps@6Mbps)

• MPEG-4² (ASP@L5 AVI, up to DVD resolution, 30 fps@8Mbps)

• H.264 HD (HP@L3.1 up to 720p, 30 fps@5Mbps)

• WMV9/VC1 (AP up to 720p 30 fps@10Mbps)

• M-JPEG (Motion JPEG Video) in VGA resolution

With optional plug-in (downloadable on www.archos.com):

• Cinema: MPEG-2 (up to DVD resolution MP/D1, 30 fps@10 Mbps)

With the above codecs, the device can play video files with the following extensions: AVI, MP4, MKV, MOV, WMV, MPG, PS, TS, VOB, FLV, RM, RMVB, ASF, 3GP Audio Playback¹ • MP3 CBR & VBR

• WMA, WMA-Pro 5.1

• WAV (PCM/ADPCM)

• AAC, AAC+ 5.1³

• OGG Vorbis

• FLAC

With optional software plug-ins (downloadable on www.archos.com):

• AC3 5.1 Photo viewer⁴ JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF Subtitles Support subtitles files with .srt, .ssa, .smi, .sub extensions Webcam • Yes Pre-installed applications • Aldiko, Ebuddy, Wikipedia, Avecomics, HubKap, Deezer, Mewbox, Raging Thunderlite (a 3D car demo game), WordNewspaper, Touiteur, Fring Interfaces • USB slave 2.0: Mass Storage Class (MSC)br> • Full size USB host: Mass Storage Class (MSC)

• SD (SDHC compatible)

• HDMI output⁵ (Mini HDMI / HDMI cable sold separately) Communication protocols • WiFi (802.11 b/g/n)

• Bluetooth 2.1 EDR Miscellaneous • Built-in speaker

• Built-in leg stand

• Built-in Microphone

• G-sensor

• Front VGA camera Power source • Internal: Lithium Polymer battery

• External: Power adapter/charger Battery life • Music playback time⁶: up to 36 hours

• Video playback time⁶: up to 7 hours

• Web surfing⁶: up to 10 hours Scalability • Device automatically downloads latest firmware updates when the WiFi connection is activated

• Updates can also be downloaded at www.archos.com and updated via USB mass storage Dimensions & weight • 270 x 150 x 12 mm

• 480 grams Minimum system requirements • Microsoft® Windows® XP, Vista, 7 or higher

• Mac

• Linux

• USB 2.0 interface Package includes ARCHOS 101 internet tablet, earphones, Standard USB cable, Quick Start Guide (QSG), legal and safety notice, power charger.

* Maximum resolution = 1280 x 720 pixels

** Only available on Android™ 2.2 Froyo

*** The function of relaying your internet connection may not be authorized by your mobile phone operator or may require a special data plan option. Please refer to your contract.

**** 1 GB= 1 billion bytes; actual formatted capacity is less.

1/ Certain bitrates, resolutions, and/or file variations may not be compatible.

2/ MPEG-4 ASP@L5 AVI (MPEG-4: ISO standard by Moving Picture Experts Group; AVI: audio/video file container by Microsoft) without GMC and Quarter pixel.

3/ Does not read AAC protected files.

4/ Certain resolutions and file sizes may not be compatible.

5/ External video output disabled for Macrovision®-protected contents.

6/ Rechargeable batteries have a limited number of charge cycles and may eventually need to be replaced. Battery life and number of charge cycles vary by use and settings. Test run with low backlight.

7/ Available in October 2010

[_Kailash_ 63]

wow too many choices

let hope this continues....

[mihirf2003 7]

THE REAL TABLET PC...: HP SLATE 500

(not an overgrown smartphone...)

Specs At A Glance

Operating system

Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 32

Processor

Intel® Atom™ Processor Z540 (1.86 GHz, 512 KB L2 cache, 533 MHz FSB)

Chipset

Intel® System Controller Hub (SCH) US15W

Dimensions and weight

Weight

Starting at 1.5 lb (Starting at 0.68 kg)

Dimensions (w x d x h)

9.21 x 0.58 x 5.91 in (23.40 x 1.47 x 15.00 cm)

Memory

Memory, maximum

2 GB 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM

(Memory is on the board and not customer accessible or upgradeable; memory operates at the maximum system supported speed of 533 MHz.)

Storage

Internal drive

Solid State Flash Module

Up to: 64 GB

Optical drive

External USB 2.0 CD/DVD R/RW (select models)

Graphics

Display

8.9" diagonal WSVGA wide-viewing angle touchscreen (1024 x 600 or 1024 x 768 for some applications)

Graphics

Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 500

Broadcom Crystal HD Enhanced Video Accelerator

Expansion features

Ports

1 USB 2.0

1 combo stereo headphone/mic jack

1 integrated microphone

1 power connector/HP Slate Cradle connector

Slots

1 Secure Digital

Audio

High Definition audio; Integrated stereo speakers; Integrated microphone; Combo stereo headphone/mic jack

Integrated camera

Integrated 3 MP camera (outward facing); Integrated VGA webcam (inward facing)

Input devices

HP Slate Digital Pen

Communications

Wireless

Integrated 802.11b/g/n + Bluetooth 3.0 + HS combo

Power supply

30W AC adapter

Battery type

2-cell (30 WHr) polymer

Battery life

up to 5+ hours

Operating temperature range

50 to 95°F (10 to 35°C)

Storage humidity range

5 to 95% RH

What's included

Software installed

HP Slate Camera, EVERNOTE, HP Support Assistant, Adobe Reader, Adobe PDF

ENGADGET LINK

[rajanmehta 4,056]

Acer Iconia tablet arrives with Android models

Dual-touchscreen based Windows 7 running tablet comes with three different screen sizes bearing Android tablets

At the New York based event, Acer is announcing its touch based products. So far we know that Acer has unveiled a dual-touchscreen bearing Iconia convertible tablet with Windows 7 OS on it. For the Google Android lovers, Acer has introduced three different screen size bearing tablets - 4.8-inch, 7-inch and 10.1-inch. All these tablets are deemed to arrive early next year. Read on for quick details on the same.

Acer Iconia:The new Acer Iconia is a twin 10.1 LCD touchscreen bearing convertible tablet on which screen acts as a virtual keyboard and eventually turns it into a laptop. The 10.1-inch multi-touch touchscreen supports 1280x800 pixel resolution and totally capable of 720p HD Playback support. Housing dual-core AMD processor with dedicated graphics, this convertible tablet promises ultimate HD web experience. Bearing two 1.3 megapixel camera with one in the front and a HD supporting at the back panel, the tablet allows video conferencing as well. Connect Iconia to HD TV with the HDMI port to watch HD content on bigger screen. Iconia runs Windows 7 operating system with a unique Ring Interface feature that shows up with multimedia controls when five fingers are placed on the screen.

Acer claimed to have developed the touch layer all by themselves and the software development kit do create apps would be available from next month onwards. In terms of hardware, the Iconia can pack up to 4GB RAM and up to 750GB HDD along with Wi-Fi, 3G and USB 3.0 port with twin USB 2.0 ports for connectivity. Acer Iconia would be unveiled in Feb 2011.

Android Tablets:

Acer also unveiled Google Android based tablets in three different screen sizes - 4.8-inch, 7-inch and 10.1-inch. Out of these three, the 10.1-inch TFT LCD touch screen based table supports 1280x800 pixel resolution and is 720p HD playback ready. This 10.-inch Inch tablet houses dual-core 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon microprocessor that is capable of offering HD experience. Running Android Tablet OS, this tablet has Acer UI 4.5 layered over it. Acer has added 5 megapixel camera that is capable HD video recording and front facing camera for video conferencing. It will carry HDMI port for connecting it to a larger HD display.

The 7-inch tablet will have 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon microprocessor that will support Flash 10.1 and even hardware accelration for it. Bearing the same 720p HD playback capable 1280x800 pixel resolution this 7-inch tablet will have same Google Android with Acer UI 4.5 layered over it.

Finally the 4.8-inch Android OS with Acer UI 4.5 running tablet supports 1024x800 pixel resolution. These three tables are deemed to arrive in April 2011.

Source: Techtree

[rajanmehta 4,056]

Why Should You Hold Your Pending iPad Purchase?

Two more months of resisting the urge would benefit you aplenty

The news of the miserable presence of Apple in India, particularly with respect to the iPad, was put to light in an article by The Economic Times. On Apple India's website, it still asks people to give their e-mail address so that they'd inform them about the iPad's release in the country. But as ET reporters discovered, iPads could be officially purchased in India provided that you buy them in bulk quantity. Another way to get hold of one is the grey market where the starting pricing is Rs. 32,000 for the base 16GB Wi-Fi model - a whole Rs. 10,000 higher than the $499 (Rs. 22,660) price you'd pay if you ask somebody to get it from U.S. The article also speaks of the almost non-existent presence of marketing of Apple products in a country that serves 650 million cellphone users and 80 million PC units.

While naysayers still try to find the real use of a tablet, we can't help but urge people to hold off their iPad purchase cravings till the next two months; given the sorry state of affairs. As most of us would be aware of this; Apple products have a yearly update cycle. There have been reports of Apple announcing the next iPad in February 2011. So, what do you stand to get in return of this wait?

1) A thinner design - While Apple is more or less fixated on 10-inches as the ideal screen size for a tablet, there is no question that the current thickness and its aluminum back would make it uncomfortable to hold and use one-handedly for a long time. There have been patent filings that suggest the 'Fruit' company is designing a thinner, lighter iPad 2.

2) Front-facing video-call camera - This is a no-brainer, as 2010 was the year that Apple tried to reinvent the dying interest of video-conferencing on the go. With a simplistic name called "FaceTime", they first put a front-facing camera in the iPhone 4, then the new iPod Touch. They also made a FaceTime app for Macs that would let you do make video-calls from a computer to an iPhone or an iPod Touch. So, the iPad 2 definitely ought to get the front cam.

3) Probably a better display - When Apple quadrupled the pixel count on the iPhone 4, giving it another idiot-proof naming convention called "Retina Display", you could vastly see the difference between the clarity when compared to the iPhone 3G or 3GS. There have been talks of a similar "Retina" display on the next iPad as well.

It is already a rip-off when you have to pay a considerable premium for buying Apple products here in India. It's been 11 months since the first iPad announcement, so it is too little too late for them to do an official launch any time now. So with the next iPad update around the corner, and the benefits that you'd receive for waiting, we'd say it would be smart to hold off your iPad purchase till next year, than jumping the gun now and crying later.

Techtree

[ami1 237]

I just got a Chinese iPAD clone - 7" Android 2.1 (2.2 update available) - based on TeleChips ARM 800 MHz with 256 MB RAM and 2 GB Nand & SD Card upto 32GB, Wifi, accelerometer, support for external USB CDMA EVDO Data Card, HDMI output etc

Total $120 only. Some pics are attached. Sorry for the bad picture quality. will do better later.

NOW, I need to know how do i unlock the screen - it asks for a unlock gesture but there's no mention of that in the booklet. Is there any way to reset the unlock gesture (it asks for previous gesture if i go to 'change unlock gesture') Anyone has any idea ?

[rajanmehta 4,056]

^^^^ From where did you purchase for $ 120? Is this the cost in your hand?

Looks like a great bargain. Please post the source from where bought and if possible a review.

[dkaile 1,051]

^

check this out too - 190$ 8" tablet - http://www.dragonext...-os-e-book.html

and this one also - http://www.dragonext.com/cm001-google-android-os-e-book.html

this fellow is reliable; I got some stuff from this seller and came perfectly by Indian Post....

Edited December 5, 2010 by dkaile

[excellfriend 0]

Hi Folks,

I just bought a Zenithink ZT 180, 10 inch with Android 2.1. just got it and yet to explore it. First thing i would like to do is to connect my reliance netconnect directly into it. As of now I am not finding the ways to do it. Can any of our great gurus have done this? if so pl guide me through. I searched on the net, but could not find it.

It appears good for the value as compared to Ipad. I paid just Rs. 10500. Here is the link.

http://cgi.ebay.in/10-1GHz-Google-Android-2-1-Tablet-Netbook-PC-aPad-iCOD-/150523482832?pt=IN_PC_Laptops&hash=item230be612d0

Anyone in the forum is using this particular one? also i would like to know how to make use of this device to its fullest capacity.

[Genius 817]

Hi got this posted details here you can read it

LInk for order and Spec.

[pbananth 1]

hi excellfriend..

what is the weight of yours apad..

whether it can be hold with one hand..

and battery life..

kindly let me know..

thanks..

[Genius 817]

^^^ yes it can be handled in one hand weight exactly not known but not more than 600 gms aprox

[rajanmehta 4,056]

@Genius. See Post No 24. Kya Specs hai Yaar!! Sirf Rs 10,500

[ami1 237]

^^^^ From where did you purchase for $ 120? Is this the cost in your hand?

Looks like a great bargain. Please post the source from where bought and if possible a review.

Me & my friend got 2 pcs from here There's no online buying link on the site but you can email them that you need 1/2 sample pcs to evaluate for some large project and they give it for $120. This is excluding around Rs 1000 for courier. There was no customs duty luckily.

But I would recommend you evaluate the one bought by Genius - that seems to have a better build quality (though processor seems rated slower) & available in India so no custom duty unknowns.

Although the device is not bad at all, its not of samsung/apple quality. At this price, it is good for kids to read books and play games.

Here are my key gripes:

Its not very fast and using onscreen keyboard really s**ks big time for me at least - i would rather use either a phone or a laptop.

There's no GSM/CDMA radio so you've to use WiFi - which means you are sitting at one place so might as well use a laptop.

Android games don't scale too well on large/odd screens i think - because some games have strange display artifacts.

Touchscreen is resistive though its sensitivity is good.

Overall, I really miss WebOS's cards system - in android it takes 3-4 clicks just to switch to another window or tab and you never know what is running in the background - while in Palm Pre it is very simple and clear what's running, its status and easy to switch between them.

There's no GPS.

Also, I opened up the case and i am sure this thing won't last more than 6 months.

In fact, after trying out apple iPad in my office for 2 days I think these tablets are completely useless fad. A good smartphone is much better.

And you anyway need a phone so you keep it with you. No one is going to carry an extra device like a tablet when all it can do is essentially view presentations/web pages/movies/games etc. And reading books is anyway very stressfull on the eye compared to eBook displays which i tried and found to be as good as printed paper.

And you can hardly type much with the onscreen keyboard.

Better to get a big screen Smartphone or a small netbook or tabletpc.

[rajanmehta 4,056]

Thanks ami1 for review.

Extraordinary and a fresh design concept in Tablets.

Here it is, Notion Ink Adam. It is a company promoted by Indians and developing a totally new design for tablets since last 1 year. It has attracted worldwide attention as the hottest tech startup. They have shared their entire development cycle in their blog at every stage. People from all over the world has been waiting for it and writing in their blogs. Perhaps the most Open Development of a tech product i have seen.

For Some of the fascinating details about how Notion Ink Adam Evolved, see post no 11 of this thread.

Now they are ready with the product and pre booking is open.

Final specifications,

-Nvidia Dual Core Tegra 250 Processor (Two Cortex A9 Cores, Gforce GPU)

-1 GB DDR2 RAM

-1 GB Single Level Cell Memory

-8 GB OR Higher Flash Storage On Board

-10.1" WSVGA (1024x600) LCD Display. Option of Pixel Qi Display.

-Transreflective Display. Scratch and fingerprint resistant coating. Anti-glare coating.

-3.2 MP Auto Focus 185 Degree Swivel Camera

-Full HD 1080P HDMI Output

-GPRS, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n

-Bluetooth 2.1 EDR

-3G HSPA

-SIM Card Slot

-SD Card Slot, 2 USB 2.0 Ports, Mini USB Port

-Flash Support

-3-Axis Accelerometer

-Ambient Light Sensor

-GPS

-Android 2.3 Gingerbread with customized Eden Interface.

-Android 3.0 Honeycomb support.

And they are saying some bonus mystery feature which is not yet declared.

Checkout Notion Ink Website http://www.notionink.com/index.php

Notion Ink Blog Page http://notionink.wordpress.com/

[ami1 237]

^ Yes, that has a really really nice killer screen. I think it will become the standard in a very short time.

[Karthik R 246]

Rajan ji does this device qualify to be listed here

Huawei S7

See this listed in the official site

[rajanmehta 4,056]

Rajan ji does this device qualify to be listed here

[rajanmehta 4,056]

First Videos of Notion Ink Adam-A Product Made By Indians

The Notion Ink Adam

Introducing Eden

[rajanmehta 4,056]

Android-based Zen Pad Now Available for Rs.13,999

One of the affordable Android tablets in the market

Finally, you would be able to get your hands on a 7-inch Android tablet without having to break into a bank. H.T. IMPEX has launched one such tablet under their brand name ZEN The Master, known as Zen Pad. The Zen Pad is a tablet running Android OS 2.1, with a high resolution 7-inch touch screen and comes in a very slim form factor.

The Zen Pad can be used to access wireless Internet to stay abreast with the latest happenings around the world, watch photos, videos and movies, listen to music, read eBooks and play games. Being an Android tablet has its advantages as you can get almost unlimited amount of free apps from the Android Market. It can be used for Social Networking and chat applications to stay in touch with your friends. There is also a built-in YouTube app, which lets you enjoy streaming videos at your comfort. Of course, after some play, you can also put it to work because it is a convenient way to manage office documents, presentation and emails no matter where you go as long as you take it with you.

Photos, videos and presentations can be output to any big screen LCD TV or a compatible display device using the HDMI out and the included HDMI cable. The Zen Pad comes with a 1.0 GHz Processor and 256 MB DDR2 memory. The 7-inch resistive single touch screen (which is probably the only and major gripe about this product) has LED backlight with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and a resolution of 800x480. It also features a back camera with a resolution of 0.3MP. Wireless 802.11 b/g is supported for internet access.

Available in a single color with silver front and black back, the Zen Pad can be all yours for just Rs.13,999 and can be bought soon in most retail IT chain stores. It comes with an 8GB memory card and a pouch with keyboard. This makes for a good New Year gift and now you have one less reason not to buy an Android tablet.

Website of H.T. Impex http://www.zenthemaster.com/home.htm

Techtree

[ami1 237]

Wow, you're really quick Rajan.

Thanks for the HT Impex link. somehow i couldn't find any link even after searching for 5 minutes !

EDIT: Umm.... I can't find the tablet anywhere on their site ?

Edited December 22, 2010 by ami1

[rajanmehta 4,056]

HP and other biggies take days to update their websites for new launches!!!

Expecting a Lamington Road fellow to do it instantly is asking for too much

This are box movers.

Should contact them directly and i suppose the price will also be less than quoted in the article. This Is Lamington Road

[aankush 62]

Hi Rajan

Which one do you think is better

http://cgi.ebay.in/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170581487346#ht_25855wt_1026

or

http://cgi.ebay.in/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150536409805#ht_15431wt_1026

And any idea how reliable are these???

There is nothing mentioned about capacitive or resistive touch screen... so which one do u think these must be?

Planning to buy one of these...

your valuable suggestion would be of great help to me...

Thank you.

Edited December 23, 2010 by aankush

[rajanmehta 4,056]

@aankush

Trouble with all this Tablets on Ebay is one can never be 100% sure of the Specifications mentioned. Found a link where one of the tablet's specs in your list was faked to contain A8 Cortex CPU.

Link http://www.slatedroi...hp?topic=3787.0

Having said that Rs. 11,990 Tablet looks better in Specs(If they are true) with Android 2.2 but with Odd Screen Resolution of 800x600 (4:3). It mentions 3D Accelerometer (Whatever that means) but not clearly mentioning whether all 4 side screen rotation is there or not. The other one mentions 4 side screen rotation. This one says Flash 10.1 support but i doubt it. Mentions Full HD 1080p support but no mention whether an HDMI port is there.

Ask the Ebay Seller all this questions before buying.

How reliable this tablets are? Only you can answer that question after buying and using for some time.

This will be Resistive Touch Screens.

See don't consider this chinese tablets with ipads, Samsung Tab etc. If you are a very tech savvy user with lot of cash and very early adopter of technology ready to pay very large price premium to Apple and Samsung, don't consider it..... Not for you then.

For normal users, this cheap cost chinese tablets can be a good route to try the Tablet World with some quality limitations but most of the functions working reasonably well.

[aankush 62]

^^^^@Rajan

Thank u for a handful suggestion from ur side...

After reading it I feel that I should wait for some more time so that the competition raises (n then the prices drop a little) and then add a few more thousands to my proposed gadget... than being unsatisfied with an incomplete gadget...

Thank you once again...