ViewSonic outs Windows/Android 10in tablet
For OS fence-sitters
Here is ViewSonic's other Android-based tablet, though here the Google OS is secondary to Windows 7.
Demo'd at this year's IFA consumer electronics show, the ViewPad 100 has a 10.1in, 600 x 1024 capacitive multi-touch display, 16GB of Flash storage and uses Intel's netbook-oriented 1.66GHz Atom N455 chip, needed to run Windows 7 Home Premium.
Windows is the gadget's primary OS. Android - just version 1.6 - is simply included as an alternative, fast-start OS for quick web browsing and email checking.
ViewSonic said the tablet will appeal to folk who "may not wish to be tied to a specific operating system".
The 100 also packs in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, assisted GPS, a 1.3Mp webcam, mini VGA port, and a Micro SD slot.
The ViewPad 100 will be available in October 2010. ViewSonic said the "estimated SRP" is "no more than £549". ®
COMMENTS
Exactly what I want ...
ViewSonic said the tablet will appeal to folk who "may not wish to be tied to a specific operating system".
This, dear folks at ViewSonic, will exclude me from buying your overpriced piece of hardware.
With the Atom, I know battery time is short, I know it'll heat my hands unnecessarily, and I won't want W7. And all this is what I call 'tied to a specific operating system'.
Rip out the Atom, put in an Arm, of course, leave out the W7, drop the price, and I'll go for it.
Your current version does one thing; only: see the icon
missing the point
Am I missing the point of these devices.
I mean, I like shiny new gadgets as much as the next man. If the next man is in the IT industry and likes shiny gadgets quite a lot.
But £549. For a 10.1" netbook without a keyboard or decent storage. Why would I buy that?
Don't get me wrong. I'd like to buy it. I just can't actually see what I'd then do with it.
The 10.1" netbook I take with me when travelling, I can use it for emails, surfing, even at a pinch updating a word document or spreadsheet. Okay, it doesn't have a touch screen, which might have been nice now and again, but it does have a mouse, and a keyboard on which I can type at 50 wpm.
In comparison, for £200 more, I can have a tablet with basically the same specs (few extra bells and whistles along the lines of GPS), that's thinner and lighter (but not by much), that has no keyboard and can't be just chucked in a bag as the screen will get damaged.
So that's either £200 to add GPS, or £200 to remove an extremely useful part of a netbook, or some combination of both.
Meh.
I suppose I could carry around a bluetooth keyboard, but wouldn't it be easier if it were integrated? Maybe in the form of a netbook, which if you must have the tablet form factor could have a swivel and reverse touch screen, giving you the option of both forms...
Even the original Chinese units, that preceded Apple, ...
cost around USD$200 in GuangZhou, where the manufacturers are located so this is a useful number by which to benchmark tablets.
The ones I saw had almost every feature available and some sported 3D screens (capacitive).
Hmmmm.
I'm not sure I like the trend that is appearing for tablet prices to be similar to those of the iPad. My personal pain threshold for such a device is around £300, I reckon, although I suppose it'll be higher if I find one that can genuinely completely replace my laptop. But I find that unlikely any time soon.
Oh, well....
GJC
Can it run Win XP?
THIS is the beginning of the **real** tablet age rather than dumbed down, locked up toys.
If it doesn't have cell voice access, I guess the Google Apps store will be closed to it although now the Google App verification has been broken Apps will be installable along with Apps from non-Google stores.
Only shipping with Android OS V1.6 is a bummer and potentially shows a rush to market or poor support given that V2 is out and running.
Our corporation standard is XP SP3, in the main, so whether or not it would run is an interesting question.
