G-Slate

Have you gotten yourself an iPad 2 yet? I am not going anywhere near one as I think the iPad is more than enough to suit my needs. That is, playing my silly games and occasionally surfing the Web. There is also the even rarer occasions when I use the iPad to blog or create documents. My point is, I am the kind of user who does not need a faster tablet.

If, however, you have a need for speed, then you will be excited to know that T-Mobile is touting their new tablet, the LG G-Slate. Their claims are rather bold, designed to make one’s blood quicken upon reading. A whopping 200 percent faster than Apple’s newest tablet (iPad2). An even more impressive 300 percent faster than Motorola’s XOOM. How can that not fail to impress?

But they do not stop there. They highlight what may be the deciding factor for a whole lot of people – the price. The LG G-Slate is cheaper than both the iPad2 and the XOOM. Consumers have to shell out $729 for the iPad 2 and $599.99 (on contract) for the Motorola XOOM. For the LG G-Slate, one only has to put aside $399.99 for a 2-year contract. And if you hate being tied down by contracts, then you can get the G-Slate for $599.99 – still considerably than the other options!

Given the attractiveness of the package due to the speed and pricing, the question is whether the LG G-Slate will become as popular as the current tablets in the market. In a review published by BGR¹ a couple of months ago, it seems that the LG G-Slate still has a lot of catching up to do. Catching up in terms of the user interface and apps. But these are issues that have always plagued Android devices (mainly because of people who compare them to Apple devices), and still the Android camp has a strong following. On the other hand, the G-Slate is said to be very solidly built, having a high end feel – not like some cheap plastic device.

Bottomline: the LG G-Slate will be an attractive option for consumers who are not Apple fanboys. And there are more of them out there than some might think.

1. Review [↩]

It’s a world of tablets – make no mistake about that. Everywhere you go, you are bound to see at least 10 people holding one kind of tablet or another. Whether you see an iPad, a Galaxy tab, or even a Chi pad (yes, I saw some playing with them over the weekend), it does not matter. Tablets are here, and they are here to stay.

Enter Toshiba, one of the biggest players in the electronics market. In July, Toshiba is going to launch a new tablet called Thrive. While the name does not really strike me as something to go gaga about, the tablet is something to be excited about. Thrive has many things going for it.

One, the tablet runs on Android 3.1 Honeycomb, which has already captured the attention of many a tech lover. Two, the rumors tell us that Thrive will cost a little less than the main players in the tablet scene. It’s still not going to be a minor purchase at $429, but that price does make it a more viable option as compared to the iPad and the Galaxy. One thing, though – I am not too keen on that silver button you can see on the left.

The specs are nothing to scoff at, though. Naturally, Toshiba’s tablet also has a capacitive screen. The 10.1-inch screen has a resolution of 1280×800, which is based on the Nvidia Tegra 2 platform. It has two cameras – although I really do not see the need for cameras on tablets; one in the rear (5 MP) and one in the front (2 MP).

As for memory, Thrive has 1 GB RAM. It will also come in three versions, depending on the storage capacity: 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB. The price tag mentioned above applies to the lowest capacity while the 16 GB costs $479 and the 23 GB costs $579.

It also seems that Toshiba has placed a lot of thought into what they can offer consumers on top of what the best selling tablet (the iPad, of course) already provides. One interesting thing is the Log Me software, which offers functionality such as “access to their home computer desktops via the Thrive, and a file manager built on top Android to browse files stored on a USB device or SD card connected to the tablet, and to see what media content you’ve downloaded, like movie, music, and book titles.”

And with other features such as a gyroscope, rotation lock, and a 7- to 8-hour battery life, a weight of 1.6 pounds, and thickness of about 0.6 inches, this tablet is sure to catch your attention.

via CNET

If you had a desktop computer, a laptop, a netbook, and a tablet, which one would you end up using the most? This is the question that TV ratings company Nielsen posed to the respondents in one of its recent surveys. The tense of that question was, of course, changed to fit reality and not a possible situation. So, given the different kinds of computers that the average person has access to, which one is the most utilized? The answer is not that surprising: tablets.

Nielsen got in touch with owners of tablets (or pads, if you wish) and asked them how their habits have changed since they got hold of the handy device. A stunning 77 percent of these owners proclaimed that they use their touchscreen devices in lieu of their desktop or laptop computers. More so, more than 33 percent of the users also said that they have used their (desktop) computers less – or even not at all – ever since they bought their tablet. As for laptops, 2 percent have said that they have stopped using what used to be the most portable computing device.

The survey results are not unthinkable. Just stop for a moment, and you will probably count yourself as part of the statistics. Just to make it formal, though, here are the reasons that Nielsen found out.

Topping the list is portability. Indeed, no one can contest that tablets are much easier to take around as compared to laptops. Other factors: ease of interface, fast start up/off, convenience, size, etc.

So what about you? Are you a tablet owner? Do the numbers above apply to you?

So ASUS enthusiasts have been waiting for what seems like forever for the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer TF101. Even non-ASUS fans have been watching out for news on the release date of this more than meets the eye tablet. Yesterday, a lot of people got excited about the news that the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer is finally here and that anyone who wants it can grab one.

Then came reality. Truth is, the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer is here, but only on a pre-order basis. Unfortunately, you can’t just go to your favorite store and ask for one. They won’t have it. At least with this pre-order system in place, you know that the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer and you will somehow meet soon.

So what’s all the fuss about the tablet that is more than just a tablet?

As you can see, the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer TF101 can be transformed into a netbook if you find yourself in a situation wherein using a tablet inconvenient. Yup, that can happen. With the detachable keyboard, you can pretend that you are using an ASUS Eee or any other netbook for that matter.

Technical specs of the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer TF101:

• 10.1-inch screen
• NVIDIA® Tegra™ 2 1.0GHz dual-core CPU for excellent multitasking & 1080p video playback
• Android 3.0 Honeycomb O.S. with Adobe® Flash® 10.2 support
• Full QWERTY keyboard, touchpad input with Polaris® Office® for mobile productivity
• 16 hours long battery life for all day computing with docking station
• Brilliant IPS panel with ultra-wide 178⁰ viewing angle made from scratch resistant and super tough glass
• One year of Unlimited ASUS WebStorage, two USB ports, SD and Micro SD card readers for easy sharing & storage expandability
• 3D stereo with max bass response with SRS premium sound

This tablet weighs only 680 grams and is only 12.98mm thick.  Of course, those numbers will change once you attach the keyboard.

Pre-order the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer TF101 on Amazon for $399.99.

Sony’s ready to take on the market with its two new tablets, which both run on Android. The rumors have been flying around since earlier this year, but it was only yesterday that the electronics giant formally announced that they are launching the products.

Dubbed S1 and S2, the two tablets have marked differences. The S1 has a 9.4-inch screen and has two cameras: one in the back and one in the front. As with the iPad 2, I just can’t help but wonder why anyone would want to use a “large” device as a camera. Do you really want to look like a moron taking pictures with an almost 10-inch thing in your hand?

Cameras aside, the S1 got positive reviews from PCWorld. According to Martyn Williams, who has had a hands on experience with the device, the S1 is lighter than it looks and feels natural to hold due to the wedge design. His only gripe is that the icons didn’t seem to work every now and then.

As for the S2, it does not really look like a tablet, as you can see. The clam-shell design incorporates two screens which are both 5.5 inches. I don’t know about you, but it reminds me of the Nintendo DS. I am pretty sure that this does way more than that nifty little gaming device. The screens have 1,024 x 480 pixel displays and a camera as well.

Oh, and for gamers, there is good news – both tablets are PlayStation certified. I wouldn’t be surprised if Android game developers will be churning out interesting stuff in the near future.

The announcement didn’t include anything regarding more specs or pricing schemes, but we should hear more about the details soon.