Tech lovers, save your cash. If you think there are cool gadgets out now, wait to you see what's around the corner.
Dozens of amazing devices are coming shortly, and we've had the chance to test drive many of them ahead of time.
Apple, schmapple. The company may have underwhelmed the world with its iPad tablet launch just over a month ago, and you may be able to buy one from early April, but it turns out that it's not the only tablet option available.
I like the idea of the tablet format, because it means that you can lounge on the couch and read your favourite websites or ebooks. But Apple's lack of Flash support, along with the lack of a camera and the
Image by nDevilTV via Flickr
inability to multitask turned off a lot of potential customers (including me). Fear not, however, tablet lovers. There are some other devices on the horizon that promise more functionality.
Engadget has published some tantalising pictures of a 5 inch mini tablet that will be available from Dell sometime soon. It will include a capacitive touch display, along with cameras mounted on the front for video chat, and on the back. The Mini 5, as it was known, is apparently officially called the Streak. It will be available in a variety of different colour options. Apparently it will also feature a Kindle e-book reader application, along with other links to Amazon services. It will come with 3G wireless, and you'll be able to download Amazon video -- or, at least, you will if you're in the US.
HP is also said to be readying a tablet-style device running Windows 7, which is a little larger than Dell's proposed offering. Unlike Apple's device, it will support Flash. One of the hallmarks of HP's touch-enabled systems are their customised interfaces. The company has become an expert at designing its own interface shells that sit atop Microsoft's Windows, offering users a more intuitive experience for touch.
For those wanting a larger device, Notion Ink is currently preparing its own tablet device, based on the Android operating system from Google. Called the Adam, it features a multi-touch display, a 180° swivel camera, and full 1080p high-definition video playback. I like this system because it uses the new Pixel Qi display, which operates in two modes: a conventional, bright, full-colour LCD mode, and a reflective, e-paper-style display for reading e-books.
JooJoo is another tablet offering an even larger format, at over 12 inches. Running its own custom operating system, the ultra-thin tablet flips between portrait and tablet mode, supports high-definition video, and boots in nine seconds.
The more I look at tablet format devices, the more attractive they seem - and the more options there are to compete with what seems like an increasingly restrictive format from Apple.
Danny Bradbury, MSN Tech & Gadgets
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There was a lot of hype generated for the tablet or “slate PC” that Microsoft and HP were expected to unveil at CES. While Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer, did show off a prototype, expectations were dimmed when he revealed that it won’t launch to consumers until later this year.
We know it will run on Windows 7, and that it will function much like an eBook reader, media player and Web browsing device rolled into one. Dell, Lenovo, Asus, Freescale and MSI were other companies that showcased slate PCs at the show, leading to a potential arms race between them all, along with the much-hyped Apple tablet that everyone and their mother seems to be expecting at Apple’s show coming up on January 26.
Danny Bradbury is a technology journalist with 20 years' experience. He writes regularly for publications including the Guardian, the Financial Times, the Financial Post, and Backbone magazine. Danny also writes and directs documentaries.
