Asus Delays EEE Keyboard 'Till 2010, 10-inch Tablet PC Coming

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The Asus Eee Keyboard, previously confirmed for an October 2009 release, won't be out until 2010. Savvy gadget nerds probably realized this several days ago, when the netbook-inside-a-keyboard didn't launch within the one month window given. Now, Digitimes gives us the reason why. Apparently the original version of the Eee Keyboard didn't pass wireless regulation testing.

That's a huge bummer for every gadget nerd who wanted one of the sweet and totally cyberpunk keyboards, but this bad news comes with a bit of good. Asus has restated that the Eee Keyboard will be coming to the US and Europe. The company will be updating the machine in order to comply with regulations, and they've also made the 5” touchscreen interface capacitive. The device's price point will stay at around $500 USD.

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Posted on Fri, 6 Nov 2009 09:10:16 CST | by Robert Evans

Apple Engineers Visiting Asia As Tablet Nears Completion?

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The much-rumored but still unconfirmed Apple tablet could be nearing completion. BusinessInsider states that a source told them a friend of his, who works in systems integration at Apple, has been taking trips over to Asia on company business with increased frequency. Foxconn, who assembles many Apple products, is based in China. If the tablet exists, Foxconn is likely the company that will put it together.

If Apple is indeed putting a tablet together, increased visits by Apple engineers could be a sign that it is nearing completion. AppleInsider states that these rumors are in line with the Q1 2010 launch rumors they've heard.

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Posted on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:14:36 CDT | by Robert Evans

Dell Unveils New 12.1-inch Rugged Convertible Tablet

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Dell has unveiled a new rugged convertible tablet computer called the Latitude XT2 XFR. The machine is built to meet the needs of mobile field service workers, police, and military users. The machine is 1.5-inches thick and weighs 5.4 pounds when equipped with a 4-cell battery and an SSD.

The machine also has compression sealed and rugged IO doors to protect from dust and moistures. Dell built the machine to meet MIL-810G certification. Features include Intel Core 2 Duo processors and up to 5GB of RAM. Read more

Posted on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:35:27 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Apple Shows Apple Tablet Specs Around Down Under?

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The Apple Tablet is still the most rumored next new Apple product. Apple rumors are a hot topic around the world. Today a report from the Australian The Sydney Morning Herald (via Techmeme) makes its rounds as it claims that Apple has shown the Apple Tablet to Australian media companies.

To be exact the report says that "Apple has sent specifications of the Apple Tablet to Australian media companies in an effort to sound out whether they would be interested in delivering their content to the tablet." Read more

Posted on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:54:19 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Kohjinsha PA: Half Tablet, Half Netbook, All Awesome

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Tablets are all well and good, but sometimes you want a real keyboard and the increased utility of a netbook. And netbooks are fantastic, but sometimes you'd like to be able to just navigate on the fly with a touch of your fingers. If only there were some sort of portable gadget that could bridge the gap between netbook and tablet PC. Oh wait, what's this? According to Pocketables, there is!

Japanese manufacturer Kohjinsha has just announced the release of their PA series of netbook/tablets. These nifty little gadgets feature a 4.8" WSVGA touchscreen, 1.33 GHz Atom CPU, 512 MB of RAM, and a 32 GB SSD. The battery life for this sweet tabletbook is listed at an impressive 7.5 hours, and it features an SD slot and 1.3 MP webcam. Altogether, the Kohjinsha PA looks like one of the more impressive gadgets we've seen.

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Posted on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:24:23 CDT | by Robert Evans

Apple Tablet Rumors Intensify with New Leaked SIM Tray

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The technology world has been buzzing over the rumors surrounding a new tablet computer from Apple. These rumors have been persisting for a long time now and each time it gets close to a new Apple product announcement we hear more on the device.

A new Apple SIM tray has been leaked that is larger than the SIM tray that is used on the iPhone. The leaked tray has new rumors of the Apple Tablet percolating today. Any Apple tablet that would offer mobile broadband would need a SIM card to connect to anything other than WiFi. Read more

Posted on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Apple Slate Has Reappeared As A Name For The Apple Tablet

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The Apple Tablet rumor is still strong, but because the launch is expected for 2010 it got a bit quite. Over the weekend the potential name of the Apple Tablet appeared. According to 9to5Mac Bill Keller, Executive Editor of The NY Times, mentioned Apple Slate as an example of devices in a speech. It could be a slip, but it also could mean nothing.
See, back in 2007, the Apple Tablet rumor already existed and some referred to it as Apple Slate. I also found on Google that some people just like to refer to a Tablet computer as a Slate. Read more

Posted on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:00:00 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Motorola Sholes Tablet Coming?

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Now is a good time to remind everyone that all rumors are not created equal. Sometimes a leak will come out that everyone knows is true. The only thing it lacks is official confirmation from the source. Other times, we'll come across a leak or a rumor that seems almost too weird, silly, or unrealistic to possibly exist. This rumor is one of the latter.

DialAPhone (via Engadget) has come across a possible European roadmap for Motorola's Q4 2009-Q1 2010 releases. It looks like every other roadmap we've ever seen, but the devices it claims to portend sound a little...unbelievable.

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Posted on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:44:44 CDT | by Robert Evans

Archos 5 Android Tablet Ships

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A couple weeks ago the Archos 5 Android Tablet went up for pre-order on Amazon.com. Now the 160GB Archos 5 Android Tablet is actually shipping for $389.99 from Amazon.com.

The 500GB Archos 5 Android and the 32GB Archos 5 Android are not shipping yet. Read more

Posted on Fri, 9 Oct 2009 06:00:00 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Foxconn Rumored to be Building Apple Tablet

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A new rumor has surfaced from DigiTimes that has Foxconn building that long rumored Apple tablet computer. The device is said to be hitting the market in the first quarter of 2010 with initial shipments in the 300,000 to 400,000 range.

DigiTimes cites sources close to the deal. The tablet is said to have a 10.1-inch display and panels could be sourced for Foxconn subsidiary Innolux Displays. Read more

Posted on Wed, 7 Oct 2009 07:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

The iTablet: Not Just For Bathroom Reading

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The New York Times has an article out today covering the long, checkered history of the Apple tablet. The article is mostly a recap of the last few months of rumors and developments, but the Times also brought some new info to the mix. According to Joshua A. Strickland, a former Apple engineer, the Cupertino-based company has been trying to develop a tablet since 2003.

This early tablet used PowerPC microchips that drained the battery far too fast for any consumer use. Strickland also states that the component parts alone cost more than $500. Jobs axed earlier tablet designs because of their short battery life and expense, as well as the fact that he could see no use for them besides bathroom web browsing.

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Posted on Mon, 5 Oct 2009 10:05:43 CDT | by Robert Evans

History Of The Tablet Computer, In Case You Were Not There

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The rumors about the Apple Tablet and the recent appearance of the cool Microsoft Courier prototype have put Tablet computers back into the center of attention.
If you were not there when Apple unveiled the Newton or Microsoft pushed the first Tablet PCs then read this nice article on the New York Times that takes us down the memory lane of failures. Read more

Posted on Mon, 5 Oct 2009 08:16:37 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Apple Tablet: Filled With Books, Newspapers, Textbooks?

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Technically what we have today aren't really new iTablet rumors. Gizmodo has information that Apple has been shopping around the old media haunts for content deals. Now that they've conquered music, movie, and TV downloads, the next logical step is print.

Apparently Apple approached the New York Times back in June. They wanted to talk with the paper about putting their stories on a "new device", presumably the iTablet. Apple also talked with McGraw Hill and Oberlin Press, two major textbook manufacturers, and convinced them to move textbooks over to iTunes. Once Apple is ready, they'll start selling iTunes textbooks at a substantial discount. Unfortunately, these books will be DRM filled to prevent resale.

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Posted on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:01:04 CDT | by Robert Evans

New iTablet Details Emerge: Jan. 19th Announcement?

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Today is a good day for tablet rumors. Fresh on the heels of the latest big Microsoft Courier leak, we've got a whole bunch of new information on the iTablet from the iLounge. They've received word from a reliable source (who accurately called the iPod Nano 5G, 3GS, and Chinese iPhone for them) about the new iTablet.

First off, they say that Apple has built at least three prototypes of the tablet. Version one was apparently just seven inches, but the current working prototype is 10.7". The tablet runs iPhone OS (which I am sceptical about; we've heard just as many 'reliable sources' claim it's OS X based) and will basically look like a giant iPhone 3G. Apple will be releasing two versions; a 3G enabled one, and a non-3G one. Basically, a bigscreen iPhone and a bigscreen iPod touch.

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Posted on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:03:11 CDT | by Robert Evans

Apple Rehires Newton Tablet Developer

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Chalk up one more point in favor of the existence of the iTablet. The New York Times today broke the news that former Apple developer Michael Tchao, who worked on the disastrous Newton PDA, has been rehired by the company. Tchao will take up a position as vice president of marketing, where he will report directly to Phil Schiller.

This is very big news, because it makes it exceedingly likely that a tablet product of some sort is in development. Tchao is the man who convinced former Apple CEO John Scully to put handwriting recognition software into a consumer device. He was one of the biggest influences behind Apple's first tablet, and he knows what not to do when it comes to marketing a tablet computer. In other words, he's just the man Apple needs to sell the iTablet.

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Posted on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:53:36 CDT | by Robert Evans

Viliv S10 Netbook-Tablet Shown At IDF

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My feelings towards Viliv can best be described as "mixed". They make incredibly sexy products that work about as well as tits on a bull. As this review of their S7 shows, Viliv is perfectly capable of putting out a gorgeous netbook that is totally useless. That's why I am so on edge about the Viliv 10 "Blade" netbook, scooped by Gizmodo at this week's IDF show.

The S10 has a 10" monitor, which is also a swivelling resistive touchscreen. It's not multitouch capable, but we can't get everything we want with every gadget. It can carry either a 1.33 GHz processor or a 2.0 GHz Atom processor, 1 GB of RAM, and either a 60 GB HD or a 32 GB SSD. It comes with Bluetooth, 3G, and WiFi capabilities, and Viliv claims it gets 10 hours of working battery life, including 7 hours of video.

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Posted on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:59:25 CDT | by Robert Evans

1/5 Of Customers Want Apple Tablet

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Alright, so Microsoft's cat is out of the bag. We know what their Courier tablet PC looks like (gorgeous) and now we just have to wait for a release date. While we're waiting, it couldn't hurt to spend some time pondering the iTablet.

Personally, I've tried not to take the iTablet too seriously. Apple hasn't given one jot of confirmation and we've been hearing rumors about this product for years now. However, given the virtual mountain of tablet releases in the last few days and weeks, and the most recent RBC Capital Markets survey (thanks, AppleInsider), I've started to take the iTablet a bit more seriously.

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Posted on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:40:40 CDT | by Robert Evans

Microsoft Courier Booklet Tablet PC Suprises

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The rumored Microsoft Tablet is coming out of hiding on Gizmodo in glory details.
The Microsoft Courier actually features two 7-inch touchscreens and resembles a booklet. At first glance the Microsoft Courier is hot! Two screens definitely make a difference.

The photos and video of the Microsoft Courier are apparently showing a real device, but the Courier is still in a prototype stage. Read more

Posted on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 02:40:38 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

TabletKiosk Unveils New Tablet PCs At IDF

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Today TabletKiosk unveiled new additions to their Tablet PC line at the IDF conference. In the press release, they specify the new systems as the eo a7330D Ultra-Mobile PC, the eo TurfTab a7230XD, and the Sahara NetSlate a230T touch screen tablet PC. The first two new tablets will be out in early October, but the new Sahara is available now.

The Sahara features a 12.1" touchscreen, Intel Atom N270 processor, 1 or 2 GB of RAM, a 120 GB HD, and 802.11a WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, and optional 3/3.5G capabilities. The a7330D is a 7" device with an Atom Z530P processor, 1 GB of RAM, 80 GB HD, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, and an auto-switching dual-mode digitizer/touchscreen. The eo TufTab a7230XD is also a 7" device. It's got 1 GB of RAM, 80 GB HD, WiFi, a 2.0 megapixel webcam/camera (neat!), dual swappable batteries, an RFID reader, 1D/2D barcode scanners, 1 GB Ethernet, RS-232 serial port, and Bluetooth 2.1. It also has 3/3.5 G optional.

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Posted on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:11:25 CDT | by Robert Evans

Archos 5 Android Tablet Available For Pre-Order On Amazon

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Archos officially unveiled the new Archos 5 Android Internet Tablet last week. Amazon is taking pre-oders for the Archos 5 32GB for $369.99. Also available are the Archos 5 160GB Android Tablet selling for $399.99 on Amazon.com and the Archos 5 Android with 500GB HDD selling for $499.99 on Amazon.com.

Features of the Archos 5 Android Tablets include 4.8-inch touchscreen with 800x480px resolution, HD video (720p), GPS, Wifi, Bluetooth, FM Transmitter, FM Radio and Android OS of course. Read more

Posted on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 07:34:59 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Will There Be A Tablet War?

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No matter where you turn these days, it seems people are talking about tablets. Apple is expected to have a super-secret "iTablet" under development, and today we've learned that Microsoft has plans for one as well. Meanwhile, Archos just launched a new line of Android-based tablets, while RAmos is expected to announce another Android tablet this Friday.

Tablet PCs are coming out left and right. But are they here to stay? A lot of critics, including our own head editor Luigi, don't believe there is a substantial market for tablets. They deliver the same or less computing power than a netbook for (often) a much higher price. Many tablets and MIDs are just a little too large to fit in your pocket, but still too small for more than one person to watch a movie on.

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Posted on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:21:52 CDT | by Robert Evans