Many large computer hardware and software companies have predicted a shift towards a public wide use of all in one portable touch screen devices and have developed their own range of products to satisfy consumer’s needs. It started with mobile phone units like the iphone and now the obvious popularity of Apples new ipad has confirmed this new open market; in response Google is focusing on developing its Android mobile operating system to be more tablet friendly. Large companies like Microsoft Windows have also come out with their own Windows 7 based mobile operating system that has been adopted by HP’s new computer tablet called the ‘HP Slate’ (recently cancelled). Besides the big wigs, there appears to be many smaller names who have decided to ride the wave of possibility and release their own innovative tablet versions. The German telecommunications company Neofonie recently introduced its new mobile tablet called the ‘Wepad’, which has already gained a huge amount of publicity and preorders even before its product has been mass manufactured.
One company that is known for its super small net books and low cost laptop alternatives is Asus, they recently put their new prototype touch screen tablet on display at the CES trade show this year and it appears to have many features that are not included in Apples ipad. With an estimated retail cost of $49, the Asus tablet has adopted the standard sleek look of most other tablets with a large touch pad screen covering the front, this one is a large 9” (1024 x 786) for clear viewing, there are also 5 extra buttons down the right hand side for navigational use. This tablet runs on Googles Android operating system, which has been fully customized, it supports flash player and has a powerful Nivida Tegra graphics display that allows users to watch HD movies and animations in crystal clear quality. For connectivity the Asus tablet has WIFI and integrated 3G technologies, plus an additional GPS unit that can turn the tablet into a navigator. It has two features that ipad does not; a built in 0.3 megapixel webcam and 2 USB ports, so you can hook the tablet up to external devices such as a mouse and keyboard.
Another tablet device that is getting a lot of media attention lately comes from a small start up company from India called ‘Notion Ink’. They have developed the ‘Adam’ a touch screen tablet design that has an impressive eco friendly power saving technology that not only reduces your overall energy usage, but lengthens the battery time by up to 16 hours. The Adam tablet is rather large and comes with a 10” LCD screen, which can be set to low power mode to substantially reduce your electricity consumption. The device is run on a customized version of Google’s Android, a platform that most brands have decided to use in their tablet designs. It has a relatively fast 1GHz dual core processor, Flash player support, an SD card slot, WIFI, optional 3G and Bluetooth connectivity; besides this it has a Nivida Tegra 2 graphics support making it very HD film friendly. The creators have also added a 3.0 megapixel webcam and 3 USB ports for connection to external devices. The final price hasn’t been finalized yet, but in a recent interview with Notion Ink’s CEO, they have give a price range of between $327 - $800 with a possibility of different versions of the tablet.
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