One pretty significant detail the article failed to mention is that the eDGe is available today and the software has gone through two major upgrades and several minor ones since release and is now quite mature.
For me, having print as a native data type via an e-ink display large enough to handle standard letter-paper sized documents is a big deal. Having the e-ink display accept handwriting in e-ink is even better.
As a business professional, I'm not interested in a "reading" device like the Kindle, nor do I want to do serious reading on yet another LCD (already have several of those). I want a proper "study" device that lets me mark up my books, "dog-ear" pages so I can find them again easily, and so on. And then if I'm reviewing a document for someone else, I want to export another PDF, including my handwriting and email it back to the other person, all from the device.
For me, the eDGe delivers this, but that's only the beginning. With the latest software versions you can:
* Hook up to a projector and run your presentation slides straight from the eDGe.
* Edit Office documents right on the device.
* Use USB or Bluetooth devices like keyboards, audio devices, etc.
* And of course all of the other Android goodness: browse the web (with Flash lite support), watch videos, play apps/games.
I only wish that the full compliment of Google apps and Google's market were enabled by default. Apparently, since the device isn't on any carrier's network (although there's a SIM slot and a hidden 3g connect app with an icon that looks suspiciously like the Verizon logo), Google won't support it for now.
Disclosure: I'm just a satisfied customer with no financial stake in the eDGe.
Dave Orme
Photos: 20 iPad competitors to watch
by Jason Hiner | October 20, 2010 6:44am PDT | Image 1 of 21
Previous | Next
iPad launch
The Apple iPad has re-energized the market for tablet computers but it has gone nearly all of 2010 without a serious challenger. That will soon change. Here are 20 upstarts taking aim at the iPad.
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@dvorme This is the only review I could find - is this the device you are talking about?
"Have you ever wondered how a bunch of people come up with the same brilliant idea at the same time? Like an ereader with two screens? Half of the enTourage eDGE is an e-Ink reader. The other's an Android tablet.
It's an ugly little mutant, like a Courier screwed an EeePC and Kindle. The e-Ink screen's 9.7 inches?same as the Kindle DX?and readers ePub and PDF files. It'll let you take notes with stylus, or tap them out on a keyboard. On the Android side, which will apparently let you run full Android apps, you've got a 10.1-inch, 1024x600 screen, which you can use to look at images from books (in full color?). Like any good anything that does everything, it also records video and audio. For wireless, it's got Wi-Fi and optional 3G, along with Bluetooth for external keyboards.
Admittedly, I kind of like the idea of a reader I can use to browse the internet too, but I just can't do it on something this hideous. And, I really can't abide stupid capitalization patterns, like eDGe. It's $500, if you can. [Entourage via Cnet]]"
"Have you ever wondered how a bunch of people come up with the same brilliant idea at the same time? Like an ereader with two screens? Half of the enTourage eDGE is an e-Ink reader. The other's an Android tablet.
It's an ugly little mutant, like a Courier screwed an EeePC and Kindle. The e-Ink screen's 9.7 inches?same as the Kindle DX?and readers ePub and PDF files. It'll let you take notes with stylus, or tap them out on a keyboard. On the Android side, which will apparently let you run full Android apps, you've got a 10.1-inch, 1024x600 screen, which you can use to look at images from books (in full color?). Like any good anything that does everything, it also records video and audio. For wireless, it's got Wi-Fi and optional 3G, along with Bluetooth for external keyboards.
Admittedly, I kind of like the idea of a reader I can use to browse the internet too, but I just can't do it on something this hideous. And, I really can't abide stupid capitalization patterns, like eDGe. It's $500, if you can. [Entourage via Cnet]]"
@no_axe_to__grind: You asked where to find the Entourage eDGe. Try: http://www.entourageedge.com/
If you're looking for the fastest Android hardware and the most gorgeous screen, you'll be disappointed. And for better or for worse, Apple has conditioned many to look at hardware specs rather than looking at "what can this thing do?"
So why do I like this device so much?
Because as a computer programmer, my professional life lives or dies on the information I consume and how rapidly I can consume it. This device lets me access and carry more (kinds of) information, faster and easier than I could before.
Let me give an example.
I had particular program I had to deliver on a very tight, and inflexible deadline. It turned out that I needed to use a technology that was completely new to me, and none of the tutorials that were available on the web made any sense to me. After going through them, I still couldn't understand how to complete my tasks. But there was a new book that had recently been published on the subject.
So I fired up my eDGe, went to the publisher's web site, and bought the PDF version of the book.
Five minutes later I was reading the book on the e-ink display. The first two chapters of the book contained exactly the information I needed. As a result, twenty minutes later I understood exactly what I had to do and enabled me to deliver my software on time.
For me, having the eDGe was the difference between delivering my software on time and being late.
So I could have bought the PDF and read it on my laptop. But I've found that I just don't read books on my laptop because it bothers my eyes to read for long periods of time on an LCD. So it's not cost-effective to buy the PDF. I'd rather have the paper book.
For me, having the large e-ink display--and one I can write on--is the difference between a device meant for browsing versus a device meant for serious reading and study.
As a result, since getting my eDGe, my laptop often stays at home. Or if I'm computer programming, I have my laptop for programming and my eDGe for my programmer's library.
So I don't care that the machine might not have the flashiest hardware specs. I still have bragging rights to the first really practical dual-headed portable computer.
But in all seriousness, I keep, carry, and use this machine because it helps me to be more effective and more competitive than I could be without it.
-Dave
If you're looking for the fastest Android hardware and the most gorgeous screen, you'll be disappointed. And for better or for worse, Apple has conditioned many to look at hardware specs rather than looking at "what can this thing do?"
So why do I like this device so much?
Because as a computer programmer, my professional life lives or dies on the information I consume and how rapidly I can consume it. This device lets me access and carry more (kinds of) information, faster and easier than I could before.
Let me give an example.
I had particular program I had to deliver on a very tight, and inflexible deadline. It turned out that I needed to use a technology that was completely new to me, and none of the tutorials that were available on the web made any sense to me. After going through them, I still couldn't understand how to complete my tasks. But there was a new book that had recently been published on the subject.
So I fired up my eDGe, went to the publisher's web site, and bought the PDF version of the book.
Five minutes later I was reading the book on the e-ink display. The first two chapters of the book contained exactly the information I needed. As a result, twenty minutes later I understood exactly what I had to do and enabled me to deliver my software on time.
For me, having the eDGe was the difference between delivering my software on time and being late.
So I could have bought the PDF and read it on my laptop. But I've found that I just don't read books on my laptop because it bothers my eyes to read for long periods of time on an LCD. So it's not cost-effective to buy the PDF. I'd rather have the paper book.
For me, having the large e-ink display--and one I can write on--is the difference between a device meant for browsing versus a device meant for serious reading and study.
As a result, since getting my eDGe, my laptop often stays at home. Or if I'm computer programming, I have my laptop for programming and my eDGe for my programmer's library.
So I don't care that the machine might not have the flashiest hardware specs. I still have bragging rights to the first really practical dual-headed portable computer.
But in all seriousness, I keep, carry, and use this machine because it helps me to be more effective and more competitive than I could be without it.-Dave
@dvorme
Whats an eDGe? All I get when I google that is gay porn junk here in Boston.
Whats an eDGe? All I get when I google that is gay porn junk here in Boston.
Several people asked where to find the Entourage eDGe. Try: http://www.entourageedge.com/
If you're looking for the fastest Android hardware and the most gorgeous screen, you'll be disappointed. And for better or for worse, Apple has conditioned many to look at hardware specs rather than looking at "what can this thing do?"
So why do I like this device so much?
Because as a computer programmer, my professional life lives or dies on the information I consume and how rapidly I can consume it. This device lets me get at more kinds of information faster than I could before.
Let me give an example.
I had particular program I had to deliver on a very tight, and inflexible deadline. It turned out that I needed to use a technology that was completely new to me, and none of the tutorials that were available on the web made any sense to me. After going through them, I still couldn't understand how to complete my tasks. But there was a new book that had recently been published on the subject.
So I fired up my eDGe, went to the publisher's web site, and bought the PDF version of the book.
Five minutes later I was reading the book on the e-ink display. The first two chapters of the book contained exactly the information I needed. As a result, twenty minutes later I understood exactly what I had to do and enabled me to deliver my software on time.
For me, having the eDGe was the difference between delivering my software on time and being late.
So I could have bought the PDF and read it on my laptop. But I've found that I just don't read books on my laptop because it bothers my eyes to read for long periods of time on an LCD. So it's not cost-effective to buy the PDF. I'd rather have the paper book.
For me, having the large e-ink display--and one I can write on--is the difference between a device meant for browsing versus a device meant for serious reading and study.
As a result, since getting my eDGe, my laptop often stays at home. Or if I'm computer programming, I have my laptop for programming and my eDGe for my programmer's library.
So I don't care that the machine might not have the flashiest hardware specs. I still have bragging rights to the first really practical dual-headed portable computer.
But in all seriousness, I keep, carry, and use this machine because it helps me to be more effective and more competitive than I could be without it.
-Dave
If you're looking for the fastest Android hardware and the most gorgeous screen, you'll be disappointed. And for better or for worse, Apple has conditioned many to look at hardware specs rather than looking at "what can this thing do?"
So why do I like this device so much?
Because as a computer programmer, my professional life lives or dies on the information I consume and how rapidly I can consume it. This device lets me get at more kinds of information faster than I could before.
Let me give an example.
I had particular program I had to deliver on a very tight, and inflexible deadline. It turned out that I needed to use a technology that was completely new to me, and none of the tutorials that were available on the web made any sense to me. After going through them, I still couldn't understand how to complete my tasks. But there was a new book that had recently been published on the subject.
So I fired up my eDGe, went to the publisher's web site, and bought the PDF version of the book.
Five minutes later I was reading the book on the e-ink display. The first two chapters of the book contained exactly the information I needed. As a result, twenty minutes later I understood exactly what I had to do and enabled me to deliver my software on time.
For me, having the eDGe was the difference between delivering my software on time and being late.
So I could have bought the PDF and read it on my laptop. But I've found that I just don't read books on my laptop because it bothers my eyes to read for long periods of time on an LCD. So it's not cost-effective to buy the PDF. I'd rather have the paper book.
For me, having the large e-ink display--and one I can write on--is the difference between a device meant for browsing versus a device meant for serious reading and study.
As a result, since getting my eDGe, my laptop often stays at home. Or if I'm computer programming, I have my laptop for programming and my eDGe for my programmer's library.
So I don't care that the machine might not have the flashiest hardware specs. I still have bragging rights to the first really practical dual-headed portable computer.
But in all seriousness, I keep, carry, and use this machine because it helps me to be more effective and more competitive than I could be without it.
-Dave
where is Nokia? I am not sure why they aren't all over this instead of producing sub-4" screen N900/N8 phones or the 10.1" Booklet 3G? Their devices are usually well thought out, packed with features and mostly of good quality (though maybe too many choices in their device listing...) I also note the lack of an HTC entry...
@gbirmin@...
Nokia is busy sliding into irrelevancy. They're Commodore.
Nokia is busy sliding into irrelevancy. They're Commodore.
It's already shipped the 5" model and is presumably coming out with 7 and 10 inch devices as well.
The Dell Streak is one of the best selling tablets right now. Just because it can also do voice calls doesn't mean it's not a tablet. Tablets don't just come in one size or two.
The Dell Streak is one of the best selling tablets right now. Just because it can also do voice calls doesn't mean it's not a tablet. Tablets don't just come in one size or two.
@mrxxxman the Streak has been a failure, you must work for Dell. http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2010/06/23/dell-ceo-streak-tablet-sales-interesting-immaterial/
People see some visual effects they like and go ahead and guy a particular tablet. They compare hardware specs, camera resolution, cpu speed etc go ahead and buy a different tablet. They may be opensource honchos who will end up getting the Samsung Tab or other android or windows tablet/phone 7 devices.
The Fact is. If you want to get some serious work done, Apple always has been making the best products. They give you seamless, hassless work experience.
For about 20 years I hated Apple computers and devices because I couldn't justify their high prices for the same hardware as half as much costing devices. That was until I got a Macbook Air for cheap off craigslist. (I had bought and gotten rid of about 60 laptops/tablets during the 2 years before that). I stopped buying laptops after I bought the Macbook Air.
I had bought it just to play around and get rid of it as well without losing money (I had bought it used for $200 lesser than its lowest ebay price). Funnily, I had 14 laptops at that time. I got rid of all the other ones and kept the Macbook Air and my Sony Vaio AW290 (for its 18.4 inch screen).
I have 4 smart phones. TMobile G1 (it sucks), Blackberry Storm 2 (it sucks), HTD HD (it sucks) and an iPhone 3GS (i love it).
I wasn't sure whether to get the smaller Dell Streak or the Apple iPad. After getting "group pressured" by some "short sighted friends", I bought the streak. The usability of its hardware sucks. The DELL's interface sucks. Almost all professional usage apps are **** too. I ended up getting an iPAD and have never have had problems, no complains. (note that the iPAD doesn't have a camera and is bigger etc).
I am surprised that an American company can make products with Japanese standards and values. American products are generally well marketed 'dog poo'. IBM used to make good computers but that got sold to Lenovo, which dumbed down the lineup to attract consumers. If I had a choice between Lenovo, Sony and Apple, since I have the money and like getting things done in 1 hour instead of 2 days nad that too without having to buy any additional software, I'd still go for a Mac. No business user who seeks efficiency and productivity should use a non-Mac product.
Like they say "I am a Mac Guy now".
The Fact is. If you want to get some serious work done, Apple always has been making the best products. They give you seamless, hassless work experience.
For about 20 years I hated Apple computers and devices because I couldn't justify their high prices for the same hardware as half as much costing devices. That was until I got a Macbook Air for cheap off craigslist. (I had bought and gotten rid of about 60 laptops/tablets during the 2 years before that). I stopped buying laptops after I bought the Macbook Air.
I had bought it just to play around and get rid of it as well without losing money (I had bought it used for $200 lesser than its lowest ebay price). Funnily, I had 14 laptops at that time. I got rid of all the other ones and kept the Macbook Air and my Sony Vaio AW290 (for its 18.4 inch screen).
I have 4 smart phones. TMobile G1 (it sucks), Blackberry Storm 2 (it sucks), HTD HD (it sucks) and an iPhone 3GS (i love it).
I wasn't sure whether to get the smaller Dell Streak or the Apple iPad. After getting "group pressured" by some "short sighted friends", I bought the streak. The usability of its hardware sucks. The DELL's interface sucks. Almost all professional usage apps are **** too. I ended up getting an iPAD and have never have had problems, no complains. (note that the iPAD doesn't have a camera and is bigger etc).
I am surprised that an American company can make products with Japanese standards and values. American products are generally well marketed 'dog poo'. IBM used to make good computers but that got sold to Lenovo, which dumbed down the lineup to attract consumers. If I had a choice between Lenovo, Sony and Apple, since I have the money and like getting things done in 1 hour instead of 2 days nad that too without having to buy any additional software, I'd still go for a Mac. No business user who seeks efficiency and productivity should use a non-Mac product.
Like they say "I am a Mac Guy now".
@sense police
Curious, 60 laptops in 2 years? What do you do? Anyway, lots of the models presented here are pretty ugly and worst
some operates under Windows...
Curious, 60 laptops in 2 years? What do you do? Anyway, lots of the models presented here are pretty ugly and worst
some operates under Windows...
@minardi yeah, thats a lot in retrospect. i didn't realize how much dissatisfied i was with pretty much every computer that was out there, i lost a lot of time moving data, until i found 'live mesh' and 'dropbox'. i had started the buying spree in order to have multiple 'ready' computers at all times while looking for one that feels comfortable, so that i don't have to spend entire day installing important apps and restoring data from backups (my beloved before it all began, my panasonic toughbook had been stolen with all my data - I lost projects and relationships due to not having a 'ready' computer when that got stolen). and i just never found a 'soulmate' computer ever since, until i bought the mac air, and then the iphone 3gs as well as the ipad and later the 27" imac as well as the appletv). in all those about 60 laptop/tablets there was one thing missing or another - always something to complain about. until of course the mac.
my favorite ones amongst all those were my vaio ux490 and the super sturdy tablet pc hp 2730p. i miss it the most (with extended battery, gave me 14 hours of battery life!, but the windows o.s. is just another american product -> it capitalizes on people's impulsiveness and short sightedness. android is doing the same thing. almost all mac software works seemlessly together without any hassle, something as simple as expose just made me forget that a large screen resolution used to be an important thing. the multitouch touchpad on the macs is also instantly responsive, the same with the ipad's touchscreen.
i got the htc desire, but that suffers from being just another poorly thought of product.
my favorite ones amongst all those were my vaio ux490 and the super sturdy tablet pc hp 2730p. i miss it the most (with extended battery, gave me 14 hours of battery life!, but the windows o.s. is just another american product -> it capitalizes on people's impulsiveness and short sightedness. android is doing the same thing. almost all mac software works seemlessly together without any hassle, something as simple as expose just made me forget that a large screen resolution used to be an important thing. the multitouch touchpad on the macs is also instantly responsive, the same with the ipad's touchscreen.
i got the htc desire, but that suffers from being just another poorly thought of product.
@sense police OK, if you had about 60 laptops in the last two years, and had 14 laptops when you bought your Macbook Air, I'd say you may have some sort of obsessive/compulsive thing going on and I can't really take your opinion seriously. Myself, I have a $400 compaq 15" laptop that has served me fine for two years and still going.
I never like APPLE's products. because all Apple products has no portability and extra memory ports.
do you want the customer service to argue with you for hours that it was your fault that the device isn't working when it is clearly a widespread hardware flaw and even then have to wait for a "box" to show up on your doorstep at some unidentified time and day (unless you have paid for at home service, but that still doesn't solve the hardware and software inferiority problems of non-apples), then you package the item and take an hour or two out of your day to arrange for the box to be picked up or drop it off somewhere. and then maybe a week or 2 or 3 or 4 from then, you'll get the services item back with a bill for service (even though it was under warranty). all that while you are worried if some homeless jackass or some druggie gang is going to steal your laptop, tablet or phone.
my macbook air's hinge dislocated 8 days after my warranty had expired (i had paid an associate to upgrade it, but he seems to have been preoccupied with some other 'more important' work). i went to apple store, they told me that it'll take 5 days after which i can pick it up from their location.
apple fixed not just the hinge, but replaced my entire lid (that had a small dent on it). all without any crying. no harassment of the customer was involved. all that while i was completely sure that i'll get my laptop back. even the backup process of my data via time-machine was more than easy (i had never used time-machine before - i used dropbox and livesync to sync my data across computers).
note that that was just one example of "what matters".
i live in india now. and despite not having any apple stores and direct from apple customer service here, i have bought more macs. i made my dad get a mac as well. all that despite dell being popular for its relatively good customer service here. i bought an iphone 4 as a gift for my friend.
all that because apple products almost never require any customer service.
my macbook air's hinge dislocated 8 days after my warranty had expired (i had paid an associate to upgrade it, but he seems to have been preoccupied with some other 'more important' work). i went to apple store, they told me that it'll take 5 days after which i can pick it up from their location.
apple fixed not just the hinge, but replaced my entire lid (that had a small dent on it). all without any crying. no harassment of the customer was involved. all that while i was completely sure that i'll get my laptop back. even the backup process of my data via time-machine was more than easy (i had never used time-machine before - i used dropbox and livesync to sync my data across computers).
note that that was just one example of "what matters".
i live in india now. and despite not having any apple stores and direct from apple customer service here, i have bought more macs. i made my dad get a mac as well. all that despite dell being popular for its relatively good customer service here. i bought an iphone 4 as a gift for my friend.
all that because apple products almost never require any customer service.
There are still other competitors out there depending on what you want the tablet to do. You can get one for $209 that comes with 7" screen, froyo, A8 cortex cpu, wifi, and more. You just have to shop around.
LG sucks AS5 at making mobile devices (IT'S FROM EXPERIENCE, their mobile devices break easily), they were made for building refrigerators and TVs. PERIOD.
Maybe the quality recently went south but I had an LG flip phone many years ago and it survived an enormous amount of abuse. It looked pretty ugly when I retired it but it never failed.
The JooJoo is "divorced from TechCrunch (in pending legislation)." It's important enough to pass a law? That's hubris you can sink your teeth into.
I have heard that HTC has a unit coming out early next year, but it looks like it may have a Tegra 2 in it. WHOOT.
That's when I will be buying one. I love HTC hardware.
That's when I will be buying one. I love HTC hardware.
@sense police Although I do agree with you on many points you've stated, your blatant fanboyism is neither appreciated nor polite. You could have easily referenced many sites to back up everything you've claimed. And to be fair, I could reference many sites that provide the same arguments for a dozen other companies. I have a MacBook, iPhone 4, iPhone 3G, and iPod Nano. I've had smartphones from HTC running Windows Mobile and also Blackberrys. I also have and have had notebooks from HP, Dell, Compaq, Acer, Toshiba, and Asus. I've had desktops from Gateway, eMachines, Apple, IBM, Dell, HP, Compaq. I have not in ten years had a single problem with any piece of technology I've used, either my personal tech or work-issued things. This is from the widely accepted ideas that anything and everything works without issue providing that a) It's used properly and within it's designated, safe, and acceptable parameters e.g. using netbooks only for the web and word processing, b) It's well maintained and taken care of, e.g. de-frag the hard drive every 6 months and clean the case (for desktops only) every year, and c) That it shipped in full working order. As long as those three parameters are met, nothing will ever go wrong with your technology. Obviously you did not follow the first two parameters. About your statements on tech support, that's an entirely different matter. In fact, nearly everything you said past that you would recommend the iPad was both superfluous and unnecessary, as well as highly annoying and a waste of time for anyone who read it.
@pjskeleton Obviously you have, but can anyone else reading this spot the shill posts?
@pjskeleton
How about pompous, arrogant, self-aggrandizing and maybe even slow and stupid.
How about pompous, arrogant, self-aggrandizing and maybe even slow and stupid.
This is hilarious--about everyone in business using Mac. Hardly. I would venture to say most are still using Windows at the XP level. Maybe graphic designers and those in advertising are using Macs.
I don't want just an expensive toy in a tablet. Would be nice to be able to do a little work on it. The alternatives to the IPad seem more targeted to business. There are alternatives out there and more to come. And personally, lol, worrying about if the tablet looks ugly is down right silly.
I don't want just an expensive toy in a tablet. Would be nice to be able to do a little work on it. The alternatives to the IPad seem more targeted to business. There are alternatives out there and more to come. And personally, lol, worrying about if the tablet looks ugly is down right silly.
There is nothing to WATCH yet, it is all still vaporware.
LenovoU1 is the most attractive here. Where is Dell tablet pc with flip over screen.
Why I have to carry seperate keyboard and e-reader if i can get all in-one-1 unit with min 10"size.
Why I have to carry seperate keyboard and e-reader if i can get all in-one-1 unit with min 10"size.
I like the look of the Toshiba Libretto but I have read a lot about the Notion Ink Adam so right now it's my tip. You can see their stuff here:
http://www.notionink.in/
http://notionink.wordpress.com/
http://www.notionink.in/
http://notionink.wordpress.com/
IMHO the only one of these even remotely compelling is the Libretto - something about it's size and design is very appealing to me. The eDGe is, honestly, a hideous marriage and the capitalization of its name seems like it would appeal only to the most ' elite hardc0r3 ' (seriously, i have to hash hardc0r3?!) XBOX Live players.
Are any of these iPad "killers?" No - none of them in this bunch. Perhaps ZDNet should stray from the linkbaiting in their own ads and focus more on titling articles more realistically.
"20 iPad killers to watch"? More like "20 iPad wannabes to watch"
People whine and moan about how much Apple sucks, and how much better the "competition" is, while the competition literally does nothing but try to play catch-up after Apple releases it's latest bit of kit.
One can blame it on the "zealotry" of the Apple fan-base, or on the "weak-minded consumers" that just gobble up every Apple product that's out there - but truth be told Apple is a company in a capitalist nation and one of the roots of capitalism is that companies that do not fall in favor with the populace will eventually fail.
Truth be told - Apple releases a quality product, and all whining about DRM and "lock-in" aside, it amounts to a far
better experience for the end user. Yes, there's the openness of Linux and the... whatever the hell you want to call Windows, but at the end of the day when you want to get work done, you go to the machine that gives you the least number of problems and doesn't get in your way.
And that's what consumers are saying when they buy Apple products in higher and higher numbers. I have servers that run Linux (FC12), Windows and OSx Server - in virtualization and on hardware, and the ones that historically give us the least amount of trouble are the OSX boxes followed by Linux at a close second. Windows just kinda huffs and puffs a few miles behind.
If Linux could get the "user friendly" attitude of OSX/iOS down, they would truly be a competitor.
Ok - I KNOW I KNOW I went off there. But as soon as i read the first line back to myself I could see where this comment would go, and I figure, I'll just go ahead and handle all the responses to NonZealot and LRD to save myself time in the future.
Are any of these iPad "killers?" No - none of them in this bunch. Perhaps ZDNet should stray from the linkbaiting in their own ads and focus more on titling articles more realistically.
"20 iPad killers to watch"? More like "20 iPad wannabes to watch"
People whine and moan about how much Apple sucks, and how much better the "competition" is, while the competition literally does nothing but try to play catch-up after Apple releases it's latest bit of kit.
One can blame it on the "zealotry" of the Apple fan-base, or on the "weak-minded consumers" that just gobble up every Apple product that's out there - but truth be told Apple is a company in a capitalist nation and one of the roots of capitalism is that companies that do not fall in favor with the populace will eventually fail.
Truth be told - Apple releases a quality product, and all whining about DRM and "lock-in" aside, it amounts to a far
better experience for the end user. Yes, there's the openness of Linux and the... whatever the hell you want to call Windows, but at the end of the day when you want to get work done, you go to the machine that gives you the least number of problems and doesn't get in your way.
And that's what consumers are saying when they buy Apple products in higher and higher numbers. I have servers that run Linux (FC12), Windows and OSx Server - in virtualization and on hardware, and the ones that historically give us the least amount of trouble are the OSX boxes followed by Linux at a close second. Windows just kinda huffs and puffs a few miles behind.
If Linux could get the "user friendly" attitude of OSX/iOS down, they would truly be a competitor.
Ok - I KNOW I KNOW I went off there. But as soon as i read the first line back to myself I could see where this comment would go, and I figure, I'll just go ahead and handle all the responses to NonZealot and LRD to save myself time in the future.
iPad launch
The Apple iPad has re-energized the market for tablet computers but it has gone nearly all of 2010 without a serious challenger. That will soon change. Here are 20 upstarts taking aim at the iPad.
"20 upstarts taking aim at the iPad?" As usual, ZDNet editors attempt to start a Flame War!
What proof has ZDNet provided that 20 anything have "taken aim at the iPad?" None. The fact that entrepreneurs and businesses see an established market with only one or a few entrants and choose to attempt to capture a portion of that market does not mean they are "taking aim" at anything more than a portion of that market.
The only way ZDNet's accusatory statements would be true is if those competitors provided compatible-but-improved products and services to the Apple iPad. If the new products and services are neither compatible nor improvements over the iPad, then the new entrants are not aiming at Apple's product and services but rather at capturing some of the market crumbs left by the iPad.
It is ZDNet's obsession with inciting Flame Wars and their use of unsubstantiated falsehoods that have driven me away from reading their lies for months. The above drives me away again.
The Apple iPad has re-energized the market for tablet computers but it has gone nearly all of 2010 without a serious challenger. That will soon change. Here are 20 upstarts taking aim at the iPad.
"20 upstarts taking aim at the iPad?" As usual, ZDNet editors attempt to start a Flame War!
What proof has ZDNet provided that 20 anything have "taken aim at the iPad?" None. The fact that entrepreneurs and businesses see an established market with only one or a few entrants and choose to attempt to capture a portion of that market does not mean they are "taking aim" at anything more than a portion of that market.
The only way ZDNet's accusatory statements would be true is if those competitors provided compatible-but-improved products and services to the Apple iPad. If the new products and services are neither compatible nor improvements over the iPad, then the new entrants are not aiming at Apple's product and services but rather at capturing some of the market crumbs left by the iPad.
It is ZDNet's obsession with inciting Flame Wars and their use of unsubstantiated falsehoods that have driven me away from reading their lies for months. The above drives me away again.
This page has a serious problem when load with a quad-core 4 meg memory 32 bits desktop. What's going on, is it the Flash or something else? As slow as iPad.
HP never officially (or for that matter, unofficially) said they were ever discontinuing the Slate 500. The entire myth evolved from Michael Arrington's single post on TechCrunch citing a single unidentifed source.
HP's purchase of Palm actually happened *after* that post and was then used as a rationale for the claim. What did change is that HP shifted the Slate to a higher end business model while targetting the future WebOS slates at the consumer market, which actually makes a lot of sense.
It also has to be noted that when people talk about the HP Slate, some very weird breakdowns in logic happen. The first failure in analysis comes with the price. Everyone says '$800 is too much compared to the iPad' - except - the iPad they're comparing it to is the low end model with 16GB. The 64GB model (which is comparable to the Slate) is $700, just $100 less. However, the Slate also has two cameras (front and back), more memory, a beefier CPU, a USB port and has a dual mode hybrid screen capacative touch/active pen digitiser.
That alone more than makes up the price difference - but you also get a dock which acts as a stand and exposes two more USB ports and an HDMI port that lets you connect the Slate to a monitor or TV, and a leatherette folio.
When you add in Windows 7 Professional - it's easy to see this thing is a actually an amazing deal at that price and easily blows away the iPad in features. The only missing one if 3G, but because it has bluetooth and USB (and a real OS), it's trivial to tether your phone to it, or connect a 3G dongle.
That being said, clearly, a tablet based on Windows 7 is not to everyone's liking, and that's fine. There is no 'one size fits all' solution here and as this article shows, there are lots of alternatives.
Fortunately, for people like me, who have been using Windows based slates for years and have no problems with them, the HP Slate is exactly the device we've been waiting for.
HP's purchase of Palm actually happened *after* that post and was then used as a rationale for the claim. What did change is that HP shifted the Slate to a higher end business model while targetting the future WebOS slates at the consumer market, which actually makes a lot of sense.
It also has to be noted that when people talk about the HP Slate, some very weird breakdowns in logic happen. The first failure in analysis comes with the price. Everyone says '$800 is too much compared to the iPad' - except - the iPad they're comparing it to is the low end model with 16GB. The 64GB model (which is comparable to the Slate) is $700, just $100 less. However, the Slate also has two cameras (front and back), more memory, a beefier CPU, a USB port and has a dual mode hybrid screen capacative touch/active pen digitiser.
That alone more than makes up the price difference - but you also get a dock which acts as a stand and exposes two more USB ports and an HDMI port that lets you connect the Slate to a monitor or TV, and a leatherette folio.
When you add in Windows 7 Professional - it's easy to see this thing is a actually an amazing deal at that price and easily blows away the iPad in features. The only missing one if 3G, but because it has bluetooth and USB (and a real OS), it's trivial to tether your phone to it, or connect a 3G dongle.
That being said, clearly, a tablet based on Windows 7 is not to everyone's liking, and that's fine. There is no 'one size fits all' solution here and as this article shows, there are lots of alternatives.
Fortunately, for people like me, who have been using Windows based slates for years and have no problems with them, the HP Slate is exactly the device we've been waiting for.
Oh where is the iPad "Killers" term, decided to use the more correct verbiage "Competitors" instead of an over hyped slang? Your learning.
It will be interesting to see over time which of these can truly compete with Apple...its not just a device you fight with an iPad but an Infrastructure as well and one that is quite well placed...
J
Wizofipad
J
Wizofipad
Really pathetic when someone or some group is keeping track of "rollouts" for a product. You don't see someone following rollouts in any other product.
Some people are being really cynical, aren't they? And you'd have thought consumers would appreciate competition. Not these people, it seems. They'd rather see the competition burn to the ground than let their beloved iPad be soiled by the excrement of inferior companies. How dare they compete with Apple?
I also believe that competitors will have to paddle hard to get close, a lot of technology, I wonder how will it be a 10-year ...... hugs!
massagem
massagem
The Dell Inspiron Duo is available for sale now, it's not vaporware, and is both a netbook and a tablet. Basically same price as an iPad too, but you get flash, printing, multitasking, a hidden physical keyboard, app compatibility, etc. (and, unfortunately, short battery life with a non-user-replaceable battery).
@JFDude What is with people and listing Flash as the first thing a competing product has that Apple's doesn't? WHY is Flash so freaking important!?!
Had the chance to see and use a Samsung Galaxy Tab. Amazing how 45% of the screen and 75% of the battery, with a cheapo feeling plastic back can be had for just 30$ less than an iPad. Something does not make sense. Shouldn't it be muchhhhh cheaper? Samsung makes the memory, CPU and screen AND does not make the O/S!!! They should be able to put out a much cheaper product. As for the cameras, I only tested the rear camera and was not really impressed. I thought it would be about 475$US for the 16G/3G model.
You included the DOA JooJoo but failed to mention the slick Windows 7 and Android tablets Acer is coming out with?
Really?? You included the JooJoo?? What have they sold? Twelve of them to Chandra's family?? It's useless.
Really?? You included the JooJoo?? What have they sold? Twelve of them to Chandra's family?? It's useless.
Just wondering if you deliberately left hanvon BC10 out of this list or was not available to comment. With Intel Celeron 1.3GHz CPU, 2GB RAM and 250GB drive and running on Windows 7! Thats one hell of a product to compete with iPad.
If they keep these at $199.99 or under I have no no use for them. IKt does about half what a basic laptop does so figure $400 for that laptop then about $200 is maxing the price for a tablet down step
iOS and Android are nice OSes, especially for the smaller/less powerful platforms they are made for. But, still they don't fully match up to Windows 7. Windows 7 works increadably well on a tablet, much better than even I expected. Plus it's 100% open, compared to the other two which stick you to their "approved" apps and nothing else.
I've got real World issues and needs. For which I need a real OS. Not a flashy 1/2 baked OS. And I need powerful hardware, not one of these new low instruction set chips. While they do give more battery, you can get a full day out of a portable Windows device with the right setup.
Bottom line, Windows 7 rocks. The other two try, but don't quite make it.
I've got real World issues and needs. For which I need a real OS. Not a flashy 1/2 baked OS. And I need powerful hardware, not one of these new low instruction set chips. While they do give more battery, you can get a full day out of a portable Windows device with the right setup.
Bottom line, Windows 7 rocks. The other two try, but don't quite make it.
Apple is expected to sell 6 million of iPads a month in 2011. To call these competition is like calling the local mom and pop store a competitor of Walmart
Okay, for cryin out friggen loud. WHY WHY WHY does ZDNet not have a Web 2.0 Photo slide show thingy??? Is this not a tech zine? Why in the name of Zeus does the entire website have to refresh to see these photos !!!!!! Arggggh. Not worth viewing them.
OK, this is more and more a kind of let's wait 'til Apple releases an innovative product to make a bad copy of it and call it a Ipod/Iphone/Imac/Ipad killer, so it will be no surprise to see almost all of this killers become suicides.
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