Here is a hands-on video of the Asus Eee PC T101MT convertible netbook/tablet. As a reminder, the 10.1-inch touchscreen tablet features a 10.1-inch (1024 x 600) LED backlight/resistive multi-touch panel, an Intel Atom N450 processor, up to 2GB RAM, a 320GB hard drive, a 0.3MP webcam, WiFi, Bluetooth, 3x USB ports, a 6.5-hour battery and Windows 7 OS. Watch the video after the jump.
Here’s another upcoming netbook from Trigem that comes under the Averatec brand, the Averatec N1200. This stylish netbook is equipped with a 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 display, an Intel Atom N450 processor, an integrated Intel GMA 3150 graphics card, a 1GB RAM, a 160GB hard drive, WiFi, a 3200mAh battery and runs on Windows 7 OS. No info on pricing and release date yet.
As excited as I am about the slew of Android-driven tablets and other non-phone devices coming out in the new few weeks and months, the lack of the official Android Market on the majority of them is dampening my enthusiasm. Android is a great OS, but without apps it’s pretty limited. The manufacturers behind these devices usually offer their own app stores, but it takes time to build numbers. Just ask Palm.
So what’s an Android-lover to do? Don’t despair, there are ways to install your favorite apps on your tablet, eReader, or other large-screen device. You just need to find the app’s APK (installation) file. Once you have it, you can just click to install and you’re set. No promises that the app will install or work, but at least you can try.
Here are 5 easy ways to find your favorite Android apps:
Download the APK from the developer’s website. Some developers allow users to download the file from their websites even if they’re available through the Android Market. Depending on the developer, you may also find versions of the app optimized for larger screens.
Search third-party app stores. No, the official Google market isn’t the only one. Many are independent repositories such as AndAppStore, SlideME, AndroidFreeware.org,Brothersoft, and Androlib. You should also check out the app stores created for specific devices, as they may allow you to search and download from a web browser, like the Camangi Marketplace. Some of these markets have a store app that works similarly to the Android Market, installing the apps for you.
Haunt device-specific forums and websites. If an Android gadget is lucky enough to have gathered a fanbase, those dedicated users are likely on the hunt for their favorite apps, too. You may be able to find a forum topic, FAQ, or a wiki with links to APK files for popular free apps or repositories. The users at ArchosFans have had months to find and test a variety of apps they can’t find in Archos’ app library. They’ve even created a dedicated wiki page for them with download links.
Google It. Sometimes the easiest thing to do is simply search for [app name] APK and see what comes up. You might find it on a buried page on the developer’s website or repository. Be careful, though, because many hits will come from anonymous uploads on file storage or torrent sites. Don’t download a virus in your zeal to obtain your favorite note-taking app.
Get them from your Android phone. If you have access to the official market then you can grab almost any APK from your phone. First, download something that will allow you to make backups of your apps. I like Astro File Manager because it allows me to choose which apps to back up. Once that’s done, connect your phone to your PC, find the backup folder, then copy the APK files to your computer or storage device, then transfer them to your Android device. You may not be able to make copies of every app, and transferring paid ones may break the TOS or EULA, so be mindful.
Using your favorite apps on all of your Android devices is the first step to Android bliss. If there’s one you can’t find or discover doesn’t work with your gadget, drop a line to the developers. The tablets are coming fast and furious this year, and Android’s life outside of phones may be more robust and rewarding than they realize.
Now that Microsoft and Amazon have hooked up for some no doubt nefarious plan to take over the world, speculation swirled all week that that the two companies are looking to develop some kind of KindlePad to challenge the iPad (or, indeed, any number of other tablets, many of which are more compelling than Apple’s offering).
First, I truly hope the name KindlePad doesn’t catch on. Second, I hope that this patent-licensing thing doesn’t lead to some ill-thought-out tablet concepts that combine the most cumbersome aspects of both Windows 7 and the Kindle into one lumbering beast. I’m choosing to be positive and instead hope that a Kindle tablet incorporates the best both companies have to offer.
Here are 5 things the KindlePad needs to do or incorporate in its design to stand out in the sea of next-gen tablets and eReaders:
Double Duty Display: Despite what the New York Times says, reading on a traditional LCD screen is crap when compared to e-Ink. But color e-Ink isn’t all that appealing yet. I suggest the KindlePad pass both of these technologies by completely and take a look at Notion Ink’s Pixel Qi technology or Qualcomm’s mirasol displays. Both solve the eyestrain problem while still delivering the crisp color users have come to expect.
Size Matters: A 10-inch display is okay if you want to watch movies or play games, but you can’t slip it into your pocket easily. Though the Kindle isn’t exactly a smart phone, it’s more portable and pocketable than the iPad and other similarly-sized tablets. Keep the KindlePad about the same overall size as the Kindle.
User Interface: Since Microsoft seems to feel that Windows 7 and touch go hand-in-hand, it may be inevitable that the OS will end up on this device. Fine. But please, Amazon, get someone to come in and create a more touch-friendly UI for the tablet. The taskbar is lovely and all, but anyone who has attempted to deal with any of the other buttons or window functions or links or menus knows that finger-centric operation isn’t all that easy on Win 7. It’ll be worse with a smaller screen, so be sure to make the necessary tweaks.
Eye Candy: Speaking of graphic design, something manufacturers seem to forget is that the iPad or any other Apple endeavor isn’t just about providing users with a cool piece of hardware, but also a fantastic software experience. No matter how shiny the KindlePad is on the outside, it may still lose face if the interactive experience is as clunky and old school as we’re used to seeing with, uh, certain other environments.
Support Open Formats: Amazon, I know you love your Kindle store and want to keep customers in it by closing ranks on the eReader and the file types. But the time when that was acceptable has now ended. Embrace EPUB and EPUB will embrace you.
If the KindlePad is on its way to being a reality, what features and design elements would you like it to have?
This month we reviewed 15 netbooks and notebooks, including the first Optimus system, the ASUS UL50VF, the executive-class Dell Latitude Z600, and the highly anticipated HP MIni 210. Yet the four laptops below claim the prize of most impressive this month, earning 4 stars each and two scoring the coveted Editor’s Choice.
This week Dell’s Neeraj Choubey talked some smack about the iPad, we put third-party tech support to the test, Lenovo impressed us with their X201 tablet, and we provided tips to keep you safe from social networking attacks.
reviews
Acer Aspire 5740 [4 Stars]: This 15.6-inch notebook offers strong Core i5 performance, a comfortable keyboard, and good audio punch for much less than the competition.
Lenovo ThinkPad X201 Tablet [4 Stars]: Lenovo’s super-fast multitouch convertible crams Core i7 power into an ultraportable design.
HP Mini 210 [3.5 Stars]: HP’s latest consumer netbook offers an attractive design, improved keyboard and (limited) HD video playback for a good price.
Gateway EC14D07u [3 Stars]: Gateway offers long battery life and a built-in An optical drive allows you to play or record to DVDs, CDs, or Blu-ray discs. Learn MoreDVD drive in this sleek ultraportable, but you’ll pay a premium.
Malibal Satori [3 Stars]: Featuring high-end Nvidia graphics and blazing dual SSDs, this premium gaming rig offers great performance that’s only hampered by a lackluster design.
Motorola Devour [3.5 Stars]: Sporting a social networking-friendly interface and a better keyboard than the Droid, the Devour is a good value.
There’s no doubt this is the year of tablets. HP’s latest contribution, the EliteBook 2740p, is aimed at the corporate set, specifically. Don’t see a need for multitouch? The company also introduced the 2540p, a 12-inch ultraportable.
What makes the EliteBook line different from HP’s other business-focused series, the ProBooks, is its particularly durable magnesium alloy design. In fact, all EliteBooks undergo the same military-grade testing that traditionally rugged notebooks go through, only these, with their metal bodies and keyboards, are much more stylish.
In our brief hands-on, the sturdy latch made the tablet feel particularly durable when closed, although the system itself is on the thick side (it starts at 3.8 pounds). With IT departmentsВ in mind, the 12.1-inch 2740p takes aim directly at other business-grade tablets, such as Dell’s Latitude XT2.
The 2740p starts at $1,599. Uniquely, users can choose between two kinds of processors, a standard-voltage Intel Core i5 option (this is the less expensive of the two) and a low-voltage Core i7 CPU. It comes with a six-cell battery, which promises up to 5 hours. HP says the difference in battery life between the standard voltage and low voltage processors is between 20 and 30 minutes. For $179, users can buy a battery slice that expands the battery life to as much as 11 hours.
Meanwhile, the Elitebook 2540p, also 12.1 inches and made of durable magnesium alloy, starts at $1,099 and a lighter 3.38 pounds. It, too, offers a choice between two Core i5 standard-voltage processors or a low voltage Core i7 CPU. The standard-voltage version leaves no room for an optical drive or modular bay, and has 2 USB ports. The more expensive low voltage configurations have 3 USB ports and room for a second The storage device that holds your OS, programs, and data. Learn Morehard drive (there are 5,400 rpm and 7,200 rpm HDDs available).
The 2540p has more battery options than the 2740p tablet, including a three-cell, six-cell, and nine-cell. HP confirmed that the 3-cell lasts 4 hours; the 6-cell, 8.5 hours; and the 9-cell, 12.5 hours. The 9-cell battery will add about three quarters of a pound to the weight of the laptop.
The EliteBook 2740p tablet starts at $1,599 and the EliteBook 2540p tablet starts at $1,099. Both will be available in March.
<!-- Begin Adify tag for "OnePixel" Ad Space (1x1) ID #7752307 -->
sr_adspace_id = 7752307;
sr_adspace_width = 1;
sr_adspace_height = 1;
sr_ad_new_window = true;
sr_adspace_type = "graphic";
<!-- End Adify tag for "OnePixel" Ad Space (1x1) ID #7752307 -->
Today, HP unveiled an updated design to its already-stylish line of ProBook notebooks, which is aimed at small business users who need one notebook for work and play. The new S series includes the 4320s (13.3 inches), 4420s (14 inches), 4520s (15.6 inches), and the 4720s (17.3 inches).
This generation of ProBook notebooks forgoes glossy, fingerprintastic lids, replacing them with rigid, brushed aluminum ones. The colors, fancily named, include Bordeaux, a burgundy color, and Caviar, a deep chocolate brown. These notebooks also have trackpads with integrated touch buttons, a-la the MacBook Pro line and the ill-fated Envy 15. To fit the work-play model, the keyboard’s function keys now include multimedia shortcuts.
Meanwhile, some of the changes are on the software side.
These notebooks have Day Starter, a follow up to HP’s existing Instant On technologies, such as QuickLook and QuickWeb, which let you peek at your Outlook inbox and a browser, respectively, while the computer is powering on. Day Starter, similarly, lets users glance at their Outlook calendars, getting– you guessed it– a head start on their day. The notebooks also ship with AcrSoft’s TotalMedia suite, which lets users organize and geotag photos.
Finally, HP refreshed the laptops’ specs, adding Intel Core i3, i5, and i7 processor options.
The 13-inch 4320s and the 14-inch 4420s start at $759; the 15.6-inch 4520s, $719; and the 17.3-inch 4720s, $925. They will all be available in March.
<!-- Begin Adify tag for "OnePixel" Ad Space (1x1) ID #7752307 -->
sr_adspace_id = 7752307;
sr_adspace_width = 1;
sr_adspace_height = 1;
sr_ad_new_window = true;
sr_adspace_type = "graphic";
<!-- End Adify tag for "OnePixel" Ad Space (1x1) ID #7752307 -->
Revealed today at the same time as the Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3t, the first netbook which uses it, the Intel Atom N470 processor offers some modest improvements over its Pine Trail predecessor, the N450. For one, the N470’s clock speed–1.83GHz–is slightly faster than the N450’s 1.66GHz. Also, the N470 has a TDP (Thermal Dynamic Profile) of 6.5W, versus 5.5W for the N450.
What does that mean in real-world terms? On PCMark05, the S10-3t scored 1,364, which is nearly identical to the HP Mini 210 ($452.00), but about 100 points below the netbook average, and about 20 points less than the Toshiba mini NB305-N410 ($399.99). (Both the Mini 210 and the NB305 use the Intel Atom N450).
In Geekbench, the S10-3t’s score of 961 is about 110 points above average, nearly 60 points above the HP Mini 210, and 35 points higher than the NB305. When using Oxelon Media Encoder to transcode a 114MB MPEG-4 to AVI, it took the S10-3t 5 minutes and 51 seconds, which is about 20 seconds longer than average, but faster than the Toshiba mini NB305 (6:03) and ASUS Eee PC 1001P (6:02).
Sadly, we can’t verify whether these improvements will result in increased battery life, as the S10-3t lasted for just 3 hours and 12 minutes. We’re hesitant to make an apples-to-apples comparison to other N450 systems, as the S10-3t’s 4-cell battery is quite a bit different from most other netbooks. Plus, having a capacitive touchscreen chews up power. Stay tuned for more tests, but in the meantime, take a look at our full review of the S10-3t touchscreen netbook.
If only it were faster. And lasted longer on a charge. And cheaper. We just posted our full review of the IdeaPad S10-3t, Lenovo’s first consumer tablet netbook. The good news is that this machine has a lot of the things we wish Apple’s upcoming iPad had, including Flash support (touch to watch Hulu), the ability to multitask, and a good keyboard that’s always attached. But the more we used this netvertible the more we wondered whether it was worth $649.
Granted, the S10-3t starts at $549, but that configuration comes with 1GB of RAM and a 1.66-GHz Atom N450 processor. Our model’s new 1.83-GHz Atom N470 CPU and 2GB of RAM had enough trouble keeping up with Windows 7 ($77.98) Home Premium and the nice looking but somewhat shallow touch software. And for a relatively light 2.8-pound tablet,В just over 3 hours of battery life is pretty poor. So while the s10-3t looks like it has the right stuff to take on the iPad it falls flat. Check out the full review here.
Author: 
95 Views 
