Slate Tablet Lives Again, Thanks to eviGroup
It’s not often these days that I get to write about a new slate tablet powered by Microsoft Windows, so I’m going to savor this for a while. I’m talking about the eviGroup Pad that Steve just added to the database over at UMPC Portal. I’d say the Pad is an evolutionary upgrade to the Samsung Q1UP that I still have, although that ol’ gal now runs Android 1.6 for the moment, not Windows. EviGroup’s Pad, selling for 599 euros ($885), is essentially composed of netbook guts tucked into a 10.6″ slate tablet with a 1024 x 600 resistive touchscreen. It runs Windows 7 Home Premium, so all of the Tablet PC functions are there, but it will be a challenge to use them effectively without an active digitizer. Here’s a rundown on the specs for those pining for an updated UMPC:
- Intel Atom N270 – 1.6GHz
- 1 GB of RAM in a single slot — it should take a 2GB memory module
- 2.5″ 160GB hard drive
- Integrated 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi, 3G, but no Bluetooth (a huge omission, in my opinion)
- Microphone and 0.3-megapixel webcam
- Weight of 990 grams, or right around 2 pounds
- VGA out and three USB ports
EviGroup estimates the actual battery life in real-world conditions to be around 3 to 3.5 hours, although they do say if you stress the Pad out with lots of YouTube vids on full brightness over 3G, that figure will drop to around 2 to 2.5 hours. You know, depending on the components used for the Pad, you could always try to install Mac OS X and make your own Apple slate tablet. Hmm…this type of project has been done before.
Yeah, this device with:
DVI-I instead of VGA
PixelQi hybrid LCD/e-paper display (with touch screen, of course)
choice of 4, 8, 16, and 32 GB SSDs
Bluetooth
option for GPS
Android
the e-book/e-reader software coming out for Android
MAYBE ARM based (the top-of-the-line TI OMAP?)
That would be AMAZINGLY cool. I’d buy it in a heartbeat. It would be the perfect mid-range device, in my opinion.
Android on this? U should get out of ur Android cave once in a while,so U won’t be stuck with that kind of thinking. A perfectly good full OS and U want to put a Mobile OS in it. U don’t even have a fully working Flash on Android and U wanna replace Win 7? Plus, maybe U do not know coz Ur inside the cave, Android X86 is being developed Ok?
This Device is exactly a netbook with a Touchscreen and without a keyboard. So why is the price 3X that of a netbook? Is the Touch display’s price 2X the price of a netbook? Too greedy in my opinion. This device is already doomed b4 it even see the light of day.
Or, if you can live with Linux and a smaller screen, get the SmartQ 7 for $200USD…
a) 7″ screen is too small for what I want (I already have a tablet with a 7″ screen — Samsung Q1 Ultra; and it’s running Ubuntu).
b) The SmartQ 7, last I checked, wont hook up to a KVM … but I’d be happy to hear if it does actually have VGA (at least) and USB Host ports.
Yes I eyeing on the smartq q7 too. Well, Maybe that device is more appropriate to flash with Android. But Android is not ready for q7 device yet. Android was ported to it’s smaller brother thou. The q5.
About the price range, Id rather get the Archos 9 for 500 bucks rather than this overpriced evigroup for 900. Just add a little more I can get 2 archos 9 with that price.
eh, this isn’t a very attractive device, particularly at that price.
i’d rather have:
wacom pen and touch enabled screen is absolutely necessary.
WSXGA or HDTV resolution (or higher), with LCD backlight.
16, 32, and larger SSD (non-crappy ones).
DisplayPort instead of VGA.
bluetooth and gps would be nice.
decent microphone.
They’re charging US$885 for a device with netbook-class specs and a mere resistive digitizer rather than Wacom pen + multi-touch?
The battery life is also 3.5 hours in the best case scenario. That might be understandable if they’d just pack a Core 2 Duo and at least a GeForce 9400M in there, but netbook-class hardware with Atom and likely a crappy Intel GMA graphics chip?
Finally, only 1 GB of RAM and no Bluetooth whatsoever for that price seal it for me-this is just a rip-off.
Drop the price down to US$350 and maybe I’ll consider it then.