These iPad-looking devices make up Velocity Micro’s Cruz line, a family of Android-powered touchscreen slates that start at $200 (or $150 if you’re looking for a reader for your kids). Now, we’re not sure if it’s right to label them as iPad rivals just yet, but you should probably check them out if you’re in the market for a cheaper, Android-based slate.
The line begins with the $200 Cruz Reader that’s obviously being marketed as an eBook reader (it’ll come preinstalled with the Borders app for downloading titles), and ends with the Cruz Tablet for $300. The Cruz Reader packs a 7-inch, 800 x 600 resistive touch screen, 256MBs of RAM and storage space, Wi-fi 802.11b/g connectivity and a docking station, with an SD card slot for expansion.
The Cruz Tablet looks similar, but it’s packed with a considerably better spec, since it’s designed to work as more of a multimedia-slash-gaming device. It also packs a 7-inch screen, but with a wide 800 x 480 resolution and capacitive touch screen, double the memory (512MB RAM), a lot more integrated storage (4GBs), better Wi-fi n connectivity, and an accelerometer—a nice upgrade bundle for the extra $100.
Both Cruz devices are set to ship with Android 2.1 in August, with the possibility of an update to 2.2 Froyo (that gives it full Flash 10.1 support) after that.
The video also shows the Cruz StoryPad for serving up child-friendly apps and content that drops the Wi-fi connection for $150.
Tags: Android, Cruz, eBook Readers, Tablets, Velocity Micro
