There’s been a lot of news about tablets taking away big chunks of the netbook/notebook market the past few months, and it’s starting to look like putting out notebooks that turn into tablet-type things are being eyed as a solution. The latest such device is the Booktop by Gigabyte, a hybrid tablet/notebook that can also be used as a desktop display when connected to the desktop dock it’s bundled with.
Dell just posted a teaser video of their upcoming Inspiron Duo, which is basically a Windows 7-based tablet that converts into a netbook. The screen features a unique hinge for transforming from tablet into its netbook though. Unlike the classic twisting joints typically used by tablet PCs, the Inspiron Duo’s screen rotates (or ‘flips’) vertically from the frame. It certainly looks like a pretty cool way to go about it (check out the video), but behind all the flash, you still get your typical Windows tablet/netbook’s spec and performance. Probably not a bad thing if that’s what you’re looking for, but it could come at a significantly higher price compared to your typical ultraportable.
ViewSonic just announced that they’ll be launching their Android-running ViewPad tablets in the US as soon as late December. The ViewPad 10 has already turned up in a number of leaks and previews before, but in case you haven’t heard of it yet, here’s what it’ll bring to the table: a wide (1066 x 600) 10.1-inch LED-backlit screen, a 1.66GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB memory, and 16GBs of storage. Yeah, it sounds like a netbook’s spec. But it should work like one too (sans built-in keyboard, of course). This thing ships with both Android 1.6 and Windows 7 Home Premium, which might be an edge if you’re still hooked on the idea of bringing your Windows programs and content with you.
Finally, we’ve got the official word from HP about the Windows7-powered Slate 500 tablet that’s been in the news since the CES show back in January. Much of the details have already been revealed through almost a year’s worth of leaks, but here are the official details anyway: Basically, it’s an 8.9-inch tablet powered by a 1.86GHz Intel Atom Z540 processor, GMA 500 graphics running on Windows 7. Basically, it’s a touchscreen netbook without a keyboard that weighs as much as the iPad at 1.5 pounds.
Question: who do you think is the next company to most likely release a tablet in 2010? Your choices are LG, HTC, Sharp, Motorola, Nokia, and Sanyo. HTC looks like the most likely, and you can bet on it. Seriously, you can actually place your money on that hunch, and according to online betting site BookMaker (the full list of odds for this is available under the site’s Entertainment section), HTC’s currently the odds-on favorite with a +100.
