News Corp Announces Educational Tablet

Educational tablet is a new market. News Corp has just announced at SXSWEdu 2013 in Texas, their $299 Amplify tablet, aimed at school children.

The tablet was showed off by Joel Klein, president of News Corp. division Amplify and a former chancellor of New York City schools. Klein revealed the 10-inch tablet and said that it can assist both students and schools in furthering education. 

Klein said, “When I left I was convinced of two things. If we didn’t see a dramatic technological change, we were not going to be able to move this country forward. Second of all, that the private sector had to get much, much more involved.” 

The tablet’s learning model will first be aimed at middle school students before being rolled out to all grades. Amplify began testing the model with schools and student last November and is hoping to get it into as many schools as possible in the Fall. In addition to the $299 version, there is an Amplify Tablet Plus for $349. Either version also requires a two-year $99 subscription fee. 

Source: Investor Place

 Image Credit : Investor Place

JoyTAB Gemini 7 Tablet

The price for generic tablet in the UK has dropped below £50. However, cheap comes with a price. If you are looking for a cheap good tablet PC, then JoyTAB Duo 7 tablet may interest you. It is more expensive, at £80 and £130 for the 3G version.

Both tablets, the other is a 3G version, named the JoyTAB Duo 7 3G which retails for £130, include a dual-core Cortex A9 chipset backed up by 1GB of RAM, 8GB of onboard storage space, SD card slot and a front and back dual cameras (2MP and 0.3MP). They both run Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean), though the more expensive model will upgrade to 4.2 shortly.Source: Shiny Shiny TV

What Price Is Expensive For Tablets

Here is a very interesting article on tablet price from SlashGear titled "At What Point Do Tablets Become Too Expensive?".

Apple have always been known to produce high quality products at a premium price. But how high will the customer be willing to pay ?

When I first learned that Apple was planning to sell a 128GB iPad, I was excited. For years now, I’ve been waiting for a company to deliver ample storage for all of my videos and movies, and now, Apple is doing it. Although 64GB was nice, it wasn’t enough for someone like me who has all kinds of video. With 128GB, I should be good for at least the next couple of years. 

But then I saw the price. For the Wi-Fi-only version of the 128GB iPad, I’d need to drop $799. For the Wi-Fi-and-cellular model, I’d be set back $929. 

Needless to say, those prices gave me more than just a little sticker shock. Yes, I realize that I’m getting double the storage for only $100 more than the 64GB option, but I can’t help but think that paying nearly $1,000 for a tablet is ridiculous. I’m all for paying a fair price for a high-quality product, but dropping that much cash makes me wonder why I just don’t buy a notebook and be done with it.

Perhaps Apple is killing itself slowly by capitalizing on its own strength ? Who knows...

Android Tablet in the meantime keeps getting cheaper with better quality.

Samsung new 7-inch tablet to cost $149 ?

IT Pro Portal following DigiTimes has rumor that a new 7-inch Samsung tablet will cost between $149-$199. The tablet will be released in the first half of 2013. With MWC 2013 coming up, this rumor might come true.

We will see soon enough...

Cheap tablets from NVIDIA soon

NVIDIA is set to release its own cheap tablet and smartphones in Russia and India. It will not be using its NVIDIA brand, but its local partner brands. It is rumored to arrive in May / June 2013.

This is great news for the cheap good tablet pc market, because NVIDIA is a well known chip manufacturers, famous for its graphics card in the dekstop PC market. It is also a well known brand in the PC gaming world, so maybe we will see cheap tablets capable of playing more "graphic heavy" games.

References : Android Tablet Information

Image Credit : Gotta Be Mobile

Archos Titanium and Platinum series from CES 2013

During CES 2013, Archos introduces its Titanium and Platinum tablets. Can Archos brings together cheap and good in a tablet PC ? Check out K.T. Bradford coverage of those tablets over at Digital Trends :

Overall, the entire Titanium family looks solid. The two largest tablets felt the best in our hands. We like how light all of them are and the designs that make them comfortable to hold, even over long periods. All of them are Google certified and will run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with no skin. The 70 and 101 Titaniums will be in direct competition with Google’s two Nexus tablets at a significantly lower price. It will be interesting to see if Android lovers will make a choice solely based on price. 

If you like the look of the Titanium series but want tablets with more power, step up to the Platinum series. Both of these tablets boast aluminum cases and solid construction, no creaks or bending. Aside from the aluminum design, the Platinum tablets are about the same as the Titanium on the outside. Neither tablet is significantly heavier and the design is still comfortable and holdable. They have the same ports, same IPS displays, same resolutions (1024 x 768 on the 8-inch, 2048 x 1536 on the 9.7-inch). The big difference is inside. Platinum tablets have quad-core chips and 2GB of RAM, so performance should be even better. 

Read more: http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/archos-titanium-platinum-tablets-hands-on/

$99 Nexus tablet leak

Now, there is a photo over at Picasa showcasing the camera picture taken from the rumored ME172V 7-inch tablet. The ME172V is made by Asus and is expected to be priced at $99. The magic price for Android tablet.

It looks like the first photos taken with this $99 Asus device (model number ME172V) have hit Picasa already, and while EXIF data could be faked, we will point out the fact that we’ve seen plenty of unofficial device confirmations coming from Google’s image-sharing service so far this year. 

The posted images have a resolution of 1280 x 720 and come from an “Asus Asus” Picasa account. Is it all a coincidence that we’re seeing them hit the web in late December or is Asus preparing its CES 2013 attack? 

Source: Android Authority

What do you get with sub $100 Tablet PC

Here is an interesting question on Yahoo Answers: "Interested in cheap tablet PC....?"

Most tablet under $100 are not very good. The best way to check if they are any good is by reviewing the tablet on Amazon, if they are listed there.

As for Android is an out of date OS is a misunderstanding. Android is a family of OS, so naturally you can use out of date or the latest OS. Just like Windows, you can use the out of date Windows 95 or you can run the latest Windows 8.

Currently the latest version of Android is 4.2 Jelly Bean. When people refers to out of date Android OS, it is normally referred to Android 2.3 Gingerbread. A very old version of Android that was build for smartphone, with their small screen, opposed to tablet, with large screen. To get better experience on tablet, the minimum is Android 3.0 Honeycomb. Of course it is preferable to have Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. Android OS are upgradeable, however it is subject to manufacturer willingness to provide the upgrade. For sub $100 tablet, I doubted there is an upgrade option available now or in the future, so it is very likely you will be stuck with out of date OS in the future.

It is also important to note that when you buy a tablet, you are tied to its OS. Whether it is Google Android, Apple iOS or Microsoft Windows. It is very important that you check with the respective App Store that you can browse online to see if any application or games that you want to use or play is available for that tablet. Do a search for Google Play for Android, iTunes for Apple iOS. I can't remember the Windows App Store, hopefully others can point you to it.

Since Apple tablet are not likely to be priced under $100 and Microsoft tablet are still new and thus expensive, I am afraid you are stuck with Android tablet. Most likely the Android OS version will be 2.3 Gingerbread, an outdated OS.

My suggestion will be to increase the budget and see if you can find the lowest price on Google Nexus 7, which is currently the best Android tablet and it is upgradeable to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, currently the latest OS.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

Source: Yahoo Answers


Do you have a better answer ?

Cheap Good Linux Tablet PC from Pengpod

Image Credit: Hot Hardware

Linux is well known for its nature of being available for free. Android itself is based on Linux. So it is only a matter of time before someone made a Linux tablet. While this is the first Linux tablet, this is a very interesting tablet. Pengpod, founded by Neal Peacock is launching an Indiegogo campaign to raise money for Linux tablet with a $49,000 goal.

There will be three different tablet models:

PengPod 1000 Tablet 

PengPod’s 10 inch tablet features a 1024 x 600 pixel display, 1 GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, 2 USB ports, 1 USB OTG port, HDMI, and a front-facing 0.3MP camera. 

It has a microSD card slot and can dual boot two operating systems by running one from internal storage and a second OS from the SD card. 

Backers who pledge $185 or more on Indiegogo can reserve this tablet… but if the project doesn’t meet its $49,000 goal, the order will be canceled. 

PengPod 700 Tablet 

This tablet has a 7 inch, 800 x 480 pixel display, a 1.3MP front-facing camera, and 1 USB OTG port. It also has 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. 

The smaller tablet has a battery that’s about half the size of the PengPod 1000′s battery — but the smaller scree probably won’t consume as much power. 

PengPod is offering an early bird special on this model. The first 25 backers to pledge $99 or more can claim one. After that, the tablet will go for $120. 

PengStick 

PengPod is also offering a USB thumb drive-sized device called the PengStick which has 1GB of RAM, 4GB of storage, 1 USB port, a USB OTG port, HDMI output, and WiFi. 

If the PengStick (which goes for $85) looks familiar, that’s because it’s virtually identical to the MK802. The difference is that PengPod hopes to ship the PengStick with a fully functional Linux-based operating system as an alternative to Android. 

Other devices 

If PengPod exceeds its crowdfunding goals, the company could add other devices to the mix including a 10 inch netbook, another 7 inch tablet, and a different mini PC.

Source: Liliputing

For now it is planned for the tablets to come preloaded with standard Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. With the Linux OS, on kernel 3.0.42, available as a dual-boot via Micro-SD card. Should you wish to have it preloaded with Linux OS inside, it will cost you $5 extra and a longer waiting time. The Linux preloaded will be delivered several weeks after the first PengPod ships.

Barnes and Noble cuts NOOK prices

Barnes and Noble is cutting prices on their Nook Tablet for $159. The Nook Color is now $139. The price cut was made after Barnes and Noble releases their Nook HD, priced from $199. The Nook Color and Nook Tablet are similar to Amazon Kindle, they are primarily e-book reader.

Both the Nook Tablet and Nook Color are 7-inch tablet running Android 2.3 Gingerbread. At the current price range, these tablets are the best deal on the block. You can also get them with 24-hour shipping and same day delivery in Manhattan area.

While the company’s new tablets have even faster processors, software based on Android 4.0, and higher resolution displays, the NOOK Color and NOOK Tablet are probably some of the best tablets you can find for $159 or less. 

Source: Liliputing

As I said above, the Nook is a lot like the Amazon kindle. They are primarily e-reader and run customized version of Android to tie closely to Barnes and Noble catalog of e-books. So, if your primary use for tablet is e-book reading and you are on a budget, please consider Barnes and Noble Nook Color or Nook Tablet for your purchase.

Image Credit: Barnes and Noble

Tablet Battle for the Holiday Season Watch Out Buyer

The Holiday season may still be in December, however the battle is shaping up right now. With the iPad Mini just launched in late October, Microsoft releasing its Surface tablet together with the launch of Windows 8 today and Google coming up with Google Nexus 10 and an update to Google Nexus 7. Let us not forget Amazon Kindle Fire HD. It sure feels like the holiday season is already here.

One thing that must be remembered to all new buyers out there is that once they buy a tablet, they are most likely stuck with the apps available on that device. iPad has its iTunes, Google has Google Play, Amazon with its Kindle and Microsoft with its own system. Every one of them has their own ecosystem. Watch out what you are buying into.

To make it clearer, here is Warner Crocker of Gotta Be Mobile:

As I’ve been saying for quite some time now, picking a Tablet has more to do with which company’s ecosystem you want to buy into than it does with picking up a piece of hardware. Yes, the hardware is important, and consumers look to have quite a few choices at quite a few price points to choose from on the hardware front. Make no mistake though, once you buy a Tablet you’re buying into a digital world view that is defined by Microsoft, Apple, Google, or Amazon. Unless of course you’re like me and you like to dabble in each of those worlds. But for most consumers, it will come down to one choice. I’m guessing that there are more than a few consumers out there who don’t realize the full impact the ecosystem has when they are looking at these devices, or the sexy commercials. We’re reaching a point where not only do the hardware and the ecosystem matter, but how those choices fit in with what you currently use for your computing chores and increasingly your entertainment choices. Here’s my take on some of the choices. 

Clouds, Storage, Media
Apple, Amazon, Google and Microsoft all want you, your data, and your content in their respective Cloud. To some degree your media choices are limited by content companies who allow those four to let you use their content. Chances are with video you’ll find most of what you’re looking for with Apple and Amazon, with Google and Microsoft currently lagging behind. Unless your tastes are really special, you’ll find pretty much any of the music you’re looking for wherever you go. If books are your thing then Amazon is the clear leader here, and not just on its own devices, because you can load up a Kindle App on any of the other platforms. iBooks and what Google makes available pale in comparison in my view, and Microsoft, who I bought my first eBooks from, just isn’t in this game. 

If you want to mix and match (Google Drive on an iPad or Microsoft’s Skydrive on Android as examples), you can do that as well with all but Microsoft Surface currently. If you want to use Amazon’s MP3 player or Google’s Music Player you can mix and match on all platforms except Microsoft. You can, through 3rd party solutions, sync your music from iTunes on other platforms (excluding Windows RT). Apple, Amazon, and Android also currently give you access to third party media clients. Do you notice a trend there? I would hope you do. Again, I imagine that we see third party Cloud solutions for data and content on Surface in the future, but if you want to be portable now, you need to look at Android (including Amazon) or Apple. I guess a reverse of this would be when we’ll see an xBox music App on the other platforms. Of course there are third party streaming alternatives as well, and again you can have good luck with those currently on all but Microsoft’s Surface RT platform. 

With regards to data, if you want to use a third party solution like Dropbox, you’re safe at the moment with all but Microsoft. Expect that to change, but currently there is no Dropbox (or other third party Cloud Storage) App for Microsoft’s Tablet.

Source: Gotta Be Mobile

In summary, we, the buyer must know what we are getting into. Some apps will not be available for certain ecosystem. So, make sure that the function of the tablet match your needs. Otherwise, you will waste your money.

 

Aakash Tablet PC Made In India

India is planning to have its own 100 percent made in India tablet PC. The base production will be the Aakash Tablet PC, currently available at Rs 1,100 to students after government subsidy. This comes down to around $ 22 US dollars.

The manufacturer of the Aakash Tablet PC is Datawind, a UK based company and it is currently selling the Tablet under the brand Ubislate7 for Rs 2,500 (Around $35 US Dollars). It is manufactured in India.

The processor that is used to power the Aakash Tablet PC is clocked at 300 MHz. It is planned for the Aakash 2 Tablet PC to be clocked at 800 MHz. It is a WiFi only device, powered by Android 2.2

Amazon Kindle Fire Beats Samsung Galaxy Tab

Amazon Kindle Fire sales has surpassed Samsung Galaxy Tab and is closing in on Apple iPad. Kindle Fire was launched by Amazon back in November and for the fourth quarter 2011 has shipped 3.9 million units beating the Samsung Galaxy Tab, which sold 1.37 million units. The Kindle Fire is now the second bestselling tablet in the world. You can read more about the achievement over on Boy Genius Report. But what exactly is a Kindle Fire ?

Amazon Kindle Fire is based on Google's Android Operating System. It is also the first in the Amazon Kindle family to come in color. With a price tag of $199, it is one of the cheapest tablet PC based on Android. It is designed as an e-book reader, so do not expect a lot of bells and whistles on the Kindle Fire. What it does, it does very well and for $199, it is a very good deal.

The hardware, software and performance are good but not great. The soft-touch materials are comfortable in the hand. However the Kindle Fire is a bit heavy for prolonged reading. The software has a nice, simple interface that a wide range of users will be able to navigate easily. Game play and video playback is fluid, however hiccups and stutters does happens while opening certain apps and performing some functions.

Leading up to Amazon’s Kindle Fire, media tablets had for the most part been ill-conceived devices that were seemingly rushed out the door in an effort to capitalize on the hype surrounding the iPad. Kindle Fire offered a key ingredients: differentiation. Amazon used the open source Android OS as the framework on which it built its own unique user experience. Amazon also build its own app store and its own suite of services. No one will ever notice that Google’s Android operating system powers the Fire just by looking at it casually.

The Kindle Fire is not an iPad killer. In fact, it offer users a solid experience and a comprehensive catalog of services that make it easy to access existing content and to find new content. It is very, very easy to use, which is something that cannot be said of some other tablets. No wonder it quickly become popular and is surpassing the top Android based tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab.