April 2010
The Tablet Cometh

Tablet PCs have been around for a while, 2010 though sees manufacturers approaching the market with gusto. The question is whether the device is just a different way to use your PC or whether the tablets are better defined as a ‘new device’ sitting somewhere between a mobile phone and fully functional computer? In one corner we have the iPad and in the other we have the HP Slate.
We ran an article on the iPad when it was announced; it has received a huge amount of negative press with techies widely crediting Apple to have ‘missed the mark’. That said Apple have sold 500,000 and while this is below many of their forecasts, people are obviously buying.

This week though the joojoo was released demonstrating how easy it is to ‘copy’ the iPad and increase functionality, it’s not a fully-fledged computer, and is in fact a glorified web browser, email client, music and video player; so very reminiscent of the iPad limitations. It’s also about £100 cheaper than the iPad, and offers full web browsing and multitasking.

The jojo though, regardless how nice it looks it going to be hanging on the coattails of the iPad as it tries to carve out a new product against the likes of the HP Slate and models from Dell, ASUS and Acer. The question will fundamentally come down to a simple question;
“Do you want a fully-fledged computer which is more sluggish but more functional, or do you just want a device to surf the internet and email?”

The iPad definitely has a place in the world, though considering that it will put you back a monkey the place could be for the super-rich and super-stupid when you can have a full computer for the same money.

Microsoft are also not sitting quietly they have announced the quite phenomenal looking Courier, and while still in beta looks to embrace and change the market in whole new ways. 

HP’s Slate is looking quite nice, though it’s probably plastic rather than metal
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

engadget have managed to find this leaked sheet of its specs