We previously reported on the changes that may be coming to the next Xbox. There’s an even bigger change coming if reports are to be believed.
CVG is reporting that sources close to Microsoft are claiming that the new controller for the Xbox 720 will “be a matt-black media hub with a mission to bring games to life in your living room with augmented reality, directional sound, and a four-player, finger-tracking Kinect.”
The sources claim that Microsoft is experimenting with a tablet-like controller that’s more comparable in size to the PlayStation Vita than the Wii U’s current tablet controller. It describes it as being “an HD screen surrounded by the traditional 360 buttons and sticks.”
“That touchcreen will be second only to Kinect in how you operate your console,” the source said. “It could be a remote control when you’re watching TV, a browser when you’re on the internet, extra buttons and information when you’re playing a game or a portable display when you want to take your game with you.”
Such a move would be costly as having a tablet controller is already causing speculation that the Wii U is going to be expensive despite it’s cheap internal hardware. To answer that question, the sources claim that the new Xbox would keep internal hardware costs low by going with a cheap CPU and GPU. If you already want to set aside money for the new Xbox, even though it’s two years out at best, you’ll have to pony up about $600.
The new Xbox rumors just keep pouring in which makes it plausible that an E3 2012 reveal is in the works. We’ll keep you updated on all the rumors that, if true, could make a huge splash at E3 this June.
We reported last week on the new Linux-based tablet named Spark. KDE developer Aaron Seigo revealed more details on the device in a Q&A on his blog.
The most pressing question for those interested in the tablet is finding out when they can buy one. Seigo says that pre-order registration will open up next week. The Spark starts shipping in May 2012. They have to take into account the technical issues like the content add-on store and packaging design before they are ready to ship.
The device will be available worldwide, but they will be focusing on Europe primarily at first. They will be able to ship worldwide from day one, but they are looking for distribution partners outside of Europe to make obtaining one easier.
The device can be customized to suit the user’s needs. The software is completely open allowing the user to alter it to their needs. If people are looking to use a lot of the devices for work, they are even offering to ship them with customizations pre-installed.
We already know the majority of the device’s innards from the initial unveiling, but Seigo offers more details on the hardware. It will have a 1.3 megapixel webcam, 800×480 screen resolution, two USB ports, a microSD slot and a 3.5mm audio jack. It has standard Wi-Fi at 802.11 b/g.
For those wanting 3G and GPS, you’ll have to wait. Those features are not in the first run of the device. They do plan on bringing those features to future Spark models.
For those hoping for high-end hardware, they are already looking at potential components. They will create more powerful versions when market demand catches up.
Users will be able to create add-ons using common Linux development programs. They will also be able to add them to the store to sell.
There is no official Skype support for the device, so video calls will have to be made through Linux alternatives.
There are a few more developer-centric options detailed on the blog for those interested. The Spark is already shaping up to be a Linux user’s dream device.
Lastly, he confirmed that the Spark will indeed blend. That’s at least one area where the Spark can stand on equal footing with other tablets like the iPad.
What do you Linux users think? Will the Spark be a worthwhile investment? Let us know in the comments.
Spending on microchips for wireless devices soared to $58.6 billion in 2011, according to a study released today. That’s an increase of 14.5% over 2010, when original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) spent $51.2 billion. What’s more, spending on chips for wireless devices beat spending on chips for computers by a significant margin.OEMs spent $53.7 billion on chips for computers, an increase of only 4%.
While this is not the first time spending on chips for wireless has beaten spending on chips for computers, it is the first time the margin has been so big. In 2009 spending on wireless chips was also higher, though the two were considerably closer. In 2010 PC chips spending just barely edged out wireless chip spending.
This trend is only going to continue in the coming years, it seems. The study projects OEM spending on wireless chips to continue its surge in 2012 and 2013 – maybe as high as $72.9 billion – while computer spending remains basically the same.
The cause of this trend is easy to identify. The smartphone market has grown by leaps and bounds over the last few years, and the introduction of Apple’s iPad in 2010 created a tablet market that has also seen incredible growth. As smartphones and tablets continue to become even more ubiquitous, spending on the microchips necessary to build the devices will only increase. Computers, on the other hand, are already ubiquitous, and unlikely to see anything like the surge we are seeing in the mobile device market.
It seems that Linux users will finally be able to join the ranks of tablet users. Spark is a new tablet from KDE, the free software community behind the Plasma series of Linux frameworks. The tablet’s operating system will be KDE’s Plasma Active Linux framework.
The tablet, which will retail for under $300, sports a solid set of hardware specifications. It includes a 1 GHz ARM processor, 512 MB or RAM, 4 GB of onboard storage, and a 7-inch capacitatie multitouch screen. An SD card slot allows for augmentation of the device’s on-board storage.
The new tablet was announced by KDE programmer Aaron Seigo on his blog. Seigo hailed the Spark tablet as “the start to an even bigger flame.” For the first time, he said, members of the free software community “have a device coming to market on our terms.” He promised the device would be “more than an application bucket that sees [users] as a consumer.” And in a not-very-subtle dig at Apple he said, “best of all: there’s no walled garden to get locked into or which can be taken away.”
There is no information on the Spark tablet’s release date. We’ll let you know when more information is available.
What do you think of Spark? Is it something you’d think about checking out? Let us know in the comments.
AT&T has announced an adjustment to its data plans for smartphone and tablet customers. Under the current plans, mobile phone and tablet users can choose to pay $15 per month for 200MB of data and $25 for 2GB. Mobile phone users also have the option of paying $45 for 4GB with mobile hotspot and tethering functionality enabled. When the new plans go into effect on Sunday, each plan gets a $5 bump in price, along with an increase in data allowance. The new plans are $20 for 300MB, $30 for 3GB, or $50 for 5GB with mobile hotspot/tethering.
Of course, those with older plans are not required to switch. AT&T allows older plans to be renewed indefinitely as long as customers don’t make changes to their data plans. Case in point, I’m still carrying around a vintage 2008 unlimited data plan on my iPhone 4S, even though the plan was discontinued in 2010. So, if you’re happy with your current data plan and want to keep it you can, provided you never need to upgrade.
The new plans go into effect on Sunday, January 22nd.
Using big name celebrities to push products is usually good marketing strategy. When people see an entertainer they know and like pushing a product, it makes the product more memorable, and makes them more inclined to buy it. Well, that’s how it’s supposed to work, anyway. Several companies tried the strategy at this year’s CES 2012, though, and were disappointed to find that most of the buzz was about the celebrity instead of the product. For example, a lot of people know that Justin Bieber was at the show this year, but how many know he was there promoting mRobo’s dancing robot?
According to a new infographic from NM Incite and Oxford Communications, mRoby wasn’t the only company whose plan to bring in a big name backfired (Bieber was reportedly paid $100,000 for his appearance). While the celebrities who put in appearances at CES generated a lot of buzz, almost all of it was about the celebrities themselves. Of all the tweets mentioning celebrities at CES, a paltry 15% included any reference to the brand or product they were there to promote.
The infographic also includes some other interesting tidbits about CES. Apparently Samsung was the most talked-about brand, while tablets were the most talked-about products (followed by smart phones and TVs). Check out the full infographic below and let us know what you think in the comments.
Apparently the soon to be arriving Windows 8 based Tablets are going to cost an arm and a leg for consumers. The steep cost is reportedly due to an inability for either Intel or Microsoft to flex on prices. A properly equipped tablet (Windows 8 & Intel Clover Trail-W) will cost between six and nine hundred dollars. This is roughly one hundred dollars more than the Apple iPad 3 (due to be released in March).
Consumers and manufacturers alike will be hurt by the two companies stubbornness. According to a report by DigiTimes, vendors will be likely to choose ARM solutions from Nvidia, Texas Instruments, and Qualcomm to reduce overall costs in their forthcoming tablets. It appears Intel is pricing themselves out of the game.
Further supporting evidence that Intel is unwilling to compromise comes from makers of the new Ultrabook (a MacBook knockoff). Reports from these manufacturers say they are also unable to persuade a price break from Intel in order to make their products more affordable.
It’s surprising that Dell has not entered into the tablet business, but that will change this year.
Reuters spoke to Dell’s CCO, Steve Felice, at CES about the company’s entry into the tablet business. He spoke on Dell’s attitude towards the tablet business and why they didn’t jump into it when all of their competitors did.
It’s strange that Dell would not want to jump right into the tablet business when everybody else did. It has proven to be a growing market even though Apple’s iPad has proven to be a superior device to Android tablets currently out on the market. Speaking to Reuters, Felice had this to say on their late entry:
“We have been taking our time. The general failure of everyone that’s tried to introduce a tablet outside of Apple” suggested Dell made a prudent choice, Felice said in an interview. “You will see us enter this market in a bigger way toward the end of the year. So we are not really deemphasizing it, we are really being very careful how we enter it.
Dell is looking at the overall environment of tablets and smartphones as they see them in a very different light from their PC business. Felice said that the focus is on hardware with PCs while the it’s the ecosystem that’s important to consumers when it comes to these mobile devices.
When Dell launches their tablet later this year, there will be two major operating systems to use: Windows 8 and Android. Both are viable options to Dell, but Felice did tell Reuters that he liked “the feel of Microsoft’s touch-enabled operating system.”
In the end though, it all comes down to the choice of the consumer. Knowing Dell, they will probably offer tablets with both operating systems.
When it comes to Apple, Dell thinks they have a decided advantage. Felice told Reuters that their tablets are going to be “very compatible with the business marketplace” which he thinks Apple has not really addressed.
“There’s lot of use in the commercial sector that requires security and more compatibility, and I think we will be able to address that in a better way,” Felice said.
Tablets can play games, sure, but this tablet can really play games.
Razer announced during CESProject Fiona, a gaming tablet that is more akin to a gaming PC.
The device itself looks really weird at first. It’s a tablet with handles on the side featuring dual analog sticks, four face buttons and two shoulder buttons each. It’s designed to play all major current PC games without a hitch.
The actual innards are the most surprising though as there’s an Intel core i7 crammed into its tiny body. This is what makes the tablet perform like a gaming PC and I believe it. The i7 is the best processor out on the market right now and to see it performing in a tablet is mind-blowing.
Some of the best news is that it also performs like a gaming PC in that many PC games out on the market today run natively on Project Fiona. There’s no need to port and specifically program games to run on the device.
“Project Fiona’s combination of high performance Intel-based gaming hardware and innovative tablet design is specifically focused for PC gamers. It will unleash the PC gamer to play their existing and future high-end games in one of the most exciting new form factors – a tablet,” Brad Graff, Director of Partner Marketing, Netbook & Tablet Group, Intel, said.
With its dual analog stick handles, Project Fiona will run gamepad-enabled PC games right out of the box.
Along with the controllers, Project Fiona will also sport ultra-precise accelerometers and a multi-touch screen. They claim it will ensure that current-generation PC games can run on the device while also supporting any games optimized for tablets. To top it all off, the controllers on the device deliver full force feedback.
“While multi-touch screens have become the de facto user interface for tablets, they are not the right interface for serious PC gaming,” Min-Liang Tan, CEO, Razer, said. “The user interface we have designed for Project Fiona allows all existing PC games to be played right out of the box and also provides game developers new opportunities as they develop next-gen games on a highly-intuitive platform. Both developers and gamers are going to love the new user interface that combines the best of a gamepad, multi-touch screen and accelerometers for an all-new gaming experience on-the-go.”
Now, I know what you’re thinking. This kind of device is far off into the future and will cost a fortune once it is released. You would be right on both counts but only partially. Razer is shooting for a Q4 2012 release with the cost hopefully being below $1,000. While it obviously costs more than any current tablet PC out on the market, Project Fiona isn’t like any tablet PC out on the market.
As soon as they can be pre-ordered, you can bet I’m going to be in line. Are you? Tell us in the comments.
The photo above is of Travis Bonifield, who works directly with Hawking, Rob Weatherly, who provides IT support for Hawking, and Sam Blackburn, Hawking’s grad assistant. And of course, Hawking himself.
When you’ve defied the medical odds and lived 50 years longer than what medical experts said, devised some of the most important theories in physics and cosmology, and become a multi-million book selling author, then maybe you can have your PC’s delivered to you by Intel personally. Until then we can get a small glimpse into the relationship Stephen Hawking has developed with PC component manufacturer, Intel.
This story begins in 1997, when Hawking was working with AMD to help him with his custom PC needs, due to the motor neuron disease which left him with very little physical functionality. According to Travis Bonifield, the Intel application engineer who works with Hawking personally, the relationship began when Intel’s Co-Founder, Gordon Moore spoke personally with Hawking, “Stephen and Gordon met at a conference around 1997. Gordon noted that Stephen was using an AMD machine. Gordon asked Stephen, ‘Would you like to use an Intel computer moving forward? We’d be happy to build that for you and support it.‘ ”
If you’re wondering what’s powering Hawking’s latest PC, which is updated every 2 years, he’s sporting a Lenovo X220 tablet PC, with an Intel Core i7 processor. What’s really cool about the custom build is how it recognizes Hawking’s commands for his voice synthesizer.
Originally, Hawking would use a clicker which he could highlight various commands or words and then communicate them through the synthesizer. However, the nerve which allowed him the use of his thumbs would degrade which required Intel to devise a new solution. They eventually developed an infrared sensor which hangs off of Hawking’s glasses. The sensor detects light changes as he twitches his cheek, and allows him to select commands. Which is amazing. Watch it in action below.
Bonifield has been working with Hawking since 2001, when he took over the position from a previous engineer. One aspect of the job is having to deliver the PC’s from America to England, where Hawking lives. Bonifield mentions one of the less than glorious aspects of the project, “I actually take two systems out to Stephen [one is a backup]. One year I packed them in cases, checked them in as luggage and the airlines lost them for three days. The year after that I thought I’d ship them ahead of time. They got held up in customs for 3 days. This time I got lucky. My luggage showed up with me [laughs].”
Below is a photo of Bonifield holding up a replica of the custom PC he developed for Hawking, and a video of Hawking’s grad assistant installing it.
At their CES conference today, AT&T announced that Samsung’s Galaxy Note, which has been available overseas for some time, is coming to the US. For the time being, at least, the phone will be exclusively on AT&T’s 4G LTE network. There is currently no information on pricing or release date.
With the Galaxy Note, Samsung is trying to split the difference between the smartphone and the tablet. The HD Super AMOLED display measures 5.3 inches – right in the middle of the 3.5-4-inch screens of most smartphones and the 7-inch screens of many tablets. It also comes with an S Pen (i.e., a stylus), that promises somewhat finer control than users can get with a finger alone. The device also sports a 1.4 GHz dual core processor, a 2 megapixel front-facing camera and 8 megapixel rear-facing camera, HD video recording, and 16 GB of internal memory along with a microSD card slot.
While 7-inch tablets have generally done fairly well, Steve Jobs famously said that 10 inches was the bottom limit for an iPad. Anything smaller, he said, would suffer from an identity crisis – too small to be a tablet, too big to be a phone. With the Galaxy Note, Samsung has deliberately created a device with the very identity crisis Jobs worried about, and used that as a selling point. It will be interesting to see how well the device does (at least Samsung is immune to charges of copying Apple on this one). Look for more information as the reviews start to roll in. Meanwhile, check out the video below, then let us know what you think in the comments.
The USB 3.0 standard has been around for several years now, but most smartphone and tablet devices have remained stuck with the older, slower USB 2.0. According to Rahman Ismail, chief technology officer for the USB Implementers Forum, that is about to change. Speaking at CES, Ismail said that MicroUSB technology would be available and coming to the smartphone/tablet market by the end of the year.
The new technology offers data transfer speeds between computers and mobile devices of roughly 100 megabytes per second, or 800 megabits per second (Mbps). While that is not much compared to the nearly 5 gigabits per second available between PCs with USB 3.0, it is nearly double the 480 Mbps available for mobile devices with USB 2.0.
Data transfer isn’t the only area of improvement, either. In most of our gadgets these days, USB does double duty: data transfer and charging. In addition to significantly faster data transfer, the newer standard also improves the power transfer speeds, which means faster charging for tablets and smartphones with the technology.
Back in October of last year, Amazon was hit with a lawsuit. Seemed an odd claim at the time.
Smartphone Technologies, the plaintiff in the suit, accused Amazon of violating patents that it holds. Upon closer examination, these patents are more for “methods” rather than devices. One patent, for example, was for:
“A method for software control using a user-interactive display screen feature is disclosed that reduces stylus or other manipulations necessary to invoke software functionality from the display screen… [A] graphical feature having a surface area is displayed on a touch-sensitive screen. The touch-sensitive screen is coupled to at least one processor and the graphical feature is generated by an operating system and uniquely associated with a particular software program by the operating system.”
See? This “patent” could apply to any number of devices that have come about in the past few years. Hardly seems like something that any knowledgeable Patent Office official would have let pass. It was filed in May of 2000, back when all this hocus-pocus probably seemed very “Minority Report” and likely to be controlled by one manufacturer in the future.
Which is probably why this Smartphone Technologies company bought the patent. Not to use it for invention or manufacture, but for lawsuit fodder.
So, for reasons unknown to the public, Amazon and Smartphone have somehow come to an agreement that keeps the whole thing out of court. Speculation abounds. Maybe Amazon bought the patent, or partnered with Smartphone to go after other tablet makers. Maybe they paid them to go away. Maybe someone found a horses head in… never mind.
Point is: There was a lawsuit. Now there isn’t. Carry on.
As Shaylin Clark reported here in mid-December, Google is headed into the tablet market again after its less-than-stellar Motorola Xoom attempt.
Other companies have released tablets with the Android system and have done well, but the Xoom was considered overpriced at $799 and bulky in a market populated with sleek competitors.
The cock of the walk in the tablet world is, of course, Apple’s iPad tablet. But, over the recent Christmas spending season, Amazon’s Kindle Fire made a strong showing in the market. Reviewers were mixed in opinions, but consumers snatched them up at $199 a pop. Rumor has it that Google has taken aim at the perch the Fire now sits on with a price point of $299 or less, rather than the loftier orbit of the iPad, which starts at $499.
Tablet rumors change faster than celebrity marriage licenses, so stay tuned for updates.
In an interview published today in the Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera (Google Translation) Google CEO Eric Schmidt spoke fondly of Steve Jobs, praising his creativity and genius, and called the iPad an amazing and revolutionary product. Schmidt also told the paper, however, that Apple and Google remain rivals, and that the competition between the two companies would continue. To that end, he announced that Google was working on a “tablet of the highest quality” that would rival Apple’s iPad. He also hinted at exciting things coming in the smartphone market as “brutal competition” would continue between Apple and Google.
Schmidt also confirmed a rumor we reported on last week told the paper that Google was preparing a system capable of competing with Siri, the killer app of Apple’s iPhone 4S. Schmidt declined to offer any further details of Google’s new tablet apart from the six month time frame.
While Google-branded smartphones have generally been only a small portion of broader Android market, they have consistently done well. Their most recent entry, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, released late last week to much fanfare and even lines outside Verizon stores. In the tablet market, however, Google has been rather less fortunate. Samsung has delivered what many regard as the best Android tablet available, the Galaxy Tab 10.1. Google’s one attemptt at a Google-branded device, the Motorola Xoom, did not fare well at all. A new tablet, perhaps with the Nexus branding, could be a welcome addition to the tablet market. The question remains, however, whether it will be able to knock the iPad off its lofty perch. While there have been a slew of Android-based tablets released since the first iPad’s launch in April of 2010, none has come close to being a true rival to Apple’s tablet. It seems Eric Schmidt hopes to change that by taking Google into the tablet market again.
Can Google make a real iPad rival? What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
A new study published yesterday by the NPD Group’s Connected Intelligence shows a strong preference among tablet users to connect their devices to the internet via wifi instead of cellular data connections. The study shows that close to 65% of tablet users connect via wifi only, while a substantially lower number connect using a mixture of wifi and cellular data, or cellular data only
This contrasts with the data gathered in the spring of 2011, which showed that while 60% of users used wifi only, 5% of those planned to add cellular data packages. Instead cellular data use has declined by 5% overall in the intervening six months, as the number of wifi-only users has increased, rather than decreased.
While most tablet devices include the ability to connect to 3G data networks – at least as an optional feature, as with Apple’s iPad – using these cellular networks comes with an extra cost. First, devices capable of accessing cellular data networks are generally more expensive – the iPad 3G is a whopping $130 more expensive than the wifi only model. Second, 3G data plans carry a cost, ranging from $15 a month (on AT&T’s cheapest plan) to $80 per month (on Verizon’s most expensive plan). On the other hand, wifi-only devices tend to be cheaper, and accessing wifi networks – which are fast becoming more ubiquitous – is generally free, unless you’re in a fancy hotel or an airport. The simplest explanation for the popularity of wifi over cellular data, then, is cost. Many people are apparently finding that the convenience of being able to access the internet anywhere they have a 3G connection is not worth paying what tablet makers and carriers demand for it.
“Great video, but Kindle Fire was not built to compete with the lord tablet,” writes one YouTube commenter. The folks at iDownloadBlog know this, but have still given us a fun little side-by-side comparison of Apple’s behemoth of a tablet and Amazon’s brand new, amazingly priced Kindle Fire.
Through a couple of unscientific but still informative tests, we see how the Kindle Fire stacks up to the iPad 2 in terms of boot times, web browsing and video playback – specifically Netflix.
First up, you’ll see that the iPad 2 boots quite a bit faster than the Kindle Fire. This should be no surprise to anyone considering the iPad 2 sports Apple’s A5 dual-core processor. Next, you’ll see that Safari beats the new Silk browser when it comes to completely loading pages. As far as the simple article content, the two tablets perform quite similarly. The Kindle Fire is slower to load certain ads because it’s loading Flash, which as we are all aware, the iPad 2 doesn’t bother with.
The video points out that the Kindle Fire can’t compare when it comes to smoothness of scrolling – but then again nothing can really beat the iPad in that department.
Finally, Netflix is demoed on each device and in this instance, the Kindle Fire wins. It begins playing the content faster than the iPad 2. Then again, let’s remember that Android just received an update to its Netflix app – an update which hasn’t yet hit iOS.
Again, the Kindle Fire / iPad 2 comparison might not be the most relevant battle, but it is interesting to see how the new device stacks up to the industry leader. And, let’s remember that there is one spec where the Kindle Fire completely kills the iPad 2: Price.
Have you been able to play with the Kindle Fire yet? What are your first impressions? Let us know in the comments.
The video game retailer, Gamestop, has officially jumped on the app gaming scene. In an interesting announcement, the retailer has decided to start selling Android tablets both online and at their stores. Unlike other places, purchasing a tablet at Gamestop will come loaded with game related content.
As of now, there are three tablets available for purchase:
Acer Iconia 7 inch Tablet 8GB – $329
ASUS Eee Pad Transformer 16 GB – $399
Samsung Galaxy Tab 16GB – $499
The games which will come pre-loaded are: Dead Space ($9.99), Re-Load , Sonic CD (exclusive release), Monster Madness ($0.99), Riptide GP ($4.99), and Cordy. Altogether, that’s $16 worth of free games. It should also be noted that Sonic CD is an exclusive Gamestop Android Tablet release; the game will come out for other devices sometime in December.
Along with these titles, Gamestop is offering an app linked to their website, Kongregate. Over 600 free games are available to play on the site, which was purchased by Gamestop last year. For those who are really into gaming on their tablets, Gamestop is selling a Bluetooth wireless gaming controller for $39.
This new initiative is another step in the company’s shift towards mobile, and tablet based gaming. Earlier this year, they announced a new trade-in service for iOS devices. They’ve begun to sell these refurbished units already, so it makes you wonder if they’ll start offering deals like this for iOS devices.
It might fascinate you to learn that it exists. It might also anger you. However you feel about it – disgust, envy, desire – it’s pretty amazing. I’m talking, of course, about the world’s most expensive iPad 2.
The over-the-top gadget comes from super-luxury designer Stuart Hughes. It’s your typical Apple tablet but with a bit of added flair. And by a bit, I mean 2000 grams of 24ct gold, a few dozen diamonds, and part of a dinosaur bone.
Here’s what goes into the iPad 2 Gold History Edition:
Encrusted with 12.5 cts of ‘I’F’ Flawless diamonds, a magnificent total of 53 individually set sparkling gems dwell beautifully in solid 24ct Apple logo with rear section formed again in 24ct gold weighing an immense 2,000 grams. The unrivalled imagination towards the craftmanship of the iapd is down to its main front frame which is made from the oldest rock the world has to offer in the form of Ammolite , sourced from Canada this stone is over 75 million years old. However to make this masterpiece even more individual, sections of a 65 million year old T-REX Dinosaur’s thigh bone was splintered and then shaved into the Ammolite , then finished off with ultimate jewel , as single cut 8.5ct flawless diamond inlaid in its own platinum surround with 12 outer flawless diamonds.
This T-REXified iPad is being made in a limited run of just two units. It’s going to run you £5,000,000.00, or roughly $8 million.
Chances are low that you’re going to become the proud owner of the iPad 2 Gold History Edition. But there’s always the Stuart Hughes Platinum iPad Supreme Edition, which will run you about £299,995 or for the luxury iPad shopper on a budget – the £79,995 Supreme Ice Edition made of solid white gold.
To put it in perspective (a pretty tough task), you could either buy one iPad 2 Gold History Edition, or about 16 thousand 16 GB regular iPad 2s.
HP introduced the TouchPad with much fanfare back in February and began selling the tablets in June. It’s crown jewel was the webOS system, which they obtained after acquiring Palm for $1.2 billion. It was rumored that HP had big plans for webOS, as they saw it eventually migrating to PC’s and possibly into their cloud plans, as they attempted to compete with the likes of Google and Apple.
Flash forward just seven weeks after the TouchPad hit store shelves, and HP has discontinued all webOS devices. This comes on the heels of an announcement where HP is looking to spinoff it’s hardware division and look to reposition themselves as a corporate technology provider.
At the moment you can get a 16GB HP Touchpad at firesale pricing: $99 and a 32GB HP Touchpad for $149 — that is if you can find one.
Currently HP TouchPads are sold out at pretty much everywhere online including: HP, HP Home & Office, Amazon, MicroCenter, Office Max, Office Depot, Radio Shack, Sam’s Club, Target, Walmart, HH Gregg, Best Buy… I could keep going, but I think you get the idea.
Some businesses that didn’t even drop the price are out of stock as well, as some people purchased the tablet at full price hoping to get it price matched later. That’s a pretty hefty risk, as nothing is guaranteed.
There is no denying that people want the TouchPad, as long as it’s for the firesale price. SlickDeals.net currently has ONE thread devoted to the TouchPad which has seen well over 4.2 million views since Friday evening.
The social media manager for HP took to Twitter where she attempted to help people understand that HP was temporarily out of stock. It appears that she was attempting to steer people away from the already crippled various HP .com’s that thrifty shoppers had brought down.
@BrynaAtHP Bryna CorcoranThe #hptouchpad is sold out temporarily. We R working on a site where you can sign up & be notified when #HP will have more. PLS RT.1 day ago via web · powered by @socialditto
@BrynaAtHP Bryna Corcoran4 those just tuning in: All #Touchpads sold out. (USA). More coming. Website being created where u can sign up for alerts. Stay tuned.1 day ago via web · powered by @socialditto
@BrynaAtHP Bryna CorcoranThe alert website for when #touchpad back in stock is in dev as we speak. As SOON as it’s ready and I am made aware, I will share it.1 day ago via web · powered by @socialditto
@BrynaAtHP Bryna CorcoranFor those asking about inventory and pricing outside USA — Fire sale is US only and so is out of stock status. #thatsalliknow1 day ago via web · powered by @socialditto
There are some bloggers who are saying shoppers shouldn’t be lured in by the cheap price, as you’re being lead into a dead ecosystem. Specs aren’t what make tablets great, it’s the apps. Bloggers suggest that app developers will abandon webOS as they’d be developing for a dead technology.
Sure, that logic sounds good in theory, but it shouldn’t cause you to not buy a $99 tablet. It’s already been announced that several hacker development groups are hard at work at porting the popular Android OS to the device. If this happens, it will essentially turn your $99 TouchPad into a $500 Android tablet. Not a bad investment if you ask me.
“Touchdroid — Android for the HP Touchpad” is currently in progress by a group of hackers. They already have a site in development along with an overview of there plans for porting Android.
Welcome to the official development thread of Touchdroid, by the Touchdroid team. As part of the open Android and RootzWiki communities, we want to make our Android port as open as possible, and providing development insight to all of our users. Since we are just beginning, this threads original post and two or three following posts will be reserved for future use by the team as this will be updated frequently over time. We are attempting to port Android to the HP Touchpad, which was originally shipped with webOS.
First going to build with Gingerbread and be AOSP based
After we are able to successfully boot Android, we are going to move to a CM7 base
Once we reach what we deem a “stable” beta, we will continue to provide bug fixes for Gingerbread build, but also begin working on a full Honeycomb port
If ICS is released before or during our development of the Honeycomb port, we will stop and begin work on ICS. (Please be October…)
It’ll be interesting to see over the next few weeks what new developments come out regarding the HP TouchPad. How soon will Android be ported to the device? How cheap will accessories for the device be?
Do you ever get the feeling that, during the 80s and 90s, while Apple was struggling to stay afloat as an upstart rival to the PC, the company was just waiting for mobile technology to take hold? While many Apple device users don’t remember a time when they were considered more of a niche company that made computers aimed at high-end users, some of us do, and to see Apple as such a dominant player in the mobile device industry is still something of a surprise.
Make no mistake, however, because aside from some moderate resistance from the Android platform in the United States, Apple’s stable of iDevices (iPhone, iPad and iTouch) are the dominant brand when it comes to the mobile web consumption, which gives some insight to how many users each platform has. The latest data from comScore confirms Apple’s position quite well, especially when it comes to tablets. While the technology is still in the uptake stage, if there was such a thing as a technical knockout in the tech business sector, you could go ahead and raise the arms of the iPad. Apple’s position in the tablet market is so ahead of the competition, it’s hard not to think companies like Samsung and BlackBerry are just wasting time with their tablet developments.
Granted, not everyone is apart of the Cult of Mac, so there are certainly some would-be tablet owners who are looking for an alternative to Apple’s platform. That being said, it’s also good being first, apparently. An example of the Apple’s tablet dominance, courtesy of comScore, reveals that over 89 percent of the worldwide traffic in regards to tablet access belongs to the iPad. It should be noted, however, in another section, it was revealed that, in the United States, only 1.8 percent of web traffic (accessing news sites) comes from tablet devices.
So while iPads are indeed dominant, there’s still a helluva lot of room for growth in that market.
In regards to the iPhone, it’s position of dominance is still maintained throughout the world, expect, surprisingly, in the United States. In some countries — Japan, Australia, Singapore — the iPhone is responsible for almost 50 percent (or more) of the mobile phone web traffic. However, in the U.S., the Android platform is actually more popular, in terms of web traffic, than the iPhone is, to the tune of 35.6 percent to 23.5 percent. The only other country that exceeds 30 percent in regards to the Android is Japan.
A chart of comScore’s study. Click for a bigger image:
Another area of focus was WiFi usage across these device platforms. Not surprisingly, a great deal of Apple customers used the WiFi function a great deal more than Android users, although, Google’s phone had good success in Mobile Network Access:
One area of surprise, however, comes from the fact that, despite what we’re led to believe, a great deal of web traffic still comes from home computers. In fact, the only country that exceeds six percent mobile device access is the United Kingdom with 7.4 percent (1.9 for tablets). Meanwhile, even with that, the largest percentage of mobile users, over 90 percent of UK web users are using a home computer to access the web.
