Tabletpcs -- Engadget

The MacBook Micro is here, also might have a camera

by Laura June posted Aug 15th 2009 at 1:52PM

Guys, the MacBook Micro has been announced. You're going to love it. It's three things: a Powebook from 1998, a student's art project, and a really short email. We hear it may boast a camera, too. Check out the gallery below to see this wonder of modern technology doing its thing... you will not be disappointed.

Update: Grace K. sent in a Flickr link, complete with video of the Micro. Check it out after the break. It doesn't make this thing feel any more "real," but what else were you planning on doing today outside of looking at Apple rumors? Mow the lawn? Pshaw.

[Thanks, James]

Gallery: MacBook Micro

Continue reading The MacBook Micro is here, also might have a camera

Apple tablet pic 'leaked': this is the real one, we can feel it

by Paul Miller posted Aug 15th 2009 at 12:33PM

Throw away everything you thought you knew about the truth. This is the one. We can't wait to stuff one awkwardly into the fake keyboard tray of our fake MacBook Micro and live life just how Apple rumor sites have always wanted us to live it. Granted, Nowhere Else has gotten some pretty great scoops in the past, so we won't rule anything out just now. The pic above lines up pretty well with all the rumors we've heard so far -- which sort of helps and sort of hinders its veracity in our eyes. Nowhere Else isn't calling it either way, if that helps you in your soul search for the truth. Another pic is after the break.

Update: Eagle-eyed tipster Terry points out that the "Welcome" graphic is an easy spot on Google Image Search, with that exact configuration and timing of converging letters from Leopard's intro video showing up in the very first result. Try it for yourself! Not a good sign, folks.

Update 2: Definitely faked.

[Via Boy Genius Report]

Continue reading Apple tablet pic 'leaked': this is the real one, we can feel it

'Sources' say no Apple tablet until 2010

by Paul Miller posted Aug 13th 2009 at 8:36PM

And so it continues. It seems like just when rumorland is ready to claim this month or this season as the absolute certain sure time of the Apple tablet, those pesky "sources" get cold feed and bump the imaginary release date back a year or so. At least that's what the folks at The Loop are saying. They claim "very reliable sources" have called the September rumor "flat out wrong," and state that we won't see the tablet until the first half of next year sometime. Sigh. Don't give up internet, if we just wish hard enough we know that anything is possible.

[Via Daring Fireball]

Apple might be planning keynote for week of September 7th, might have new products on offer

by Laura June posted Aug 13th 2009 at 3:53PM

We're hearing "multiple sources" are now reporting that Apple is most likely planning a keynote event -- possibly for the week of September 7th. There's also the requisite murmuring that one Steve Jobs may make an appearance -- though of course, there's also nothing more solid than wishes and fairy dust to back that one up. As far as possible product launches go, well, there have been significant whisperings about upcoming iPod / iTunes developments as of late, including the company's reported dealings with major record labels. This would fall in line with Apple's habit of releasing iPods every fall, and we've heard plenty about upcoming iPod touches which boast, among other things -- a camera and microphone. Daring Fireball has also reported that these bad boys will come in 16, 32 and 64GB varieties running $199, $299, and $399, respectively. In more salacious gossip, there's the possible Apple tablet we've been hearing about, but there's no solid word on any products for now. We'll be watching this one closely, we assure you.

Read - Here it Comes. But what is it, exactly?
Read - Daring Fireball on Zune HD and new iPod touch

Mysterious Android touchscreen MID pics surface, Charles Fort notified

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Aug 13th 2009 at 10:42AM

It sure seems like the world is ready for an Android MID or, until it gets one, rumors and leaks to that effect. Tell us, what do you make of a slate-style device featuring the word "android" in the appropriate font, pics of the thing browsing the web (which, truth be told, look just as real as they could be 'shopped in), a couple perfunctory specs (Rockchip CPU, somewhere between a 4.3 to 5-inch display, 3G, MSN Messenger and GTalk, WiFi) and a source for the images that fails to cough up names / links to the "handful" of Chinese tech sites that are allegedly all a-buzz about this thing? Well, we don't know either -- but if you do get your hands on one of these guys, send it our way, will you? Thanks -- and in the meantime, hit that read link for the whole sordid tale (and a couple choice pics).

Video: Gigabyte T1028X unboxed, handled, available in good ol' USA

by Vladislav Savov posted Aug 11th 2009 at 4:07PM

Looks like we've got not one, but two nuggets of good news for you today: firstly, the latest Gigabyte swivel-screen tablet has been unboxed, undressed and appropriately groped up, and secondly, Amazon have now got stock of the device at $679 plus shipping. That might still seem a bit rich for a netbook, albeit with expanded functionality, but it's significantly more affordable than what our European comrades have to pay. As to the unboxing -- and there's a lot of it since Gigabyte decided to pack the unit in like a matryoshka -- the Liliputing crew do a thorough inspection as well as a size comparison against devices from ASUS and Lenovo. Slide past the break to see the pair of videos and judge for yourself.

Continue reading Video: Gigabyte T1028X unboxed, handled, available in good ol' USA

HP to sell contract-free, WWAN-equipped PCs in Japan

by Darren Murph posted Aug 11th 2009 at 6:48AM

In a presumed effort to shake up the Japanese wireless industry and provide consumers with 3G-equipped PCs that aren't tied to multi-year contracts, Hewlett-Packard has quietly announced a deal with Japan Communications that will allow its machines to be sold with SIM cards that can be used on a pay-as-you-go basis. For those unaware, JCI leases network space from NTT DoCoMo, and as part of the agreement, HP will not only get to choose which devices can connect, but it'll get to keep a nice slice of the mobile data revenue as well. Here's the crazy part: the initial wave of netbooks will be sold for between $50 and $100 sans contract. That's about what users pay in America now for subsidized WWAN-ready netbooks, but there's a two-year contract tagging along. If all goes well, we could even see full-sized laptops, smartphones and digital cameras hop on the same bandwagon, but for now, we'll be keenly watching how brisk sales are when things kick off next month.

Gigabyte T1028X TouchNote brings fresher specs, steeper price

by Vladislav Savov posted Aug 10th 2009 at 10:24AM

It's only been a few months since Gigabyte unveiled the 1028M netbook / tablet hybrid, but its successor is already available to buy in Europe. Announced in Hong Kong last month, the 1028X ups the resolution to 1366 x 768 on the 10.1-inch swivel display and bundles a 6-cell 7650 mAh battery for a purported six and a half hours of juice. There's also an utterly meaningless 60MHz CPU upgrade from the Atom N270 to the N280, but the most surprising thing of all might be the price: €622 ($877). That's an awful lot of damage for what is still very much a netbook, but then if you simply must have a touchscreen display in that specific size range, there isn't much competition going around. At least for now.

[Via Slashgear]

Read -- Gigabyte product page
Read -- European reseller

Nokia RX-51 tablet captured in the wild

by Ross Miller posted Aug 8th 2009 at 12:54PM

Not long at all after that mysterious Nokia RX-51 passed through the FCC comes shots from Indonesian message board Kaskus of the tablet-like device in the wild. The blurred box shot and the label behind the battery clearly say RX-51 prototype, and the design is unmistakably similar to the rumored press photo for the Maemo 5-powered Rover from back in May. We can't help but notice the 5 megapixel Carl Zeiss lens and, more importantly, SIM card slot and an ear piece, which would be perfect for placing calls on, say, T-Mobile's network. Few more shots after the break, and hit up the read link for the gallery of photos.

[Via Mobile Bulgaria; thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Continue reading Nokia RX-51 tablet captured in the wild

China Mobile's 7-inch Android slate gets rendered

by Darren Murph posted Jul 31st 2009 at 6:49AM

We've nothing much to go on outside of a few good renders and a smattering of machine translated paragraphs, but it sure sounds as if China Mobile is entertaining the idea of bringing a 7-inch Android-based tablet to its airwaves. As the story goes, said slate would boast China's homegrown TD-SCDMA 3G connectivity, support for video calling, a full-fledged web browser and an OPhone operating system -- which is essentially a customized version of Android for the Chinese market. Sadly, no further information was given, leaving us to wonder what kind of innards are scheduled for implant and what kind of price tag / release date we're looking at. Oh, and those "call" and "end call" buttons are pretty darn evident, leading us to believe that China Mobile might actually expect you to use this as your primary mobile. Can you say... Sidetalkin'?

[Via Pocketables]

Continue reading China Mobile's 7-inch Android slate gets rendered

Pre-ordered Viliv X70s delayed to August 11, new customers might have to wait till September

by Vladislav Savov posted Jul 29th 2009 at 2:32PM

The way we hear it, there are plenty of Viliv fans out there disappointed that Dynamism missed its promised delivery date for pre-ordered X70 units this week. The retailer says that component shortages are responsible for the delay and is now hoping to deliver by August 11, but there's worse news: new orders aren't expected to ship until September 2, turning what was once a fashionably late arrival to US shores into a rather embarrassing month-long delay.

[Via Pocketables]

Apple tablet rumored for launch early next year, for serious this time: seriously

by Paul Miller posted Jul 24th 2009 at 1:34PM

After what AppleInsider claims has been four years of development "riddled with setbacks," Apple is purportedly finalizing its long-rumored tablet for an early 2010 launch. AppleInsider claims to have been tracking the device get bounced back to the drawing board repeatedly over the past few years, but says that Steve Jobs is finally happy with the product and there's an internal go-ahead to get this thing ready for next year, barring any other setbacks. Purported specs include a 10-inch screen, 3G data and a custom ARM processor courtesy of its P.A. Semi purchase -- after previously considering Intel's Atom, as the story goes. Rumors elsewhere point to Verizon data instead of AT&T, but that might just be wishful thinking. While AppleInsider still claims the device is positioned somewhere between an iPhone and a laptop, its inside sources apparently didn't give the thumbs up to early artist renditions of the handheld, and so AI's new and "improved" render is above -- striking fear in the heart of aesthetes everywhere.

Sure, we've heard so many iterations of Apple tablet rumors over the years, with varying degrees of confidence behind them, that it's really hard to latch onto yet another promise of this supposedly inevitable device. Still, this is what it is: a decent rumor with some reasonable excuses for "delays" and a glorious promise of tablet nirvana right around the corner. What more could an Apple rumorphile want?

Rugged Duros 8404 tablet PC: now with Atom, sunlight-viewable LCD

by Darren Murph posted Jul 22nd 2009 at 7:52AM

We're not saying that Intel's Atom CPUs are lightning fast or anything, but even the 1.6GHz N270 is snappier than the lethargic 1GHz Celeron M that was placed in last year's Duros tablet. In an effort to make the 8404 viable once more, Duros has introduced an equally rugged new model with an Atom processor, hot-swappable battery and an 8.4-inch SVGA sunlight-viewable touchscreen. You'll still find an IP65 sealed enclosure (perfect for those leisurely jaunts through Deadfoot), as well as Windows XP running the show. For those craving extras, the 8404 can be equipped with WiFi, WWAN connectivity, GPS and Bluetooth, not to mention 1GB of RAM, a vehicle dock, integrated Intel graphics, a 120GB hard drive and a single USB 2.0 socket. There's no mention of price, but considering that you can run this thing over with a snowmobile and continue your Gchat session where you left off, we'd expect to fork over quite the premium.

[Via HotHardware]

ASUS Eee PC T101 tablet reportedly facing uncertain future

by Donald Melanson posted Jul 20th 2009 at 2:06PM

Last we had heard, ASUS' Eee PC T101 tablet (or T101H) still had a place on ASUS' massive Eee PC roadmap, and was on track for a late August / early September release after being pushed back from its original June launch date. According to DigiTimes, however, the device's future now looks to be even more uncertain, with it supposedly set for release this September "at the earliest." Some unspecified "industry sources" further go on to say that the T101 (and other future ASUS netbook tablets) could either be pushed back further or scaled back on shipments if the company's current Eee PC T91 doesn't meet expectations, or possibly even canceled altogether.

[Via Electronista]

Update: Looks like the T101 and T101H are one in the same. Sorry for any confusion. Post has been corrected to reflect this.

Raon Digital: maker of UMPC monstrosities meets its maker?

by Thomas Ricker posted Jul 14th 2009 at 4:37AM

There's nothing official yet, but evidence is mounting to suggest that Raon Digital has closed up shop in similar fashion to OQO before it. Following rumors of bankruptcy and anecdotal observations of limited stock and reduced service, all Raon Digital communications have gone silent and the website's been taken offline. If true, then the demise will be met with styli held at half mast by UMPC enthusiasts who were particularly fond of the overpriced ($879 at launch) and problematic Everun Note "premium" netbook. For everyone else, rejoice, your fears of a Vega 2 may have been assuaged.

[Via Pocketables]