Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 - The best tablet option?

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 is now available in the Philippines. Two versions are available:

16GB, WiFi & 3G - Php24,500

32GB, WiFi & 3G - Php30,000

These prices make it the cheapest dual-core 3G capable tablet in the Philippines. Hardware wise, we also think it could the best, depending on your needs. 

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 has the specifications of you basic Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) dual core tablet. It has a 800 x 1280 screen, a dual core 1GHz processor on a Tegra 2 chipset, 1GB of RAM, 16GB or 32GB (non-expandable storage), A-GPS, WiFi,  3G (HSDPA+ 21.1 mbps) and Bluetooth,  connectivity and HDMI and USB connectivity through an adapter. It also comes with two camera's capable of 720p video recording. It also has full phone functionality. So it is the most fully feature tablet in the Philippine market.

What is to like, hardware wise? The Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 has a smaller 8.9-inch screen compared to its competitors, but this also gives it a much lighter weight.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 - 453g

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 - 560g

Apple iPad 2 - 607g

Acer Iconia - 730g

We also like it best price wise for a 3G tablet.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 16GB, 3G & WiFi - Php24,500

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 16GB, 3G & WiFi - Php27,500

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 16GB, 3G & WiFi - Php30,000

Apple iPad 2 16GB, 3G & WiFi - Php30.990

Apple iPad 2 16GB, 3G & WiFi - Php35.990

Smaller but still substantial screen, in exchange for the lighter weight seems to be worth it. It is 15% lighter than its bigger brother, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and 25% lighter than the Apple iPad 2. 

Ultimately, 10-inch tablets are used on tables the same way we use netbooks and laptops. If used a tablet on a table, I really would much rather use a laptop. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 is a more mobile device. Something which is easier to use in hand than its larger 10.1-inch siblings.

With Ice Cream Sandwich having been launched, more and more Android apps will be optimized for 720p screens. It could be the right time for an Android tablet.

Would I buy it? Well no. I do not feel the need for 3G on a tablet. I already have it on my phone. Basically, I would rather not have to maintain a second line. Since I do not appreciate 3G, than things like Apple iPad 2 16GB WiFi only version is still a cheaper option at Php23,990. I also do not need full phone functionality on a tablet, so that score no points we me either.

Second, I do not like being an early adopter. Ice Cream Sandwich has been launched so more and more Android apps will be optimized for 720p screens, but I will have to wait for those. Apple has 100,000 tablet optimized apps now, though they usually cost twice as much as iPhone apps.

So it is a hard choice. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 is compelling hardware wise and there are more free apps on the Android Market. It is both a tablet and a phone is that is important for. But for a pure tablet, Apple iPad's are still the safer bet. For Php24.5K, I would not want to be an early adopter.

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Is the Tablet the next Netbook?

It has been a year and a half since Apple launched its successful iPad. If you read technology sites all around the world, it would seem that the tablet will kill the personal computer. 

iPad make excellent gaming platforms among other things.

I got a tablet in January 2011 and quickly passed it off to my wife. It has been less useful than it looked. Basically, I am sticking to the laptop and smartphone combination from now on, and will sit on the sidelines watching the tablet market with interest.

In one year and one quarter since its launch, as of June 2011, 28.7 million iPads have been sold. Android tablets, sales are estimated at less than 3 million since their release.

In one quarter, Gartner reports that almost 92 million personal computers, not including tablets, have been sold. That is in just one quarter versus five quarters of tablet sales. Could the tablet be the next netbook? Something to tide us over in though economic times?

Tablets share a lot with netbooks. Like the netbook they are cheap and portable. Like the netbook they are of limited use. Overall, while tablets are more functional than netbooks, most of what you can do in a tablet, you can do on a smartphone. Android tablets have a higher mountain to climb. The latest generation of smartphones are really now mini-tablets.

Lenovo tries to define a role for its tablet.

Is the tablet the next netbook? Or are we entering the era of keyboard less computing.  I think, tablet will fail as a productivity device, but makes a excellent multimedia and gaming platform. Basically, I do not see it going away, neither do I see it growing as much as predictive by experts. This one is too hard to call.  Would love to hear you chime in.

Update: We got some new data on tablet sales from Digitimes for the third Quarter of 2011. So are the figures from both Gartner and Digitimes for comparison -

Desktop and laptops - 92 million.
Tablets - 18.9 million (13 million Apple iPads and 5.9 million tablets of other brands)

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Acer ICONIA TAB A100 8GB

The Acer ICONIA TAB A100 8GB is a WiFi only locally available 7-inch tablet powered by Google Android Honeycomb 3.2 operating system. Honeycomb 3.2 is version optimized for 7-inch screens.

The  Acer ICONIA TAB A100 which is priced at Php17,900 with its primary is the 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab, priced at around Php2,000 less. Another 7-inch alternative is the QNX powered BlackBerry PlayBook which is price Php6,000 more.

The Acer ICONIA TAB A100 has the same 600 x 1024 resolution as the Samsung Galaxy Tab, and actually has less internal storage at 8GB versus the 16 GB found in the Galaxy Tab. The advantages of the Acer ICNONIA TAB A100 is that it is a Nvidia Tegra 2 system with a dual 1GHZ Cortex A9 processor and a Ultra Low Power GeForce GPU backed by 1GB of RAM. This roughly gives it twice the punch of the Galaxy Tab and enough power to play the latest games being released. Another advantage over the Galaxy Tab is the the Acer ICONIA has HDMI out so you can plug it in to your LCD TV. It also comes with the expected MicroSD slot allowing you to expand storage to up to 40GB It also has 

It is the best 7-inch tablet in the market for those who do not need 3G connectivity. That being said, it does not have all that much competition either.

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Time to rethink the Android tablet?

Amazon's Kindle Fire has laid down the gauntlet, the powerful dual core Kindle Fire cuts down on some features, which I do not think will be missed (and a few that might), but it got 95,000 pre-orders in one day, and it only sells in the US for now. It would have been at least 95,001 if they let me order it from the Philippines. 

The gauntlet has been laid, a 7-inch Android tablet costs US$199. In apparent response prices for the HTC Flyer and BlackBerry PlayBook has dropped with some retailers to US$299.

When I saw the specifications for the Xoom, last February, I was thinking, what was Motorola thinking. It turned out, these specifications became the standard for the industry. In the end, there is too much fat on an Android tablet, and this does result in higher costs.

An Android tablet (and an iPad for that matter) pretty much mimics all the capabilities of our smartphones, except for call and text functionality. Some tablets are actually fully capable phones. The question is why. I think it is fair to assume a tablet owner would also own a smartphone.

Drop the primary camera. Maybe we need a secondary camera for video calls, but why have a primary camera? A smartphone is really a more convenient size for taking pictures and video. 

Drop GPS. A smartphone also makes a better navigation device. Imagine cradling your 10.1-inch tablet on your cars dashboard. Apps requiring location can get the info from cellular towers and WiFi signals.

Rethink the 720p screen on smaller tablets. The 600 x 1024 screen on the 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab is good enough and the one on the 7-inch BlackBerry PlayBook is gorgeous.

Decide what it is for, and build it for a dedicated purpose. With laptops, you have high end gaming machines and lower end general purpose device. Each tablet coming out embodies the latest technology the market has to offer. This could be replicated having dual core gaming and media tablets, and single core web browsing tablets with less RAM. Yes, you can have your uber tablets too with 3D camera's, a 3D display, GPS and a 1080p screen.

Lower end tablets do exist, but from manufacturers which make us think, twice and thrice about the source.

In the end all this might just save a few dollars, but people expect Android tablets to be cheaper than iPad's, and smaller tablets cheaper than larger ones, so every peso (or dollar) does count.

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The Amazon KIndle tablet - An Android tablet done right

Amazon has launched it long awaited tablet, the Kindle Fire. The Kindle Fire is a Android powered tablet with a 7-inch (1024 x 600 resolution) screen, a dual core processor, 8GB of internal storage which uses WiFi and Bluetooth for connectivity. The Android operating system on the Kindle Fire is heavily customized by Amazon.

The Kindle Fire does not have 3G connectivity, GPS, cameras and a mic. From a hardware standpoint, it does not compete with the Apple iPad 2, RIM's PlayBook or any of the Google Android Honeycomb Tablets. It makes no pretense of being a productivity device, and squarely defines itself multimedia entertainment device which hardware wise is more of a competitor to the Nook Color. 

As a multimedia device the Kindle Fire offers much more than the Nook Color and  does take aim at Apple iPad market with its access to Amazon Books, Movies, TV shows, music and Android apps. While Amazon's Kindle Fire does not compete against Apple iPad 2 in terms of hardware, it does so content wise. At US$199 the Kindle Fire takes aim at the iPad for US$300 less.

The Kindle Fire also offers an interesting web browser service with Amazon Silk, which seems to offer a server side compression, similar to what Opera provides for its browser, which Amazon promises will give users an incredibly fast experience. This is the first device specific service implementation of that kind of service that I know off.   

I do not know if the Kindle Fire will affect Apple iPad 2 sales. I am sure a fair number of people who were thinking about buying an iPad 2 will look at Amazon's offer and will consider it a better deal. What the Kindle Fire is sure to do is broaden the tablet market. It is the first Android tablet done correctly.

The Apple iPad was released as a multimedia device. With the popularity of the tablet, Android Honeycomb tablets, the iPad 2 and RIM's Playbook, have been marketed more and more as the modern personal computer heralding the "post-PC era". Newer tablet designs replicate the technology already found in our mobile phones. Some Android tablets even offer voice call and SMS functionality.  Other Android tablets designs try to replace laptops.

Biting into this "tablet frenzy", tablet manufacturers seem to think the consumer will be willing to pay nearly any amount of money for a shiny new tablet for as long as it bundles it with more and more cutting edge features.

The Kindle Fire makes a nice addition to your smartphone and personal computer and is priced as an accessory device.  While I expect the Kindle Fire to take a fairly large bite off the Apple iPad market share, it really will put more pressure on Android tablet manufacturers.  The Kindle Fire redefines the tablet as to what it originally was, a dedicated multimedia platform and not the overpriced post-PC device many have been making it out to be. 

In the end, the post-PC era is not about replacing the PC, but just that the PC really is no longer the only game in town as a tool for web access. It really means little more than that. All the rest is tablet hype. Amazon seems to understand this better than anyone else right now, and it will sell millions of these things.

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Is the tablet at toy?

Sara Yin of PC Magazine has an interesting article entitled "Tablets Are Still Seen As Toys, Survey Says". I am not replicating all the data reported there in this post, so you may want to read that article first before this commentary. 

The article cites data from a CitiGroup survey. The most important findings I think are the following:

"Sixty-two percent of the 1,800 consumers surveyed said that if they do buy a tablet within the next 12 months, it's because they want a new "toy or a gadget." That figure is even higher than the sentiment captured in November 2010, when only 44 percent of those surveyed checked the "toy or gadget" box.

A large portion of the buying public has always questioned whether tablets are really serious tools for doing work with good reason. 

First is the absence of a keyboard. Sure there is a virtual keyboard, but that puts us back to the situation of typing on a small cramped device. Many of us never enjoyed typing on netbooks, why would we enjoy typing on a tablet. 10-inches diagonal is just too small for a proper keyboard.

Second, although this is limited to the Apple iPad, and not tablets in general, is that it does not even have a built in file manager. No way I could keep track of the 4,000+ documents I have on my laptop there (although Dropbox can fix this problem to a great degree for this willing to go the cloud route). 

So, is it a toy or not. I think it depends on who you are and what you do. If you spend a lot of time on documents and spreadsheets, well a tablet is not going to become your primary work machine. If you need a device to do on-line research,  taking notes in meetings and conferences and the like than it could be a very productive tool. They should really bring back the stylus though.

"Citigroup surveyed 1,800 users interested in tablets from the U.S., U.K. and China. Those in China signaled the most interest in buying a tablet; 26 percent said they were 'very likely' to buy a tablet, compared to 12 percent in the U.S. and Britain."

From this I gather that where tablet penetration is greatest, the interest in tablets declines. People who have not owned one and only tried one for a few minutes are impressed by the new device. Many owners eventually find out they really wont replace their laptop and its track pad, relegating the tablet to a alternative device that serves no particular purpose.  

In the end, it is more of a big smart phone than a PC replacement.

Between my wife and I, we have three laptops (one serves the function of a desktop), two smart phones, a feature phone and a tablet. The tablet gets the least use among the three, but it does go with us pretty much wherever we go. Being a small 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab it is always tucked in my wifes handbag. 

So while not used to much, its greatest value is that it keeps the laptops at home more often serving as a less than capable device that can sub for a laptop when a unexpected need arises. That being said, if it broke, well we probably would not replace it. If one of laptops our smart phones died on us, they would be replaced in 24 hours.

In sum, I do not see a tablet as a toy. Whether it is a toy or not, depends on the needs of the user.

One issue not covered by the Citigroup survey is whether there is a tablet market or just an iPad market. The dominance of iPad's does hint at the toy theory, that people just want a tablet if it has an apple on its back. I think it is not that simple.

The demand for non-Apple tablets is really going to be less by nature. Let me explain.

1. Those who are comfortable with the Apple ecosystem do not really have low cost laptops as an option. The cheapest MacBook cost 50K here, and the cheapest iPad is less than half of that at 24K.  Those not invested the Apple ecosystem could get a 24K (or even cheaper tablet) or a 11.6-inch AMD Fusion powered ultraportable for 24K or less. An Apple netbook might sell really well too.

2. iPhone users do not really have larger screen options. I think the iPhone's being limited right now to 3.5-inch screen actually boosts iPad sales. Android users who feel 3.2 to 3.7-imches is not big enough constant use, might simply opt to get a larger 4.3-inch to 4.7-inch smart phone which they might find big enough to do and forgo a tablet. If Apple started offer monster iPhones, some iPad buyers may feel that it big enough.

Basically, people invested in the Apple ecosystem have the best reasons to buy tablet. Windows users and Android users really have more hardware options. 

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 Latest Review Specs Price

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 is the latest android tablet launched in the market by Samsung Electronics. The new Galaxy Tab 7.7 android tablet has received a lot of positive reviews from the audience and critics based on the performance and price factors. There have been a whole new lot of features that have been introduced in the tablet.

While looking into Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 Android full Specifications, the tablet is powered by Google Android 3.2 Honeycomb OS which was recently launched and very well optimized for these device and running with  powerful 1.4 GHz dual core ARM Cortex A-9 processors. As the name suggests the tablet has a 7.7 inch multi-touch screen display with resolution of 800 X 1280 pixels. The design of the tablet looks very thin and slim featuring with 7.89mm thickness which will comfortably fit on the palm weighing of 335grams with full dimensions of 197x133x7.89mm. The portability helps to easily carry the tablet while we are going to some vacation spot. The display panel is made up of Super AMOLED plus panel that is capable of displaying 16 Million colors which produce extraordinary effects with good vivid and contrast levels. The display panel is enabled with multiple gesture support. Besides this the tablet has many sensors such as Accelerometer for UI auto rotate, Three Axis gyro sensor and TouchWiz UX UI.

Graphics Performance:

Samsung has added new Exynos chipset with advanced Graphics processor called Mali- 400MP GPU. The GPU helps to play all latest high end game in high resolution and easily handles Full HD 1080p video playback without any lag. It also achieved highest score in Quadrant benchmark tool.

RAM and ROM Storage: 

The processor is combined with 1GB RAM enough to handle all latest multitasking apps and come with along internal storage in three different flavors i.e. 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB. The internal memory can be easily expandable to much more using the external Micro SD cards. 

Camera Features :

The tablet has a 3.15 Mega Pixel rear facing camera taking pictures with an 2048 x 1536 pixels resolution with auto focus and LED Flash and capable of recording 720p HD video format at 30fps and 2.0 MP front camera for video calling and conferences which gives outstanding video clarity without any lagging. The tablet is shipped with Geo tagging and Image/Video editing software’s, so that users have no need to install extra third party apps.

Connectivity :

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 android have number of multiple connectivity options such as 3G, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, GPRS, HSPDA up to21mbps faster download and uploads, EDGE , 3.5mm Audio Jack and Micro USB 2.0. 

Browser Test Experience :

The default HTML browser supports latest version of adobe flash 10.3 which can play flash content and flv videos easily without any lag and users can able to play popular Facebook games like Farmville, Cityville and Mafia wars on the tablet. And we also tested browsing internet on tablet the WebPages are loading  very fast through Wi-Fi, the way it renders the pages is excellent and it will definitely make your task easier.

Audio and Video Formats:

The tablet has a universal player that is capable of playing almost all popular audio and video formats like MP3/WAV/eAAC+/OGG and MP4/DivX/Xvid/H.264/H.263. There are options for loudspeaker and 3.5 mm headphone connectivity. 

Pre-Loaded Applications :

The tablet comes with  social media ready with a number of social apps such as YouTube, Facebook, Gmail, Twitter and much more that are already preinstalled in the device. Besides this there are a number of other apps like QuickOffice HD Viewer, TV Out, Digital Compass, Adobe Flash, Games, Web browser and much more. Also being running on the Android platform, the market has a number of apps that you can download and use for your tab. 

Battery Test :

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 Android Tablet offers rechargeable standard Li-PO 5100 mAh battery pack which will give excellent battery life up to 10 hours of video playback time. You can really enjoy through browsing internet, playing games and watch videos without any power source just keeping using on battery only.

Price and Availability :

The tablet is available on market stores with three variant models based on Storage options. The tablet  is available at two different colors At present we know that Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 Tablet 16GB model is available to buy on all market stores with price tag around 550$ in US and Rs 25,000/- in India. And we don’t know price details of other two 32GB and 64GB models because they are not available in the current market. We will announce the price list of other tablets later.

Final Conclusion :

On the whole we found that the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 Android device has met with our expectations. This sleek and light device has been successful to some extent bringing in the experience of an iPad 2 and it definitely becomes competitor for other devices which are available at same price range in the market .But the company needs to work on its onscreen interface. The touch has to be free from scratches and smudges. But on the rate of 10 we would give it 8.  

Take a loot at Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 Android Tablet Hands On Review Video

Author Bio : Techinlien is a powerful yet easy-to-use remote support application which enables helpdesk staff members in an organization of any size to deliver immediate technical assistance to customers located anywhere in the world. Engineers are now able to provide technical assistance from the comfort of their office while cutting costs associated with on-site visits.

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iBall Slide Android Tablet Specs Price in India

iBall has officially launched its first android tablet named iBall Slide in India with fully loaded entertainment features. The best thing in these tablet is they have placed price tag around Rs. 13,995  according to the our Indian market. On the other side the company had started promotion with  a famous bollywood super star actor Hrithik Roshan as a brand Ambassador.

The new iBall Slide Android Tablet Specifications looking quite impressive and I definitely know that it will get more positive reviews and impressions from android fans in India. First of all the tablet is powered with Google Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread operating system and runs with 1Ghz ARM Cortex A8 single core processor and 512MB RAM enough to handle all multitasking applications and capable to play all high end 3D games without any lag. They have design the tablet with smooth glossy finishing at corners to get the tablet sexy look and at the same time to attract a lot of users to buy the device. It comes with a 7-inch WVGA capacitive multi-touch screen display with a resolution of 800x480 pixels, 2 mega pixel front camera for video calling purposes, 8GB internal memory storage capacity to store all important files and expandable up to 32GB via Micro SD card Slot.

Well the iBall Slide android comes with different connectivity features like Wi-Fi, Two USB 2.0 ports, 3G via Dongle, Bluetooth 3.0, 3.5mm Audio Jack for listening high quality music, HDMI output for connecting Large LCD for playing HD videos.

The best part of iBall Slide android tablet is, they have provided 4400mAh rechargeable battery for longer battery backup and even iBall company manager claims that the tablet can give excellent battery life up to 6.5 hours of music playback time and 5 hours on video playback mode. They have introduced new feature called USB Host and on the go(OTG) Port which helps to copy the data from pen directly. With the help of USB host port you can also connect mouse or keyboard to do your work quickly and you can attach the tablet to PC for enjoying more good user experience.

Advantages

• Enhanced Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS with nice user interface(GUI).
• Battery 4400mah gives efficient battery  backup.
• Supports Adobe Flash support and Plays all HD videos up to 720p

Disadvantages

• There is no integrated 3G for this tablet, you need to buy seperate dongle means data card to get 3G experience and i know these one makes you really feel bad.
• More Expensive
• Looks bulky and not so much thin compared to other tablets in that range
• No back camera (not confirmed)

My Sincere advice let’s wait for final review of iBall Slide Android Tablet so we get more know about good and bad things. Then after its your choice whether to buy the tablet or not. For more updates of these device Subscribe Here

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Around the web: Asus Eee Pad Slider and Samsung Galaxy Note - Tablets of a different kind

Hardware Zone Philippines has a in-depth look at the Asus Eee Pad Slider. While this thing looked interesting at CES 2011, after reading Hardware Zone Philippines review, I realized this device is not as interesting as it initially looks. It is essentially a ARM powered notebook, with a small keyboard. Still, it weighs in at a reasonable 2 pounds. I think I would be much happier with something more conventional like an ARM powered Asus Eee PC X101 with a touchscreen and larger keyboard.

PinoyTechBlog takes a look at the new 5.3-inch Samsung Galaxy Note and looks at whether it is a smartphone or a tablet. Actually, where it fit make perfect sense to me. 

In some ways tablets replace the paper. As pure paper replacements, their primary use is as follows:

The 6-inch Kindle was designed to mimic a paperback book.

The 9.7-inch iPad primarily was designed to for viewing more colorful and interactive media in the form of newspapers, magazines and comic books.

The 5.3-inch Samsung Galaxy Note looks like a nice replacement for your diary and a Reporters Notepad.

A NYT Reporters Notepad from brandbook.de.

One size will really not fit all. But with the Samsung Galaxy Note reportedly being priced at over US$1,000, I am not sure how many will find the Note to be the right fit for them.

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Acer ICONIA TAB A500 & A501 are very competively priced for the 32GB models

The Acer ICONIA TAB A500 is a 10.1-inch (800 x 280) Google Android Honeycomb tablet with a dual core 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 proccessor, ULP GeForce GPU on a Tegra 2 T20 chipset. Priced at 21,900 for the WiFi only 16GB model, it is not very interesting as against the Php23,900 Apple iPad 2. The price difference of 2K probably wont be enough to swing to many buyers.

Note: Some shops like PCCorner have the 16GB version price much lower at Php19,500 making it 4.4K cheaper than the entry level iPad 2.

The Acer ICONIA TAB A500 does have move interesting storage options, with a MicroSD card slot which will allow you to expand storage to 48GB and a full sized USB 2.0 port for Flash Drives.

Moving up the line, to the WiFi only 32GB ICONIA TAB A500, the price gets more interesting. At Php23,900 it is a lot cheaper than the 32GB WiFi only Apple iPad 2 priced at Php28,990. That is now all of 6K less, and you can expand storage to 64GB with the MicroSD card slow, plus you still have the full sized USB 2.0 port.

But Acer has just released its most interesting offering, the ICONIA TAB A501, with 32GB of internal storage plus WiFi and 3G connectivity. At Php28,900 ICONIA TAB A501 is cheaper than the cheapest 3G version of the iPad 2 (16GB) which is at 30,990. The 32GB 3G iPad 2 comes in at Php35,990, which is all of 7K more.

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Are laptops getting boring?

Former Google CEO, Eric Schmidt in a recent interview withCNN answered this question pretty well. When asked "So, doesthat mean the PC is dead?", he responded:

Well, the PC will be used forthings where you need to do a lot of typing. Because it's hard totype on that glass screen. But, for everything else, you're going tobe using a mobile device - a tablet or a mobile phone or some kind ofmobile, small thing that you'll carry around. They're inherentlybetter. They're more personal. With your permission, they know whoyou are, they can make suggestions to you - that kind of thing.

So, the PC, which, remember, grew outof the IBM desktop model sitting in a corporation, makes perfectsense for somebody who sits at a desk all day. A lot of peopledon't.

A few years back I was excited about the new laptops being released. As they have gotten faster, each new generation seems to offer less new than the rest. We had longer battery life, cheap graphics that could play HD content and affordable light chassis to keep things interesting the past few years. Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge really don't interest me all that much. I do not spend my time running benchmarks.  

But compared to mobile devices, like smartphones and tablets, they are getting boring. What the software in our laptops do has not really change all that much since good old Windows 98. Mobile devices have made really interesting uses of their camera's, from barcode readers to augmented reality. GPS have made these devices really smart, allowing you to keep informed of the local weather and conditions around you. "With your permission, they know who you are, they can make suggestions to you..." 

The laptop will always have a place in my set of tools. A 13-inch screen is a size for carry and viewing. I do type a lot, so I will need the physical keyboard. But I think I will keep my devices longer and longer. I do not see myself replacing my late 2011 13-inch MacBook Air until it physically dies on me. The main advantage of my MacBook Air to my other laptop, a HP Compaq 6510b, was 3x the battery life, better graphics, SSD drives and half the weight.

It is going to take more than current Sandy Bridge MacBook Air or next years Ivy Bridge version to convince me to upgrade. Maybe drop another half a pound and give me another four hours of battery life and we will talk, well maybe.

On the other hand, I do not know how long I will hold on to my HTC Desire HD, when the new dual core Android 4.0 (Ice Cream) handsets with their giant 720p screens come out. Now that gets me excited. I am sure the iPad 3 will cause a stir with the tablet crowd too. My next laptop... am guessing I am not buying another one till 2013.

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The perfect Tablet PC

Lenovo has made Tablet PC's for a long time, but their over Php100K prices and their weight made them expensive and a but heavy for something to be carried in hand. I remember when I first saw the X41 Tablet six years ago and have been wanting one ever since. From a practical standpoint it was hard to justify. The Lenovo Thinkpad X41 Tablet weighed in at 3.6 pounds, and with an extended battery that would go up to 4.3 pounds.

Five years later, the same problem still hounds the Tablet PC. The current model Lenovo X220 Tablet weighs in at 3.9 pounds, and that is with a four cell battery. While 3.9 pounds is fine for a laptop it is a bit ungainly for a tablet. Lenovo does have its new light Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet, with a detachable keyboard, but I really would prefer one that had a swivel to allow the screen to rotate and fold over the keyboard. I would also like it to have a larger keyboard than the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet.

Cut out some weight. Apple can build an 11.6-inch Intel Core i5 MacBook laptop and bring the weight down to 2.5 pounds. From Lenovo's Tablet PC's converting its ultraportables into a tablet adds about 0.6 pounds. It would seem feasible to built a 11.6-inch X220 Tablet type device at 3 pounds of less.

Starting with the 3.9 pound weight of the X220 Tablet, cutting its 12.5-inch screen to 11.6-inch should result in some reduction in weight. Inside, instead of an Core i5 processor which needs a design that can handle a thermal design point of 35W, I would be happy with AMD Fusion chip which only has a 9W TDP or even better, a dual core ARM processor which will only need a chassis designed to dissipate less than 4W of heat. Instead of a 500GB hard drive, 64GB of flash storage should be enough. What OS? Well if an AMD Fusion machine, than Windows or one of the Linux operating systems. If an ARM machine, Android or Linux. 

So how about it Lenovo? 

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Acer Iconia Tab W500, 32GB Tablet PC

I got a chance to get a look at the Acer Iconia Tab W500, 32GB Tablet PC. The W500 runs on the AMD Fusion C-50 APU I have seen. The AMD C-50 has a substantially slower processor and weaker graphics than the AMD Fusion E-350 APU. The main advantage of the C-50 is that it only requires a cooling system capable of dissipating a 9W thermal design point ("TDP"), which is half of what 18W TDP requirement of the E-350.

Despite the cool running nature of the AMD Fusion C-50, we have seen it being placed in laptops like the 11.6-inch Acer Aspire One 722, the Asus 1215B and even larger laptop which could easily cool a AMD Fusion E-350.  

With the Acer Iconia Tab W500 we see the best use of the AMD Fusion C-50. It is a mobile device with a 10.1-inch screen, weighing in at just 2.2 pounds, can play HD video (720p easily and 1080p works but not as smoothly as you may like)  and with 4-5 hours of battery life for Php28,990. Sound like a poor mans MacBook Air.

But it is not... 

Unfortunately, the AcerIconiaW500 is a Windows 7 Tablet. I am sure you are asking what is wrong with that?

Balance. Because it is a tablet, the processor, memory, storage and battery are all found in the "lid" making it top heavy when used together with the keyboard. 

Awkward carry. Unlike the Asus Eee Pad Transformer which effectively works like a laptop when you plug the tablet into the keyboard, Acer Iconia Tab W500 does not. You cannot fold the "lid" over the keyboard. Instead all you can do is to detach the keyboard.

This means when carrying around the tablet and the keyboard, they have to be carried around as two separate pieces. 

Using this technology to create the W500, Acer could have made a really nice 11.6-inch ultraportable laptop, instead Acer made a 10.1-inch Windows 7 tablet with a keyboard which just does not feel well thought out. 

Specifications:

- AMD C-Series processor C-50 (1GHz, 1 MB L2 cache, DDR3 1066 MHz, 9 W)
- 2GB DDR3 Memory
- 32GB Storage
- 10.1" HD 1280 x 800 (WXGA) resolution, high-brightness (350-nit) LED-backlit TFT LCD (Capacitive Multi-ouch Technology)
- AMD Radeon HD 6250 Graphics with 256 MB of dedicated system memory
- Acer Crystal Eye for dual cameras
- 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
- HDMI Support
- 2-in-1 Card Reader
- Bundled with Keyboard Dock
- Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
-Microsoft  Office Starter 2010

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The car, the pick-up and the truck

More than a year after the Apple iPad's release, with more than 30 million sold, people still question whether the tablet is a practical device. The answer to that is a simple yes.

As the "Personal Computer" has evolved it, has moved from a machine designed for business, to a household device, and now is a personal communication,  entertainment and productivity device.

For years we were stuck with the desktop as our only personal computer, for reasons of cost. The laptop had been around for some time, since the Dulmont Magnum in 1985. But with the entry level model going for US$2,995. That was a lot of money in 1985, and it is still a lot of money today. It was only after the year 2000 that laptops started dropping in price and became available to the regular consumer as an alternative computing choice to the desktop. The tablet now gives you a third choice.

The tablet is the car of the computing world. A good choice to take you around day to day, but with its primary function being people transport. A tablet is useful for someone whose computing needs is mainly web browsing, reading and writing email, note taking, instant messaging, listening to music, basic photo editing, watching movies and playing games. Some in the industry call it the "media" tablet, and that is pretty much correct. A tablet is a great computer for someone who does not use the computer for work. I know many will disagree with this. 

The laptop is the pick-up truck of the computing world. Small enough to be a daily driver, and capable enough to do some serious work. Many people chose a laptop for lack of choice, but if you do not spend much time typing documents, preparing spreadsheets and the like, a keyboard is not all that important. If you don't use a keyboard much, the virtual keyboard of the tablet should be sufficient. You could add a keyboard to a tablet, but than it really just becomes a ARM powered laptop, with a touchscreen and a detachable keyboard.

The desktop is the truck of the PC world. The desktop is still the platform of choice for those who need a computer for a dedicated task, whether that task be a workstation or a hardcore gaming machine. The highest end desktop components still have a little more power than the highest end laptop components.

Which one is best for you? It really depends on your needs. Do you need a car, a pick-up or a tuck?

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 16GB WiFi + 3G @Php25,400

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 3G is now available at CMK Cellphone's for just Php25,400 with a official one year Samsung Warranty. Yikes! If you bought the Samsung Galaxy Tab on pre-order during the Samsung Promo for Php26,990, you will be wondering why it is not being offered for Php1,590 cheaper the day after your pre-order pick-up date. Well for Php26,990 on pre-order you do get a free leather sleeve. It better had been a very nice sleeve.

Samsung better get its promo's in order because the way I look at it:

Php25,400 for a SGT 10.1 = Php26,990 for a SGT 10.1 + Sleeve

So basically, there was no "promo" or you might have been better off not availing of the promo.

Anyway, at Php25,400 with 16GB or internal storage and WiFi/3G is Php5,500  cheaper than the Apple iPad 2 WiFi + 3G which sells for Php30,990. 

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Mobile computers: The Desktop Replacement still rules

A recent article on LaptopMags Blog was rather eye opening. The mobile computing world is not as mobile as we think. For the first quarter of 2011, The breakdown of mobile computer sales for the period are as follows: 

Tablets - 13.8%

10-inch netbooks/laptops - 16.3%

11 and 12 inch netbooks/laptops - 4.3%

13 and 14 inch laptops - 27.1%

15 inch laptops - 33.6%

16+ inch laptops - 5%

The world is going more mobile, but not as fast as we think. Better than one in three laptops sold had a 15-inch screen, with another 5% having even larger screens. This is the category of laptops often referred to as desktop replacements typically weight six pounds or more by buyers who do not expect to carry their devices around too much. This is lower than the previous year, so there is a trend towards smaller and lighter.

Q1 2010

15 inch laptops - 35.2%

16+ inch laptops - 8.9%

Total: 44.1%

Q1 2011

15 inch laptops - 33.6%

16+ inch laptops - 5%

Total 38.6%

Netbook sales have slowed down, but not as fast as we think. Sales of 10-inch laptops for Q1 2010 and Q1 2011 were as follows:

Q1 2010 (10 inch netbooks/laptops) - 17.1%

Q1 2011 (10 inch netbooks/laptops) - 16.3%

The real difference is not volume, but price. Netbook prices have been dropping since the introduction of the tablet, which should mean smaller margins for a product that was already producing small profit margins.

Tablets are popular, but mainly in North America. The figures of tablets sold in Quarter 1, 2011 were as follows:

North America - 24.8%

Worldwide - 13.8%

iPads are popular, but mainly in North America. The figures of iPads sold in Quarter 1, 2011 were as follows:

North America - 22.6%

Worldwide - 10.7%

Basically, the exciting new gadgets which are the darlings of tech writers are not as popular and do not sell as well, as old clunky desktop replacements.

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Samsung Galaxy S WiFi 5.0 available for pre-order in the Philippines

You can pre-order a Samsung Galaxy S WiFi, a 5-inch Android 2.2 powered tablet 10.1 now at this site: It's Time to Tab. The retail price is Php12,990, and if you reserve now, you can get it a set of a free Urbanears headset.

The promo mechanics are as follows:

All Philippine local residents may reserve a Galaxy S WiFi 5.0 through the Samsung online reservation site from August 17 to 20, 2011.

1. Online reservation is open to all Philippine local residents only, note however that claiming may only be done in Metro Manila on the stated venue and on the specified claiming period.


2. Interested parties are entitled to reserve one (1) of 400 units of Galaxy S WiFi 5.0 in Metro Manila at the price of Php12,990 a promo offer of a free Urbanears headset. The Php12,990 shall also be available for payment on a 0% Banco de Oro Credit Card installment facility for a period of 6 months.


3. The 400 units of Galaxy S WiFi 5.0 is the first shipment to the Philippines for these model. Retail availability will commence on August 26, 2011.


4. Reserved units may be claimed at the ground floor Fashion Walk, Greenbelt 5, Makati City on August 21, 2011 from 8AM - 8PM


5. Units may only be released to the confirmed registered customers present during the redemption date. Customers can only redeem reserved units in the designated venues indicated on their registration forms.


6. To reserve and avail of the promo offer, interested parties must complete the online registration process at the online reservation website: http://www.samsung.com/ph/itstimetotab

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 available for pre-order in the Philippines

You can pre-order a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, a Android  Honeycomb powered tablet, now at this site: It's Time to Tab. The retail price is listed at Php29,990, and if you reserve now, you can get it for Php26,990 with a free leather sleeve.

The promo mechanics are as follows:

All Philippine local residents may reserve a Galaxy Tab 10.1 through the Samsung online reservation site from August 17 to 20, 2011.

1. Online reservation is open to all Philippine local residents only, note however that claiming may only be done in Metro Manila on the stated venue and on the specified claiming period.


2. Interested parties are entitled to reserve one (1) of 700 units of Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Metro Manila at a promo offer of P26,990 with a Free leather sleeve. The P26,990 shall also be available for payment on a 0% Banco de Oro Credit Card installment facility for a period of 6 months. (Regular Retail Price: P29,990).


3. The 700 units of Galaxy Tab 10.1 is the first shipment to the Philippines for these model. Retail availability will commence on August 26, 2011.


4. Reserved units may be claimed at the ground floor Fashion Walk, Greenbelt 5, Makati City on August 21, 2011 from 8AM - 8PM


5. Units may only be released to the confirmed registered customers present during the redemption date. Customers can only redeem reserved units in the designated venues indicated on their registration forms.


6. To reserve and avail of the promo offer, interested parties must complete the online registration process at the online reservation website: http://www.samsung.com/ph/itstimetotab

My only problem with the promo is I cannot figure out which model is being offered, but the website does state it is the 16GB model. Given the price, it is probably either the 16GB model with WiFi and 3G.

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Is the tablet a fad? Is the PC dead? In a word "no".

Despite growing sales, there is a sentiment that tablets are just a passing fad. Tablets are not for everyone, and a tablet is still not good replacement for your desktop or laptop PC. But the demand for a device larger than a smartphone but smaller than an laptop has been around for a some time.

In the spring of 2006, Microsoft and Intel created the specifications for the  An ultra-mobile personal computer, or UMPC. The UMPC are small hand held computers, which have a TFT display measuring (diagonally) about 5 to 7 inches, and operated like tablet PCs using a touchscreen or a stylus. The target price for these devices was $500, but the target was not met an UMPC hit the market with a price of about US$1,000

Gigabyte U60 UMPC from 2007

The following year, Intel launched the specifications for a Mobile Internet device (MID), which was a multimedia-capable mobile device providing wireless Internet access.

Nokia N800 from 2007

Eventually, the lower price point was met by going with a more conventional form factor, Asus Eee PC 700. The 7-inch device followed the form factor of a laptop, and was actually a product of the One Laptop Per Child program.

Asus Eee PC from 2007

But in the end, this was really a unhappy marriage between putting a conventional keyboard in a smaller package. The Asus Eee PC was originally classified as a "UMPC", but eventually a new category called "Netbooks" was created and the devices grew larger, being pretty much low cost ultraportable laptops.

Basically, the need for a device, bigger and more functional than a smartphone, more portable and cheaper than a laptop has been a recognized for some time. Apple's iPad, was the first truly commercial success in this regard. Basically, it dropped the physical keyboard and dedicated pointing device and created a software or app ecosystem which minimized dependence on those two input methods.

Apple's iPad from 2010

The other view has been expressed. Kevin C. Tofel of GigaOM wrote an article entitled "The once mighty PC treads a path towards extinction", citing Mark Dean, IBM's Chief Technology Officer:

[W]hile PCs will continue to be much-used devices, they’re no longer at the leading edge of computing. They’re going the way of the vacuum tube, typewriter, vinyl records, CRT and incandescent light bulbs.

I think this view is extreme.While I can agree with the first statement, I do not see them going the way of "the vacuum tube, typewriter, vinyl records, CRT and incandescent light bulbs."
 
Yes, I do see the tablet replacing the PC for a large portion of the market. A desktop or laptop is just more than many people need. The personal computer was a productivity tool, became a gaming device and morphed into a multimedia platform. With the advents of more capable smartphones, and now the tablet, it is going back to being a productivity tool.

Before the advent of the PC, we had the typewriter and the pen and paper. Our use for computers have gone beyond recording information and writing letters, but basically the need for this functions has not gone away.

Back in the day, a family would share a typewriter, with a few people who used it regularly having a separate one of their own. For daily needs, we would use the pen and paper.


Basically, the personal computer replaced the typewriter. For lack of other viable options, it became the tool for those who really just needed the pen and paper.  The tablet replaces personal computer for those who just really needed the pen and paper. Well, that is where things stand today.

But generation of ARM processors Tablets will get more powerful. Keyboards and other peripheral, even larger monitors can and will be integrated into tablets, so much so that a tablet can be transformed a laptop or a home theatre PC depending on need.


I do not want to put words in the mouth or Mr. Dean, but I think what he was saying that x86 (Intel, AMD and Via processors) is going the way of the dodo, in the personal computer space at least. I think I can agree with that. While there will always those who need more power, at some point in time, people will start realizing that their needs only require so much power that they will buy what works well enough and not worry about benchmarks, with other factors like battery life being considered more important. 

I would not say that the PC is dead, but it will loose relevance with the average home and business user.

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Smart Communications is offering the BlackBerry PlayBook

Smart Communications is offering the BlackBerry PlayBook (16GB), bundled with a 3G BlackBerry smartphone on pre-order. Smart is offering these two options:

• Free at Plan 3000 with BlackBerry Pearl 3G 9105
• Free at Plan 4000 with BlackBerry Torch 9800

Globe Telecom also is offering the BlackBerry PlayBook. You can find Globe Telecom's offers at this link. 

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