The Tablet Netbook - A Gadgeteer's Dream Come True

by technokitten

The Tablet Netbook - A Gadgeteer's Dream Come True: netbook tablet

Once upon a time, the PC was king, then its crown (and reign) was stolen by the laptop; in its turn, the laptop was defeated by the notebook, then the new kid on the block was the netbook, but now, there's a new guy in town: the tablet netbook.

Ladies and gents, welcome the technology world's latest offspring: every gadgeteer's dream come true, the perfect combination of mobility, power, storing capacity, sleekness and flexibility.

In order to have a clear view on the subject at hand, we should first do a recap of this marvel's forerunners. In the 1970's, Alan Kay envisioned a "personal, portable information manipulator" that he called the "Dynabook". Laptops' screens are at least 11 inches wide, thus permitting for full-size keyboards to be added.

As these products were pretty heavy to carry around, the netbook was born a few years later: a slimmer and lighter laptop, also less expensive, the only drawbacks being on the CPU side. As such, the netbook soon took center stage, a combination of both its predecessors but with added portability (being smaller and lighter) and power (due to the advancements in the field: smaller and more potent chips).

But not even the netbook would do for the busy and demanding businessmen and road warriors; thus, the tablet netbook was invented, the perfect combination of all the plusses offered by the aforementioned products.

Netbook tablets deliver more mobility, being way more portable (as they are much lighter), more computing power (chip makers having made miracles in the meantime and conceived even tinier products), access to a whole suite of office applications and multimedia features, thus being a match made in heaven for those that want to be in touch with their employees (or employers) and their loved ones all the time.

What sets netbook tablet PCs apart from the other portable PCs is their swiveling screen, which can even lie flat, being extremely useful during conferences (showing one's partners charts, graphs and so on) or for teambuilding sessions.

Also noteworthy is the fact that one can employ both the full-size keyboard (for those who need to touch or even smash buttons from time to time to feel comfortable while typing) and the capacitive touchscreen, which is usually around 11 inches wide, enough for performing al the daily chores on any PC. To the small form factor, one should add the longer lasting battery and the lower price, making netbook tablet PCs a very valuable acquisition.

And now, let us take a look at the best tablet netbooks out there: T101MT, Viliv X10 and Acer 1825 PT. They are all garnered with a swiveling touch capacitive screen that measures around 11 inches diagonally, a storage of around 160 GB, a complete suite of office apps, a long lasting and reliable battery, and the Windows 7 operating system or lower but upgradeable.

All in all, I'm a big fan of tablet netbooks, as they provide portability and the advantage of having a touch display. They are also pretty affordable, as even the best tablet netbooks won't cost more than 500 bucks these days, which is fair if we consider their advantages.

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Android Honeycomb: The True Tablet OS

by nvidia.corporation

Android Honeycomb: The True Tablet OS: android honeycomb tablet

When Google first released the Android Honeycomb 3.0, the standard for the world of tablet OS models was redefined. Aside from offering optimal customization while still remaining compatible with a range of third-party apps, the Google strategy of taking the tablet world by storm has truly come to be.

The Android Enterprise
Honeycomb tablets are rapidly becoming the norm of the tablet world with a range of manufactures from phone makers such as Samsung and Motorola to tech giants such as Asus and Acer jumping onto the bandwagon. Unlike other tech competitors such as RIM and Apple which solely rely on in-house developed OS models and hardware, Google has created a rich enterprise from its Android range of operating systems, which offer the right mix of flexibility and the potential to create an open source model that should rapidly evolve into a gold standard within the 3G tech sphere.

System Specifications
Although Google claims that Honeycomb 3.0 has no specific hardware requirements, the general market consensus leans toward larger tablet models supported by Nvidia Tegra 2 processors. Yet, true to Google's initial assertion, Honeycomb remains supremely compatible with 7-inch and 10-inch releases with single-core processor, such as HTC's EVO 4G. As an operating system primarily tuned toward tablets and larger screens, it would be safe to assume that Android 3.0 is not a phone OS although Google promises some features in future smartphone operating system releases.

Interface and Home Screens
The basic interface for most Honeycomb tablets remains essentially the same, unlike past Android phone OS releases that often came with custom home screens and skin options, although custom skins are possible with releases from Samsung and HTC. As such the main home screens can be re-configured within five different spheres, and app customization is easy with quick clicks to modify any preloaded app icons and enough room to reorganize and embellish as the user pleases.

Although Honeycomb does in some ways remain essentially predefined, the customization options and widgets can sometimes get overwhelming. From weather and news headlines to shortcuts for apps, e-mail and browser bookmarks, you can even place media playlists and contact links as widgets. The initial home screen displays Google search fields, with both textual and voice input compatibility. Aside from icons for home, back and app switching, notifications for Wi-Fi and network support as well the battery stats for quick checks are always onscreen.

The apps drawer resembles a Blackberry home screen with well-segregated arrays of user-downloaded apps that can be organized within groups as desired directly within the home screen. While third-party app access appears to be limited, your Android Honeycomb tab will come with different manufacturer-specific, built-in apps and utilities preloaded along with carrier-specific apps installed depending on the network you sign up with.

Performance and User Experience
With in-built GPS navigation and Adobe Flash support, Android 3.0 enriches the user's tablet experience with a robust and reliable interface. Honeycomb offers a richer web browser, supported by its initial WebKit core that forms the backbone of most modern mobile browsing systems. Widgets are perhaps an inherent part of Honeycomb's strength as much as it is Android's Achilles heel. Still, the level of configuration that the Android Honeycomb brings is truly unmatched, and no iPad is likely to come close to the versatile, custom fit of a Honeycomb tab.

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Android Honeycomb Tablet Videos