How do you make an iPad even cooler? Make it plural. At least that seems to be the reasoning behind the Neofonie WePad. No, they’re not selling two Apple tablets. They just took the “i” and made it “We.” Other than that, the German company’s tablet doesn’t really have that much in common with the iPad other than a touchscreen display.
The WePad features an 11.6 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel display, a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor, GMA 3150 graphics, a 6 hour battery, Webcam, 2 USB ports, and a flash card reader. There’s also a UMTS modem.
You also get access to the WePAD App Store, which I’m sure is a huge selling point. Oh yeah, the tablet will also reportedly run Google Android and have access to the Android Market — making it one of the first non-smartphone devices I’m aware of that’s supposed to have access to the Android Market out of the box.
Update: It looks like the WePAD is based on a design from Taiwanese PC maker Pegraton, which was showing off a prototype at CES earlier this year. You can check out some hands-on videos here.
Update 2: The Neofonie WePAD will start at 449 Euros for a WiFi only, 16GB model. A model with a 3G modem, 32GB of storage, GPS, and HD video capabilities will run 569 Euros (about $773 US).
via nDevil
Hesy there,
you maybe realised that the FAQ on neofonie’s Website was the only part which was not translated into english, yet. Now it is! Not officially, but it contains the same information the german one does. So here you go: https://computerwissenschaft.blogspot.com/2010/04/we-asked-wepad-faq-english-version.html
With the elegant Android/Chrome interfaces Google has positioned itself well for the tablet market. I can’t wait to try out the WePad. It offers a number of features we want–video camera, USB, ability to multi-task and to view Internet video.
There’s nothing reactionary or imitative about the name WePad, by the way. Neofonie has been using ‘We’ for years in the names of products like WeMagazine and WeFind. In this case the marketing department is using the pattern to tweak Steve Jobs’s ego a bit. But that was there for taking. Who could resist?
Great… it’s designed by a Taiwanese company. I am very proud of it…!!
no thank you. Why buy an imitation when you can have the original. Additionally, I like that an American company is doing great and I want to support them…. Buying local is a good idea.
‘Why buy an imitation when you can have the original?’ Baloney. WePads aren’t designed in a month.
The entire industry is moving to touch screens and tablet computing. Google has been positioning itself for this for years. Microsoft has been *in* it for years.
Anything Google and Microsoft design, of course, must work on a variety of hardware devices produced by a number of partners. R&D time has to be invested in this to make it work. Apple doesn’t bother. Designing only for itself gives Apple a speed advantage, which it takes–even when doing so means ‘releasing’ products it can’t provide.
The calendar allows Apple marketing reps to say ‘we invented it and they imitate it’ so that thoughtless people can repeat it on message boards. But Apple’s just going the same place everyone is going.
Apple products are made in China.
Super interested in this device. The specs imply it will be able to run Windows 7. It should come with Linux, but also include all of the Windows drivers on CD. Very interesting indeed!
I am… intrigued. Hope it shows up Stateside sooner or later. I’m still waiting for an *AFFORDABLE* gizmo that can match my 20 year old Tandy 102 🙂
It loos really nice. I hope it is priced reasonably. I think the app store will make it worth going after; IMO.
They say it will be priced below the iPad. But that’s compared to the price in germany for the iPad (699 EUR = 945 USD).
My grandfather had a Wee Pad some years ago in his nursing home.
This looks really nice. Is it coming to the U.S.? Hope to hear more about this.
Yes nice try, but like most of the people here, they want something more than a hype… IMO, I’m going for the Microsoft’s Courier Tablet. Updates: https://bit.ly/microsoft-courier-reactions-info
I wonder if another Taiwanese company, HTC, plans to release a tablet. They’re doing a great job with Android phones.