In case you hadn’t noticed, the Asus Eee Pad MeMo has been delayed. Asus first introduced the 7 inch Android tablet in January, and promised it would ship in June. That hasn’t happened yet, and now it looks like the tablet might not go on sale this year… or at all.
Initially, Asus was positioning the MeMo as a 7 inch device that would run Google Android 3.x Honeycomb and come with a pressure-sensitive stylus for taking notes or drawing. It would also come with a Bluetooth headset called the MeMIC.
Then a few months ago the company apparently decided that wasn’t enough and added a glasses-free 3D screen to the mix.
But now Dutch site Tablets Magazine has received word from Asus that the tablet may never be released — and if it is released, it won’t come out until 2012. It’s possible the delay will only be in the Netherlands, and that the tablet could launch elsewhere in the world this fall. But I’m not holding going to hold my breath waiting for this mythical Android tablet with a hodge-podge of features tacked on.
“hodgepodge of features tacked on”
WTH??
What was tacked on? According to some web sites the 3D was, but I’ve seen nothing to suggest that is anything but pure guesswork on the part of some blog writers.
Who has informed you that the 3D was not planned from the start?
That kind of engineering – which uses a chip – isn’t just “tacked on”.
The trace-ways of a board (as well as the chips themselves) effect heat, crosstalk, all kinds of things.
You don’t just “tack it on”.
And there is no indication the stylus was just tacked on either.
It’s pressure sensitivity is some really novel and basic engineering.
Very clever.
When we saw the device at CES in January there was no 3D display.
But that’s not the point. I think you’re taking the phrase “tacked on” to mean appended after the fact. What I meant was that the tablet has more features than most, including a stylus and 3D display. This will probably driver up the production costs and the final price… and it isn’t really clear if there’s enough demand for this type if device… or 7 inch Android tablets at all, to make it worth the expense.
Fair enough about the 3D I suppose.
But I still say it requires some fundamental engineering to be reworked on the device. They may have not disclosed the potential 3D to the public at CES but I would bet it was already in the works.
I don’t work or know anyone that works at Asus.
And I’ve no idea what their reasons might be to release or not release this or that, or under what schedule.
But there have not been a lot of android 7″ tablets in the market.
The most prominent is certainly the HTC Flyer – which shared stylus input.
It was very well received and HTC has stated they have been happy with sales as of a couple months ago.
Too bad, out of the new offerings it was the most interesting to me, with a form factor and functionality that would have been a better compromise for mobile users.
Second that. I too were waiting patiently for it but 2012 seems too long