We’ve been hearing a lot about Android, Windows, Linux, and WebOS tablets over the last few months as everybody and their kid brother prepares to take on the Apple iPad. But it’s hard to keep them all straight, with some models like the Archos 9, Camangi WebStation, and Augen GenTouch78 already available and others such as the HP PalmPad and RIM BlackPad still in the rumor-and-speculation stage.
Fortunately Technologizer has taken the time to tally up 32 tablets. Some are most definitely real, while others are possibly just figments of our collective imagination.
But here’s what they all have in common at this point. They’re small (5 to 10 inch) tablet-style devices with touchscreen displays and no physical keyboards. And they’re not built by Apple.
Which tablets are you looking forward to most?
Update: As my colleague Chippy points out, you can also find an enormous list of existing and upcoming tablets at UMPC Portal.
All Apple must do is add the camera’s so we can use skype, take pictures, etc. Why in the world this thing has the slot for the camera but doesn’t have a camera just doesn’t make sense. with a camera I would trade in my lap top.
I can tell that this is going to be a re-hash of the “which smartphone is best” arguments, potentially minus the “who has best coverage” part for the ones without 3G/4G modems.
Given that caveat, I’m personally most excited about a WebOS tablet. On the Pre and Pixi, it already has true multitasking with non-intrusive app notifications, making it a better platform than the iPhone OS. Furthermore, it has the paradox that, by not being a fully “open” platform, it manages to be more “open” in practice. Android, being fully open source, allows manufacturers to lock down the system, restricting the user’s ability to actually use the device. Palm has been more generous with WebOS, to the point where I have a genuine linux shell on my Palm Pre. Of course, I’m at the mercy of Palm – but their acknowledgment of Apple as #1 in market share means that they’re doing all they can to encourage adoption, including providing support to a vibrant home-brew community.
I have a friend who has stopped carrying around his MacBook, choosing instead to use only his iPad. I’ve seen him type on it with very reasonable speed, and actually get things done. I’m sold on the concept of a tablet as a viable computing device for casual use. BUT – I’m going to wait for the OS that, in my personal opinion, will deliver the best overall experience.
I can’t resist this….I mean, if you want to start a list, do it properly. 😉
Here’s at least 100 tablets
https://bit.ly/tons-of-tablets
Chippy
Can I request to add a price range column to your list?
That was one of the first things I asked for when I teamed up with Chippy on the netbook database a few years ago. But he brought up a good point which seems even more relevant as time passes — it’s incredibly difficult to keep prices up to date. They vary from day to day, from region to region, and definitely over time.
While we could probably put a column for price-at-launch, it still doesn’t help with comparisons, because you might be looking at a tablet or netbook that’s been out for 2 years and comparing its old price to that of a new model released this week, when the old model might cost half as much today.
I’ve wanted a tablet companion computer since I was at least 10 (I think it was either in Mirage Studio’s Gizmo or Fugitoid that used tablets, predating ST:TNG). I was an early Palm adopter, but I knew it was imperfect, reading on it was a chore for any length of time, and it was slow. (That said, the TX would have been perfect for me if had a 10″ screen.)
I’ve been relatively unimpressed by netbooks, other than their convenience (I bought a refurbed Dell 9 when I was biking to work), but I’m ready for a tablet. I really enjoyed trying out the iPad, but I held off on buying one of my own because I expect a better, cheaper revision next year. I don’t expect to buy a Windows 7 tablet, because from the demos I’ve seen thus far, 7’s port to tabletdom seems kludgey.
If Android 2.2 is as good as iOS4, then I might very well buy an Android tablet. I’ve had really good experiences using Apple products (although I don’t own an iPhone), so I worry that buying an Android tablet may lead to goofy workarounds and compatibility issues that make my Linux netbook usage less than seamless. At this point, I just want something that works well. I’ll hold out to see what Apple has in store for the next iPad, but I may jump into an Android tablet if someone makes something that works seamlessly AND lets me plug in SD card into it, if need be.
Pretty uninspiring lineup if you ask me. Unless you have a smartphone (I don’t) the way I see it, there’s room in the market for a pocketable tablet to take with you anywhere and a larger tablet (like the iPad) for use around the house when a laptop or desktop is just too big or slow to boot up. Windows on a tablet doesn’t cut it because the UI is not designed for touch or use with a finger so I rule out all tablets running Windows. They also have the problem of long boot up times and greater power consumption than an iPad or Android tablet. Seven inch tablets are an interesting breed, too big to be pocketable and generally have too low a resolution (800×480) to provide a nice web experience like the iPad does. I consider getting a 7 inch tablet but I question how practical these devices are. I already have a 5 inch device (Archos 5IT) but find that I would like something larger (like the iPad) for use around the house. Trouble is, nothing like the iPad exists yet in the Android world. I want an iPad-like device but I don’t want an iPad. That is my problem, I’ve got the money to spend but nothing to spend it on and I’ve got to wait until 2011 before the few large screen Android devices hit the market. Who knows how well they’ll compare to the iPad?