As 2010 comes to an end we ask… Was it a good year in tech? And we answer… Nope Nope??? Nope! It was a great year in tech. That’s right. 2010 finally saw some of the key things we have been hoping for come to fruition. iPad Baby!! First and foremost 2010 gave us the iPad. The iPad wasn’t significant just because of what it did for Apple but because it finally showed that a tablet form factor can and…
If you have been following along here at Gear Diary you probably have seen Carly’s review of the NOOKColor. The NOOKColor was noted as Barnes and Noble number one seller for the holiday season and it’s pretty easy to understand why. I am not really an eBook user and don’t often find myself reading too many books, but what I do enjoy is pretty much anything Android and the hardware that it runs on. So far you’ve seen what the…
Last year it seemed like the hot new item was ebook readers. Everyone and their brother seemed to be offering one, but those projects quickly gave way to a veritable army of Android-based tablets after the iPad was released. Some of these are relatively generic tablets, but lately, we’ve seen a rash of tablet-esque devices designed around the reading experience. One of the newest (and most budget-conscious) of these devices is the E FUN NEXTBOOK tablet, a reading-oriented tablet with…
Archos has been experimenting with Android for a while now. Dan did not like the Archos 5 and from what I have read from across the internet that was universal. A friend of mine purchased a Archos 70 to use as an adjunct to his Sprint Hero since he still has a year on contract. I was able to play with it for a few minutes, and what follows are some of the impressions I got while using it….
My friend David just pointed me toward some of the best proof of just how deeply tablets have already penetrated. (Or should I say… TABLET… singular) Take a look at this shot form the New York Times homepage… see something funny? Yes, as David pointed out the text says TAP not CLICK. TAP as in on an iPad… TAP as in TAP using the Livescribe Paper Tablet. TAP as in… I don’t need no stinking mouse…
Image courtesy of Notion Ink Time after time our hearts have been broken by empty promises for a newer better tablet. We all know NOTHING has even come close to comparing to the mighty iPad in terms of tablets and slates. The Samsung Galaxy Tab recently was released, and it is probably the only tablet in existence that someone could even compare to Apple’s offering. But as an Android enthusiast I can agree its refinement (so far) has proven less…
I loved working on a Tablet PC. The ability to “ink” on one– that is, create digital ink by using a stylus to write or draw on the screen– made taking notes quick and easy. I don’t mind the trade-offs I had to make once I moved to the iPad since it is lighter, runs longer, is silent, never gets warm and… it is Apple, but every now and then I miss “inking”. Fortunately more and more iPad apps are…
Just about a year ago I reviewed the G-Pen-M609X from Genius, and I used it with my netbook. Yes, back then I was using a netbook, but then again, that was “BiP” … Before iPad. My conclusion was quite positive. I wrote Overall I have been impressed with the G-Pen M609. Used as a pen-enabled mouse/trackpad it allows me to sit back in my chair and browse on my iMac or my netbook. Used with any pain program it reminds…
In a recent interview Acer’s Chairman JT Wang predicted that the iPad’s near-100% market share in the tablet space would drop to between 20 and 30 percent. Now PC World has posted an article entitled “Five Reasons to Pick an HP Tablet Over an iPad”. So I thought I would add my voice into the mix and offer up Five Reasons They Should SHUT IT! No, actually I only need ONE! Neither Acer nor HP has actually released a device…
This has been a sore spot with me for some time. We keep hearing about these potentially wonderful Android tablets, and what ends up appearing is something underpowered, with a poor resolution screen and underwhelming built-in software. Augen’s tablet was the darling of the internet world for a few weeks, since it was cheap, being sold at KMart, and promised Google Marketplace! Of course, like all things that sound too good to be true, the Augen tablet didn’t live up…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89WAH5j9woI It’s almost too good to be true. After months and months of mediocre tablets with resistive touchscreens and underpowered processors running outdated versions of Android, Huawei is potentially stepping up and saving us all. Supposedly, the S7 will have a speedy 728mhz Snapdragon, Android 2.1 and (drumroll please) a CAPACITIVE TOUCHSCREEN!!! Finally, someone is releasing an Android tablet that will function as well as Android phones. Expansys will be selling them for around $345 in the USA, and while…
While in San Francisco, fellow attendees of the Netshelter Publisher’s Summit were treated to a reception hosted by Toshiba. One of the things I most liked was their display set up in the room, representative of laptop models past and present — including a few of the libretto line. I always wanted a libretto … But the fun really began when I was clandestinely pulled into a side room and given a chance to see two of their latest, including the libretto Concept PC with…
The new Camangi Webstation software is much, much better than it used to be. It is faster and definitely more stable (though it does have some issues with coma-mode if left unused for a long period.) Anyhow, I couldn’t let Judie, Dan, Larry and the other Gear Diary members with iPads have ALL the fun…so I decided to write this post entirely on the Camangi Webstation. I downloaded the WordPress app for Android, and I’m banging away nicely on a…
Image courtesy of laptopmag If you follow any kind a social networking than you probably heard already of the announcement of HP’s new slate. They have been teasing us with video snippets over the past few months after a quick preview at the Microsoft CES keynote. Engadget mysteriously happened to get their hands on some HP company documents just in time to take some of the fire out of Apple’s new iPad. Unfortunately, the specs would say otherwise. The slate…
If you have used a Camangi Webstation, you probably noticed one big issue: the default launcher is sloooooow. It’s also ugly as sin. Luckily, you are not stuck with it forever. Android supports multiple home replacement options, including my personal favorite, Home++. All you need to do is download the program file, or APK, and install it. Once it is installed, hit the home button and select Home++. If you like it, click the “set as default” option, and your…
At CES 2010, Steve Ballmer was showing off a variety of computers, including an HP Slate device. All that was said at the time was it would be available in 2010, and that it was an actual product. Read on for more information on the video.
(image courtesy of petitinvention) Welcome to the final State of the eBook for 2009! It has been a big year for eBooks, and I am going to do my best to cover a timeline of the high points, as well as a few things to look forward to in 2010. Rather than do a traditional timeline of events, I thought I’d break it down by the year in highlights per company/platform, and then a few predictions and news items to…
You can stop staring now. Sure, the UMID mbook Pink Edition is only a little bit larger than a Nintendo DS, but this dainty morsel is running full Windows XP! I am completely intrigued by the Handheld PC form factor, and I can’t help but be interested. Starting at $449 (including a storage pouch and 4GB microSD), you get five hours of “actual (not theoretical)” use for surfing, editing, emailing, chatting …whatever. This would be the a perfect complement to…
About a week ago I sent the Shift review unit back, so I figured it’s time to tie up my thoughts on this controversial device. Prior to receiving the Shift, I read several reviews of the device, and they all seemed to sing the same tune: it was too slow and too expensive. In my experience only one of these was the case. In the current market, with competition from low-cost ultra-portables like the ASUS Eee and the HP Mini…
I have been very lucky to get hold of a Shift for a couple of weeks, and figured I’d start with a first impressions article, written entirely on the Shift. I was very impressed by the packaging, very nicely presented like the Touch Cruise. The Shift came wrapped in its beautiful leather case, a really nice addition. Removing it from the case, I was immediately taken by it. It feels really solid in the hand, and looks like a quality…
I’ve been quite the busy little Windows Mobile bee over the last couple of days. Inspired by Aura Mae’s comment that she used the HTC Advantage as something of a computer replacement, I set out to see whether I could achieve the same. Any boy, was I blown away by the results! The Advantage’s 5inch screen (which is the same size as some UMPCs) and VGA resolution means you can cram more into the screen – especially when you use…
