In the hyper-frenzy surrounding Apple’s release of the iPad, it’s easy to forget that Cupertino’s little brainchild actually has rather serious problems, among them the inability (corporate unwillingness, really) to support Flash content, no video output, lousy memory capacity, and no USB connection. Undeniable, however, are two things: the tablet PC represents an inevitable trajectory in the marketplace, and there are actually a number of very interesting alternatives to the iPad; most (we’d suggest all) of which have had their marketing campaigns under-reported by the press, who, in their “get it first, do it cheap, stay on message, avoid complexities” weltanschauung, have done a spectacularly lousy job of reporting what’s really out there if you’re interested in a flat computer.
Let the healing begin.
1- Adam by Notion Ink
Scheduled for a June release, the 10.1-inch-screen Adam has a battery life reported to be twice as long as the iPad, will output video at the high-definition 1080p standard, and will definitely run Flash. The company has also initiated a $1 million app creation contest to encourage software tinkerers to come up with interesting titles. Price is unknown at this point, though we would guess something in the $399 range. HYPERLINK "http://www.notionink.com"
2- Dash by Sony
Released in April, the Dash is described as a “personal Internet device,” though it actually has more capabilities than that phrase would suggest. It will play video and music as well as surf the web, runs flash, has 1,000 free app options, and bridges the divide between full tablet PC and iPod Touch rather nicely. At $199, it also represents a very low buy-in price for those interested in diving into the tablet world.
www.sony.com
3- JooJoo by Fusion Garage
This sizable (12.1-inch screen) tablet actually was released more than a month before the iPad, and boasts some impressive capabilities: full Flash compatibility, a very quick 1.6 GHz Atom processor, and its own app store. Though capable of high-definition video, it has no output, and a disappointing 4GB memory capacity, but look for this upstart company to be a comer in the coming year. $499.
www.thejoojoo.com
4- Archos 9 Tablet PC by Archos
Powered by a 1.2 GHz Atom processor, this 22-ounce tablet features either a 60GB or 120GB hard drive, a web cam, 9-inch touch screen, an analog TV tuner to catch broadcast TV stations, a USB connection, and high-definition video capability and output. By far the most diversely-outfitted tablet we’ve seen so far, though we are going to have to wait until September to get a hold of it. Our guess at a price is $699.
