Freescale's Tablet Reference Design Looks Good at $200
Freescale's Tablet Reference Design Looks Good at $200
Posted 01/04/2010 at 10:55am
| by Paul Lilly
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While the world waits for Apple to release its iSlate or i-whatever, Freescale has tossed its hat into into the tablet ring by developing a 7-inch tablet reference design. And guess what? It's only $199.
The final price could end up being higher, and who knows how much OEMs will jack up the price tag once they put their own spin on the reference design. But even at $250, the device looks promising.
Freescale's base configuration consists of an ARM processor, 7-inch resistive touchscreen display, 512MB of RAM, 4-64GB of internal memory, removable microSD slot, optional 3G modem, 801.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, GPS, USB, audio ports, SIM card, speaker, microphone, 3MP webcam, 1900mAh battery, accelerometer, and light sensor.
On the software front, the tablet comes with a customized Debian Linux distro, leaving the door open to install Linux apps.
According to Freescale, the design opens the door for companies to bring a tablet to market in as little as 6 months.
Image Credit: Freescale via Gizmodo
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thematejka
January 04, 2010 at 1:24pm
regardless of whether it's multi tasking or single use, I want a tablet badly, and this looks promising. At $200 or $250, I'm totally sold as long as the battery life is good and is not pokey and slow.
etsugua
January 04, 2010 at 12:39pm
Seems to me that with the release of these tablets the days of kindle and other e-book readers are numbered. I just don't see the point of the single use devices like the Kindle even with the fancy wierd screens. If a tablet can display decent text as well as video and play hulu or netflix and sell for only $250 then i'm sold! I have a humble Nokia n800 internet tablet and it does most of those things well on it's smallish 4" screen. A larger screen and more processing power can only be a good thing in my book.
That said, i would prefer an open-source Freescale over a proprietary Apple even though i'm sure the Apple's will be way cool.
nekollx
January 04, 2010 at 12:49pm
Will it got a week before recharging? Or even a few days? Will it be thinner then a issue of MaximumPC or closer to that of Lord of the Rings combined trilogy? The Ebook is popular beacse its small, light, and last forever.
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
etsugua
January 04, 2010 at 1:13pm
A multi-use device can rarely compete with a dedicated device. And the battery will never last as long on a tablet compared to an e-reader (that fancy wierd screen comes through in that department). Butcan the tablet be as thin and light? I definitely think so. Heck, I was even concidering buying a Nook for myself (it was sold out) but now I think I might wait and see - battery life is not as important to me :-)
nekollx
January 04, 2010 at 1:28pm
you're smart, not the sloveny masses, remember these are the people enbracing the Snuggie when the Slanket came first by years (Hugs my green Slanket)
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
etsugua
January 04, 2010 at 2:03pm
LOL! If i had gotten the Nook it would definitely have been a spontaneous impulsive christmas-frenzy purchase. I remember the Nook feeling sluggish - I'm playing with my co-workers Kindle and it feels downright snappy by comparison.
but will it be as snappy as the Apple tablet -- the Newton 3?
or am I the only one here old enough to remember the Newton?
ascendant
January 04, 2010 at 6:51pm
Used to have a Newton. It broke though, and since they had stopped making it at the time I was forced to get the Palm IIIc.
festiva_man
January 04, 2010 at 12:21pm
Right now they have an article that says Apple MAY unveil a tablet. It is going to rock the computer world apparently.
nekollx
January 04, 2010 at 12:51pm
So you heard about the Tablet from Apple, it's a table i hear, made by Apple. It has already changed the world before it was produced! Such is the power of Apple.
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
SuperiorBeing
January 04, 2010 at 11:58am
Every time I see these things, I feel so stupid for dumping $500 on my Archos 5.
Danielt876
January 04, 2010 at 11:19am
Looks like someone needs to read the specs section over again. "512MB of $AM" "801.11b/g/n Wi=Fi" "SIM car"
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