One of the most anticipated tablets of 2011 is Research In Motion's BlackBerry PlayBook, just don't expect it to be the iPad killer anti-iOS fans have been waiting for, at least not at launch. A leaked internal document making the rounds reveals that the PlayBook with ship with several key features missing, including support for email, contacts, and messaging. To use them, you'll need to link up with a BlackBerry smartphone, or use a Web browser.
For a short while on Thursday, Best Buy listed Asus' upcoming Eee Pad Transformer on its website, saying that the tablet was "coming soon." Even better, Best Buy listed the price at a penny shy of $400, which many would consider a steal. Could this be the reason Best Buy pulled the listing, or will the Eee Pad Transformer really sell for less than a fist full of Benjamins?
One of the downsides to Apple's Smart Cover for the iPad 2 is that it does nothing to protect the back of the tablet. That'll never do if you're clumsy or otherwise prone to scuffing up the back of your digital gadgets. This is where the third-party peripheral market comes into play, and a company called HandStand just released a rotating iPad 2 case that will have you singing Flo Rida's catchy "Right Round" as you spin your tablet, well, right round.
Pretty much the entire consumer electronics industry is infatuated with tablet PCs, an emerging market sparked by Apple's first generation iPad, which has since been replaced with the iPad 2. Now everyone wants in on the action, making the current scene very much reminiscent of the netbook craze that preceded tablets. But are tablets just a fad?
It doesn't appear Apple is having any trouble moving iPad tablets. The recently released iPad 2 sold out almost as soon as it went on sale, and there's now a waiting period if you place an order with Apple. Be that as it may, a senior Dell executive says the iPad has no place in the enterprise because of its high price, at least when you toss in the necessary peripherals, and that Android will lead eventually lead the way.
A few days ago we treated PC purists to a Acer has finally and formally pulled the lid off of its unique Windows 7 dual-screen tablet. The Iconia-6120 Touchbook, which sports an Intel Core i5 CPU, 640GB drive, HDMI out, USB 3.0, and twin 14-inch LCDs made of Gorilla Glass, will cost $1,200 in both Canada and the United States and will be available in April. The Iconia-6120 is available for pre-sale now at major retailers.
Here's a treat for you PC purists that, come hell or high water, you wouldn't be caught dead with an Apple device. If you fall into that camp, the only thing to do with an Apple product, should one land in your hands, is destroy it. That's what an online tax firm did, and you can watch in ultra slow motion a white bezel iPad 2 tablet being obliterated by a shotgun blast. Video after the jump.
Asus is calling its new Eee Pad Transformer "an innovative tablet with an expandable keyboard dock," but could this also be the netbook evolved? A physical keyboard isn't something that comes with any other major tablet, however it sits front and center on the Eee Pad Transformer, when you want it to. When you don't, simply detach the head and you're rocking a portable tablet PC with up to 9.5 hours of battery life (up to 16 hours with the dock).
Google became an open source champion of sorts when it introduced its Android platform to the world. The search giant then took it a step further by mostly turning a blind eye to third party developers who saw fit to hack the OS and build their own custom ROMs. Now we're hearing that Google is restricting access to Android 3.0 (Honeycomb), shunning developers who don't have a special agreement in place to build tablets around Honeycomb. The ones that get the nod are mostly large corporations, like Motorola. What gives?
