Category: Tablets

Archos at the Shenzhen Electronics Fair


Archos Technology (Shenzhen) Co Ltd has a big booth in the middle of the Shenzhen Electronics Fair, there is a lot of interest for Archos and Arnova products in the Chinese market and developing countries. They have of course invited me to their Shenzhen offices tomorrow where I will try to film some awesome behind the scenes videos for you showing how Archos makes things happen here in Shenzhen, I’ll try to film at their factories if possible.

Sunshing06.com ARM11 PCB for $40 in Shenzhen


Sunshing06.com is designing these PCBA ARM Powered motherboards for tablets, set-top-box and other devices. The motherboard with the 1Ghz ARM11 processor is just $40. It supports 1080p at up to 30mbitps. Add to that a touch screen, battery and you’ve got a tablet. Or add some the connectors and you’ve got a set-top-box!

Honeycomb source code and CDD delayed

Posted by – March 24, 2011

Businessweek reports that Google has decided to delay Honeycomb source code release.

The search giant says the software, which is tailored specifically for tablet computers that compete against Apple’s iPad, is not yet ready to be altered by outside programmers and customized for other devices, such as phones.

“To make our schedule to ship the tablet, we made some design tradeoffs,” says Andy Rubin, vice-president for engineering at Google and head of its Android group. “We didn’t want to think about what it would take for the same software to run on phones. It would have required a lot of additional resources and extended our schedule beyond what we thought was reasonable. So we took a shortcut.”

Rubin says that if Google were to open-source the Honeycomb code now, as it has with other versions of Android at similar periods in their development, it couldn’t prevent developers from putting the software on phones “and creating a really bad user experience. We have no idea if it will even work on phones.”

Here is my opinion on this:

As long as Google releases the full Honeycomb source code within a month or so from now, and hurry up to confirm (even sooner) that the updated Compliance Definition Document for Honeycomb will open up to allow many more smaller manufacturers (such as Archos, Rockchip, Telechips, ARM11 and many other small tablet makers) access to the full Google Marketplace (that can provide filtering), then all will be good.

My expectation is that Google is working to make sure their Honeycomb source code release supports all types of hardware, not only including cheaper ARM Cortex-A8, ARM9, ARM11 tablets, but also optimize things for Laptop use (see Asus Transformer, how awesome would Honeycomb be on devices like Toshiba AC100!), and also they might try to coordinate the Honeycomb source code release with the first open source release of Google TV thus making all those devices Set-top-box ready when HDMI output is used on any HDTV.

One can expect Google to synchronize full open source release of Honeycomb, Google TV and Chrome OS by the Google I/O conference coming up on 10-11th May or before.

What is your opinion on Google’s Honeycomb source code and updated CDD release delay? You can write in the comments.

NetbookNews.com: iPad2 smart cover not so smart afterall

Posted by – March 21, 2011
Category: Tablets

After just a week of use, Sasha Pallenberg of NetbookNews.com is reporting on how dirty, scratchy the Apple Smart Cover really is in real use, and it seems it doesn’t protect the display but that it makes big marks on it instead. After antennagate, after verizon-antennagate 2, this could be the beginning of smartcovergate.

This video was posted at: http://www.netbooknews.com/22124/apple-ipad-2-smart-cover-protection-not-at-all/

Archos Gen9 tablets, 1.6Ghz Dual-core, 3G, to be announced in June

Posted by – March 18, 2011

Archos just announced that their revenues are up 44% for 2010 sales compared to 2009 sales, to $118 Million in yearly sales. They also managed to increase their profit margins from 13.5% to 23.3%. In terms of actual profits after R&D, Marketing and other expenses, Archos is about break-even. Archos plans to more than double its revenues and profits in 2011, grabbing about 5% of the worldwide tablet market share expected in 2011 (they captured 22% market share in France for November-December 2010, behind iPad 67% but infront of Samsung 4%, so it should be doable even as tablet competition strongly increases). They plan to do that among other by launching Generation 9 in June (at least show it for the first time), that’s only 3 months from now!

Here are the first few details as reported by bestofmicro.com from what they heard at Archos investors meeting today about the Gen9 tablets (what’s in bold is from the report, the rest of following text are my added speculations and guessing):

ARM Cortex-A9 Dual-core 1.6Ghz, it’s the fastest processor in a tablet ever unveiled thus far. I expect this to be a customized Texas Instruments OMAP4440, but that is only because I guess Archos will continue their long time partnership with TI that they’ve had for over 10 years now.

New innovative 3G modem. Yup, we’re getting 3G (at least as an option). What kind of 3G? How they implement it? I dunno, it seems they have a new special way of doing it? I hope they do it with some kind of modem module that can be added or swaped, thus making the tablet compatible with all types of cellular networks current and future and making production and distribution easy, anyone think it could be a module? Somehow allowing for space for a standard USB 3G modem on an “internal” USB host could also be a very innovative way to simply add 3G to the devices, the back of the device could “simply” have some space available to insert any standard compact 3G modem such as the Huawei or ZTE 3G usb dongles that anyone can buy everywhere for as little as $20 unlocked.

6 sizes from 5″ to 10″. That’s the sizes it seems they are aiming at. It might mean Archos noticed their 7″ and 10″ Gen8 were much more popular and in demand than the smaller sizes, and it might mean Archos is realizing a tablet has to be at least 5″, perhaps they leave the smaller sizes to the Arnova line? I expect/hope all are capacitive, even the 5″ one. Likely sizes are 5″, 7″, 10.1″, other possible sizes (since there are 6 sizes planned), 9.7″ 4:3 aspect ratio, 5.8″, 8.9″, 8″ 4:3 aspect ratio. I also hope Archos and Pixel Qi can synchronize release schedules so Archos can provide Pixel Qi matte capacitive screen option on all these sizes, at least as an option. Would you pay $50/$100 extra for Pixel Qi if Pixel Qi is not yet fully mass produced? One can hope Pixel Qi is fully mass produced in time, and that somehow Archos sees the opportunity in using it accross the line, thus making Gen9 ready for productivity, ready for real reading, ready for outdoor use, ready for use in professional and study situations, ready for serious collaboration on text annotations, ready to be Kindle-killer and iPad-killer all at the same time.

All are Android, obviously it has to be Honeycomb (source code for Honeycomb has yet to be released in the open by Google, it should be done any day now), can Google finally open up Android and allow value Archos tablets the full Google Marketplace access? I would expect so, that could hopefully allow Archos to be certified. (this is totally up to Google is my guess)

Archos says they continue to focus on aiming for the medium range pricing. My guess is it likely stays below $300, but if they do 3G, Pixel Qi and if they are first out with OMAP4440, who knows, perhaps the price might sneak up to something below $400. Archos CEO is planning all this based on offering the best possible value they can, my guess is that they aim to stay below $300 for the basic models.

They continue to make hard drive versions. Reason being hard drives provide much more storage at much lower cost. My expectation is at least some of the 6 sizes will have hard drive options. Capacity can depend on how thick they can accept that hard drive to be, cause 2.5″ hard drives can go up to 1TB as far as I know, but those are probably too fat. So 250GB for sure, 320GB and 500GB again maybe, if the 320GB or/and 500GB are available in super slim mode.

Well that’s all they have teased for us for now. What other features are you hoping Archos is preparing for us in the Gen9 tablets? write in the comments. You can also comment in the forum: http://forum.archosfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=43708&p=337531#p337531

Sources: http://www.archos.com/corporate/investors/financial_doc/ARCHOS_2010_Results_en.pdf, http://www.bestofmicro.com/actualite/28876-Tablette-Android.html

QNX talks about the Blackberry Tablet OS on Playbook

Posted by – March 4, 2011

QNX has been working with RIM for quite some time now to enable full multi-process hardware acceleration. QNX Neutrino OS enables deep hardware and software integration, there has been a collaboration between Texas Instruments, QNX and RIM to make this work. QNX has had SMP utilization since 1997, they were enabling dual discreet parts back then. QNX is used to scaling. The ARM Cortex-A9 Dual-core, Quad-core and further processors will enable QNX to deploy their value on the market.

Mentor Graphics UI tools free for i.MX51/53 customers


Mentor Graphics provides 3D UI tools on top of Android, customers who use the Freescale i.MX51 or i.MX53 can get access to these tools from Menthor Graphics for free.

Hard Kernel presents Samsung Exynos 4210 ARM Cortex-A9 1Ghz Dual-core in 10.1″ capacitive tablet

Posted by – March 3, 2011

Here is Hard Kernel’s new Exynos based development kit tablet device. Hard Kernel is a company based in South Korea working very hard with Samsung’s kernel to create reference development kits for developers to develop software for Samsung’s processors. This is Hard Kernel’s newest awesome looking Exynos based 10.1″ tablet form factor device. Find more informations at: http://hardkernel.com/

Specs:
Processor: Samsung Exynos 1Ghz ARM Cortex-A9 Dual-core
Graphics: Mali-400
RAM: 1GB
Flash Storage: 8GB
Screen: 1366×768 10.1″ capacitive
WiFi: WiFi-b/g/n (Broadcom BCM4329)
Bluetooth: 2.1 EDR
GPS: Built-in AGPS with 3G receiver
Video support: HDMI 1080p (codecs limitations bitrates etc to be tested)
USB: USB 2.0 Host
Cellular: HSPA+ (ST Ericsson, up to 21 Mbps download, 5.7 Mbps upload)
Battery: 9000mAh
Sensors: Gyroscope, 3-axis accelerometer, electronic compass
Availability: Available from end of March
Price: $750

MSI WindPad 100A Tegra2 10.1″ Android Tablet

Posted by – March 3, 2011

MSI Is finally about to get ready with their MSI Wind Pad tablet, here they are showing a pretty finalized looking version of their upcoming Tegra2 tablet, to have Honeycomb, it will be sold at retail for about $399. They also showcase some interesting designs using a picto projector, dual-tablets and a frame.

Pierre Cardin Tegra2 9.7″ Android Tablet

Posted by – March 3, 2011

Pierre Cardin brings a new 9.7″ capacitive Nvidia Tegra2 based tablet to the market. Bulk price may be something like $340. They also have a cool priced $145 7″ capacitive Samsung Hummingbird ARM Cortex-A8 based tablet. They say Android Honeycomb 3.0 will be available on these from the beginning of April.

ARM Powered Tablets by Shuttle (soon laptops/desktops?)

Posted by – March 2, 2011

Shuttle is one of the major compact motherboard makers, they are now moving a lot of their ressources into making ARM Powered solutions, some may be branded by Shuttle, other might be ODM, based on ARM Processors by Texas Instruments, Nvidia and VIA Wondermedia.

HTC Flyer, I test the stylus

Posted by – March 2, 2011

This is HTC’s first Android tablet, it uses the second generation Qualcomm Snapdragon 8255 at 1.5Ghz, and comes with some special capacitive stylus system. I try it out in this video and try to understand how HTC is planning to integrate that kind of feature.

Skytex develops i.MX53 tablets

Posted by – March 2, 2011

Skytex is working on getting more performance in their low cost tablets, using Freescale’s new 1.2Ghz i.MX53 with better video and graphics, the Telechips 8803 ARM Cortex-A8 and the new VIA Wondermedia ARM9 with a better DSP.

Kinstone $95 7″ ARM Cortex-A9 AmLogic (single core) Tablet

Posted by – March 2, 2011

Available now. ARM Cortex-A9 Single-core AmLogic based 7″ tablet 800mhz performance for below $95 in bulk.

Mobile Tech shows Telechips 8803 ARM Cortex-A8 in new tablets

Posted by – March 2, 2011

Telechips is ready with their ARM Cortex-A8 and is set to be implemented in a new bunch of affordable and yet more powerful Android devices. Cool!

Hanvon HPad A116 7″ capacitive Android Tablet

Posted by – March 2, 2011

Hanvon is the leading e-ink e-reader maker in the Chinese market with 70% market share, now they are also moving into making Android tablets. This one has a Samsung Hummingbird 1Ghz ARM Cortex-A8 processor, 512MB RAM, 7″ capacitive screen, and Hanvon has designed some custom home replacement user interface.

x86 vs ARM for Tablets, hahaha

Posted by – March 2, 2011

This is what I found at a booth at CeBIT:

Shenzhen AUDE Technology Co Ltd is showing their tablets at CeBIT 2011, the Freescale i.MX51 ARM Cortex-A8 based tablet is 0.4Kg can retail at below $200 while the x86 one is 0.9Kg and could retail for above $400.

Gigabyte Tegra2 Tablet GN-TB100

Posted by – March 2, 2011

This is a 10.1″ 1280×800 capacitive new Tegra2 tablet made by Gigabyte. This is not a final design, they’ll tweak and improve the design before mass production to be selling this by July this year around there.

Telstar Android Tablets

Posted by – March 2, 2011

The MID Q7128 is Qualcomm MSM7227 ARM11 based, and even cheaper is the Freescale i.MX51 ARM Cortex-A8 based tablet, both in the same design.


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Nintendo 3DS is awesome!

Posted by – March 1, 2011

My first time playing with the Nintendo 3DS! This is going to popularize non glasses 3D screen for the first time! The 3D experience is actually awesome, it’s impressive, it works! I just wish Nintendo would install Android Honeycomb on this device and do something like the Playstation Suite, provide all their games legally to the Android platform. They should also make a 3G/LTE-enabled modem add-on for the 3DS to allow for online gaming outside of WiFi hotspots, and they should do a games subscription model, $10/month to access all the games as downloads, including new level upgrades and online gaming for all games.