Tag Archives: apple ipad

by Ian | June 7, 2010 · 12:12 pm

Android tablets on show by Foxconn, Hardkernel

Two 10.1-inch touchscreen tablet designs that run Google’s mobile Android software are on display at the Computex electronics show in Taipei, one from Foxconn Technology and the other by Hardkernel.

The tablet from Foxconn is a reference design made to show vendors what kind of tablets could be put into production quickly, and uses Nvidia’s Tegra chipset inside. Few details about the reference design were available. Foxconn is the trade name of Hon Hai Precision Industry, the world’s largest contract manufacturer of electronic devices.

The other tablet is a product from South Korea’s Hardkernel named the Odroid-T, and uses a Samsung Electronics’ S5PC110 1GHz chipset. The devices includes external GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0, USB 2.0, a Micro-SD slot, standard SHCH slot and more. The company’s Web site says it will be available in June, but does not list a price.

Both devices used Android version 2.1 and the Hardkernel model ran more smoothly. The company appears to have tweaked the Android software to run better on tablets. Android was designed by Google for smartphones.

The chipsets on both devices were both designed for high definition and 3D video, which companies believe will be important for the tablet market because people will watch a lot of video on the devices.

Over a dozen tablets designed to compete with Apple’s iPad are on display at Computex this week, mainly with Android or Windows 7 software.

Mobile Devices, Social Networking and Facebook’s Privacy Snafu

When I read that Apple iPad reaches 1 million sales faster than the iPhone, I guess the world is more than ready for mobile devices. You may know that tablet computing is not exactly a new technology. Microsoft have tried in the past and failed, but somehow the people at Apple has got it right.

Besides the technology and design of the iPad could factors such as the emergence on social networks have an influence to make it a winning formula? Or could saving the environment and convenience that it provide has something to do with it? I sure would love to read my ebooks and newspapers on the iPad if I have the choice. It is a lot easier than flipping through the morning papers in the subway without hitting someone in the face.

Because iPhone screen may not be big enough and it may not always be convenient to boot up a notebook (I know I have been in that situation many times), mobile device like this can make it easier to be constantly connected to catch up with the most up-to-date news in Twitter or Facebook. The latest stock market news or development of the oil spill, because BP turns to Twitter and Facebook, are literally at your fingertips. All these while chatting with friends on Facebook or running through emails.

Talking about Facebook, their privacy issue may still need more tweaking especially when it exposed users chats briefly. You can read about it more at Facebook privacy snafu exposed users chats.