Any viable iPad competitors out there?

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by wheatfree

I think it's still a year off until we see real competition for the ipad. I bought a Pandigital Novel a few months ago and hacked it into a full android tablet with google market and all the apps I can install. It works for me, but I know that's not for everyone, and it's still lacking in some major ways.

I think flash is the ipad killer, and until we get tablets that can support flash out of the box, with full market integration, the ipad wins -- no matter how much it costs. I'll be trading up when we get there, but until then, I can't see paying $400 for something that may, one day in the future, do everything I want if I hack it into submission.

For my specific needs, Samsung Galaxy Tab already is very close to being an iPad "killer". Actually, I haven't touched my iPad for maybe 2 months now.
From the hardware specs, Galaxy Tab already would be more than adequate. Android 2.2 gives a glimpse of the potential, but isn't quite there yet. It's way more fun to toy around than iOS. Or, to be more precise, you CAN toy around, whereas iPad doesn't leave much room for experiments. But: Stability!
I can't remember iPad ever crashing on me. My Android tablets, Dell Streak and Samsung Galaxy Tab, do it constantly. Maybe 2 times every single day.
Some might say: "I prefer Androids sometimes crashing on some flash enabled websites to iPad, which doesn't do anything at all with flash". But most probably prefer reliability over featureset.
As many have said before: iPad doesn't do much. But it excels in what it does.
Still: I guess, in 6 months the tablet market will be as fragmented as the mobile phone market.
Or maybe (just maybe) Notion Ink's ADAM will solve all our problems...

[=X=]

Originally Posted by wheatfree

I think it's still a year off until we see real competition for the ipad. I bought a Pandigital Novel a few months ago and hacked it into a full android tablet with google market and all the apps I can install. It works for me, but I know that's not for everyone, and it's still lacking in some major ways.

It's closer than that, There are a lot of really good tablets slated by the First Quarter of next year. So I expect them to hit on the 2nd Q.
The next version of Samsung Tab slated for Q1 of next year will have Super AMOLED screen and a Tegra2 chip.

Originally Posted by wheatfree

I think flash is the ipad killer, and until we get tablets that can support flash out of the box, with full market integration, the ipad wins -- no matter how much it costs. I'll be trading up when we get there, but until then, I can't see paying $400 for something that may, one day in the future, do everything I want if I hack it into submission.

The Samsung Tab does Flash out of the box and has full market integration... so does that make it an iPad killer?


=X=

[Logseman]

I can't see paying $400 for something that may, one day in the future, do everything I want if I hack it into submission.

The Samsung Galaxy S has horrible lag problems which require hacks to make it really useable, yet people don't mind shelling out their good cash to get it, since it's sold millions of units already. I am one of its buyers though I admit I didn't know about the lag issue.

[koadic]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

Or maybe (just maybe) Notion Ink's ADAM will solve all our problems...

I personally am waiting for the NotionInk Adam Tablet (www.notionink.com). Preorders are going to be available here really soon...

10.1" 16:9 LCD w/ Optional Pixel Qi screen (sunlight readable)
1 GHz dual core Tegra 2
1GB Ram
1GB Rom
8GB onboard storage
B/G/N Wifi and optional 3G
Android 2.2 (releasing with 2.3 has been hinted at)
... (read the rest at the website)

Should be less than $500 fully loaded (Pixel Qi/3G), but the only prices I have seen are on the Wordpress blog (http://notionink.wordpress.com/)... possilby $399 for LCD/WiFi (+$50 each for PQi and 3G)

[ivanjt]

There is the best of both worlds - the enTourage eDGe with both e-ink and an LCD screens and it is available now unlike the vapour ware Adam.

[koadic]

Originally Posted by ivanjt

There is the best of both worlds - the enTourage eDGe with both e-ink and an LCD screens and it is available now unlike the vapour ware Adam.

Personally, I think that thing looks ugly as sin, and weighing in at 3lbs (non-Pocket version) with battery life of only 11 hours on eInk OR 6 hours on the LCD? No thanks. To each their own though.

As for vaporware... while it was delayed due to financial backing, they actually have a product submitted to the FCC for certification and are opening up pre-order's today at 1:30pm EST (for those inclined to early adoption) for those who followed and commented on their blogs prior to the Dec 4th post, and then 6 hours later for everyone else. As for pricing...

Originally Posted by NotionInk Blog

Earlier we told you that the first version will start at $399. But now the LCD Wi-Fi version will start at $375.33 and 3G version at $425.33. Transflective version (Pixel Qi) will start at $499.45 for Wi-Fi only and 3G variant at $549.99. (For specifications please see our website).

Anyway, I find the specs and reported battery life much more attractive compared to the eDGe, and if the Samsung Galaxy Tab had a larger screen and ability to be read in direct sunlight, I would be all over it (and not just for reading out doors, ever try looking anything up on a laptop in the passenger/back seat of a car in the middle of the day?) The next version with SAMOLED might be better, as I have a Samsung Epic Galaxy S phone to compare to what it might be like, but in full on direct sunlight, it still isn't great.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by koadic

...and if the Samsung Galaxy Tab had a larger screen and ability to be read in direct sunlight, I would be all over it (and not just for reading out doors, ever try looking anything up on a laptop in the passenger/back seat of a car in the middle of the day?) The next version with SAMOLED might be better, as I have a Samsung Epic Galaxy S phone to compare to what it might be like, but in full on direct sunlight, it still isn't great.

Thankfully, reading in direct sunlight is not something I'd ever do. Therefore, a backlit LCD tablet is perfectly acceptable for my needs.