Since the introduction of the iPod in 2001, new Apple products have always generated a great amount of buzz, even if their products don’t incorporate new technology per se. The iPad is no different. Tablets and e-Readers have been around, but the iPad gets the most people talking.
As you know, Apple is hardly the only company designing and producing tablets. Below are some of the alternatives that we can expect to see in the marketplace soon.
1) The HP Courier Tablet, unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, this is one of several Microsoft-based tablets. The Courier is a partner between Microsoft and HP and runs Windows 7. Sized almost like an iPad, the Courier actually started as an e-Reader, but was modified later based on user feedback that a medium with greater depth in media content was required.
2) Asus Eee Tablet is mainly credited with kicking off the netbook revolution. They recently unveiled a prototype tablet with a 9-inch screen called the Eee Tablet, which will likely run on Google’s Android OS.
3) Another tablet with Android OS, MSI unveiled their prototype with a 10-inch screen. It runs on Tegra 2 chips and for a tablet that’s a bit heavier, its screen is quick and responsive.
4) One of the larger options is the Vega tablet from a Seattle start-up called Innovative Converged Devices (ICD). The screen is large –15.6 inches, with an Android OS, and has already made a deal with T-Mobile UK to launch before 2010 is over.
5) Anther tablet making use the Android OS, the Adam tablet from Notion Ink features a 10-inch screen and a pixel technology (Pixel Qi) that allows it to be read in direct sunlight.
6) Somewhere in the middle of the pack is Compal‘s 7-inch tablet. Also featuring Tegra 2 processors and Android OS, it is able to play back 1080p videos smoothly with a good battery life.
Tablets generally fill the narrow market gap that has more functions than a smartphone but more portable and media-oriented than a netbook. Although Apple’s iPad and related App store will no doubt shake up this market, there will be many options coming in the next year.
