Items tagged with slate
If you like the idea of using a stylus with your mobile device, then you probably prefer the precision and additional functionality over the convenience of a fingertip. That, or you've picked up a brand-new HP Pro Slate 8, a tablet targeted at working professionals that includes a rather useful and unique accessory dubbed the "Duet Pen" that enables some pretty interesting features. In the HP Pro Slate 8's case, you can still poke its 7.9-inch screen all you want with a finger. The stylus, an accessory that ships with the $470 tablet, isn't an absolute necessity. You don't need it for everyday use but it's definitely a nice feature add. The tablet doesn't come with a convenient place for storing...
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LG Electronics is getting ready to officially launch its G Pad II tablet at IFA 2015 in Berlin, after which the 10.1-inch slate with a WUXGA (1920x1200) resolution will become available in key markets in North America, Europe, and Asia, the company announced today. Both LTE and Wi-Fi only versions will be available. The sleek looking tablet will feature a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor from yesteryear with a clockspeed of 2.26GHz and, presumably, an Adreno 330 GPU. Interestingly, LG didn't opt for a more modern System-on-Chip (SoC) foundation, such as a Snapdragon 808 or 810, both of which offer better power efficiency. In place of a more power efficient SoC, LG chose a capacious...
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Word on the web is that Apple has instructed its suppliers to prepare for the production of a 12.9-inch iPad tablet in the second half of the year. It's not the first time we've heard rumors of a bigger size iPad, and people who are supposedly familiar with the situation say that Apple had originally intended to start mass producing the 12.9-inch slate in the first quarter of this year. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, the delay in production will allow Apple to add further upgrades to the iPad, including the introduction of SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports. This would be a huge addition to the iPad family, as the lack of native USB connectivity has been a knock...
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Good deals come and go, but great ones are pretty rare. That's what makes Microsoft's HP Stream 7 pricing so special -- it's just $79.99 at the Microsoft Store, down $20 (or 20 percent) from its regular selling price of $99.99, though the price cut alone doesn't make this a great deal. It's the extras that put it over the top.Let's start with the tablet itself. This is the HP Stream 7 Signature Edition, which is a 7-inch Windows 8.1 with Bing (32-bit) tablet with an IPS touchscreen display (1280x800), Intel Atom Z3735G processor, 1GB RAM, 32GB solid state drive, microSD card slot, 802.11n Wi-Fi with Miracast, Bluetooth, 0.3MP front-facing camera, and 2MP rear-facing camera. And because it's a...
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A KGI Securities analyst believes Apple might be in for a rude awakening if it thinks a larger size iPad model will stop its tablet sales from declining. In a research note to investors, Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that overall iPad shipments will "struggle to top" 45 million units in 2015 and ultimately post a 30 percent year-over-year decline.Rumor has it Apple is working on a 12.9-inch "iPad Pro" model for release this year. But according to Kuo, upsizing the iPad won't "contribute meaningfully to shipments momentum anytime soon." Instead, he's predicting that iPad shipments in 2015 will see their biggest decline since first launching to market five years ago.His predictions are an extension to...
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By the numbers, tablet growth is slowing way down these days. That being the case, expect to see companies take chances on new and unique designs in hopes of spurring interest among consumers who are reluctant to upgrade from whichever current model is serving them. That includes Sony, which is reportedly gearing up for an extra large-size tablet launch in the first half of next year.Citing "sources from the related supply chain," news and rumor site Digitimes claims that Sony is working on a 12.9-inch tablet with a 3840x2400 resolution display. That's 4K Ultra HD territory, and to power all those pixels, Sony will tap Qualcomm for a processor, presumably a high-end one.Other specs are few and...
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The allure of fast service and relatively affordable meals is no longer enough to attract a customer base that's increasingly concerned with health and food options. As a result, fast-food chain McDonald's saw its same-store sales in the U.S. decrease 4.6 percent in November, a backwards trend the company hopes to solve by giving users more choice over how their meals are made. At some point in the near future, McDonald's will announce the expansion of its "Create Your Taste" test platform. This is a something McDonald's has been testing on a small basis in California, in which customers are able to use kiosks with built-in tablet touchscreens to customize their entire burger....
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The first Nexus slate loaded with a 64-bit architecture and Android 5.0 is now available to ship, and if you're a sucker for impulse buys, we apologize in advance for bringing this to your attention. The Nexus 7 was amongst our favorite tablets of 2013, despite it being a lower-end affair that was aimed at the masses. The HTC-built Nexus 9, however, is a different animal. It's an upscale model that pulls no punches on the materials list, offering up an 8.9-inch panel with a 2048x1536 native resolution, a gorgeous chassis, and a 2.3GHz NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor. In other words, you'll be hard-pressed to find a more potent slate on the market today. The 16GB Wi-Fi model can be purchased for $399...
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The iPad might be the best selling tablet in the world, but in terms of customer satisfaction, Amazon tablet owners are the overall happiest with their purchase, according to J.D. Power's 2014 U.S. Tablet Satisfaction Study -- Volume 2. Now in its third year, the study measures customer satisfaction across five categories. In order of importance, they include performance, ease of operation, features, styling and design, and cost. Ranked on a 1,000-point scale, Amazon for the first time took the top spot with a score 827, and won the ease of operations and cost categories outright. Apple wasn't too far behind with a score of 824, followed by Samsung with a score of 821. Initial cost of ownership...
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Say it with us now, "Gold is best!" That's the line made hilariously famous by a TeamCoco (Conan O'Brien) skit mocking the gold iPhone, but in all seriousness, the gold color option has turned into, well, a golden egg for Apple. It's apparently so popular that Apple will reportedly offer a gold color option for its next generation of 9.7-inch iPad models. It's expected that Apple will announce the new iPad models this month, and according to Bloomberg, gold will be a color choice for the rear part of the chassis. This will be in addition to the same silver and gray options available on the current iPad Air. Companies like Goldgenie will sell you a gold iPad (or gold plate your existing one),...
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There have been lots of iPhone 6 rumors, which Apple is expected to announce during a press event next month, but not much speculation about the next iPad. Until now, that is. Word from people who supposedly have knowledge on the matter say that Apple's suppliers are preparing to build the biggest size iPad ever. Beginning in the first quarter of next year, Bloomberg's sources say Apple's suppliers will start producing a version of the iPad with a 12.9-inch display. That's several inches larger than the 9.7-inch iPad, and almost twice as big as the iPad mini, which has a screen that measures 7.9 inches. Image Source: Flickr (Butz.2013) Does the world want a bigger iPad? That's the question Apple...
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Apple has a press event scheduled for next month in which it's believed the Cupertino outfit will unveil the iPhone 6, along with perhaps a wrist wearable device, though the latter is more likely to see an unveiling in October. Also on tap from Apple is a new full-size iPad with a 9.7-inch display -- word on the web is that mass production of the next iPad is already taking place. Citing a pair of sources who asked not to be identified, Bloomberg reports that a new version of the 7.9-inch iPad mini is entering production and is likely to see the light of day in retail before the end of the year. As for the full-size version, it's expected to see an unveiling either at the end of the this quarter...
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Another week, another new tablet to ponder. As the market marches toward saturation, LG is hoping to break through with its G Pad 10.1. The outfit's latest slate is now hitting retail shelves worldwide, equipped with a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a 10.1-inch display (1,280 x 800), 1GB of RAM, a microSD slot, a 5MP rear camera (alongside a 1.3MP camera in the front), and an 8,000mAh battery. Android 4.4.2 (KitKat) is loaded onboard, as is Wi-Fi and an unmistakable black and red color scheme. LG itself confesses that this one's trying to split the gap between premium and low-end. While it includes select features from the LG G3 (Touch & Shoot, Gesture Shot, Smart Keyboard,...
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As a followup to its ThinkPad 8 tablet, Lenovo has now incorporated Intel's Bay Trail platform into its larger ThinkPad 10, a business-ready slate the company claims can offer users a full PC experience. Stopping there would be selling this tablet a bit short, however, as it's really a multi-mode device that can serve a number of purposes, both during and after business hours. Ideally, this would negate the need to purchase separate systems for work and play. What Lenovo's really doing here is tapping into the potential of Microsoft's Windows 8.1 ecosystem. From the beginning, Microsoft envisioned Windows 8/8.1 as a universal operating system built for work, play, and everything in between, but...
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As a follow-up to its ThinkPad 8 tablet (see our review), Lenovo has now incorporated Intel's Bay Trail platform into its larger size ThinkPad 10, a business-ready slate the company claims can offer users a full PC experience. Stopping there would be selling this tablet a bit short, however, as it's really a multi-mode device that can serve a number of purposes, both during and after business hours. Ideally, this would negate the need to purchase separate systems for work and play. Lenovo ThinkPad 10 tablet. What Lenovo's really doing here is tapping into the potential of Microsoft's Windows 8.1 ecosystem. From the beginning, Microsoft envisioned Windows 8/8.1 as a universal operating system...
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Call it a war of attrition if you will, but when it comes to tablet warfare, Android simply has a bigger army. Partially for that reason, Google's open source Android platform now claims the largest share of tablets at just shy of 62 percent (61.9 percent, to be precise), well ahead of iOS (iPad and iPad mini devices) at 36 percent, according to the latest data published by Gartner. Consumers around the world purchased over 195 million tablets in 2013, representing a 68 percent increase compared to 2012. The tremendous growth was driven by lower-end devices with smaller screens and cheaper price tags, which is not an area Apple really competes in. "In 2013, tablets became a mainstream phenomenon,...
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NVIDIA officially took the wraps off of its Tegra Note mobile platform a few weeks back, though rumors had been circulating for months that the company was designing its own tablet. If you’re unfamiliar with the Tegra Note, it’s a 7”, Android-based tablet, powered by NVIDIA’s Tegra 4 SoC. Beyond that, the Tegra Note also marks NVIDIA’s second foray into the consumer electronics market, with an in-house designed product; NVIDIA's SHIELD was the first. With the Tegra Note 7, however, NVIDIA is following a similar model to its graphics card business. NVIDIA designed the Tegra Note reference platform, but it is up to its retail partners to market, sell and support the...
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NVIDIA officially took the wraps off of its Tegra Note mobile platform a few weeks back, though rumors had been circulating for months that the company was designing its own tablet. If you’re unfamiliar with the Tegra Note, it’s a 7”, Android-based tablet, powered by NVIDIA’s Tegra 4 SoC. Beyond that, the Tegra Note also marks NVIDIA’s second foray into the consumer electronics market, with an in-house designed product; NVIDIA's SHIELD was the first. With the Tegra Note 7, however, NVIDIA is following a similar model to its graphics card business. NVIDIA designed the Tegra Note reference platform, but it is up to its retail partners to market, sell and support the...
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Google would be foolish not to release another Nexus 7 tablet in 2014, so let's go ahead and assume the Mountain View company will keep the good times rolling with yet another winning product sometime next year. That still gives us plenty to speculate about, such as whether or not ASUS will once again build the device for Google, and what System-on-Chip will be found inside. The latest web chatter suggests that the next Nexus 7 model will sport an Intel processor. Specifically, the 2014 model Nexus 7 is likely to wield a Bay Trail chip such as the Z3740 or Z3770. One thing Google wouldn't have to worry about is Asus' ability to implement the hardware, as it already has experience working with...
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Hopefully you didn't get every single gift you needed on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, because you're probably going to want this guy. Google just unwrapped a trio of new devices within its Play Store, and one of those is a white Nexus 7 (the other is a Google Play Edition Sony Xperia Ultra Z and a G Pad 8.3 from LG). As for the newly tinted Nexus 7, it's a 32GB model, and if you missed our review of the original black model, have a look: it's one of the best slates of the year. It seems like a pretty limited model, given that it's only available in 32GB and only available with Wi-Fi (no cellular). If you snap one up, you'll also get a Chromecast + a $35 Play Store credit, effectively making...
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Just over a year ago, Samsung broadened its Note portfolio to not only include phones, but tablets as well. The company saw a need to introduce a slate that catered to working professionals, power users, and those who need more content creation capabilities -- hence, the Galaxy Note 10.1 with the S Pen was born. In the ever-challenging world of product naming and differentiation, Samsung decided on quite the mouthful for the Note 10.1's successor. The Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition is perhaps awkwardly named, but it's shipping in a market where work-capable tablets are certainly generating a lot of buzz. Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition Tablet Review On paper, there's no reason to doubt...
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Just over a year ago, Samsung broadened its Note portfolio to not only include phones, but tablets as well. The company saw a need to introduce a slate that catered to working professionals, power users, and those who need more content creation capabilities -- hence, the Galaxy Note 10.1 with the S Pen was born. In the ever-challenging world of product naming and differentiation, Samsung decided on quite the mouthful for the Note 10.1's successor. The Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition is perhaps awkwardly named, but it's shipping in a market where work-capable tablets are certainly generating a lot of buzz. Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition Microsoft's own Surface 2 line just shipped,...
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