Hasta La Gadget!

Oh, sure — HP’s webOS may be one of the most sophisticated tablet operating systems in existence, but with a permanently stagnant market, The CM Team has decided that your fire sale TouchPad may be better off running Android. You know, from a long-term perspective. All jesting aside, the crew has been pounding the pavement on a new (and vastly improved) CyanogenMod 7 for Android, with this build providing functional WiFi, access to the Android Market, audio (albeit a bit fast) and an operational accelerometer. There’s no code being released just yet — the team’s still working to cull the aforesaid Hamsterdance effect — but you can catch a sneak peek of everything in action just above.

CyanogenMod 7 update brings WiFi, sound and accelerometer support to TouchPad (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 11:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We got our paws on the two upcoming Archos Android 3.2 tablets the other week at IFA — and now it seems that you’ll be able to follow suit in the near future, with pre-sale beginning September 20th. The Archos eight-inch G9 starts at $299 for the 1GHz 8GB version, going all the way up to $369 for a 1.5GHz processor and a whopping 250GB of storage. The 10-incher has a 1.5GHz processor and 16GB of storage for $399 or you can plunk down $469 for the 250GB version. The 1GHz 80 G9 starts pre-sale on September 20th through Archos and goes on sale at select retailers on the 30th. Its 1.5GHz counterpart will be hitting in October. Press info is after the break.

Continue reading Archos G9 tablets doing the pre-sale thing September 20th

Archos G9 tablets doing the pre-sale thing September 20th originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Sep 2011 12:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The ViewSonic ViewPad 7e isn’t exactly what we’d call a barn burner. The 1GHz Samsung chip inside is enough for some basic web browsing and light app duty, but even the ViewSonic reps we spoke to referred to it as an “e-reader on steroids,” positioning it more as a competitor to the Nook Color than the iPad. In our brief hands-on, the little tablet ran Gingerbread capably enough that we weren’t drumming our fingers on the table, but the 7-inch, 800 x 600 screen was not always particularly responsive — it took three swipes to unlock the first time. Despite it’s noticeable bulk (you can see it resting besides a Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the gallery below) it was surprisingly light in the hand. Of course, it saves precious ounces by going with an all plastic build, but it hardly feels cheap or shoddy (though, the buttons are a bit stiff). On the left-hand edge you’ll find a microSD slot for adding to the 4GB of integrated storage, while along the top is the AC plug, a mini USB port and mini HMDI for pumping out 1080p video. As we’ve mentioned before this budget slate is available to pre-order now for $200. Don’t miss the bevy of photos below as well as the PR after the break.

Continue reading Viewsonic ViewPad 7e hands-on

Viewsonic ViewPad 7e hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Sep 2011 19:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Microsoft tablet with Windows 8 has been a long time coming, but it’s finally here. Sort of. We got our hands on a developer’s preview yesterday and while flawed, it’s extremely impressive. More »

No surprises here. GameStop, which announced its intentions to become a technology company earlier this spring, has officially selected Google’s Android OS for its upcoming tablet-based “certified gaming platform.” The video game retailer’s prexy Tony Bartel relayed the news to GamesIndustry.biz, and plans to sell the slate alongside offerings from industry heavyweights. The news comes on the heels of the company’s spring acquisition of developer Spawn Labs and Impulse, with a pre-production model design already selected for the tab. Expect the hardware to come pre-loaded with a handful of games, and to have a focus on an OnLive-like, cloud-based gaming platform. Consumers in Dallas were the first to get a hands-on with the beta device that should sport a custom designed inbuilt controller at launch. According to Bartel, “It’s hard to imagine how to stream a game – let’ say Modern Warfare 3 – onto a tablet and then play it with your finger.” The GameStop-made tab could also see third-party exclusives head to the platform, crafted with its controller interface in mind. Bartel made no mention of a release window, but it’s clear the company’s adapting to the industry’s digital download future. Hit up the source below for the full interview.

GameStop to bring Android-based gaming tablet to market originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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