Hasta La Gadget!

It’s like a Cruz Tablet, but with a T301 thrown into the mix. All jesting aside, we’d wager that the vast majority of simpletons wouldn’t spot the differences between the existing Cruz Tablet and the T301 at a glance, and honestly, we wish Velocity Micro would’ve done a little work to remedy that. For whatever reason, the 7-inch slate is shipping with Android 2.0, and while the 800 x 600 capacitive touchpanel sounds lovely indeed, it’s hard to get riled up for such a stale operating system. For those unconcerned with the luxuries present in Eclair and Froyo, there’s an 802.11n WiFi radio, built-in Kindle app and a user replaceable Li-Ion battery that could last up to ten hours on a good day… or so the company says. Without question, the highlight here is the price — at just $249.99, it’s definitely creeping down into LCD e-reader territory, with a lot of bells and whistles to boot. She’s shipping today if you’re so inclined.

Velocity Micro’s 7-inch Cruz T301 Android 2.0 tablet surfaces on Amazon, shipping now for $250 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Dec 2010 15:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Laptoping  |  Amazon  | Email this | Comments

Oh boy, we’ve not been shy about our love for NVIDIA’s Tegra 2, but the tablets that have opted to use it so far keep meeting the same miserable end: discontinuation from shop floor availability. First the Toshiba Folio 100 bit the British dust because of a bunch of quality control issues, and now Viewsonic’s G Tablet is getting its marching orders from Staples, with only a “manufacturing defect” cited as the cause. If we weren’t such charitable souls, we might suggest the defect was simply that this tablet wasn’t very good yet someone still chose to manufacture it. Let’s not be hasty, though — it’s a good idea to see what Office Depot does with its inventory before completely writing the G Tablet off.

[Thanks, Rob]

Continue reading Viewsonic G Tablet pulled from Staples stores, ‘manufacturing defect’ to blame

Viewsonic G Tablet pulled from Staples stores, ‘manufacturing defect’ to blame originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Dec 2010 13:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

And the drops, they keep on comin’. Just 48 hours after T-Mobile USA reduced the financial barrier surrounding the Galaxy Tab to just $350 on contract, the suddenly boisterous US Cellular is doing ’em one better. The carrier has just lowered the price of a shiny new 7-inch Tab to just $199.99 on a two-year data agreement, with the only major caveat being that consumers will have to opt for the pricier 5GB / month plan. That’ll run you $54.99 per month with pay-as-you-go messaging, or $74.99 per month with an all-you-can-message plan. We still aren’t totally hip with a tablet on contract (sans voice capabilities), but those who’ve warmed won’t find a better deal east of the Mississippi. Or west of it, frankly.

[Thanks, D]

Galaxy Tab hits new low on US Cellular: $200 with 5GB data agreement originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  US Cellular  | Email this | Comments

Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! The team here is well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties of the seasonal shopping experience, and we want to help you sort through the trash and come up with the treasures this year. Below is today’s bevy of hand curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they’re added throughout the holiday season.

You didn’t think we’d let the holiday season go by without an official Engadget Tablet Gift Guide did you? Hey, give us more credit — we know it’s not 2009 anymore! The past year has seen an explosion in the tablet category, and while the iPad may still be the market leader, there’s no shortage of Android and Windows 7 alternatives out there that let you surf the web, read books, and watch videos with just a flick of a finger. Sure, more are on the way, and all signs point to Apple updating the iPad in early 2011, but if you’ve got to have a touchscreen slab before the end of the year, we’re here to lend a helping hand. Hit the break for a rundown of the best choices by price category.

Continue reading Engadget’s Holiday Gift Guide: Tablets

Engadget’s Holiday Gift Guide: Tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 12:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

She ain’t pretty — far from it, actually — but she’ll definitely get the job done in uncertain conditions. GammaTech’s latest convertible laptop has just been revealed, with the D12C bringing along a 12.1-inch LED-backlit WXGA touchscreen, a Core i5-540UM processor, up to 8GB of memory, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, WiFi, optional Bluetooth / smart card reader and an integrated carry handle. The actual exterior is built much like a tank, meeting stringent MIL-STD-810G requirements surrounding drop and shock resistance. There’s also a spill resistant design that sheds water around the keyboard, touchpad, speakers and wireless and power switches, and every last port is fully dust resistant. You’ll also find a 2.5-inch slot suitable for your choice of HDD or SSD, and unless you specify otherwise, you’ll be getting a fresh copy of Windows 7. Mum’s the word on pricing, but as these things tend to go, we’re guessing you’ll be paying a stiff premium for the rigidity.

Continue reading GammaTech stuffs Core i5 into rugged, rigid D12C convertible laptop

GammaTech stuffs Core i5 into rugged, rigid D12C convertible laptop originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 01:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  GammaTech  | Email this | Comments