Indamixx 2 music tablet now on sale: $699 for beta hardware

So, there’s good news and bad news. The good news is that $699 is $300 less than the purported $999 price tag we had originally heard would be affixed to the Indamixx 2 slate. The bad news? It’s just a rebadged iiView M1 Touch, which can be had for around $500. That said, those who fork out the premium will get a copy of Transmission 5.0 running atop MeeGo, not to mention a 1.66GHz Atom N450 processor, 2GB of RAM, a mini HDMI output and a 250GB hard drive. Those who’d prefer to snag a model that dual boots into Windows 7 can do so if they’re willing to part ways with $779, with both models including a mouse, free shipping and a gratis carrying case. Not exactly a bargain, but for those in desperate need of a music-centric tablet, it ain’t like you’ve got a ton of options.

Indamixx 2 music tablet now on sale: $699 for beta hardware originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Dec 2010 00:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kinect rumored to have PC support in waiting

There’s been no shortage whatsoever of PC control schemes using Kinect, but up until now, every bit of it has been without Microsoft’s official blessing. Of course, the company eventually caved to the massive amount of hacking going on and confessed that it didn’t have any hard feelings for those giving it a whirl, but is it really fixing to take things one step further with bona fide PC support? That’s the talk emanating from South Korea, where game developer GamePrix has reported that at least one of its titles (Divine Soul, if you must know) is “scheduled to support Kinect.” Continuing on about the game, the company’s Jason Lim was quoted as saying that “Kinect will soon be available as a new PC controller,” but naturally, we’ve our doubts. For starters, why wouldn’t Microsoft be working with a more major developer if honest-to-goodness PC-Kinect interactions were planned? Secondly, there’s a definite possibility that GamePrix could really be referring to unofficial support, which would make everything seem a lot more sensible. Either way, we’ll definitely be keeping an ear to the ground for more, and with GDC under three months away, we ought to know the truth sooner rather than later.

[Thanks, Rashad]

Kinect rumored to have PC support in waiting originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Dec 2010 17:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft to announce ARM-based Windows at CES?

We know Windows CE jibes with ARM-based architecture, but full-blown Windows? Looks like everyone and their respective mothers today — to be specific, Bloomberg, AllThingsD, and the Wall Street Journal — are reporting “sources” that claim Microsoft is set to announce Windows compatibility with ARM chips, which currently rule the roost in the mobile and embedded scenes, and more importantly dominate the tablet market. So yeah, we get the need for such a merge, and it’d really put Microsoft in a smart position for lower-power devices, but here’s the catch: the products aren’t expected for some time — two years according to WSJ — as drivers need to be written for the hardware.

Then again, this may all be for nothing. Cue another well-connected Microsoft reporter, ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley, who has a decidedly tamer prediction: a new Windows CE / Embedded Contact — you’ll remember we saw it running on a Tegra 2 tablet back at Computex — and maybe ARM support for Windows 8 (or Windows 8 “Lite”). In other words, no one has a clear, 100 percent idea of what to expect in January, so as we say, just stay tuned.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Microsoft to announce ARM-based Windows at CES? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 22:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Viliv to debut Android-based X7, X10, Windows 7-based X70 tablets at CES

We can’t say for sure just yet, but we’re starting to get the feeling that we’re going to see lots of tablets at CES. The latest to join the party is Viliv, which has just announced that it will be showing off its new Android-based X7 and X10 tablets, along with the Windows 7-based X70 “slate” — the latter of which is touted to be the “most slim and light Windows 7 based tablet in the world,” and is presumably a successor to the company’s existing X70 tablet. As you might expect, however, Viliv is still saving most of the key details for the official unveiling at CES, but you know we’ll be there to check them all out first hand.

Viliv to debut Android-based X7, X10, Windows 7-based X70 tablets at CES originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 19:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fujitsu Lifebook T580 Tablet PC now on sale in North America

It took awhile for Fujitsu’s Lifebook T580 to hit the US market, but at last, the 10.1-inch, three-pound Tablet PC has landed on this side of the Atlantic. The netvertible, if we can even call it that, is about double the price of the usual convertible netbook, and for good reason — the system eschews Atom for Core i3 / i5 processor options and also has an capacitive display with an N-trig digitizer, which can support both pen and finger input. The $1,149 “Express Buy” model packs a Core i3-380UM processor, 2GB of RAM, 160GB of storage, and a 5,800mAh six-cell battery, while going on up to the Core i5-560UM CPU adds an extra $250. The T580 sure does seem to fill a pretty niche market these days, which is why we’re guessing Fujitsu dropped the early “slate-beating” descriptor, but there’s got to be some out there that still want the power of a mainstream system in a shrunken Tablet PC form factor, right?

Fujitsu Lifebook T580 Tablet PC now on sale in North America originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 08:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ExoPC hacked to run Android 2.2, Microsoft sobs

Well, what do we have here? An ExoPC running Android 2.2? Oh yes, it’s Microsoft’s worst nightmare, and it has indeed been accomplished by one of ExoPC’s devout forum members. The details in the forum thread are extremely sparse, but apparently ExoPC fan MrWilson has added a Froyo boot option to his 11.6-inch, Windows 7 ExoPC and has gotten both touch and WiFi working within the Google OS. We’re hoping he’ll post detailed instructions on how he got this all working soon, but in the meantime we leave you with the poorly shot video of it all after the break. So, does this make you even more inclined to buy the $699 tablet from Microsoft Store? Oh the irony!

Continue reading ExoPC hacked to run Android 2.2, Microsoft sobs

ExoPC hacked to run Android 2.2, Microsoft sobs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 17:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ExoPC now up for pre-order at Microsoft Store, shipping next week

Been waiting to order an ExoPC here in the US of A? Well, today is your day — ExoPC has just announced that it’s teamed up with Microsoft’s very own store to bring you the 11.6-inch Windows 7 tablet. There’s only one configuration at the moment, but $699 buys you a rather thin 0.5-inch slate with 64GB of flash storage, an Intel Atom N450 processor, 2GB of RAM, Windows 7 Home Premium with ExoPC’s unique UI layer, and a front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera. As for that UI, ExoPC just told us that a major update should be coming next week and that it’ll amend a number of issues we had with our early review unit. The slate is currently up for pre-order on the Microsoft Store website, but we’re told it will start shipping out early next week. And if you’re waiting to check it out in person before pulling out the plastic, we hear they should be arriving in all those Microsoft retail locations soon — apparently, San Diego and Scottsdale already have ’em in stock. Hey, looks like Mr. Ballmer was right, we will have Win 7 tablets this “crucial holiday season.”

ExoPC now up for pre-order at Microsoft Store, shipping next week originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Dec 2010 14:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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7 Reasons You Won’t Want a Windows 7 Slate

Word on the street is that Microsoft plans to announce a Windows-powered iPad contender at next month’s Consumer Electronics Show.

We’ve seen this movie before.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer waved around a Hewlett-Packard “slate” running Windows 7 at CES 2010. HP later hyped up the device with specifications and a possible price tag, and then killed it before it even shipped.

So it’s a bit like dèja vu reading in The New York Times that Ballmer is taking the stage to talk slates again. Mind you, this time he’s going to show off not just one Windows 7 slate, but several, according to NYT’s Nick Bilton.

But increasing the device count isn’t going to make a Windows 7 slate any better. Here are seven reasons buying a Windows 7 slate would be a bad idea.

• Windows is not for fingers.

Windows 7 is designed for desktop computing, not multitouch tablets. Dragging around windows to switch between applications is not the kind of thing you’d do on a tablet. It’s why we use keyboards and mice.

At CES 2010 there were a few pilot tablets running Windows 7. They were difficult to use, because the Windows 7 interface on a tablet was an ergonomic nightmare. Scrolling was laggy, and some devices we tested even froze while we were shooting video demonstrating the products.

Even with a touch-friendly skin on top, there are still going to be times when you wish you had a mouse — like when a dialog box pops up that hasn’t been optimized for touch, and its control buttons are too tiny for your fat digits.

• Windows is too bloated for mobile devices.

Windows 7 is a big improvement over Vista and XP, but it’s still got a lot of the same Windows headaches. Plug in a peripheral, for example, and Windows 7 has to search a sluggish database for a device driver. The idea behind a mobile device is that you’re on the go and you need apps that keep in pace with your movement, and Windows just isn’t optimized for that.

On top of that, the power management is not designed for an always-on, carry-everywhere experience. For a tablet competitive with the iPad you need an OS with extremely fast boot times that can run on low power for epically long hours, and Windows 7 has neither of those features. (The iPad, for instance, has a standby battery life of 30 days.)

• There will be too many unpredictable variations.

Microsoft’s modus operandi with Windows is to license the OS to any manufacturer that wants it, and the OEMs ship Windows notebooks with their own custom software (aka bloatware). There are a thousand different variations on keyboards, controls, aspect ratios and more. The same would happen with tablets. By contrast, Android and iOS have more-or-less predictable hardware, something that Microsoft itself recognized was important in Windows Phone 7, its mobile OS.

• You’ll have to maintain it like a Windows machine.

Windows has always been a prime target for the authors of viruses and botnets because of its gigantic userbase. On a Windows 7 tablet you’d have to install antivirus software, which would inevitably affect battery life and overall performance.

Then you’d probably want to install memory-optimizing utilities, a better disk defragmenter, and maybe a registry cleaner. After a year it would start slowing down like Windows machines always do, and you’d have to do a clean install of the OS.

In short, a Windows tablet would give PC users lots of flexibility — but it would be antithetical to the experience of an easy-to-use consumer device that you don’t have to maintain.


Microsoft to Announce iPad-Challenging Slate Next Month

In what very much appears to be a controlled leak from Microsoft, The New York Times has detailed “rumors” of upcoming Windows “slates” that will be shown off by Steve Ballmer at CES next month. Just like last year. And again like last year, it seems that Microsoft still hasn’t got a clue about tablets.

According to the Times, “Microsoft hopes these slates will offer an alternative to the iPad because they move beyond play, people familiar with the tablets said.” And how will Microsoft differentiate its brand-new slate offering from Apple’s hugely successful iPad? By using a tablet-optimized and touchscreen-centric version of Microsoft’s new, innovative and highly-regarded Windows Phone 7 mobile OS? Nope. By using a desktop OS, and slapping a skin on top. Again.

Microsoft is working with several hardware partners to make machines. One, from Samsung, runs regular Windows 7 in landscape mode and then, when turned upright, draws a finger-friendly skin over the top. It also has a keyboard that slides out in landscape mode, making this otherwise iPad-sized tablet quite a bit thicker.

So, instead of offering the intuitive experience of other tablets, you get a jarring two-mode machine that likely doesn’t do either job properly.

And then there are the apps. Of course there are apps. But there will be no app store. Microsoft is encouraging development of HTML5-based applications for the slates, but these will be scattered all over the web on the various developers’ sites. To find them, you will search, and they will be “highlighted in a search interface on the slate computer.”

The most telling quote from the NYT’s insider is this one:

The company believes there is a huge market for business people who want to enjoy a slate for reading newspapers and magazines and then work on Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint while doing work.

This may explain the company’s inability to make a “computer” that isn’t aimed at business. The iPad’s runaway success shows that there is a demand for an easy-to-use computer that doesn’t look or feel like a computer. Yet Microsoft just isn’t willing to — or just plain can’t — make a tablet that doesn’t look like a computer.

Microsoft’s future is looking a lot like IBM’s when Microsoft ate its lunch years ago: It’ll still be a big, big business company, but the general public will no longer be buying its wares (Xbox aside).

Microsoft to Announce New Slates Aimed at the iPad [NYT]

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

See Also:


Microsoft to demo new slate PCs, Windows 8 tablet functionality at CES?

The CES 2010 Ballmernote has become something of a black mark for Microsoft — the company’s delivered almost nothing in the year after Steve demoed the HP Slate and talked about future Windows 7 Slate PCs — but as one would assume, Redmond’s expected to pick up right where it left off in just a few weeks at CES 2011. According to the New York Times, Microsoft’s prepping to explain how it will target the iPad with the help of a number of partners, including Samsung and Dell. While the article is quite vague, it looks like the keynote will include a few new tablet demos, including one of a new Samsung device that sports a “slick” slide out keyboard — we’d put money on that being the 10.1-inch Gloria. The Times says the Samsung tablet (not to be confused with the Samsung Galaxy Tab) will run some sort of software layer when “the keyboard is hiding and the device is held in portrait mode,” but Microsoft’s is also reportedly eschewing a central app store for native tablet apps and instead encouraging software companies to build HTML5 -based web apps. That certainly sounds a lot Google’s Chrome strategy (and a strategy that could backfire since HTML5 apps will work on Chrome OS devices and iPad equally well), but the Times‘ source didn’t know if these “apps” would be ready for CES as they are “still in production.”

As far as we can tell, a lot of this is still built upon Windows 7, but it’s also rumored that the Redmond gang will tease Windows 8 on stage — something that sounds extremely plausible to us, since we’ve heard from numerous sources that Microsoft’s real tablet strategy will rely on Windows 8 and a new all-touch interface that the company has been working incredibly hard on. While Windows 8 isn’t due out until the later half of 2011 / early 2012, Ballmer would do well to use his CES time to tell us about Microsoft’s “riskiest” product bet and finally do something to address Microsoft’s notable absence from the modern tablet market. Of course, nothing’s for sure, except for the fact that we’ll be there, providing live coverage of the entire thing.

Update: We’ve been thinking about it (as well as keeping an ear on our chatty Tweeps) and there’s also a chance that Microsoft could show off its own Windows 7 software layer for tablets. Either way, we’re hoping to get some major answers.

Microsoft to demo new slate PCs, Windows 8 tablet functionality at CES? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Dec 2010 20:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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