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The APad we’re all used to seeing is the RK2808 powered version which runs on the admittedly outdated Android OS version 1.5. A new version of the APad has popped up and this instead features Android 2.1 in an interesting move, and is powered by the Telechips TCC8902 chipset, based on ARM11 architecture. This is a good move for the APad as the RK2808 version was more of a trial run for Rockchip. They have since announced the upcoming chip RK2818, which is supposed to run at 1GHz and will support Android 2.1/2.2, so this Telechips model looks to be in direct competition with that, beating it to the market. Another benefit of the TCC8902 powered APad is that it should be able to “handle” 1080p video, but we’ll see. It is presumed that functionality remains, at the very least, the same as the RK2808 version of the APad. Also, with the addition of 1080p support, one of the USB ports has been changed into an HDMI port. Things are progressing not all too slowly for the generic Android-powered Chinese MID market via Shanzhaiben |
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Telechips Android 2.1 Apad – Real soon now? 5:59 AM
$35 for an Indian vapourware tablet … or $99 for an Eken? You call it!:) 5:47 AM
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Why India’s $35 Tablet May Be Just a Dream
A prototype tablet from India that looks similar to the iPad but costs a few hundred dollars less than the magical device is on its way, according to the country’s government officials who showed the device at an event Thursday. The Linux-based tablet from India is priced at $35 with the potential to drop it to either $20 or $10. The tablet will support video conferencing and wireless, have open source software on it including Open Office, and will include a media player. It will also have a solar-power option. The government has not disclosed details about the tablet’s processing power, memory or storage. It is also not clear if the device will have a touchscreen or a pen-based input. The Indian government hopes to bring the tablet into production in 2011, but first it must find partners to build it. So far, no manufacturers have been announced, though officials claim several have expressed interest. The success of Apple’s iPad and the demand among consumers for a slick media-consumption tablet has spurred the quest for a low-cost device that has the looks of an iPad and the functionality of a laptop. The One Laptop Per Child Project in the United States recently announced that it is planning to create a $75 OLPC tablet. But the first version of that tablet is unlikely to be available before the end of next year. OLPC’s current low-cost laptop sells for $200. In March, chip maker Marvell showed a prototype that will offer web access and high-definition content for just $100. The tablet called Moby will be targeted at students, says Marvell, and it will run Marvell’s Armada 600 series of application processors. So far, Marvell’s $100 tablets have yet to go beyond a reference design. Current estimates on the cost of components show that getting the cost of a device below $100 isn’t easy. The cheapest version of Apple’s iPad costs $500. A teardown of the iPad shows the bill of materials alone for it is $230. A six-inch black-and-white screen on a Kindle 2 alone costs $60, according to iSuppli. To create its $35 tablet, the Indian government says it partnered with some of the country’s best technical universities including the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). Students involved in the project created their own motherboard and PCBs for the device, say officials. Interestingly, the government says private companies in the country showed little interest in the idea. The bill of materials of a prototype tablet came to $47. But officials didn’t explain how they think that cost can shrink to $35 and lower. “It could be seen that by customizing the device to the needs of learners across the country, and by utilizing the processor capabilities of the processors suitable for the purpose, it was possible to substantially reduce the prices of such access-cum-computing devices,” a press release from the country’s Press Information Bureau said. Deciphering that is not easy. Even more puzzling is that the announcement of the tablet did not mention who will manufacture the product or how it will be distributed. It is also not clear if the $35 price tag includes a small profit margin or if the product will be sold entirely at cost. Despite the introduction of the latest tablet with much fanfare, India doesn’t have a history of delivering on its much-hyped promises about electronic devices. For instance, Indian startup Notion Ink has been promising a tablet for months called Adam that is yet to hit the market. In February 2009, Indian government officials announced a $10 laptop that ultimately proved to be vaporware. The $35 tablet could go the same way. Read More http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/07/india-35-tablet/#ixzz0uyr1WItd |
Kmart stocks Apads! 3:24 AM
Well, whaddayaknow! Here’s a nice safe place to get one ….
Android shops at Kmartby
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Monday, July 26, 2010
Apads that run Windows 7/XP 4:35 AM
Remember this? It’s real. Check out this video (and if you really really want one, the site that made the video apparently sells ‘em):
And here’s a Benq that does Windows XP. A bit fat, and the screen’s on the small side, but just think about what sort of tablet PC $399 would have bought you 12 months ago, and you’ll see why this is a big deal!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Bloatware problems on Android phones … 5:48 AM
| http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/07/bloatware-android-phones/ I wonder if the chinese Apad apps qualify … I guess if you’re not Chinese they’re a bit like Bloatware! |
WinCE on Eken! 5:40 AM
| Another Slatedroid 1st as far we know . This M003 by mod donaldson with a few tweaks ,running ce with 800 x 600 resolution |
