Android Pad

Now that Apple has the iPad, when will Google release an Android Pad? Such a device would probably be made by HTC (who currently makes the Google Nexus One smartphone). Actually, Archos has a little 5-inch tablet that runs Android and it's called the Archos 5 Internet Media Tablet. They should have simply called it the Android Pad. Several other companies are currently working on Internet tablets that run Android, but those devices haven't been getting much press here in the U.S.

I don't doubt that the iPad will be very popular here. I'm sure as Android gains momentum in the smartphone space, the Android Pad will eventually emerge as direct competition against the iPad.

HP Slate, when will you arrive?

I admit that I’m eager to see the HP Slate. I want to see how this device compares to some of the earlier Ultra-Mobile PCs (UMPCs) such as the Samsung Q1, the Samsung Q1 Ultra, and other slate-style mobile computers.

The other day, I played around with the Archos 9 PCTablet running Windows 7. It's very thin and it looks like a great device, but it uses a passive touch screen instead of a capacitive touch screen that is capable of multi-touch gestures.

So, here are my questions relating to the HP Slate:

•    What type of screen input options will be available? We can expect to see capacitive touch, but what about Wacom-based Penabled input? Will that be an option in future Slate models?
•    Will the HP Slate get very warm?
•    Battery life?
•    Real-world usability in health IT?

Will the HP Slate only be for consumers, or will it also have enterprise applicability?

Dell Mini 5 tablet (slate) coming soon

Get ready for this Android-powered mini slate tablet called the Dell Mini 5. This video gives you a glimpse of this device. Should this be called a tablet? A slate? An MID or Mobile Internet Device? A PDA or smartphone? Reminds me of the Archos 5 Internet Tablet running Google Android.

More thoughts (and reviews) about the Archos 5 Internet Tablet with Android

I've been talking with many people about the Archos 5 Internet Tablet with Android. There are people out there who want a really small computer that has excellent battery life. The OQO model 02 is a great machine, but it's no longer supported since OQO is no longer is business. That device does not have the best battery life, so you're also limited on that level.

The Archos 5 doesn't run Windows or Linux, but Android should be sufficient for most. I'm eager to get my hands on one so that I can test it out and see how this device would be used by health care professionals (such as gadget-loving physicians) who wish to have access to the Internet when they're out of the office.

Here are some reviews that you may wish to consider:

Archos 5 @ testfreaks.com

Archos 5 Internet Tablet

I'm excited about the upcoming Archos 9, but the Archos 5 appears to be a great little mobile device that you can easily slip in your pocket. Unlike the OQO model 02, the Archos 5 is very thin.

Archos has confused consumers by using the name "Archos 5" to refer to two different products:

• an Internet Media Tablet (I'll call this the media tablet)
  
• an Internet Tablet (I'll call this the Internet tablet)
  

Confused? They both have the word "Internet" and "tablet" in their names, so I agree that it's a bit confusing. The media tablet is a fancy media player that also includes a web browser. The Internet tablet includes some of the features found on the media tablet but it also runs Google Android and it has an internal GPS. So, the Internet Tablet is more like a mini computer. Would it be more clear to use the common phrase Mobile Internet Device (MID)? Archos likes to be different.

Now, some may argue that it doesn't make sense to purchase an Internet Tablet if you already use a smartphone. That's a reasonable argument. However, I have a smartphone and I also have an iPod touch. Some may say that the iPod touch is a media tablet. Others may call it an Internet tablet. I suppose if Apple releases a tablet some day, then things could start to get really interesting. However, until we see that happen, we're really talking about devices that are being defined by their screen sizes and storage capacities. Do you have a smartphone that has a 5" screen? Would you want to use a smartphone if it had a 5" screen?

Video of the Archos 9 tablet

Here's a great little video featuring the Archos 9 tablet PC running Windows 7. Can you believe how thin it is? Let's see how the emerging Apple tablet compares with this device. I'm sure the Apple Tablet will also be very thin (and you probably won't be able to change the internal battery).

Archos 9 on video

Interested in the Archos 9 PCtablet (a tablet PC running Windows 7)? Watch this little video to see if this device might help your work flow in the clinic/hospital/office:

Archos 9 PCtablet

The Archos 9 is the tablet PC I would buy as a peripheral computer. Actually, it's a PCtablet, not a tablet PC. Archos calls it a netbook, so now I'm really confused.

I would not get this as my main workhorse computer, but as my super note pad and multimedia player. This thing is really thin and light! I like the fact that the screen is 8.9" and it has some nice functional buttons on the sides. If I had to buy a tiny peripheral tablet today, this would be the one on the top of my list.

The Archos 9 doesn't have a cooling fan, so I wonder how warm it gets. How much heat is generated by the 1.8" spinning hard drive and the Intel ATOM Z510 1.1 GHz processor? I currently use a Samsung Q1 Ultra as my super note pad and I'm running Windows 7. I wouldn't mind trading my Q1 Ultra for the Archos 9 so that I can have a larger screen and a thinner device.

If the Archos 9 ends up being a success, then I'm sure the next version will have:

• More RAM (1 GB just isn't enough these days)
  
• A capacitive screen with multi-touch
• Internal GPS
• A cooling fan? (maybe it's really not necessary)
• SSD instead of a spinning 1.8" hard drive
• Built-in WWAN
  
• Longer battery life (although a 5 hr rating is quite impressive for such a thin device)

Let's see what the reviews look like. I wish I could walk into a local Best Buy and play with this device. $499 seems like a reasonable price for this type of tablet. I'm tempted, but I think I'll wait for the next generation and I hope they will include some of the features on my "wish list" above.

Archos 9 Windows 7 tablet

Want to see some nice pictures of the Archos 9 Windows 7 tablet? Let me refer you to CNET in the UK where you can see some incredible photos. Click here for those pictures.

The Archos 9 Tablet is very thin and it looks like a promising ultra-mobile PC (UMPC). Maybe the Amazon Kindle will look like this one day (and maybe it will also run Windows 7 and have a color screen). Until then, I will stick with my Samsung Q1 Ultra and my Lenovo Thinkpad X200 tablets.

Here are the specs for the new Archos 9 tablet PC running Windows 7:

• Processor: Intel Atom Z515 1.2 GHz
• Video Chipset: Integrated US15W
• Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7
• System Memory: 1GB (DDR2 400/533) - hope you can upgrade this easily to 2 GB
  
• Display: 8.9” touch screen - 1024 x 600 pixels (passive touch, not an active digitizer)
  
• HDD: 60GB or 120GB - SSD should also be an option
  
• Communication: Ethernet 10/100
• WiFi: PCI-E interface, 2 Antennas, Support IEEE 802.11b/g
• Bluetooth 2.1
• Optional 3.5G HSUPA - Huawei EM750M 7.2Mbts module
• Audio: 2 stereo speakers
• Built-in Microphone
• Optical Finger Navigation System with Right and Left click buttons
• 1 USB 2.0 port
• Audio/headphone output
• Web cam: Built-in 1.3MP camera

Does it look like it's missing anything? I'd like to see an SD card slot, but that's about it.

ARCHOS 9PCtablet

This tablet reminds me of my Apple Newton Messagepad 2100. It's thin, light, and looks very innovative. The ARCHOS 9PCtablet will be running Windows 7 and will also have built-in antennas to receive DVBT TV with diversity reception. If you want to keep up with all your favorite medical television shows, then this ARCHOS 9 might be the ultra-mobile PC (or UMPC) for you. The ARCHOS 9 incorporates the new Intel® ATOM™ Z515 processor, an 80 GB hard drive, Bluetooth, and more.