Microsoft taking orders for Surface RT

The preorder page is running and those who subscribed to receive a notice received an email about this change.

Big surprise, the cheapest price was not $299, we all were expecting that, but I was not $350, the sweet spot for many, and neither it was $399 which was the most realist starting point for most of the analyst and my own opinion. So I'm disappointed with this fact. The starting price is $499 for the 32Gb version without the Touch Cover. Another disappointment is that if you want to buy the combo of Tablet and Touch Cover then you are stuck with a black color cover. Otherwise, you need to pay $499 for the Tablet and add the cover for $119. Twenty dollars more.

The 64Gb version is sold with the Touch Pad so that forces you to pay $699! An option of that same Tablet without the Touch Cover for $599 would have been great and the one I would have picked instead of paying that amount for 32Gb with a Black Touch Pad, the one I ended preordering.

Well, the fact that this is not an iPad so it does have a microSDXC reader makes me feel a little bit better so I ordered one of this 64Gb memory cards at Amazon. The fact that being a Microsoft Tablet with a File Explorer makes me confident that I will be able to manage the storage space moving everything I can or do not use often to that memory card and still have it available when I need it. Finally I can have my files organized how I like and no how Steve Job liked.

Another point that I did not like is that the battery life according to Microsoft page is about 8 hours of "Mixed Activity". Hum... Mixed Activity is a complicated concept. Anyway, it falls lower than the 10 hours of Mixed Activity of my iPad 2. I hope that those 8 hours are not HP's Style (never close to the reality, at least in my experience).

Now, the waiting time starts. Are we going to get a tracking number Microsoft?

Surface's Event

For those that could not enjoy the Surface presentation by Microsoft here is a video of the event.

Microsoft's Surface

Microsoft has announced today Surface, a complete new hardware designed and made by this company.



There are going to be two versions, one Windows RT and one with Windows 8 Pro.




Those wanting to have Ink in the RT version are going to be disappointed, the good news is that the Pro version still have this feature and all the others that makes this version a full TabletPC.

Both version have a cover that includes a touch keyboard on it. A revolutionary concept never seen before. The whole design is new and includes a stand as part of the body.





The price and availability still unknown but we expect to find more information in the next few weeks at http://microsoft.com/surface

Emoji Keyboard in iOS 5 for iPad

There is nothing that gives me more joy than learning something new. And today, I learned something new. I have been using iOS 5 already for few weeks without knowing that Apple added a new keyboard...

The Emoji Keyboard!

GumDrop cases

Gumdrop cases are one of the best cases in the market. They are a little bit expensive but when you are talking about an iPad 2, with a price tag starting in the $400, my guess is that you want to be sure that's well protected.

Gumdrop cases have served numerous schools where they have survived numerous tests including smashing iPad's against the wall, dropping down, Etc., but the best reviews are the one coming from the actual owners of these cases.

"User 1: This is a great heavy duty case. I teach special education so I needed something that would protect my ipad if it were to get dropped, stepped on, or even thrown across the room. This is a great case and I would definitely recommend it."

"User 2: I've been using this case for about a month now and it is one of the best cases I've found for the iPad 2. This case is something I would have expected from otter box. The versatility of the case and the superior protection is amazing. I have a 2 year old that loves to carry my iPad around and with her dropping it and the sticky fingers this is one of the only case that protects against all of it. I love the interchangeable screen protector that just pops out when the case isn't on. Which allows you to change quickly and easily when it gets all scratched up. I would recommend this case to anyone looking for maximum protection. The only problem I've had or negative thing is that the home button is very sensitive so I accidentally press it a lot."

Apple's Security Myth

If you are one of those who think that using an Apple's product protects you of hackers and virus makers, think twice. Here is a video that proves that there are not prefect products even if they are made by Apple.

Very low price for the Asus Eee Transformer

The price for the Asus Eee Transformer has gone down a lot. Now you can buy the 32Gb model including the Keyboard/extended battery/docking station for less than $500! In my opinion, the Transformer is one of the best if not the best Android device in the market. The fact that you can use it with or without keyboard gives you the best of the two worlds. And with the keyboard which holds another battery you will get 16 hours of battery life! Two working days!

BoxWave stylus now just $10

After testing few capacitive styluses I ended permanently using one made by BoxWave which price is now $10, that's 9 dollars cheaper than when I bought it. By buying this product you are helping to support this blog. Thanks.

iPad 2: you will buy it no matter what we say

Definitely Conan O'Brian is absolutely right. No matter what we say the iPad 2 will be the next kid of the town. There are other tablets that are better but there is not a company with the punch needed to win the fight against Apple. That and the fact that Honeycomb still too immature for this fight.

But all this is not a reason for no telling Apple that we are not impressed at all with the iPad 2. And that's what is this Video about.

The top 10 Android Tablets

JKK at JKK Mobile has posted what he thinks is the list of the best 10 Android Tablets coming this fall to the market. These are in my own opinion the best of the best Tablets that have been shown so far.

A Tablet for 50 dollars

A few weeks ago we all were surprised to read the news coming from India about a tablet which price was less than 40 dollars. Well, it seems to me that they have found the secret of how to made cheap tablets because here you can find a video demoing a prototype that will cost to manufacture just 50 dollars. The prototype is using an ARM processor the same one that we were using in our PocketPCs a while back. And this make me think, how much really cost to build a PocketPc like my old Axim x51?

Velocity Micro Cruz Tablet

If we can believe in what the OEM is saying, the Velocity Micro Cruz Tablet is going to be the first Tablet running Android to reach the 10 hours of battery live. Battery live is very important and I would say that is one of the reasons why the iPad has been so successful.

The future of tablets

Glen Burchers from Freescales has a very clear picture of how Tablets of the future should look and how they should be used. This video shows clearly an example of his vision.

Freescale New Tablet Design

I don't know how many times I have seen "infidels" writing about the extinction of the Tablet PCs. Probably the same amount of I have read all these years about new Tablet PCs being released. If the Tablet PC design is a fiasco why the company Freescale has just announced  a new device "with a tablet reference design”?.

Freescale Semiconductor has unveiled the future of the smartbook category with a tablet reference design featuring a 7-inch touch screen with up to four times the viewing area of a typical smartphone and based on a form factor that is approximately one-third the size and volume of today’s typical netbook. The solution is intended to enable a second generation of smartbook products with prices less than $200 and featuring form factors that fully leverage the power, performance and functionality advantages of advanced ARM® processor technology. It is designed to provide instant-on functionality, persistent connectivity and all-day battery life. The tablet will be demonstrated at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show running both the Android and Linux® operating systems.

Camangi WebStation Android

The Camangi WebStation is what now people are calling Tablet (Without PC, do not confuse with Tablet PC), in this case it’s a device with a 7 inches screen, using a processor Marvell 624MHz PXA303 and Android. Here is a video of it in action:

YouTube
- Google Android OS runs on 7-inch Camangi WebStation