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Comparisons, Reviews, Software & Accessories and Announcements

Our Tablet PC Quick Compare include photos and allows you to quickly and easily compare the differences between individual Tablet PC'S - Updated March, 2013

June 18, 2013

iPad 5 Release Date: iOS 7 Gives Clue to Tablet Launch?
International Business Times AU

Summary:   Excitement over Apples upcoming ios 7 and the launch of the iPad 5 continue to grow.   Right now its pure speculation on every ones part, but the majority believe the new iPhone and iPad along with iOS 7 will both appear in September.

Pad 5 could be the first device to be launched with iOS 7. The release is expected to happen later this year. The update is a big one as it introduces a massive overhaul to the iOS operating system, one that Apple says is the biggest since the original introduction of iOS with the iPhone back in 2007.

iOS 7 looks remarkably different from previous versions of iOS, including the latest update from Apple, iOS 6. Gone are the skeuomorphic textures of the previous versions of iOS, replaced by vastly different icons and textures. Apple has also seen it fit to add in a number of new features, as it always does with its annual iOS update.

Google Nexus 10 vs Apple iPad 4
SidhTech

Summary: If your considering the Goggle Nexus 10 Tablet and the iPad, the Video below shows the differences between the two tablets to help you decide which tablet may be best for you. 

The Apple iPad 4 and the Google Nexus 10 are two full size tablets on the market at the moment. If you are trying to decide between the two tablets then you might want to view a video which we have seen recently which shows how the two compare against each other.

Samsung More Than Doubles Its Market Share in Tablet PC Sales
press release

Summary: Samsung and their Galaxy line of Tablets is quickly gaining on Apple's share of the tablet market.

Samsung Electronics has more than doubled its market share in the global tablet computer market in just one year. According to U.S. market research firm Strategy Analytics, Samsung Electronics sold 9.1 million units of tablet computing devices worldwide in the first quarter of this year. This figure is up 355 percent compared to 2 million units a year ago.

Samsung Electronics' market share also rose sharply. Its tablet computer market share stood at 18.9 percent in the first quarter of this year, a 2.5-fold increase from 7.6 percent a year ago. Its ranks remain No. 2 in the global tablet computer market.

June 17, 2013

Review: Sony's waterproof Xperia Tablet Z is bathtub-compatible
TechHive

At 495 grams, the Xperia Tablet Z is so light, it seems more like something you’d find atop a coffee table at a furniture store than a fully functional tablet. I’ve never felt comfortable carrying a full-sized iPad in one hand due to its weight (652 grams), but not once did I worry about dropping Sony's tablet.

At 0.27-inch thick, the Xperia Tablet Z is thinner than the iPad. But because it sports boxy edges (as opposed to the iPad’s curved lines), it doesn’t feel thinner than an iPad—but it is much easier to hold onto. In fact, this is the first large tablet I’ve held that feels more like a magazine than a piece of technology.

One of the Tablet Z’s most interesting selling points is that it’s waterproof. You can’t take it scuba diving, but you can bring it in the bathtub with you. This feat is managed by the placement of removable port covers over the tablet’s Micro-USB port (also used for charging) and Micro-SD slot. As someone who bites his nails but doesn’t routinely find himself wanting to use a tablet where it’s wet, I found this feature annoying—it was a bit of a struggle for me to get those ports open.

That said, if you’re someone who does fancy a tablet surfing session while taking a bath but don't want to perform the Bezos Maneuver and stick your device in a Ziploc bag, have I got the tablet for you.

What's the best mobile platform for working on the move? Android vs iOS vs Windows 8
PC Advisor

It is impossible to draw firm conclusions based on this test, but there are some general points that we can gather.

iOS is a stable and intuitive platform. It is the most immediately easy to use mobile OS. But it is limited: even with the plethora of apps available our tester found it difficult to complete tasks involving Office or Flash. These things are possible, but in the time we allowed he found the constraints of iOS prevented him being entirely productive.

Windows 8 offers almost the opposite conundrum. It can do it all, but the learning curve is steep. There is literally nothing you can't do on a Windows 8 Pro tablet that you can do on a PC.

Android sits somewhere in the middle. Now that Google Play offers a comparable selection of apps and media, it is a genuine rival to Apple's platform. But this customisable OS remains a compromise: it is not as polished as iOS, and it offers not as much in the way of true functionality as does Windows 8 Pro.

NeroKwik Brings Photo Streaming and Sharing to NOOK Tablets
Broadway World

NOOK customers now have the power of photo streaming and social photo sharing with NeroKwik app. NeroKwik provides NOOK users with a fast and visually stunning interface that makes it easy to access and share photos stored on any smartphone, tablet, PC, cloud storage service and even on social media sites. Now users can instantly view and share photos they captured with their mobile device directly on NOOK HD, NOOK HD+ and NOOK Tablet.

"Barnes & Noble is committed to offering customers more creative and socially engaging ways to use NOOK devices. We are thrilled to have NeroKwik on the NOOK Store and are excited to provide our customers with instant photo streaming and sharing capabilities," said Claudia Romanini, Vice President of NOOK Apps at NOOK Media. "NeroKwik gives our users a solution to access all their photos in one place, create photo collages and share them with friends and family."

Microsoft Gives Away 10000 Surface RT Tablets to Educators
Gotta Be Mobile

Microsoft will give attendees at the International Society for Technology in Education Conference a free Surface RT as part of an effort to push technology use in the classroom.

As part of the ITSE event, attendees will be provided with a Microsoft Surface RT for use at their local schools. According to the organization, that means a gift of around 10,000 Surface RT tablets heading to local schools across the country.

Though there’s no doubt that the company wants to do its part to continue to modernize education, it also helps the company get their consumer and lifestyle oriented products in front of more users, both young and old.

According to Microsoft’s Vice President of United States Education, Margo Day, “Educators using Surface RT have the best of both worlds: the wonderful experience of a tablet combined with a no-compromise experience of a full-functioning laptop that includes Office and allows for creation and collaboration, and not just consumption.”

June 14, 2013

Microsoft Releases Office App for iPhone
pcmag.com

After more than a year of rumors, Microsoft today finally released a version of its Office suite for the iPhone.

The app, available for subscribers of Redmond's Web-based Office 365, includes iPhone versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, which allow you to create, edit, and update all of your documents and sync them with Microsoft's SkyDrive cloud storage service.

Any iPhone user can download the app, but without a subscription to Office 365, you can't actually use any of its programs. Office 365 Home Premium subscriptions cost $99.99 per year and the Small Business Premium edition runs $150 per year for each user.

Lenovo Horizon 27-inch table PC
CNET UK

you can see in action in the video below, starring my CNET.com colleague Dan Ackerman. The Horizon has lots of twisty swooshy apps for looking at photos and so on, as well as simple games preinstalled.

The best thing is that it comes with tabletop gaming accessories, like air hockey dibbers and a wireless die for board games.

June 13, 2013

25 Best iPad Apps
LAPTOP Magazine

There’s a very good reason Apple’s iPads continue to be world’s best selling tablets–actually make that 375,000. That’s how many apps are available for Apple’s iPad and iPad mini, compared to a few dozen tablet apps highlighted in the Google Play store and the Windows Store’s 60,000 options. Plus, many newer apps in the App Store take full advantage of the larger iPad’s Retina Display, delivering unparalleled sharpness.

More: Top 15 Productivity Apps 

Lenovo Horizon: 27 Inch Windows 8 Tablet Launches July 1
The VAR Guy

Editors Note: it appears that Best Buy as well as other online retailers will have the Lenovo Horizon for sale before July 1, 2013.

Lenovo's 27-inch Windows 8 tablet (called the IdeaCentre Horizon Multimode Tablet PC) apparently will begin shipments on July 1, 2013. Potentially a digital coffee table, Lenovo announced the big screen tablets back at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January 2013. The VAR Guy has been saving up for the big Horizon tablet ever since. Are there business use cases? Absolutely yes.

Apple's new iOS7: 10 new features
USA TODAY

Apple announced a raft of new features coming to its iOS software, which runs the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Here's a look at 10 new features in the iOS 7 software, which is expected to be available to consumers in the fall:

iTunes radio. Apple also debuted its answer to Pandora. ITunes Radio will be available on computers and mobile devices later this year. The program brings in preprogrammed radio stations to iTunes, and will let listeners create stations based on their favorite artists.

Control Center: You'll be able to swipe up from any screen to immediately jump into system settings such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

AirDrop. The new feature is Apple's answer to Samsung's Galaxy S line of phones, which let other Galaxy users share photos and other files by clicking the phones together. AirDrop lets other iOS users send items directly to each other, without opening text message or e-mail to do so. (This feature has already been available on Apple's latest Mac computers.)

June 12, 2013

The 8 best Android tablets of 2013: What's the best Android tablet?
PC Advisor

The 8 best Android tablets of 2013 - the Android tablet market has exploded recently and the result is loads of new tablets being released each month. To help you work out which one is right for you, PC Advisor reviews the 8 best Android tablets available to buy in 2013.

1. Google Nexus 10

The Nexus 10 is easily the best 10in Android tablet we've seen to date. It has a fantastic screen, decent cameras and software features all for a more than reasonable price. Those looking for an alternative to the full-sized iPad needn't look any further.

Lenovo announces new tablet PC devices
Philippine Star

Lenovo has announced the arrival of its latest lineup of Windows 8 touch-optimized Think devices designed to optimize workplace productivity for small medium businesses (SMBs) and enterprises.

"SMBs and enterprises go for practical and simple devices that can be used for a variety of office needs. Our latest ThinkPad devices, the ThinkPad Helix and ThinkPad Tablet 2, combine performance and versatility befitting the multi-faceted lifestyle of today's corporate workers and business professionals," Vicky Agorilla, Lenovo Philippines general manager, announced on Tuesday.

Agorilla said both devices feature advanced software like Lenovo Cloud Storage and offer the companies and IT managers the support they need to secure and manage company data seamlessly.

ThinkPad Tablet 2 has a thin and light design measuring 9.8 milimeters (mm) and weighing less than 600 grams (1.3 pounds). It has a 10.1-inch screen.

The latest lineup is powered by Intel Atom processor-based mobile platform and Windows 8 Pro, has an HD display, front and rear cameras for video conferencing and uploading photos, noise canceling microphones, HDMI port and wireless video streaming.

Specifically designed for Windows 8, ThinkPad Tablet 2 serves as a multi-use tablet. It has an optional digitizer and pen for precision input, along with security features like a Fingerprint Reader, IT manageability technologies, and corporate-level service and support.

June 11, 2013

Apple revamps look of iPhone, iPad software with iOS7
Associated Press

Apple is throwing out most of the real-world graphical cues from its iPhone and iPad software, like the casino-green "felt" of its Game Center app, in what it calls the biggest update since the iPhone's launch in 2007.

The new operating system, called iOS 7, strives for a clean, simple, translucent look. Apple is redesigning all its applications and icons to conform to the new look, driven by long-time hardware design chief Jony Ive.

Apple demonstrated the new software at the Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco on Monday. The new design direction was widely expected and will show up on iPhones, iPad and iPod Touches this fall.

Apple updates its iOS operating system every year and doesn't charge for the updates. The new operating system will be available for the iPhone 4 and later models, and on the iPad 2 and later models, including the Mini. The launch of the new software traditionally coincides roughly with the launch of the year's new iPhone model.

The new operating system will extend battery life and shorten boot-up times, Federighi told the audience of software developers. The system improves support for multiple displays and imports the tab concept from Web browsers to the Finder file-organizer.

Death of the Desktop? Half of American Homes Own a Tablet
Fox Business

Forty-four percent of Americans now own a tablet computer, according to a survey from research firm Frank N. Magid Associates, a 30% increase from last year’s figures. The ownership rate among those ages 18-to-34 is even higher with 54% reporting owing a tablet ownership.

The survey also found Android-based tablets gaining popularity and catching up to Apple , with both exceeding 50% ownership rates. Some homes even have more than one tablet,  with respondents saying they need a “spare”, according to the report.

Louis Ramirez, senior feature writer at dealnews.com, says tables’ convenience make them more attractive than laptops and says the number of tablets in a home surpassed laptops for the first time ever.

June 10, 2013

Apple WWDC 2013

Live Video Stream of Apple's WWDC 2013 Keynote

Coming Fall 2013: iOS 7  &  Apple OS X "Mavericks."

50 billion apps have been downloaded, and is a truly staggering number for 5 years.
900,000 iOS apps. 93% of those apps are downloaded each month.

Android Tablet PC Mini Studio with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with 8GB is here at $149 only at idolian.com
PR Web

Idolian Mobile, a leading manufacturer and distributor of wholesale-direct-to-consumer android tablet and accessories, announced today the launch of 8GB version of the Mini Studio Android tablet. The Idolian Mini STUDIO 8GB is a high-performance, high-quality tablet that is a direct competitor to the iPad Mini. Mini Studio 8GB MSRP is at $178 but it will be launched at promotional price at $149 until end of June only from idolian.com.

The Mini STUDIO is part of the Idolian “STUDIO Series,” which consists of three high-performance tablet models that feature eight- and 2 of the 10.1-inch screens, respectively, and all come with Dual Core processors. The Mini STUDIO, specifically, includes several features that rival similar tablets in usability and performance, including the iPad.

The Mini STUDIO’s specs include a multi-touch capacitive eight-inch IPS screen used on IPad Mini, a Cortex A9 Dual Core processor with a speed of 1.6GHz that runs on Android 4.1 with 1 GB of RAM.
Additionally, Mini STUDIO is built with the same or better specs than rival devices, including (for a complete list, visit http://www.idolian.com):

A 46-inch multitouch coffee table computer ties your living room together
Geek

nce upon a time, Microsoft’s Surface wasn’t a consumer-grade portable tablet aimed at the iPad and Nexus market. Long before we all swiped through Windows 8 on the landscape-oriented tablet, it was a huge, expensive touchscreen table.

Certainly able to provide more entertainment than any coffee table book, the Platform 46 coffee table sports 60 touch points, and is free of the constraints of a bezel. Underneath the hood lies a Core i7 3770s processor, clocking in at 3.1GHz, an obvious 8GB of RAM, and a 500GB hard drive. The table also features Intel’s WiDi technology, which allows you to wirelessly beam the table’s contents to an HDMI-compatible display, though you will need a WiDi receiver.

The coffee table also has Ethernet and Bluetooth capability, as well as wireless N WiFi. It has a host of ports, including USB, HDMI, DVI, VGA, and DP. The table also comes with a Blu-ray player, and runs Windows 8 Professional 64-bit. If you aren’t too hot on the table’s starting specs, you can upgrade to 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD, as well as add a GPU.

Tablets find a home in more US homes
USA TODAY

The love affair between Americans and their tablets and smartphones shows no sign of abating.

More than four out of 10 (44%) now own a tablet computer, up from 30% last year, according to a new survey from Frank N. Magid Associates. Ownership is even higher, at 54%, among those ages 18 to 34.

As Apple heads into its annual Worldwide Developers Conference Monday, the tablet competition has caught up. Android-based devices are owned by 59% of tablet owners — matching the penetration of Apple's iPad and iPad Mini. Both platforms can exceed 50%, because some homes have more than one type of tablet.

The likely reason? Once a home gets one tablet, they need a spare. "People are fighting over these at home, that's my guess. I've certainly heard it anecdotally," says Mike Vorhaus, head of the company's Magid Advisors unit. The research firm last month surveyed more than 2,400 Americans with Internet access, ages 8 to 64, about tablet and smartphone ownership.

"When people get a tablet, they love it," he says. "It does basically everything. You can play games. You can watch video. You can do business e-mail, and you can stay in touch with your social network. It's pretty powerful."

June 7, 2013

Hulu Plus for iPad gets redesign with a focus on content discovery
Apple Insider

 Hulu Plus version 3.0 adds the ability to minimize a video during playback by tapping an icon or pinching the video. Doing so shrinks the video down to occupy only a section of the bottom portion of the screen, allowing users to continue to browse content even while their current show keeps playing.


Hulu Plus v3.0, which is a free app, is now available in the iTunes App Store.

Microsoft Exhibited 7-inch Bay Trail Windows 8 Tablet at Computex 2013
Gizbot

Computex 2013 has recently showed us devices with cutting edge technologies and features. Asus and Acer revealed their laptop and ultrabook along with Hybrid PC/tablet and kindled joy among many tech geeks. However, they were not the only ones to be the apple of the eye in the Computex 2013. There was one more company that showed its elegance with the introduction of a tablet featuring Windows 8.1 OS.

Yes! The talk is about the Taiwanese OEM Inventec that demoed reference design of a concept tablet called "Lyon". To go by the specs, this so called Lyon tablet is powered by a 22nm quad-core Intel Bay Trail-M processor clocked at 1.66GHz and has 2GB of RAM. The device is said to have 1280 x 800 resolution IPS screen and can be expected to come with 64GB or 128GB of internal storage.

Reportedly, Lyon was displayed during Microsoft's keynote. The 7-inch Lyon can only manage about 3.5 hours of video playback. However, Inventec claimed that the hardware and driver optimizations would boost that degree.

There is a range of connectivity options despite the Lyon's smaller size. The tablet features WiFi and the model that Inventec showed at Computex 2013 housed a micro USB host port, HDMI output and reports say that it's ready and willing to install front and rear-facing cameras.

It is also said that the Bay Trail tablets are expected to run both on Windows 8.1 and Android, and the screen size of these devices should be around 7 to 10-inches. When it comes down to the price it is reported to come around $199, which is supposedly the perfect price for Windows 8.1 tablets.

Android infiltrates Computex via tablets, PCs, set-top boxes
PCWorld

New Windows PCs have always been the main attraction at Computex, the annual trade show in Taipei. But notable on the show floor this year is the growing presence of Google’s Android OS, which is creeping into more and more tablets, televisions, set-top boxes and even PCs.

The benefits of Android aren’t hard to see: it can be free to use, it’s more open than Windows because it’s open source, and it’s seen by some as the operating system of the moment, according to companies using it at the show. “Everyone is using Android phones and Android pads. This is the mainstream,” said Debbie Lai, a sales manager with Honeywld Technology. Her Taiwan-based company plans to launch Android set-top boxes that will bring the OS to TVs, allowing users to surf the Web and use Android apps on their televisions.

June 6, 2013

Apple's problem isn't design, it's Google
MSN Money

If the rumors are true, Apple's next invention is to make the iPhone and iPad look more like Windows 8, which is "flat." This is supposed to reignite Apple's earnings, which have stagnated so far this year.

In the bigger picture, though, for Apple to focus on changing the icon colors is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic -- almost literally. Apple has hit an iceberg, and it's losing water -- fast.

The name of this iceberg? Google

Google, together with a long list of hardware partners -- Samsung, Asus, Acer, HTC, Sony , Lenovo , ZTE, Huawei, Motorola and many more -- are attacking Apple like hyenas bite into a gnu. They're doing it through lower prices, improved hardware, and better services.

Best 7in Tablet Award 2013: winner Nexus 7
PC Advisor

PC Advisor has given its Best 7in Tablet award for 2013 to the Google Nexus 7. Here's why.

A true game-changer, Google entered the tablet market with its Nexus 7, made by Asus. The Nexus 7 launched at the startlingly low price of £159 and was the first device to ship with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, offering a 7in screen and a quad-core processor. Google set a new standard for budget tablets. It's an unbelievably well-equipped device for such a low price. The silky-smooth performance and high-resolution IPS screen are highlights.

June 5, 2013

Samsung Unveils Two New Tablets, Turns Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Into a Series
Indiatimes.com

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 will now be available in 3 screen-sixe models. Apart from the standard 7-inch tab, Samsung has now added an 8-inch tablet and a 10.1-inch tablet to the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 series. While Samsung did have a 7.7-inch tablet in the past, the 8-inch Tab 3 bridges the gap. Also, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1-inch acts as an upgrade to Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, 10.1-inch.

Both the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8-inch and 10.1-inch tablets run on Android Jelly Bean 4.2.

Sony upsizes the sliding PC with the Vaio Duo 13
CNET

I hadn't expected to see any new slider-style Windows 8 PCs, at least for a while, but Sony has surprised me with an updated and expanded version of the Duo. This new version bumps the screen size up to 13 inches from 11 inches, adds new CPUs from Intel's just-announced fourth-generation Core i-series, and is called the Vaio Duo 13.

While it's still not going to be a mainstream device, the new Duo 13 takes a stab at rebooting the slider and correcting some of the things that were so irksome about the original Duo 11. Most importantly, the sliding mechanism for exposing the keyboard is much-improved and actually opens and closes easily with a single finger. It's a much smoother experience, whereas the Duo 11 hinge confused some people.

This is also a larger 13-inch screen in a fairly compact body. The Duo 11 felt like a chunky 11-inch ultraportable laptop/tablet, whereas the new 13-inch design is as thin and light as any ultrabook-style 13-inch PC (except for Sony's new Vaio Pro 13, which is amazingly light).

TabletKiosk® And SoftKinetic® Collaborate On First Integrated 3D Interface for the Enterprise Tablet Market
IT News Online

TabletKiosk®, a leading manufacturer of enterprise-grade tablet PCs and mobile accessories, today announced they have joined forces to bring embedded 3D camera technology to the portable Tablet PC market.

TabletKiosk has created a conceptual prototype using its successful Sahara Slate PC® i500 platform and integrating the SoftKinetic DepthSense® 3D camera.  The new Tablet PC provides powerful performance and 3D capabilities for the most natural and intuitive user experience on the market, and will be demonstrated by SoftKinetic during Computex in Taipei June 4-6, 2013, at the W Hotel suite 1730.

"We are incredibly excited to work with TabletKiosk and to be at the forefront of a major shift in 3D capabilities for the all-in-one market," said Mitch Reifel, Vice President of Sales at SoftKinetic.  "TabletKiosk's superior platform allows our cutting-edge camera and 3D technology to integrate seamlessly.  The enterprise market is leading the change for portable 3D devices,  and we are anxious to play a major role in reshaping the ways in which users interact with their devices."

In addition to popular features such as 3D facial and gesture recognition, the TabletKiosk prototype will offer advanced capabilities including 3D mapping, image capture and virtual reality for a more engaging user experience.  The embedded SoftKinetic DS525 module, the first short-range 3D, RGB and Audio module on the market, features a patented Time-of-Flight (ToF) depth sensor that allows data recognition from as close as 15cm, at up to 60 frames-per-second (fps).

June 4, 2013

Toshiba Introduces Three New Excite Android Tablets

UNLEASHES NEW DISPLAY, PEN AND PERFORMANCE TECHNOLOGIES

Toshiba's New Android Tablet line up, the Excite Pro, Excite Purs and Excite Write Android tablets with new Display, Pen and Performance Technologies

Newest Android Tablet Features Include 10.1-inch PixelPure Super High-resolution Display, Digitizer Technology and the Latest Processors From NVIDIA. With Three All-new Models, Excite Tablet Family Offers Something for Everyone and Prices Starting at $299

Excite Pure pricing starts at $299.99 MSRP3. Key specs include a 10.1-inch AutoBrite™ display (1280 x 800), NVIDIA Tegra 3 mobile processor, Android 4.2, Jelly Bean, 1GB DDR3 memory4, 16GB internal storage5, a 3MP rear camera, stereo speakers with DTS Premium Voice Pro, and built-in Micro HDMI®, Micro USB ports and a Micro SD slot.

Excite Pro is priced at $499.99 MSRP. Key specs include a 10.1-inch PixelPure display (2560 x 1600), NVIDIA Tegra 4 mobile processor, Android 4.2, Jelly Bean, 2GB DDR3, 32GB internal storage, an 8MP rear camera, Harman Kardon stereo speakers with DTS Premium Voice Pro, and built-in Micro HDMI, Micro USB ports and a Micro SD slot.

Excite Write is priced at $599.99 MSRP. Key specs include a 10.1-inch PixelPure digitizer display (2560 x 1600) featuring Corning Gorilla Glass 2, pressure sensitive Toshiba TruPen and TruNote application, NVIDIA Tegra 4 mobile processor, Android 4.2, Jelly Bean, 2GB DDR3 memory, 32GB internal storage, an 8MP rear camera, Harman Kardon stereo speakers with DTS Premium Voice Pro, and built-in Micro HDMI, Micro USB ports and a Micro SD slot.

All three tablet models will be available beginning on June 25, 2013 and can be purchased directly from Toshiba at ToshibaDirect.com or from major retailers and e-tailers nationwide beginning in early July.

MSI Primo 81 vs Apple iPad Mini - Tablet look a like Shoot Out: Computex 2013
YouTube

Best Android tablets (June 2013 edition)
ZDNet

Tablets are everywhere, and while Apple's iPad – along with its little brother, the iPad mini – commands the most media attention, there's no shortage of excellent Android alternatives to choose from.

Here are my top 7 Android tablets for June 2013. New entries to this list include two budget Android tablets.

All of the tablets features here are very capable, powerful workhorses, and are ideal not only for home users, but also for enterprise users or those looking for a BYOD tablet. Any one of these will give you an excellent Android experience, and, when combined with the right apps, will allow you to get a lot of work done when you're away from your desk.

Google Nexus 7

My favorite tablet — and one that is rapidy replacing my full-size iPad as my go-to tablet.

The Google Nexus 7 was the first Nexus-branded tablet to be released by Google. The hardware, manufactured by Asus, consists of a 7-inch display with a 1280x800 resolution screen, an Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor, a choice of 16GB or 32GB of storage, and a – somewhat limited – 1.2 megapixel front-facing camera.

Contine

Acer launches 8” Windows 8 tablet at Computex
Computer Dealer News

Acer made four product announcements at the Computex trade show in Taiwan this week, including what it claims is the industry’s first 8” tablet.

The Acer Iconia W3 Tablet PC is an 8 tablet running Windows 8, and also comes pre-installed with a full version of Microsoft Office for no additional cost. It measures 0.45” thick and weighs in at 1.1 lbs, with an HD 720p display. Both micro-HDMI and micro-USB ports are built in, and an optional full-sized keyboard is also available. The W3’s suggested pricing is US$379, and pre-sales begin June 4th.

June 3, 2013

Microsoft, Apple cut deals to clear out tablet, notebook stock
Computerworld

Microsoft and Apple last week kicked off promotions that may signal inventory clearing as they prepare their next generations of hardware.

On Friday, Microsoft debuted a deal that hands a free keyboard-cover to buyers of its Surface RT tablet.

The Surface RT offer runs from May 31 to June 30 in the U.S., Canada, and the European countries where Microsoft sells the tablet, including the U.K., Germany, France and the Netherlands. Buyers of either the 32GB or 64GB Surface RT -- which in the U.S. list for $499 and $599, respectively -- will receive a free Touch Cover or Type Cover, or one of the limited edition Touch Covers.

The Touch Cover usually costs $120, while the Type Cover sells for $130.

The deals' timing is another clue that Microsoft is trying to get rid of its Surface inventory before launching new models. Its original tablets are coming up on their first anniversary -- Microsoft surprised the industry with its own hardware on June 18, 2012 -- and the BUILD conference at the end of this month would be a perfect stage for unveiling new tablets.

May 31, 2013

Microsoft Brings Back the Start Button in Windows 8.1 -
Mashable

Summary: Windows 8.1 (code name "Blue"), available later this year, will be a free to update for all Windows 8 users.   Microsoft will release a test version of Windows 8.1 at their annual developer conference on June 26.   SEE ALSO: Windows 8.1: Everything You Need to Know

When Microsoft introduced Windows 8 to the world, it removed perhaps the most familiar part of the Windows user interface: the Start button. In the wake of feedback from users, the company is reversing course on that move in Windows 8.1 and bringing back the Start button in the desktop environment.

In the current version of Windows 8, users don't see the Start icon until they navigate the mouse cursor to the corner. A few new users have been flummoxed by the change, unsure of how to return to the modern UI without the visual cue of an icon.

Besides bringing back the Start button, Microsoft is changing its design. In Windows 8, the icon that appears in the corner is an analog of the Start screen, but in Windows 8.1 it becomes the same angled Windows logo seen in the charms menu, the keyboard and other places.

The change was influenced by user feedback. Thanks to the built-in cloud connectivity in Windows 8, Microsoft has access to more data about how users use its core product than ever before.

In addition, many third parties such as Samsung and Pokki have introduced their own versions of the Start button since Windows 8 killed it, and they've been successful: Pokki's Start menu has been downloaded 3 million times, and the company says users open it 10 times a day on average.

May 30, 2013

TOSHIBA UNVEILS NEW PORTÉGÉ Z10T DETACHABLE ULTRABOOK
 
New Business-class Windows 8 Device Offers Performance of an Ultrabook
With Convenience of a Tablet and the Ultimate Handwriting Experience

Toshiba has taken the wraps off the Portege Z10T Detachable Ultrabook. Designed with business in mind, the Z10Tis runs Windows 8 and includes a pen for the ultimate handwriting experience

Toshiba’s Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc.,  has just introduced the company’s first Windows 8 device designed for business users, the Protégé® Z10t Detachable Ultrabook™. The versatile Portégé Z10t is an Ultrabook™ when needed and a tablet when wanted. Switch instantly between notebook and tablet by simply detaching the screen. Equipped with an 11.6-inch diagonal, Full HD, IPS anti-glare touchscreen display[1] , the Portégé Z10t is an ideal choice for on-the-go professionals looking for a single, versatile device that offers more screen real estate than most tablets, but all the same ultra-responsive performance of a laptop. The built in digitizer adds even more functionality for those who want to write and take notes on-screen. Ultra-slim, lightweight, encased in sleek style and dressed in durability with all the essential ports and security features, the Portégé Z10t makes it easy to create, share or consume content anytime, anywhere. Powered by the latest Intel® Core™ processors[2] the device is equipped with all the business essential ports needed for a “dongle free” experience, the Portégé Z10t delivers excellent speed and performance – everything expected from a business-class Portégé.
 

Acer Iconia A1-810 Android tablet (preview)
PC World Magazine

The Iconia A1-810's size immediately makes it a direct competitor to Apple's iPad mini. It has the same sized 7.9in LED-backlit IPS screen with an identical 1024x768 display resolution, so it's easy to make the comparison.

The key feature of the Iconia A1-810 is clearly its $249 asking price. It's significantly cheaper than the equivalent model iPad mini ($369), but is both heavier (410g) and thicker (11.5mm). The thickness shouldn't be a significant issue but an extra 100g of weight may be a dealbreaker for some.

Other features of the Iconia A1-810 include a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera that captures full HD 1080p video at 30fps, and a front facing VGA camera to handle video calls. The A1-810 is a Wi-Fi only tablet and although 3G and 4G models are available in overseas markets, Acer will not sell them in Australia at this stage.

The Iconia A1-810 runs a fairly standard looking 4.2 Jelly Bean version of Google's Android operating system. However, one feature that might prove to be useful is Acer's 'Touch WakeApp' feature. Pressing five fingers onto the screen unlocks the screen and opens an app of your choice, and tapping both thumbs on the screen will again unlock it and launch another app of your choice.

Acer claims the Iconia A1-810 has a "minimum seven hour battery life", though it lists up to 8.95 hours for streaming video on YouTube and up to 9.56 hours when watching a video from the 16GB of internal memory. The 4960mAh battery isn't removable.

Rumor – iPad mini 2 Could Cost Only $249 Once Released
USDailyVoice

According to a report from Citi Research published by CNET, the iPad mini 2 could be priced at a mere $249, which is still more expensive than the base Nexus 7, but nonetheless a good deal cheaper than last year’s iteration.  Citi Research claims that based on its Asian supply chain checks, the trend favoring cheaper devices could continue with the rumored low-cost iPhone and a “sub-$250 iPad mini.”, both of which it believes would be launched in September. 

May 29, 2013

Windows 8 tablets buying advice: best Windows tablets, Windows 8 hybrids, Windows 8RT
pcadvisor

Summary: PC Advisor does a excellent job in this piece designed to help to decipher which tablet is best for individual users and what will suit their needs best.

I highly recommend Surface Pro over Windows RT, which does run Microsoft office but it does not run Micros oft Outlook and to be clear, Windows RT only runs Apps downloaded from the Microsoft store.  You can not install software applications you already own Windows RT machines.

It's a confusing time to be buying a Windows 8 tablet. Should you go for a combined laptop and tablet - a so-called hybrid - or a 'proper' tablet? What about Windows RT? We answer these and more questions in our in-depth Windows 8 tablet buying advice, then review the best Windows 8 tablets.

Bill Gates recently gave an interview where he suggested that the millions of people who are buying iPads and Android tablets are frustrated because “they can't type, they can't create documents, they don't have Microsoft Office".

He then stated that Windows 8 and devices such as Microsoft's own Surface Pro tablet were the solution to that problem, because “you've got the portability of a tablet, and the richness of a PC in terms of the keyboard and Microsoft Office".

Bill does have a point about Microsoft Office. QuickOffice may allow you to open and edit Microsoft Office documents, but you still have to learn how the new app works, and transferring files back and forth between your tablet and your main PC can be a fiddly process. There are many people – particularly business users – who might feel more comfortable with a tablet that can run the Microsoft Office that they're already familiar with and give them instant access to their important work files.

We've included reviews of some of the best Windows tablets that are currently on offer, but before you can decide which one is right for you there's one big question that we need deal with first.

Windows 8 tablets buying advice: Windows 8 vs Windows RT?

Panasonic ToughPad FZ-G1 review
techradar

The ToughPad FZ-G1 isn't an aspirational lifestyle product like your standard tablet: this is a working machine, designed to go where frailer tablets wouldn't dare. And if you or your business need rugged, relatively portable computing with the power of a full PC, this 10.1-inch slate could be just right for you.

The ToughPad FZ-G1 comes running Windows 8 Pro - the same software you'll find on desktops and laptops. This gives you Microsoft's full operating system, which has been specially designed for touchscreen use.

Seven large physical keys adorn the front of the ToughPad FZ-G1 just below the screen. These give you instant access to the home, volume, rotation, lock and power buttons, while the remaining two can be programmed according to your needs.

Inside, Panasonic has stuffed in an Intel Core i5 processor and 4GB of RAM, which makes light work of Windows 8 Pro, booting up in a tidy six seconds. It runs smoothly and we were able to glide through the live tiles on the Start screen and drop in and out of desktop mode without any hassle.

May 28, 2013

Tablet market booms, but can mobile enterprise apps keep up?
ITWeb

With tablets, smartphones and phablets moving to surpass PC shipments, mobile computing is the way of the future. Enterprise computing needs to go fully mobile along with this wave, says HansaWorld South Africa sales manager Taryn Cromie.

“The tablet has clearly become the preferred mobile productivity device, thanks to its larger screen size, ease-of-use and portability,” she says. “The fact that users are able to benefit from their choice of operating systems and apps simply adds impetus to tablet uptake. Inevitably, this means the tablet is now becoming entrenched as a tool for enterprise computing.

“Enterprise mobility has been a buzzword for some time, and thanks to the advent of the tablet, it is now possible,” says Cromie. “However, while the device may be capable of delivering full-function enterprise mobility, true enterprise mobility cannot be realised unless the mobile enterprise apps in use deliver the same functionality a mobile worker can enjoy in the office, wherever he may be. Cached reports are simply not enough.”

New AMD-based Tablet PC Processor Wins 2013 “Best Choice of COMPUTEX
HEXUS

AMD  today announced its  lowest-power accelerated processing unit (APU) for tablet, hybrid and clamshell notebook PCs is the winner of the 2013 Best Choice of COMPUTEX TAIPEI award, the third consecutive win for AMD. The award is given by the Taipei Computer Association, a driving force behind the annual event and the leading technology organization in the country.

"We are very excited to receive this important award from the Taipei Computer Association for the third consecutive year, each year for our innovation in APUs," said Lisa Su, senior vice president and general manager, Global Business Units at AMD. "It's been our goal to deliver a more complete, full-featured experience on tablet and hybrid PCs, and we've been successful with our third generation A-Series APUs. It's a great honor to be recognized for our innovation and technology leadership at this prestigious event."

Available in dual and quad-core configurations, the new 2013 AMD Elite Mobility ultra low power APU, codenamed "Temash," is the world's first quad-core x86 system-on-a-chip (SoC) designed for tablet and hybrid PCs. The new APUs  are designed to deliver the best entertainment and productivity experiences in the widest range of highly mobile devices, from media tablets to performance tablets, hybrids and small-screen touch notebooks, 13-inches and below. In coming months, key OEM partners will launch multiple new designs featuring this new APU.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 specs and preview
PC Advisor

Samsung recently unveiled the Galaxy Tab 3 7.0, an update to the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 that was released last year. It's a low-cost device with predictable specifications but it hardly seems like much of an upgrade over the previous model. See also What's the best tablet PC?

Samsung's tablet range has historically been one of the most overwhelming on the market. The company started off with a 7in Android tablet, then released a 10.1in, then revised that 10.1in to be thinner and lighter than the first, then brought out an 8.9inmodel, and then a slightly bigger 7.7in device.

May 27, 2013

May 24, 2013

Hands on: Hisense Sero 7 tablets
techradar

The Sero 7 series was developed as a partnership between Hisense, Wal-mart and Nvidia, and is priced to cut into competitor sales immediately.

While the diminutive devices may be a little late to the game, the Sero 7 Pro could go toe-to-toe with Google's own Nexus 7 in terms of performance and value.

Whatever the Sero 7 LT lacked in "wow," the Sero 7 Pro more than made up for its little brother's shortcomings. Priced at $149, the Pro is a near identical clone to Google's Nexus 7, but costs $50 less.

Win A 16GB Apple iPad With Retina Display
DIY

Entertainment is one of the main reasons for purchasing a tablet PC. It’s light, compact you can play games, watch movies, stay in touch with your mates via facebook or twitter, receive emails, browse the net and listen to your favourite tunes whilst on the go.

We are offering one lucky music fan the chance to win a 16GB iPad courtesy of Argos. The Apple iPad is an excellent music platform for musicians to access and transfer their compositions without the hassle of lugging around a heavy laptop.

Click here to enter the contest

This competition is open to UK residents only.

May 23, 2013

New Microsoft Windows 8 ad turns Apple's Siri against her maker
Apple Insider

Summary: This amusing new commercial by Micros oft points out the iPads limitations using the voice from Apple's Suri.

A recently aired Microsoft ad pits a tablet running the company's Windows 8 against the iPad, with the spot featuring an unlikely narrator: Apple's Siri virtual assistant.

The commercial, first spotted by The Verge, initially appears to mimic an Apple ad, complete with upbeat music and copious amounts of white space around the product. Things soon turn sour, however, as one notices the white iPad is not paired with the usual iPad mini, but instead a black tablet running Windows 8.

In the ad, titled "Less talking, more doing," Siri appears to be struggling with a few functions that are highlight features for Microsoft's Windows 8-running tablet. Live updating tiles, multitasking and powerpoint are mentioned as things Siri, and by proxy the iPad, can't do.

HP reveals Envy Rove 20, its 20-inch Windows 8 AiO-tablet PC
Neowin

Now HP has joined these ranks with the reveal of the 20-inch Envy Rove 20. In a post on HP's The Next Bench blog, the company states that the 12 pound PC has a hydraulic hinge in the back that, when a button is pressed, can adjust the position of the PC from 90 degrees to nearly flat on a table.

The Envy Rove 20 does have a battery, which HP says will last about three and a half hours; not bad compared to other PCs of this type. Engadget reports that the processor inside the PC will be a part of Intel's upcoming Haswell family of Core chips. It will also have up to 1 TB of hard drive storage, along with a small 8 GB SSD for fast caching. Of course, it will have a Beats audio speaker and it will come pre-loaded with some entertainment apps such as EA's Monopoly.

May 22, 2013

Samsung ultra-high resolution tablet and laptop displays demoed
Expert Reviews

Samsung has announced that it is to release ultra-high resolution panels offering higher-than-ever pixel densities for tablets and laptops - blowing Apple's existing retina-class displays out of the water.

Apple has been leading the way in pixel density - the number of individual dots, or picture elements, that can be crammed into a single area of the screen - for some time: iPad 4 includes what the company terms a 'retina-class' display, where the pixel density is high enough to prevent the human eye from perceiving individual pixels when held at a standard viewing distance. The technology has also been expanded to the company's 13.1in Macbook Pro and 15.4in MacBook Pro models.

Given the high specifications and power-saving features on offer, however, we'd be surprised if there isn't a flood of high-resolution tablets and laptops on the market by the end of the year.

The NFL Says Goodbye to the Polaroid, Hello to Microsoft's Surface Tablet
Businessweek

Soon, NFL players will have a better way to see what happened on the last play than tilting their heads back to check out the scoreboard.

The National Football League today announced a partnership with Microsoft, through which coaches and officials will use Microsoft’s Surface tablets on the sidelines, potentially replacing coaches’ laminated playbooks and Polaroid images used by quarterbacks to figure out what went wrong on that last interception. The partnership also includes plans to use the Surface and next-generation Xbox game console for interactive viewing experiences for fans.

Giving coaches and officials access to tablet computers seems like an obvious step for the league, which, after all, exists in the 21st century.

As NFL technological shifts go, the change ranks up there with radio headsets in quarterbacks’ helmets and video instant replay. “We would make sure that it worked, and if that means changing the rules to account for innovation on the sidelines, we would do that,” Brian Rolapp, the chief operating officer for the NFL’s media arm, says of incorporating the Microsoft products. Rolapp would not give a timeline for when the devices will show up on the sidelines but said the league hoped to have things up and running by this coming season.

MobileDemand, Global Provider of Rugged Tablet PCs, Ranks 7th for Fastest Growing Companies
PR Web

MobileDemand, a global provider of rugged Windows tablet PC systems, is honored to announce that the company has received a 7th place ranking on the annual Corridor Business Journal (CBJ) Fastest Growing Companies list. MobileDemand has consistently ranked high amongst growing companies in the eastern Iowa corridor, with this year’s award marking its fourth time on the list since 2008.

MobileDemand xTablet rugged tablet PC systems enable companies to extend enterprise and business applications to mobile workers to gather, access, analyze and transmit critical information in real time at the point of interaction to make better business decisions. MobileDemand’s innovative rugged tablet PCs deliver high performance at a lower cost and enable greater efficiency and productivity in the field.

MobileDemand was founded in 2003 by Matt Miller with his first customer being a local Anheuser-Busch beer distributor. It has since grown to have customers throughout the world including police forces in the Caribbean, fishing vessels outside the Mediterranean island of Malta and oil fields in Canada, among many other applications.

May 21, 2013

Sony Xperia Z Tablet Confirmed for Global Release – A Slender Stunner
USDailyVoice

Sony has announced that the stunning Xperia Z Tablet is being rolled out globally following an incredibly successful introduction to a few of the world’s key markets. The lightest and thinnest tablet PC in its class according to Sony, the Xperia Z will launch in both 4G LTE and Wi-Fi only variants in order to capitalize on as many corporate and consumer groups as possible.

The Sony Xperia Z is priced pretty much identically to Apple’s iPad 4, with its 16GB and 32GB Wi-Fi variants carrying an RRP of $499 and $599 respectively. The 4G LTE variant comes in a little higher at around the $699 mark.

A glance at the tablet is enough to see that what you’re looking at is something of a carbon-copy of the Xperia Z Smartphone – albeit a decidedly larger one. And the similarities aren’t just cosmetic either, as just like its smaller sibling the Xperia Z Tablet is both dust and water-resistant, which proved to be one of the biggest draws of all the Sony’s flagship Smartphone.

The stunning 10.1-inch display packs 1,920 by 1,200 pixels, while power is delivered courtesy of a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon clocked at 1.5GHz. There’s also 2GB of RAM, at least 16GB of closet-space and one of the best 8-megapixel cameras you’ll find on a tablet to date.

Microsoft Surface Pro
Digital Spy

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