A Slate For Every Taste

[Hooch Tan]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://gizmodo.com/5630935/five-of-the-best-tablets-revealed-so-far' target='_blank'>http://gizmodo.com/5630935/five-of-...revealed-so-far</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Last week alone saw ViewSonic, Toshiba and Samsung all officially unveil new models of keyboard-less computer, with a mish-mash of operating systems and screen sizes hoping to somehow build themselves a market in the wake of Apple's market-leading device. So here's a summary of five of the best tablets out there and on the way this year. Or, to put it another way, the iPad +4."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/lpt/auto/1283867980.usr20447.jpg" style="border: 0px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>Is the slate tablet market really that hot, or is this simply a whole bunch of hype intended to get everyone to open their wallets?&nbsp; Tablets might be the next step in casual computing and thankfully, it seems like it draws a large part of its inspiration from smartphones.&nbsp; The only one that stands out for me, and not in a good way, is the ViewPad 100.&nbsp; Dual-booting just seems like such a hassle and it is not like dual-booting slate tablets have not been tried before.&nbsp; Just ask HTC.&nbsp; Most likely, the iPad will continue to dominate the space though there will be a large amount of Android devices to pick from.</p>

[Sven Johannsen]

Tablets might be the next step in casual computing and thankfully, it seems like it draws a large part of its inspiration from smartphones.

Why 'thankfully'? While I enjoy the heck out of the iPad I am doing this on, I am really waiting for a 'real' PC in a similar form factor. Nice to have some choice In the iPad space, but I think there is some room for a 'netbook' with a good touch/stylus screen and no keyboard. My old Motion Computing slate was a great device at the time, but it was huge, by iPad standards, not to mention expensive. I also really want usable stylus support, ala HPs tablet screens. Something that will take advantage of Windows 7s handwriting support. Imagine OneNote on an iPad-like device. I sure hope HP didn't abandon the Slate they were showing around, before Apple convinced the world that what people really wanted was a big phone, without the phone.

[whydidnt]

I'm actually really looking forward to the Galaxy Tab. For me, the iPad is bigger than I want to use for true on-the-go access and the Galaxy seems to hit the sweet spot of size and screen resolution. I want to be able to hold the device with one hand and interact with the other. If it takes two hands to hold/balance, then it makes more sense for me to use a traditional keyboard style device, since I've got to rest it on something to interact anyway.

I've used several UMPC devices that I can handle like this, but sadly, traditional Windows tablet UI is not very touch friendly on a smaller screen. Really looking forward to seeing how Android works out. I'm sure there will be some frustrations, but I really think these 7" devices running a touch friendly UI are going to kill netbooks because of their size and ease of use.