Viewsonic ViewPad 7 Android tablet Viewsonic came up through monitors and projectors, but has recently been branching out, sometimes tentatively, into other devices like the VMP74 network media player and slimline laptops. Now it's set its sights on the rapidly emerging Android tablet market with its new 7in touchscreen, the ViewPad 7. Viewsonic Viewpad 7 …
OK, the obvious question - does it run a proper OS instead of something that is not Java, but Java and not Java at the same time?
Most other recent tablet arrivals have been hacked to run Debian. I cannot find any info on this one though. If it does it may make my post-Xmas shopping list instead of the Tosh (which has been successfully vandalised to run Debian).
The only downside to this- is the 600Mhz Arm 11 processor.
Hell- I've got a faster processor in my smart phone, and I've had it for a while.
If this is to succeed, it needs the likes of one of the new Snapdragons etc.
At least it supports multitasking as is- but I'd hazard a guess that the processor is the big downside to this.......
You can now get dualcore Arm 11 1.2Ghz chips- thats what would make this a rocket.
I'm simply not impressed with the 7" form factor. 90% of the "quick" needs I might use this for, a 4" screen does just as well and is far more portable. For the times when I'm out and about at length, or lounging on the couch, saving 3" of diagonal is not worth the loss of size and resolution (not full keyboard sizing. Even though it's virtual, not having to crunch fingers if MUCH superior to a 7" layout).
Capped at 32GB storage even though the slot should accept more, low res display, no wireless N support, only a 3MP camera (and 0.3 front), and no HDMI (WHAT?!?! it's from a MONITOR COMPANY FOR SHITS SAKE!!!!). only 4-6 hours continuous use on a 3600mAH batter?
Oh, and since it has built in 3G, carrier lock is an issue, as are data plans since likely they'll be contractual, or priced higher than AT&T's no-contract offerings.
As for the CPU concerns, a 600MHz ARM 11 is not inferior to a 1GHz ARM9. It;s faster in some things (floating point), slower in others (brute speed). the 11 gets better battery life, a fair trade. since we don't know specifically which ARM11 it is (ther;e snot a native 600MHz model, they've either down-clocked a faster one or overclocked a slower one), it;s hard to say until someone benchmarks it.
The flood gates on the tablet/pad market are about to open and your eyes will start watering.
And iPhans will even question whether it was smart to buy the Apple door stop.
Pity they won't be here for Christmas but they say Patience is a Virtue ... just wait until the goodies out here in the Far East arrive at your place.
Yup, because all the indications are that this is going to happen.
Everyone seems to be pinning their hopes on Gingerbread. Or is it Honeycomb. Whatever, it's some 'to be released' version of Android that none of us have seen yet.
Excuse me if I don't hold my breath (though you're welcome to hold yours). Does the beer icon suggest that you were drunk when you wrote your comment?
I thought during my visit to China's electronic electronic malls just how tawdry and dated the iThingy was looking compared to all the new products being featured.
Too bad for the West they don't have New Years when the Chinese celebrate it because of the plethora of the pads out here in the stores.
By the time Jobs announces his new and improved tablet he will have to face reality - the competition will have caught up, and in some cases, overtaken his offering.
<rant>
It does annoy me when the reviewer reviews the stock features of the operating system. "Whoa! Android (tablet) comes with an on screen keyboard? Well shiver me timbers!" What I need to know is, is it More than just stock android, has it any "special" features etc. I need differentiation factors between this and any other Android tablet/phone.
Hardware is important,
button position - important,
the fact that holding the power button brings up the 'power menu' is STOCK!! All android devices do this.
CPU - important.
Battery - important;
Storage - important,
connectivity - important,
Resolution - important.
User experience due to combination of the above - important.
Wallpaper is interchangeable - STOCK
Music player - STOCK
Let me guess? It has google maps? Wow. That is a shock.
... </rant>
As in technology that started to take off in the 1970s - traditional? "Conventional" - yes. "Traditional" - definitely not.
If it's "traditional", then it has to have been around since at least the 1870s - you know, like the UK's mishmash of neo-constitutional monarchism, with its Victorian love of Ruritanian kitsch - invented just to appeal to the finer German feelings of Prince Albert. Now, that is tradition.
Applied LCD technology doesn't really quite cut it here, since it's a product of late-20th century chemists' ingenuity. In fact, it's quite modern, really.
The ViewPad 7 and N700 are nearly the same. The Commtiva is unbranded and comes only with 1 year warranty, ViewPad is 2 years, anywhere in Europe. I read that Commtiva is pulling out of Europe and this has no support roadmap.
Looks like the commtiva has a tweaked / bespoke OS frontend. With the trade in I guess its the same price - personally I want the extra year warranty, so ViewPad for me!
@MS Rocks
What's the problem with the OS? All you see from the 2 pictures is a home screen with various apps scattered around. Yes the choice of the background looks a bit childish, but the rest are app icons, a widget and a status bar at the top.
Apart from the fact that Widgets are available, what is so much different to the disorganised list of apps that is available from Apple?
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