A few days later than expected, but there it is, the Apple iPad will ship April 3rd with preorders starting on March 12th.  Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK will see the iPad launch later that month, though a specific date has yet to be specified.

Now, keep in mind that the April 3rd launch date is for the WiFi only version. The WiFi+3G iPad will launch in “late April”, but you can still preorder a 3G version on March 12th.

When the iPad does arrive in stores so will Apple e-reader app, otherwise known as iBooks.  They’ve signed on major and independent publishers, including Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Penguin Group and Simon & Schuster and will feature books from from the New York Times Best Seller list.

Pricing breaks down like this:

• WiFi 16GB – $500
• WiFi 32GB – $600
• WiFi 64GB – $700
• WiFi+3G 16GB – $629
• WiFi+3G 32GB – $729
• WiFi+3G 64GB – $829

iPad Available in US on April 3
Pre-Order on March 12

CUPERTINO, California-March 5, 2010-Apple® today announced that its magical and revolutionary iPad will be available in the US on Saturday, April 3, for Wi-Fi models and in late April for Wi-Fi + 3G models. In addition, all models of iPad will be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK in late April.

Beginning a week from today, on March 12, US customers can pre-order both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models from Apple’s online store (www.apple.com) or reserve a Wi-Fi model to pick up on Saturday, April 3, at an Apple retail store.

“iPad is something completely new,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We’re excited for customers to get their hands on this magical and revolutionary product and connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.”

Starting at just $499, iPad lets users browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more. iPad is just 0.5 inches thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds-thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook-and delivers battery life of up to 10 hours.*

iPad’s revolutionary Multi-Touch™ interface makes surfing the web an entirely new experience, dramatically more interactive and intimate than on a computer. You can read and send email on iPad’s large screen and almost full-size “soft” keyboard or import photos from a Mac®, PC or digital camera, see them organized as albums, and enjoy and share them using iPad’s elegant slideshows. iPad makes it easy to watch movies, TV shows and YouTube, all in HD, or flip through the pages of an ebook you downloaded from Apple’s new iBookstore while listening to your music collection.

The App Store on iPad lets you wirelessly browse, buy and download new apps from the world’s largest app store. iPad includes 12 new innovative apps designed especially for iPad and will run almost all of the more than 150,000 apps on the App Store, including apps already purchased for your iPhone® or iPod touch®. Developers are already creating exciting new apps designed for iPad that take advantage of its Multi-Touch interface, large screen and high-quality graphics.

The new iBooks app for iPad includes Apple’s new iBookstore, the best way to browse, buy and read books on a mobile product. The iBookstore will feature books from the New York Times Best Seller list from both major and independent publishers, including Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Penguin Group and Simon & Schuster.

The iTunes® Store gives iPad users access to the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store with a catalog of over 12 million songs, over 55,000 TV episodes and over 8,500 films including over 2,500 in stunning high definition. All the apps and content you download on iPad from the App Store, iTunes Store and iBookstore will be automatically synced to your iTunes library the next time you connect with your computer.

Pricing & Availability
iPad will be available in Wi-Fi models on April 3 in the US for a suggested retail price of $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB, $699 for 64GB. The Wi-Fi + 3G models will be available in late April for a suggested retail price of $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB and $829 for 64GB. iPad will be sold in the US through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers.

iPad will be available in both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models in late April in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. International pricing will be announced in April. iPad will ship in additional countries later this year.

The iBooks app for iPad including Apple’s iBookstore will be available as a free download from the App Store in the US on April 3, with additional countries added later this year.

*Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

As of recent, the Wall Street Journal has hinted that Sony is secretly working on a combination device to do battle with the soon to be maybe cool Apple iPad.  Taking a look at the mock up pic located above, I have mixed feelings about a device of this nature.

After being letdown by the PSPgo, I still yearn for a new PSP2 with updated hardware, so when I saw this rumor I got some mild tech flutters.  This rumor also sort of crosses paths with the once rumored PSP Phone.  Could this possibly be one device to rule them all?

Having an iPhone already, I’m not so sure about wanting a PSP Phone but I sure would sign on to the PSP 2 if it ever actually materializes.

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Those living in Europe, working in construction and require a computer, will be pleased to hear that Panasonic has unveiled their latest Toughbook laptop, the CF-C1, the “lightest business-rugged convertible notebook”.  Inside is a 2.4Ghz Intel Core i5-520M vPro processor, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, 3G connectivity and a yet to be disclosed memory and hard drive capacity.

But what really counts is that the CF-C1 can take a licking.  According to Panasonic it can survive a 76cm fall (2.5 feet), a mess of drinks spilled on its keyboard and run up to 10 hours thanks to two hot swappable battery ports.

There’s no word on the actual screen size, but there will be two models available: one with a glove friendly capacitive touchscreen and one with out.  The glove friendly version will arrive this September and the other model this July.  The current suggested retail price is €1.998.

Panasonic Unveils Toughbook CF-C1: The Lightest Business-Rugged Convertible Notebook with Sleek Looks and Desktop Performance

At only 1.47kg (with 4 cell battery), new member of Panasonic’s business-ruggedized notebook family is tailored to mobile workers with multiple data entry needs
UK. 2 March 2010 – Panasonic today launched its new Toughbook CF-C1, a rugged yet lightweight business notebook that can be used in clamshell or tablet form. This makes it ideal for mobile workers like field healthcare staff, market researchers and others who need to enter data in different ways. Along with a hand-free ergonomic strap that enables users to enter information with one hand, the CF-C1 features, on a configuration base, a Multi-touch + Digitizer screen or a Multi-touch resistive screen that can be used even with gloves. The Panasonic Toughbook CF-C1 is unusual in that the touchscreen works in clamshell as well as in tablet mode with no risk of breakage, as its toughened triple hinge keeps the screen rigid while the user is typing on it. Panasonic has specially designed the three-dimensional hinge to be very robust without adding significant weight to the device. The CF-C1 also offers users worry-free operation with up to 10 hours’ battery life with its twin hot swappable-battery.

Twin hot-swappable battery and hand-free ergonomic strap
The new Panasonic Toughbook CF-C1 is especially well-suited to multi-taskers on the road with little opportunity to recharge their device. Its unique twin hot-swappable battery provides up to 10 hours of operation and allows users to exchange one while the unit is running. A Battery Charge Indicator shows the user the charge level at a glance and is always visible, even when the unit is turned off. With a single 4 cell battery installed, the unit is extremely light at just 1.47kg (and only 1.69kg with twin battery), and the moulded hand-free ergonomic strap lets users hold it easily with one hand while typing with the other. This makes the CF-C1 ideal for people who need to capture information in an environment where it may be difficult to put the unit down to type. Examples include researchers conducting point-of-sale customer surveys in a store, or nurses writing reports at a patient’s bedside.

Top-flight performance and connectivity
In addition, Panasonic’s new convertible is equipped with the business performance Intel Core i5-520M vPro™ processor (2.4 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.93 GHz, Intel® Smart Cache 3MB), which offers excellent performance along with the vPro business features. As mobile workers are often operating in a stressful environment on tight deadlines, the CPU’s speed and low power consumption make their work easier as they can access key applications and process information more quickly.

“Panasonic´s new Convertible C1 Toughbook is a forceful notebook for professional users based on the new 2010 Intel® Core™ processors”, said Jörg E. Finger, Director Sales Operations – Multinational Customers at Intel. “In terms of processing power its Intel™ Core i5™ processor always adapts to the computing power needed. This adds to the new Toughbook´s efficiency during normal operation and makes no compromise on processing power.”

The Toughbook CF-C1 comes with 3G connectivity for the fast transmission of key data, which could be of crucial importance in a healthcare environment. This is because changes in a patient’s condition may require swift advice from a more senior healthcare specialist. With a view to complying with security and data protection mandates, many organisations – both in healthcare and in business – do not want to store confidential data on a mobile device. This makes it essential for mobile workers to transmit information from the input device to a centralised server as quickly and efficiently as possible. To support this, the Panasonic Toughbook CF-C1 provides embedded 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® 2.1 connectivity as well as 3G.

“The new convertible Toughbook CF-C1 is a business-ruggedized solution designed for the modern mobile workforce” said Stephen Yeo, Marketing Director at Panasonic Computer Products Europe (PCPE). “Its sleek good looks will appeal to people in image-conscious markets such as fashion, cosmetics and blue-chip food brands, as well as to executives wanting a robust yet lightweight convertible notebook without compromising on performance. It’s as suited to customer presentations as it is to everyday mobile computing where speed, battery power and data input flexibility are of the essence.”

Practical and easy to clean
The CF-C1 features the Multi-touch capacitive touch screen that can be used with gloves, so it is ideally suited to healthcare workers such as nurses and doctors on visits to patients’ homes. The unit also includes a rubberised, disinfectable hand-free ergonomic strap. The convertible Toughbook CF-C1 has a spill-resistant keyboard; in operation mode it may be dropped from a height of up to 76 cm with no risk of damage. These features offer advantages to market researchers interviewing customers in stores, as well as to health professionals.

Price and availability
The Panasonic Toughbook CF-C1 with Multi-touch + Digitizer screen will be available in July 2010 from selected distributors throughout Europe. The Gloved Multi-touch model will follow in September 2010. The product’s recommended retail price is expected to start at € 1.998,-.

About Panasonic
Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of electronic products for a wide range of consumer, business, and industrial needs. Based in Osaka, Japan, the company recorded consolidated net sales of JPY 9,068.9 billion (approx. USD 90.52 billion, exchange rate USD 1 = JPY 100.19) for the year ended March 31, 2008. The Company’s shares are listed on the Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and New York (NYSE:MC) stock exchanges. For more information on the Panasonic Corporation and the Panasonic brand, visit the Company’s website at http://panasonic.net.

Wacom totally upped the anty today with the intro of the Cintiq 21UX.  Unlike their other tablets, the Cintiq 21UX is a screen, a 21-inch LCD touchscreen to be specific with 2,048 levels of pressure and can sense the slightest nuance of pen pressure, something they’re calling “near-zero”.

Aside from being color accurate and touchscreen, the rear sports a set of Touchstrips that can be user assigned per application to zoom, scroll, adjust brush size and rotate the canvas – I guess multitouch was out of the question.  The screen itself can also adjusted between 10 and 65 degrees and rotated 180 degrees in either direction.  Alternatively, users can remove the 21UX from the stand and work directly on a table or attach it to an articulating swing arm using the VESA certified mounts.

The Cintiq 21UX is expected to ship late March or early April for $1,999.  A mighty high price, but for those working in the field of artistry, architecture or photography it’s a no brainer right off.

Wacom Introduces New Cintiq 21UX Interactive Pen Display

New Cintiq provides enhanced pen performance and innovative ergonomics, providing an intuitive and natural-feeling pen-on-screen workflow for the very best in creative control, comfort and productivity

VANCOUVER, Wash., March 1 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Wacom® introduces the much anticipated Cintiq®21UX, its newly-redesigned interactive pen display delivering state-of-the-art pen performance and innovative ergonomics in a color-accurate LCD display. Designed specifically to meet the demanding needs of professional photographers, designers, artists and animators, the new Cintiq 21UX offers unparalleled creative control, comfort and productivity.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100301/SF62000)

The Cintiq 21UX experience starts with its amazing new pen performance, capable of capturing the slightest nuance of pen pressure against the LCD surface, as well as offering 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity. Other innovative enhancements include rear-mounted Touch Strips that are ideally placed for fingertip access while working. Each Touch Strip has an accompanying thumb-controlled Touch Strip Toggle button that controls up to four different user-assigned functions per application such as zoom, scroll, brush size adjustment and canvas rotation. In addition, the overall design has been refined and updated in an all-black color scheme, providing a sophisticated and handsome look.

2048 Reasons to Work Directly On Screen
The Cintiq 21UX Grip Pen features Wacom’s new proprietary Tip Sensor technology, offering users near-zero (one gram) starting pressure for the most sensitive interactive pen display performance to date. “Now, pressure-sensitive support can start with an incredibly light touch, emulating the same organic feel, response and result derived from working with traditional brushes, markers and pens,” said Don Varga, Senior Product Manager for Wacom Technology Corp. Additionally, the Cintiq pen delivers 2048 levels of pressure, doubling the resolution of the pen’s pressure curve and greatly improving the accuracy of pressure-sensitive effects such as controlling line weights or opacity adjustments. The Grip Pen also features a pressure-sensitive eraser and two customizable side switches that can be customized for commands such as double-click and right-click.

New Design Elements Improve Workflow
With a new ergonomic design and productivity features, the Cintiq 21UX is the ultimate tool for creative professionals. The customizable, application-specific ExpressKeys™, eight located on each side of the display’s bezel, are instrumental in helping improve workflow and boost productivity by placing commonly used commands at the fingertips. Pressing the top ExpressKey brings up an on-screen display showing the settings of all the ExpressKeys and Touch Strips. The close proximity of these tools to the actual work area is efficient and comfortable and helps save valuable time by minimizing dependence on the keyboard without taking focus away from the pen hand.

Also new to the Cintiq 21UX is the introduction of two user-defined, four-function Touch Strip Toggle buttons which control the function of their associated Touch Strip, located on the back of the bezel. The position of an illuminated LED located along the perimeter of the Toggle button indicates the current function of the Touch Strip. Fully application-specific, the Touch Strips can be used for up to four functions such as zoom, scroll, brush size adjustment and canvas rotation per application. This new ergonomic treatment is also extremely practical, allowing users to “toggle” with their thumbs while using their forefinger or middle finger to control Touch Strip speed and variation. “The four-function Toggle combined with the new location of the Touch Strips provides increased comfort and measurable increases in speed,” says Varga. “Additionally, locating the Touch Strips on the back of the pen display rather the front helps prevent accidental contact with the pen hand when, for example, flowing brush strokes are employed and extend beyond the screen’s border.”

Stand and Deliver
The Cintiq 21UX’s patented stand allows users to recline the pen display at any angle between 10 degrees and 65 degrees to match the users ideal working posture. In addition to reclining, the Cintiq 21UX can be rotated up to 180 degrees in either direction to take advantage of natural drawing movements or offer a different viewing angle. If desired, users can easily remove the Cintiq from the stand for use on a table top or to attach it to an articulating arm (not included) using the standard VESA (Video Electronics Standards Association) mounts located on the back of the display.

A new weighted pen stand is not only a convenient pen holder, but doubles as a handy twist-off storage compartment for pen nibs and handy nib removal tool. Standard, felt and stroke nibs are provided, allowing users to simulate the feel of working with a variety of traditional art and design materials.
Included Software
To help users get started right out of the box, the Cintiq 21UX ships with valuable creative software from several of our software partners:
Corel® Painter™ Sketch Pad for recreating the natural feeling of sketching and painting by hand
Nik® Color Efex Pro™ 3.0 WE6 for selectively applying lighting and photo enhancements with the pen
Wacom Brushes 3.0 for 81 customized brushes for use with Adobe® Photoshop® CS + and Photoshop Elements 4 +

Additionally, Cintiq 21UX users will also benefit from Wacom’s powerful driver software, including radial menus for quick “pen-point” access to additional customized shortcuts.

Creative Accessories
Wacom has a line of accessories to complement the Cintiq 21UX that address the specific needs of individual users. The Art Pen, for example, supports the barrel rotation feature within such applications as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator® and Corel Painter 11, allowing users to create natural brush effects by rotating the pen, much like a calligraphy pen. The Art Pen is newly designed and features a round barrel with two nib options, standard and chisel-tip. The Airbrush pen offers users a digital airbrush that has a similar form and wheel-based control as a traditional airbrush. It provides creative, fun effects when combined with select applications. Cintiq 21UX accessories can be conveniently purchased at the direct.wacom.com Internet site.

Availability
The new Cintiq 21UX (DTK-2100) priced at $1999 USD is intended to begin shipping in the United States, Canada and the majority of Latin America countries in late March or early April. It will be available in Argentina, Brazil and Chile in early summer due to certification requirements in those countries. Consult your local electronics retailer or visit www.wacom.com for the most current information.

About Wacom
Founded in 1983, Wacom’s vision to bring people and technology closer together through natural interface technologies has made it the world’s leading manufacturer of pen tablets, interactive pen displays and digital interface solutions. The advanced technology of Wacom’s intuitive input devices has been used to create some of the most exciting digital art, films, special effects, fashions and designs around the world and provides business and home users with the ability to explore digital content creation in a comfortable, natural way. Today, millions of customers use Wacom’s cordless, battery-free, pressure-sensitive pen technology to express their creativity.

• 1.3GHz Intel Core Duo SU7300 CPU
• 4GB of RAM (DDR2)
• 320GB 7200rpm hard drive
• Intel GMA 4500MHD
• 12.1-inch touchscreen
• Webcam and mic
• WiFi b/g/n
• 4.7lb weight
• Windows 7 Home Premium

Bringing the Etch-A Sketch into the modern era, the Boogie Board Paperless LCD Writing Tablet will be simply awesome in the hands of anyone who likes to doodle or take notes.  The tablet is only 1/8 of an inch thick and measures in at 8.8 x 5.6 inches (223.52 x 142.24 mm).

The Tablet uses a pressure-sensitive LCD writing surface that will display text and pictures of different thickness levels depending on how hard you press on the screen.  To erase, just press the iPhone style Home button and the slate is magically wiped clean.

Included is a stainless steel telescoping stylus but you can literally use just about anything to make a valid impression on the Boogie Board.  Also, the sealed battery should last for the life of the projected 50,000 erases the Boogie Board is capable of.

Priced at $30, none of the links on the product page bring you to the actual item so I can’t speak to its availability unfortunately.  Also in the works is a recordable version that will have flash memory and USB connectivity so you can save your work that will be priced at $50.

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• Intel(R)Core(TM)2 Duo SU7300 (1.30GHz, 800MHz FSB) w/512MB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 4550 Graphics (upgrade)
• 500GB hard drive (upgrade)
• 4GB of RAM (upgrade)
• 12.1-inch LED backlit 1280×800 resolution touchscreen
• 6-cell battery (upgrade)
• Webcam
• WiFi N w/ Bluetooth (upgrade)

It’s $1,159.99 – $250 coupon (NBPC223494) + free shipping = $909.99 shipped!

Don’t forget HP’s $250 coupon: NBPC223494 (expires: soon)

So far so good for Notion Ink’s Adam tablet computer.  This svelte device, which measures 12.9mm and 11.6mm thick – there are two versions, one with a Pixel Qi 3Qi e-paper screen and the other without (the thinner of the two) – has a 1080p capable touchscreen, will be powered by a Tegra chip and have a battery life that is twice that of the iPad.  Oh yeah, it supports flash, so all those video sites that the iPad can’t, make that won’t access, the Adam can.

Expect the Adam to launch 3rd or 4th quarter of this year.

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It’s $549 – $82.35 coupon (USPPRESIDENTSDAY) + free shipping = $466.65 shipped!

Don’t forget Lenovo’s coupon: USPPRESIDENTSDAY (expires: 2/17)

Toshiba is jumping on the touchscreen bandwagon….again.  That’s right, late last year they announced two touchscreen laptops (they’re actually updated laptops), the U505 and M505.

This time around, though, it’s all new hardware.  The U500-1EX runs Windows 7, has a 13.3-inch 1280×800 touchscreen, 2.13Ghz Intel Core i3-330 processor, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, , 2x USB ports, Bluetooth, 320GB hard drive, DVD burner, WiFi b/g/n, webcam and weighs just over 4.7lbs.

Toshiba says that it will be out sometime soon and cost just over $1,000.

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It’s $1,204.98 – $210.75 coupon (NBS978841) + free shipping = $994.23 shipped!

Don’t forget HP’s coupon: NBS978841 (expires: soon)

Tis the month/year of the tablet.  Handheld US just hit us with a 7-inch touchscreen device, the Algiz 7 (sounds like a bad porn movie spoof waiting to happen).  Inside is a 1.6Ghz Intel Atom processor, 2GB of RAM, a 64GB SSD, Windows 7 Professional, dual 2400 mAh battery packs, GPS, optional 3G and of course a ruggedized rating of MIL-STD-810G.  Currently, there is no mention of price but it is said to hit next month.

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Don’t forget HP’s $100 coupon: NBLB654853 (expires: soon)

Apple’s iPad product page is officially up.  Along with it comes a video of Apple big wigs saying ‘best’ one hundred billion times and raving how wonderful the device is.  My take?  It’s a giant iPhone.  But where’s the GPS and camera?

Design page
Tech specs
Gallery
Pricing

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By now you’ve already heard about the rumored Apple event set to arrive on January 27th, and today Apple confirmed it by sending invites to select press (we continue to be not one of them).

The invite is adorned with a multicolored spray paint finish that reads “Come see our latest creation”.  Everybody and their grandmother is pontificating that it will be the announcement we’ve all impatiently been waiting for, the Apple  Touch Tablet computer, aka iSlate or iTouch. The event will be held at 10am PST at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Fran.

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I’m not big on the whole rumor thing these days, but the WSJ and a few other sources are reporting that Apple will finally announce their touchscreen tablet computer on January 27th.  It will include a 10 to 11-inch screen, and as previously reported run a variation of the iPhone OS and apps.  Unfortunately, the computer is said to ship in March, which is relatively unorthodox for Apple as they often like to announce a product within weeks if not days of a ship date.

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While the iSlate or Apple Tablet computer appears to be far from being announced any time soon, Freescale’s 7-inch tablet computer might be the solution we’ve been seeking until that time arrives, and at a price of $200 I don’t see why not.  But before you get too excited, that costs is to OEMs, not the consumer, but should still result in a reasonable price tag.

The Linxus or Android OS tablet computer will pack in a 1GHz i.MX515 processor, 3 axis accelerometer, 512 MB DDR2 of RAM, a 7-inch 1024×600 touchscreen, 4-64GB of storage via microSD card slot, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, GPS, 3G modem, speakers, microphone, 3 megapixel camera, 1900mAH battery and a 128mm thin build.

According to Freescale the soonest we could see a retail version of this slender touchscreen device is Summer 2010, but we expect to get a closer look at this year’s CES where the design will be on demonstration.

Freescale evolves second-generation smartbook form factors with new tablet design

Solution combines best attributes of smartphones and notebook PCs for the ideal blend of performance, portability and battery life

AUSTIN, Texas – Jan. 4, 2010 – 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 design 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 design will be demonstrated at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show running both the Android and Linux® operating systems.

The solution is based on Freescale’s highly integrated 1GHz i.MX515 processor incorporating ARM Cortex™-A8 technology, and it also includes Freescale’s MC13892 power management IC, SGTL5000 audio codec and the MMA8450Q 3-axis accelerometer. The solution is designed to help OEMs jump-start creation of smartbook tablets. End products based on the design could hit retail shelves as soon as the summer of 2010.

“Freescale’s new tablet opens the door to an exciting new world of compelling form factors specifically designed and optimized to support common online activities including social media, high-quality audio/video playback and light gaming,” said Henri Richard, senior vice president of Sales and Marketing for Freescale. “We believe the tablet will emerge as a popular form factor for the next generation of smartbooks. By introducing this prototype reference design, Freescale intends to play a vital role in propelling the mainstream adoption of smartbooks.”

The design is the first platform in Freescale’s Smart Application Blueprint for Rapid Engineering (SABRE) series. The SABRE tablet platform for smartbooks incorporates feedback from of a recently completed end-user research study conducted in conjunction with Savannah College of Art and Design’s prestigious Industrial Design program.

“Semiconductor providers looking to differentiate in the nascent tablet market will need to offer solutions-focused system reference designs if they are to succeed with the world’s foremost consumer electronics OEMs,” said Jeff Orr, senior mobile devices analyst at ABI Research. “There is clearly strong end-user demand for tablet form-factors, and new reference designs look to play a major role in helping OEMs speed tablet smartbook products to market.”
The tablet includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® wireless connectivity, and also features a 3D desktop framework with touch screen/QWERTY keyboard support. 3G modem and RF4CE protocol options are available. The tablet’s modular approach to 3G connectivity lets systems designers select carrier-specific air interfaces appropriate for different regions. Modules can be pre-certified by carriers and selected to match a range of features and performance ranges. This method makes it easy to migrate quickly to new modem technologies as they are introduced.

Example smartbook platform applications intended to run on the tablet include a web browser with Adobe® Flash® Player and multimedia plug-ins, a media center, PDF and image viewers, a mail client, an RSS reader, an office suite, handwriting utilities and various widgets for Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Weather SMS and other applications.

Smartbook reference design features
• Size: small/thin form factor (200mm x 128mm x 14.9cm and weighing 376 grams); no need for fan or heat sink
• Processor: Freescale i.MX515 applications processor provides high performance and low power
- ARM Cortex-A8 1GHz
- OpenVG & OpenGL/ES graphics cores
- HD video decoder hardware
• Memory: 512 MB DDR2
• Display: 7-inch (1024 x 600) touch screen
• Storage: 4-64 GB internal storage; removable micro SD
• Connectivity: 3G modem (option) 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, GPS, RF4CE (option)
• Ports: USB 2.0 and USB mini (also for charging), audio in/audio out, SIM card
• Audio: speaker, microphone
• Camera: 3 Mpixel (video recording up to VGA @ 30fps)
• Battery: 1900mAh, USB charging
• Sensors: the MMA8450Q 3-axis accelerometer and an ambient light sensor
• Power management IC

Partners
Freescale and its partners offer a range of support, including turnkey designs. Inventec Appliance Corporation (IAC) provides expertise in design and manufacturing services for handhelds and netbooks. Freescale has also partnered with Thundersoft for software integration customization and optimization. For companies wishing to manage their projects internally, Freescale offers design aids including block diagram, schematic, list of materials and a Linux board support package.

Availability
The smartbook reference design is expected to be available for evaluation beginning February 2010 through local Freescale sales representatives. Reference design details are available at www.freescale.com/smartbook.

So the Crunchpad is no more.  In fact it will now be known as the JooJoo, which apparently means ‘magic’ – talk about delusions of grandeur.  Their CEO, Chandra Rathakrishnan performed a press conference today and denounced any claims that Arrington (i.e. Techcrunch) owns rights to the technology.  In fact, there was no formal aggreement and right now it sounds like Arrington is a bit screwed.

Despite the legal wranglings that lay ahead, Fusion Garage still plans to sell the device.  Pre-orders will go up on December 11th.  That $200 price tag is no more and now you can expect to pay $499 for the 12.1-inch capacitive touchscreen device.  With that you’ll also get WiFi, a browser like OS, accelerometer, a 4GB SSD and enough graphic power for HD video.  Battery life will cap at 5 hours, which probably means 3 and unfortunately there is no SIM slot for 3G connectivity or the possibility of this thing being sold by a carrier at a discount.

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