When to expect an IPAD alternative?

[IamDavid]

Love the IPAD, hate Apple. I can't seem to find any relaease date for anything like the IPAD.. Are all other companies that far behind Apple? I really home to see a windows version soon..

 

[Tsaar]

I am waiting a fairly robust Android experience (you know, not just having a grid of icons as a homescreen) tablet to launch.

I am hoping whatever Google and Verizon are currently engineering is going to be a worthy competitor.

 

[randomlinh]

earliest bet is fall. but like the iPhone, I don't think we'll see anything worthy until sometime next year. Android might work and compete well in fall, but nothing hardware wise seems to be close to matching the iPad.

 

[lokiju]

Well with HP buying Palm, they're going to make a tablet running WebOS, it's just a sure bet.

If that's not of interest then Google will be coming out with something soon I'm sure. Though it'll be like their Android phones I'm betting where it's a huge range of hardware and not one definitive Google tablet.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Eric Schmit has stated Google is making a tablet.

ETA is unknown...

 

[tatteredpotato]

Eric Schmit has stated Google is making a tablet.

ETA is unknown...

I also saw some notes about Android App development... among the tips: "Don't assume screen size, use relative layouts"

Essentially saying be ready for a larger screened device and make your apps compatible now.

EDIT: well speak of the devil: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/22/hp-taiwan-reportedly-reaffirms-pre-october-launch-for-webos-tabl/

 

[Tristicus]

An alternative that is actually worth having, you mean.

 

[zerocool84]

What do you mean like the iPad? A device that gives a smooth OS/Web experience but lacks basic features/functionality? Not gonna happen ever with anyone else cus no one else can ride their name like Apple and omit basic features but still sell like hot cakes so no an iPad like device will not come out. The only mobile OS better than the iPhone OS is WebOS and HP is still too fresh with all that to pop out anything this year.

 

[IamDavid]

An alternative that is actually worth having, you mean.

lol, thanks. That's what I meant. It doesn't make any sense no one can come up with an alternative. Not even a cheap knockoff yet?? Is Apple secretly buying technology from aliens or what??

zerocool84, I agree with most of that. But because of that I won't be buying the IPAD. I need it to do everything my Windows 7 can do, or at least Ubuntu.. Minus the intense processing stuff of course. Like photoshop.

 

[TheWart]

lol, thanks. That's what I meant. It doesn't make any sense no one can come up with an alternative. Not even a cheap knockoff yet?? Is Apple secretly buying technology from aliens or what??

zerocool84, I agree with most of that. But because of that I won't be buying the IPAD. I need it to do everything my Windows 7 can do, or at least Ubuntu.. Minus the intense processing stuff of course. Like photoshop.

So you want a tablet that loads in about a second (about how long it takes to unlock the ipad) but runs all of the windows dll's and exe's that you have on your desktop?

Yea, you might be waiting for a little while...

 

[Pliablemoose]

So you want a tablet that loads in about a second (about how long it takes to unlock the ipad) but runs all of the windows dll's and exe's that you have on your desktop?

Yea, you might be waiting for a little while...

I'd say about 3 years or so...

 

[MrX8503]

Love the IPAD, hate Apple. I can't seem to find any relaease date for anything like the IPAD.. Are all other companies that far behind Apple? I really home to see a windows version soon..

You might have to wait quite a while. Looking at the timeline, it looked like Apple was working on the iPad for several years, while most other manufacturers just started working on theirs.

Also on top of this, HP just acquired Palm this year, I highly doubt they could churn something out in 1 year.

This goes onto my next frustration, why is it taking so long for other PC manufacturers to produce a competitive tablet? Surely they knew such a device would take several years of R&D to create, yet they decided to wait and see how the iPad does. Now they are powerless for the time being and are forced to watch the iPad selling in the millions.

 

[JACKDRUID]

Love the IPAD, hate Apple. I can't seem to find any relaease date for anything like the IPAD.. Are all other companies that far behind Apple? I really home to see a windows version soon..

windows version = netbook tablet...

they existed for years already...

 

[simonizor]

windows version = netbook tablet...

they existed for years already...

I was going to post this. If you're willing to get something that's a bit more thick than the iPad, you can get a netbook tablet for around $400. I think the iPad is a overhyped, underfeatured tablet anyways, so why not go with the a tablet that's fully featured.

 

[Kadarin]

An Android unit with equivalent or better hardware would be nice. You'd have usb and bluetooth sync to other machines along with direct access to the filesystem. And wouldn't it be nice to be able to connect it to more than one computer to load files/media/apps/whatever without iTunes wanting to reformat the device?

 

[zerogear]

webos tablet. pls.

 

[Pliablemoose]

webos tablet. pls.

Don't remember exactly who said it, but someone said that they're going to slap WebOS on the Slate platform, that should speed up the process of getting something to market.

The hardware of the Slate looked good, it's just that putting Windows on any current technology tablet is painful.

 

[zerocool84]

Don't remember exactly who said it, but someone said that they're going to slap WebOS on the Slate platform, that should speed up the process of getting something to market.

The hardware of the Slate looked good, it's just that putting Windows on any current technology tablet is painful.

Yea if they do end up keeping W7 on it, it'll be fail. As we all know skinning an OS for touch (WM 6.5) doesn't work out too well. WebOS is awesome. Can't wait for it.

 

[MJinZ]

Love the IPAD, hate Apple. I can't seem to find any relaease date for anything like the IPAD.. Are all other companies that far behind Apple? I really home to see a windows version soon..

I am waiting a fairly robust Android experience (you know, not just having a grid of icons as a homescreen) tablet to launch.

I am hoping whatever Google and Verizon are currently engineering is going to be a worthy competitor.

Woa... two posts missing major prepositions. Really home? :awe:

 

[TheStu]

Can anyone point me in the direction of even an iPod Touch competitor with Android on it? To me it feels like there is just the Zune HD that competes with the iPod Touch, and from what I understand was just sort of tossed out to the market, and then left to languish.

 

[MJinZ]

Can anyone point me in the direction of even an iPod Touch competitor with Android on it? To me it feels like there is just the Zune HD that competes with the iPod Touch, and from what I understand was just sort of tossed out to the market, and then left to languish.

iPod Touch is one of the most hilarious things I've ever seen.

It's an iPhone without the phone.

So your carrying one dummy phone (an Mp3 player primarily) and your iPhone...

I just Laugh my ass off at the thought that consumers have bit and hooked.

Because nothing really can make too much sense in Apple La La land.

 

[MJinZ]

Yea if they do end up keeping W7 on it, it'll be fail. As we all know skinning an OS for touch (WM 6.5) doesn't work out too well. WebOS is awesome. Can't wait for it.

Had WebOS for a week and it sucked.

Sure the interface was OK, but it had enough annoyances to piss me off for days.

It didn't help at all that the Pre Plus I was using lasted about 2 hours of standby on battery, had GPS that did not work (at all) and felt like a 10 year old Netbook trying to run Hulu HD all the time.

 

[TheWart]

iPod Touch is one of the most hilarious things I've ever seen.

It's an iPhone without the phone.

So your carrying one dummy phone (an Mp3 player primarily) and your iPhone...

I just Laugh my ass off at the thought that consumers have bit and hooked.

Because nothing really can make too much sense in Apple La La land.

What a pathetic argument. What about the Zune or myriad of other music devices?

Are those non-apple consumers in Apple la la land as well?

 

[MJinZ]

What a pathetic argument. What about the Zune or myriad of other music devices?

Are those non-apple consumers in Apple la la land as well?

Yes, because let's compare how many Zune HDs are sold compared to Ipod Touches...

 

[TheWart]

Yes, because let's compare how many Zune HDs are sold compared to Ipod Touches...

A comparison of sales figures is not germane to the discussion. You mocked the entire product category (durr, it's a phone minus the phone, so it is just an mp3 player, durr). The fact that dozens of devices exist - and do well - in this product category makes your attempt to explain it away as some sort of Apple la la land is, as I said, pathetic.