WePad Tablet Will Use Linux To Rival the iPad 536
cypherdtraitor writes with news of an iPad rival being prepped in Germany for a June launch. "A German company, Neofonie GmbH, has set out to provide an alternative to the iPad, according to Neofonie's founder, Helmut Hoffer von Ankershoffen. The WePad will boast a Linux-based OS, USB ports, webcam, and Wi-Fi, as well as other features. The 16GB edition will cost €449 ($610), and the 32GB €569 ($773). A more expensive model will include a 3G modem. This PDF compares WePad specs with the iPad. There are also hints of cheap, available software. For example, OpenOffice.org will be the primary office suite, and you may use 'any application that pleases you' to play music and video, a clear edge over Apple's limitation to iTunes." The WePad will also run Flash.
Re:Yeah! (Score:3, Interesting)
If this thing can run Firefox and VLC then it will beat the snot out of the iPad for those of us that are interested in more than just the Walled Garden.
Some of us are interested in using whatever media or website we happen to come across, not lame excuses from fanboys.
Re:Slashvert (Score:1, Interesting)
>It also all the things that make iPad "innovative" and good like marketplace and sleek look and UI
Yeah, OpenOffice on a small touch screen is going to look real sleek and will be a dream to use. What makes the iPad good is that it comes with software specifically made for touch screen tablets. We have no idea about the market place the wePad will use, either. We do know that most people aren't interested in getting apps in via a third channel. Sales numbers on any mobile platform before the iPod Touch/iPhone prove that.
Re:Features... (Score:3, Interesting)
A delightful microfan to hum you to sleep.
You got modded funny on this .. but that is one of the main benefits I see in the iPad as I can't stand the whiny mosquito sound of my EEE pc. Though I will be looking into any other small form factor system that doesn't have a fan in it before I sell my soul to Apple.
Re:Much faster clone time (Score:4, Interesting)
What they do is aim to get the tiniest details right; they really know their customers and make products to match them as perfectly as possible.
That's why it took them several versions of their iPhone OS until they added copy & paste or multitasking for third parties, right?
Re:Slashvert (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Not clones, just timing. (Score:3, Interesting)
Actually, I think everyone and their mother came to the conclusion that tablets were going to be the next big thing, given the both the success of netbooks and e-book readers, with tablets being sold as "good enough" at both the kind of light computing that netbooks are largely used for and at e-book reading, with typical entry prices competitive with high-end netbooks or mid-range e-readers (or, perhaps more relevantly, with the price of a cheap netbook plus a cheap e-reader.)
Re:Much faster clone time (Score:5, Interesting)
Is it going to be multi-touch capable and actually responsive, rather than barely touch aware and laggy?
I have yet to see a piece of hardware running android that doesn't feel slow to the point of non-response or that is just as comfortable to use as the UI on my iPhone. Anyone recommend a device running android that doesn't feel like a sluggish piece of poop?
The Nexus One. It seriously is fast as hell and i have a crapload of apps installed. Like, i was blown away the other day when i realized how many apps I have and how that has had *no* effect on the operation of the phone.
I did windows mobile for years (reboot twice a day), then the iphone 1g (reboot once a week maybe? I forget), and then the tmobile G1 (reboot twice a week maybe, but it was just generally underpowered). I got the N1 recently and it just blows me away how fast and stable it is. The 1GHz processor really makes a difference, and I can multitask all I want without having to ever use a task manager. Its also nice to have what i consider an excellent camera as far as a mobile phone goes. Low light with the flash is great and it is better than any device I've ever had (which is mostly HTC, they never put a big priority on cameras before). Also, the camera takes ~1/2 second to start up. THAT is nice!
There are some oddities - about once a week data stops working, but a reboot always fixes it, and honestly that could be AT&T for all their crapiness, I'm not sure.
But it is always snappy, and i couldn't be happier with the phone - it is literally the phone i have always been looking for.
-Taylor
Android (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:So Right, yes So Wrong... (Score:3, Interesting)
over time, you'll see that tablets can and will be far more than simple consumption devices, and will be very, very good at input of all sorts. Drawing is the most obvious example that works today, but others will follow.
Drawing doesn't work well on an iPad. Yes, I've tried. It's no Wacom.
It's not very,very good at virtual keyboard input either. It's actually slightly worse than my iPhone.
misleading summary (Score:3, Interesting)
No, to be a rival, you have to address the same market.
A Linux tablet PC and the iPad address completely different markets. One goes for geeky people who want a small, portable multi-touch thing that they can hack at leisure. The other for people who want a media and content consumption device that simply works and stays out of your way.
They're not the same device. The number of people who really find it hard to decide between them is tiny. Probably about 50 grandmothers who can't afford an iPad but their granddaughter wants one, so the sales person at the computer store convince them this Linux pad thingy is mostly the same, for half the price.