Adrenaline Shot: The Aston Martin DB9 Special

James Bond started it with the DB5. Let us take an inside look at the latest iteration of the DB series, the DB9.

Showing posts with label Tablet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tablet. Show all posts

Analyzed: BlackBerry PlayBook

The BlackBerry PlayBook was meant to be a direct competitor to the iPad. It even comes in three variants - 16GB, 32GB and 64GB, just like the iPad. So how does it fare against the iPad? In short... not even close. Yes, you get the latest version of the BlackBerry OS but here is another example of what's going wrong with Research in Motion these days. Instead of spending their time and effort on righting the ship, they have been spending it on updating a device that frankly, hasn't exactly been selling like hotcakes in the market. No matter, all things aside, we enjoy our toys, and the PlayBook is no exception. Here is a quick look at some of the features:
  1. 7" display at a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels
  2. 1GHz dual core processor
  3. 1GB RAM
  4. 16GB, 32GB or 64GB storage
  5. 5MP rear facing camera and 3MP front facing camera (this is the best we have seen on a tablet)
  6. 1080P video recording
  7. 1 Micro USB port and 1 Micro HDMI port
  8. Weight: 0.9lbs
We have to mention that the PlayBook is no slouch. Think of it as an extension of a regular BlackBerry and it will make sense. It does multitasking really well which comes in handy with those pesky office emails or documents you might have to work on. And the battery life is fantastic. We didn't have to charge it for over a week. We did feel there was a lot of wasted space on the borders of the device that could have used to increase the size of the display. Graphics need not necessarily play a big role while working on spreadsheets or Word type documents and this is definitely the case with the PlayBook. It could definitely use some work. Still, if you want to stay connected with your buddies, play games or watch videos, the PlayBook will suffice. Be warned though, it isn't as smooth as other tablets and there is some lag when you try to scroll through your app list or say a list of videos on YouTube. 

BlackBerry has the App World that lets you download your favorite apps (for the most part). This will keep you entertained for a while despite the lack of apps compared to the Apple store or Google Play. The newest version of the BlackBerry OS, 2.0, also has some cool features. You can switch an app you are viewing on a regular BlackBerry on to your PlayBook. Oh and you can use the BlackBerry as a keyboard too. In case you are running an older version of the BlackBerry OS and would like to upgrade to version 2.0, the process it pretty simple.
  1. Look for the Software Update notification icon and tap it.
  2. Click on the Download Now button on the dialog box that pops up.
The update will download and install itself. You can now enjoy the new features version 2.0 has to offer. Overall, we would say the BlackBerry PlayBook is a good device, but it could be a lot better. Considering RIMs recent woes, it would make sense for them to cut lose and give it their all. There is a reason why they were the answer to the corporate world's prayers for communication and there is no reason why they can't be again.

Our Rating: 

The BlackBerry PlayBook is currently on sale in India for around Rs. 31,000 (~$600).

Analyzed: Milagrow MGT01 TabTop PC

Don't be too surprised if you haven't heard the name Milagrow before. We hadn't. We have heard of Milagro though... but it has absolutely nothing to do with technology :) Anyway, we are still trying to figure out the difference between a Tablet and a TabTop, the latter being the Milagrow's USP. It is touted as being able to replace your desktop. That is a very bold statement and as much as we would like for it to be true, it isn't. It has some serious competition from the Tablet market to get through before it can reach that distinction. So what's in this Milagrow MGT01 model that we tested? Let's take a look.
  1. 8" display at a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels
  2. 1.2GHz ARM Cortex processor
  3. 512MB RAM
  4. 16GB storage
  5. 2MP rear camera and a VGA front facing camera
  6. 2G and 3G enabled (sorry 4G folks)
  7. 1 mini USB port, 1 USB 2.0 port, 1 HDMI port
  8. 1080P enabled
  9. Operating system: Android Gingerbread Version 2.3.1
  10. Weight: 455g
  11. Battery capacity: 5000mAh
The specs of the Milagrow MGT01 are definitely not the conventional specs found on tablets. It does have extras not usually found like USB and HDMI port. It also has a slot for including a SIM card as well. While on paper it sounds good, the real deal falls short. We felt the display was quite pixelated and even with the brightness turned up all the way, it just felt too dark. It is no match for the other tablets currently out in the market. Sure you get a lot of pre-installed apps when you purchase the Milagrow, but since it is an Android product, you get all the support in the world from Google Play.

Multi-tasking is possible but it is a stretch when you start pushing the limit considering you get only 512MB RAM. We were also surprised that the MGT01 is sold with Android Version 2.3.1! Sure you can upgrade it to the latest Gingerbread version or even Ice Cream Sandwich, but the fact that it comes with Version 2.3.1 makes it feel like a blast from the past. The materials used to build the Milagrow also made it feel clunky, cheap and sub-standard. Is the price reflected as such? Nope. No wonder you don't find this product in most stores. It has a long way to go before it can catch up to some of the more popular brands in the market!

Our Rating: 

The Milagrow MGT01 is currently on sale in India for Rs. 22,000 (~$440) at Vivek's.

You can see the detailed specifications of the Milagrow MGT01 here.

Check our reviews of other tablets currently in the market.

Analyzed: The new iPad

It is April 27th. And that means the new iPad is out in the Indian market. We got a first look at Apple's newest creation. It is easy to confuse the new iPad with its predecessor, the iPad 2. It looks just the same. But once you turn the new iPad on, you will know you are looking at something different. All the hype about the updated retina display on the new iPad is not without merit. It looks fantastic. We put the new iPad beside our iPad 2 and it made the older version look very dated. Mind you the display on the iPad 2 is also very good at a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels but that new display at 2048 x 1536 pixels resolution just blows it out of the water. It makes everything look so crisp and you won't notice the pixelation that occurs in the iPad 2. The sad part is there aren't too many apps that take advantage of this updated resolution right now, but we are sure that will change over time. We wouldn't be surprised if this resolution becomes a standard. Watching videos, playing games, video chatting or just scrolling through pictures is just a beautiful experience. 

Apple has also updated the camera to a 5MP version which is leaps and bounds better than the almost worthless <1MP version in the iPad 2. The pictures you take on the new camera are very crisp and the colors very vivid. All this is just accentuated by the retina display on the new iPad. Coupled with the quad-core A5X processor using the new iPad is just so smooth and seamless. Not once did we notice any lag while scrolling, pinching or swiping. This has definitely become an Apple trademark. The battery life has also been updated (so they say) to last for about 10 hours of continuous use.

We didn't really see a crowd at any of the stores selling Apple products in India like we usually do in the US on launch day (or before), but that doesn't mean it isn't selling well. Initial reports suggest certain stores have sold out all the versions they had in stock. The sales figures are only expected to go up. The new iPad is currently on sale from Rs. 30,500 (~$610) to Rs. 50,900 (~$1020) depending on the model you choose.

Analyzed: HP TouchPad

This is totally our bad. How could we have ever overlooked HP's WebOS platform and the TouchPad? We really must have been stuck in the middle of the desert to not hear the callings. Well, it's never too late... so let us see how the HP TouchPad fares in the ocean of Android and iOS tablets.

It is a breath of fresh air the HP TouchPad. We are so used to seeing the Samsung Galaxy Tab or the iPad 2 that frankly it is easy to overlook other offerings. It might not be the lightest or the thinnest tablet in the market, but what it does is give people another option. A very cheap option. The HP TouchPad comes equipped with a 9.7" screen with a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels. You also get a 1.3MP front facing camera, an option of either 16GB or 32GB storage and a dual core 1.2GHz processor. So it's not exactly loaded. It is very simple to use and didn't take much time getting used to considering we have never played around with WebOS before. Graphics (pictures and videos) are pretty average for a tablet and despite turning the brightness on all the way, we still felt the display was a little dull and fuzzy. It might not look the best, but you can still do what most people do with these tablets, play games, watch videos, listen to music, browse the web (the built in browser is very good by the way) and possibly use it to video chat. So for your day to day use, it is a good option to have.

This tablet is going to go on our list of ultra-low cost tablets because of its price. You can actually get one (if you can find one) for $99 for the 16GB version. Bet you weren't expecting that from a company like HP. Then again there is probably good reason for that. The TouchPad hasn't exactly been a hit. This is most probably attributed to the WebOS that comes installed. While it is very good at multi-tasking and easy to navigate, the lack of support like the Google Play or the App Store is probably its biggest downfall. You can't just sell a product for cheap and not have the support and expect it to do well. In fact, we know a lot of people that purchased the TouchPad, didn't even bother using it with WebOS, and then installed the Android OS on it. It is probably the most hacked tablet out there! If you are looking for apps, HP has hundreds of dedicated TouchPad apps in its store, and the tablet can also run about 70 percent of the more than 8,000 apps designed for HP's WebOS phones. The phone apps run in a little phone-sized box on the tablet’s 9.7-inch screen, though. Still, it is no match for the big boys at Mountain View and Cupertino.

It looks like a combination of the issues we mentioned has made HP cease production of the TouchPad. Let's hope they take the lessons learned from this debacle and are able to come out with a product that people would want to buy, a la the Envy 15 or the Envy 14 Spectre laptops. We don't feel so bad that we waited this long to test the TouchPad by the way... doesn't look like we missed all that much.

Inside Foxconn and the new iPad assembly line

It is not every day one gets to visit the factories where the new iPads are made. Apple CEO Tim Cook's trip to the factory was well documented especially considering the issues related to worker treatment and pay and factory conditions that were raised in media time and time again. Marketplace.org's Rob Schmitz got an exclusive look inside the factory and the surroundings. This is part of a series on the factory conditions at Foxconn's Longhua plant. Take a look at the link after the video for more on the series.


How big is too big? A look at the Toshiba Excite 13

The battle of the tablets just got hotter. Toshiba has been quietly assembling its back to school pack (albeit a little too early) with updated laptops, notebooks and the like. What we are most interested in is Toshiba's new 13" Excite tablet. Yes you heard that right... a 13" tablet! According to Toshiba, “The larger size makes it an ideal kitchen tablet. You can watch how-to videos while you’re cooking, or look up recipes. And then later, you can bring it into the living room to watch videos with the kids, or to look at family photos with friends.” Talk about taking it up a notch.

The Excite 13 specs include a quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 5MP camera and four (yes FOUR) speakers for bumping those beats. The tablet also sports a 1600 × 900 screen resolution, a micro-USB port, a micro-HDMI port and a SD card slot. The Excite 13 runs on Google’s Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system and comes with a stand that will relieve owners from having to hold, or prop up the large device themselves. And despite being bigger than pretty much every other tablet currently in the market, the Excite 13 is fairly thin and light for its size, it will weigh 2.2 pounds and measure 0.4 inches thick. 

The Excite 13 sits at the top of a revamped tablet line for Toshiba, in terms of both price and screen size with a price tag of $649.99 for the 32GB model, and $749.99 for the 64GB model, when it hits stores in early June. That is big money and we doubt Toshiba can command that kind of premium like the new iPad does. Time will tell if their strategy worked.

Toshiba will also ship a 7.7-inch version of the Excite (known as the Excite 7) at $499.99 for 16GB of storage and $579.99 for 32GB. A 10-inch Excite, the Excite 10, will ship in May for $449.99 with 16 GB of storage and $529.99 for the 32GB. The Excite range of tablets replaces Toshiba’s old line of Thrive slates, which were offered in both a 7 inch and 10 inch model.

As a side note, does anyone else get the feeling that future tablets will come to replace those mini LCD monitors/TVs moms used to have in the kitchen? It looks like that's the direction we are headed in.

Analyzed: Amazon Kindle Fire

Amazon has taken the ebook reader tag and turned it upside down. The Kindle Fire is not just an ebook reader. It is a lot more than that. Using some slick marketing tactics, Amazon has slipped an almost full fledged tablet for half the price of the big dogs in Apple, Sony and Samsung. The Kindle Fire is the first in its series to have a vibrant full color screen and it is reader friendly with a 7 inch interface.

As long as you don't plan on using your tablet to "Do", the Kindle Fire is more than enough for your needs. In addition to reading e-books, you can use it to listen to music, watch videos and browse the web. You also get access to Amazon's version of the app store as well as Google Play since it comes with a modified version of the Android operating system. It doesn't come with a camera, but given the price point, we can live without it. This reader is not just beautiful. It is also durable particularly the screen and is very easy to use and hold with one hand.  The way the Kindle Fire is built makes you feel like you can be rough and tough with it. An added plus when you are on the go. It is handy and lightweight too (< 500 grams).

From a technical perspective it comes with a 7" touchscreen with a display resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. It is also equipped with a dual core processor and minimal storage with 8GB (we wish they could have bumped it up a bit especially since the usable amount is only 6GB). The Fire is also equipped with Wi-Fi which is almost a prerequisite these days. Battery life is on par with other tablets in the market and lasts about 8 hours on a full charge.

The Kindle Fire tablet has a great price tag under $200 (~Rs. 10,000) which is impressive compared to others like it. It is currently not available in India but it is only a matter of time before it goes on sale on Amazon's store in India Junglee.com. The base Kindle is available for Rs. 5,500.

Just what the world needs... Two more tablets!

Well well, what have we here... two new tablets have been introduced into the market by HCL Infosystems. It isn't as though there is a shortage of tablets out there but a little extra choice never hurt anyone. The newest entries into the market are the HCL ME U1 and HCL MyEdu Tab. Check out their press release. While HCL ME U1 has been introduced with a price of Rs 7,999 (~$160), the HCL MyEdu Tab - K12 Version is priced at Rs 11,499 (~$230). By the way, in case you are wondering, the ME stands for Mobile Entertainment.

The U1 tablet is powered with the latest Android Ice Cream Sandwich operating software. HCL claims that the tablet is equipped with 17 ready to use applications. It has a 7 inch 800 x 480 pixel screen and a 1Ghz processor. It also has a front camera and 512 MB RAM, with an internal memory of 4GB expandable to 32GB. The HCL ME U1 also has a USB port, mini USB port and a Micro SD card slot. Wi-Fi capability is also built in.

The MyEduTab tablet is meant to cater to the needs of learners across schools and other educational institutions. The MyEduTab - K12 version's price includes the price of the device, content and a memory card while educational applications and NCERT books will be free. The MyEduTab- Higher Education (HE) version is priced at Rs. 9,999 (~$200).

Looks like the list of ultra cheap tablets just got a little longer!

Analyzed: Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

It is hard to keep up with all the new tech gizmos that are being introduced in the market. It seems like every other day a new product is being launched before users even get a chance to get acclimatized to the old ones! Samsung is definitely one of these companies that keeps putting out frequent launches, but good thing for us a lot of their products are actually very good. But that's another story. We are here to discuss the largest of the Samsung Tablets, the Galaxy Tab 10.1. There are other variants of course, like the Tab 7.7 and the Tab 8.9, but the Tab 10.1 is the top of the line version.

The first thing that caught our attention is how thin the Tab is. It is so thin that at times we were afraid we might break the tablet by mistake! The Samsung Galaxy Note we tested is 9.7 mm thick while the Tab is just 8.6 mm. Amazing the technology these days isn't it? With a weight of 565g (~1.25lbs) the Galaxy Tab is quite light as well. It is a very nicely built device and you feel the quality when you hold it. The tablet comes with the 1GHz dual core Tegra 2 processor, 1GB RAM, 3G vs. non-3G versions and 16, 32 or 64GB of storage. The 10.1" widescreen LCD supports a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. It comes with Android's Honeycomb operating system (which should get upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich sometime this month). The battery life is great and we managed to use the tablet for almost 3 days on a single charge.

Where we feel Samsung skimped out on is the camera. Their top of the line phones come with 8MP cameras these days and they went ahead and stuck a 3MP camera in the Tab. That doesn't make much sense to us. We also noticed some lag (which is livable) while running multiple apps and scrolling across our documents/app list. These are the only faults we could find with the Tab. If we really wanted to gripe we would also say we wish it had the same game controller features like the Sony Tablet S. As with all Android powered devices, you get complete access to Google Play and the apps. You also get to plug your USB device to the tablet and it instantly recognizes the different file types. This makes it very enticing to the business user. There are also a myriad of accessories that can be purchased for the tablet such as a docking station, keyboard etc.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 retails in India between Rs. 23,000 and Rs. 33,000 (depending on the storage size). It will be interesting to see what changes Samsung is going to incorporate into the Galaxy Tab 2 (next version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1) now that the new iPad is also out in the market.
 

Analyzed: Sony Tablet S

Sony is a company that has been known for its innovation. Over the past few years it seems they have lost their mojo and are sailing rudderless. They do have a track record of putting out products that revolutionize the industry. We take a look at the Sony Tablet S to see if that is the case.

We tested the 16GB Wi-Fi version (without 3G) which came with Android's Honeycomb Version 3.2. (The operating system will be upgraded to the latest Android Version 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich next month). As with all Sony products (TVs, monitors etc.), the 9.4" display on the Tablet is beautiful. Colors are bright and vivid, the blacks were really black and watching films or playing games are quite the experience. We also liked the ergonomic design, you won't find this design in any of the other tablets out there. It just felt comfortable in our grasp and when you set it down on a table, it almost feels like a raised flat keyboard. In case you are interested, you can also get a cradle and keyboard as separate accessories for the tablet. Controlling all your other devices is simple with the built in features of the tablet. You can get rid of your universal controller and use this instead! You can also stream your pictures, music and videos on other devices.

The Tablet S also comes with two cameras, a 5MP one in the back and a 0.3MP in the front. We haven't really seen too much use of the camera other than to video chat, but it is definitely a nice to have. The 1 GHz dual core processor along with 1 GB RAM allows you to multitask without much lag. The touch screen was also very smooth and we did not notice too much lag while trying to scroll around. And since it comes with the Android operating system, you also get access to Google Play and the numerous apps that can be downloaded. What we really liked in the Tablet S is the PS3 type controls while playing games. In fact we feel the Tablet S is the easiest and best tablet to play games in. If you are used to playing games using a controller, you will love the layout in the tablet. Granted you don't get your L1, L2, R1 and R2 but it does well without them. We just wish the selection of games was better than what comes pre-installed, especially with the graphical capabilities of the Tablet S. Hopefully there will be updates in the future where this will change.

The Tablet S is currently sold in India for Rs. 22,990 (for the non-3G version) and Rs. 29,990 for the 3G version. This puts it in the middle of the pack compared to other tablets that are currently in the market. That's a good deal in our books.

Ultra low cost tablets that won't break the bank

They are the new rage. All the big name manufacturers like Apple, Samsung, HTC, Motorola etc. are launching tablets in quick succession and are fighting for market supremacy. While this is going on in the top echelon, other lesser known manufacturers are developing tablets geared towards the masses. They usually cost a fifth of the price as the premium labels, may not have all the cutting edge features but are aimed at spreading technology across the general population. We have listed a few of the available tablets below:

Wishtel Ira
  1. The company recently launched two tablets costing between Rs. 4,000 and Rs. 5,500. 
  2. The seven inch Android tablet supports Indian languages besides HD video, WiFi and 3G. 
  3. The tablets will have memory configurations beginning from 2 GB that can be expanded to 32 GB.
  1. Dubbed as the cheapest tablet in the world at Rs. 2,275 or $35, the Aakash made big headlines.
  2. The tablet runs on Android 2.2 (Froyo).
  3. The seven inch resistive touchscreen comes with 800×480 resolution and weighs 350 grams.
  4. The tablet also comes with 256MBRAM, a 32GB expandable memory slot and two USB ports.
  5. A faster, upgraded version will be launched in April 2012. These higher specifications which include 700 MHz Cortex A8 processor, 3200mAH battery with a three hour usage time and a capacitive touch screen. Prices will remain the same.
  1. The seven inch Android tablet will be the first tablet that runs on Android Ice Cream Sandwich.
  2. Main features include a seven inch capacitive display with 800 x 480 resolution, 0.3MP camera, 3500 mAh battery, WiFi, bluetooth, memory card slot and support for 3G via USB dongle.
  3. It costs Rs. 8,990 or $180.
Intex i-Tab
  1. This eight inch tablet runs on Android version 2.3 (Gingerbread) and comes bundled with a 3G data card and a LAN adapter. 
  2. It also comes with a capacitive touch screen, built in WiFi and GPS software supported by Google Maps, 512MB RAM, storage capacity of 8GB expandable up to 32 GB and a battery capacity of 5-6 hours.
  3. Tablets begin at Rs. 11,990 or $240.
  1. The seven inch tablet runs on Android 2.2 (Froyo) and is priced at Rs 9,999 or $199.99.
  2. The Magiq’s display has a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels.
  3. The tablet is powered by a 1Ghz processor and has two 2MP cameras and supports phone calls through a compatible Bluetooth headset.
  4. It also comes with 8GB internal storage, expandable up to 24GB through a 16GB SD card.
Binatone HomeSurf 705
  1. UK-based Binatone has added the HomeSurf 705 to its tablet portfolio. It is powered by Android 2.1 Eclair OS. 
  2. The tablet packs a seven inch TFT LCD 800 x 480 pixel display, built in WiFi, 2GB internal memory, micro SD card slot for additional storage, high speed mini USB 2.0 port and resistive touch screen. 
  3. Additional specs in the Binatone HomeSurf 705 include rechargeable Li-Ion battery, G-Sensor, built-in Web browser and built in stereo speakers. 
  4. The tablet is available online for Rs 7,999 or $160.

Samsung seeks to double tablet sales in India

Looks like business is booming for the electronics giant from South Korea. Samsung Electronics is targeting to double its sales of tablets in India in the current year. The company clocked sales of 300,000 units in 2011 and sees a challenge in growing the tablets penetration dramatically.

Is the new iPad a good buy compared to the iPad 2?

The world waited with bated breath until last week to hear Apple's announcement on the successor of the industry leading iPad 2. Now that the cat is out of the bag, how does the new iPad stack up against the iPad 2. That's a question a lot of people would be looking to answer. This is our take on it.

Analyzed: Apple iPad 2

Looks like Christmas came early this year. The much awaited sequel from Apple is finally here. It is different. A lot different than the first one. It is slimmer, lighter, quicker and looks better. It is the new iPad. And it has already sold out. Such is the power the Apple moniker wields over the world market today. With soaring demand and share prices, Apples has some big shoes to fill (its own).

Under the hood a lot has changed. the iPad 2 has a new processor, front (VGA) and rear cameras (5MP HD), HDMI out and a couple of new sensors that will help with some of the new applications Apple is introducing along with the new iPad. Though lighter than its predecessor, it is still heavier than the comparable Samsung Galaxy Tab. The display resolution remains at 1024x768 but the processor is different which makes for a slightly better viewing experience. Multitasking is a breeze with the 1GB RAM and A5 chip (built in-house by Apple) that comes with the iPad. As for storage, the usual 16GB, 32GB and 64GB variants have not changed. 

You still get all the wonderful support from the App Store, but at a price. Aside from the Motorola Xoom (which has better hardware albeit at a steep price), the iPad cost will definitely be a factor. Ranging from $499 to $699 for the WiFi only models depending on the storage size, it is definitely not cheap. The price goes up from $629 to an astounding $829 for the WiFi + 4G versions! Those are laptop and desktop replacement prices. But in the end that won't matter. Despite their prices, all Apple products seem to be flying off the shelves. And we are sure the iPad 2 will be no exception.