The Perfect Tablet

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With Apple’s mythical tablet supposedly being unveiled next week and tons of companies trying to beat them to the punch: a lot of people are talking about the perfect tablet.  Here’s my take.

The perfect tablet needs to fill the -somewhat narrow- gap between smart phones and netbooks.  The iPhone has a 3.5″ 480×320 display and weighs under 5oz.  The typical netbook has a 10″ 1024×600 display and weighs under 3lbs. A tablet will compete with ereaders so those must be kept in mind as well.  The Kindle has a 6″ 600×800 display and it weighs 10oz.

So tablet should have a 7-9″ with at least 800×600 resolution up to either a 1024×800 or 1280×720 depending on aspect ratio.  It should weigh between one and two pounds with lighter being better except at the expense of battery life.  A 2lb tablet with 6 hours of battery life will out sell a 1lb device with just 2 hrs.  And battery life is key meaning that the hardware should either a snapdragon ARM or Nvidia’s tegra: both can power HD video at a smart phone level power draw.  The screen should be the Pixel Qi as it supports multi-touch and conserve power in e-ink mode.  Not to mention helping any tablet compete with the dedicated ereaders.  As for OS you have two choices really: windows 7 or Android.  Win 7 has the advantage of easy transition from PCs but may bring with that unrealistic expectations.  Droid has much promise but is still a tad high on the potential to actual software ratio.  Lastly, the perfect tablet should include the most commonly overlooked port in these devices: SD.  People bring netbooks on vacation for web or work sure – but also to view/backup digicam pics which is why an SD slot is crucial to utility.

So to summarize the “Perfect Tablet” with currently available hardware:

  • 8.9″ Pixel Qi 1024×600 multi-touch screen
  • Nvidia Tegra CPU/GPU
  • Wireless: b/g/n & BT
  • 60GB 1.8″ HD or SSD
  • 256MB RAM
  • Ports: Headphones, mini USB, SD
  • 256 x 134 x 17 mm
  • 800 grams
  • Android 2.1
  • 10 hr battery life

* dimensions taken from the Archos 9 tablet

Nvidia Tegra + Pixel Qi screen = 1 Awesome Tablet

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Nvidia Tegra can power 1080p video and even Unreal 3 engine gaming with great battery life.  The Pixel Qi screen can operate in normal color screen mode or an e-ink mode that uses only 0.2 watts and is readable in sunlight.  Multi-touch supported.  The bar just moved way up for Apple’s still mythical tablet.

The gaming is at ~7min in the video the Qi is after that.

Chris Matthews & Howard Dean Call Each Other Crazy

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This video is hilarious!

If more news was like this A) more people would watch and B) we’d have a more honest government

War is breaking out among liberals, and the entertainment value might make Avatar look like a test signal.

Just make yourself comfortable, sit back, and watch Chris Matthews and Howard Dean go after each other on this evening’s Hardball. Dean was floating the absurd argument that by choosing Scott Brown over Martha Coakley, voters were sending a secret coded message that they really wanted a health care bill . . . more liberal than the current Obamacare version.

Matthews calls Dean out on his lack of logic, and the pair wind up trading accusations of craziness.

Liberal Massachusetts Votes No On Obamacare

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“When there’s trouble in Massachusetts, there’s trouble everywhere, and they know it,” Brown said Tuesday night.

If Mass is back lashing because of the economy and obamacare: the Dems better work fast because Nov is going to be a blood bath.

Washington woke up Wednesday to a new Senate make-up, one featuring Republican Massachusetts Senator-elect Scott Brown, who defeated Democrat Martha Coakley in a victory few thought possible just a month ago.

The race for the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by the late Ted Kennedy is a win that could grind President Obama’s agenda to a halt and portend unexpected losses for Democrats in the November midterms.