Archos Arnova GBook gets quiet introduction, reveals its humble powers

Posted on 03/10/2012 by Edgar Alvarez

Its routine FCC appearance from a few months back hinted that it would be officially launching sooner rather than later -- and today, our dear friends, marks the day the GBook formally joins the Archos Arnova family. The 7-inch, Ice Cream Sandwich tablet / eReader likely won't excite many with its run-of-the-mill spec sheet, which consists of a 1GHz Cortex A8 CPU, 1GB RAM, 4GB of built-in storage, 1080p video playback and a meek screen resolution of 800 x 480. In addition to those features, the company's placing a lot of focus on the device's eReading capabilities, announcing it'll offer support for any EPUB and PDF files -- including "those using Adobe DRM." Speaking of which, folks will have to purchase all content from Archos' own store, given that the GBook does not posses the required credentials to access Google Play. Meanwhile, pricing and availability deets are still unknown, but we'll be sure to keep you in the loop as soon as we find out. In the meantime, there's some eye candy down below for you to freely enjoy.

Gallery: Archos Arnova GBook press shots

Filed under: Tablets

Archos Arnova GBook gets quiet introduction, reveals its humble powers originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 13:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink

Notebook Italia | source

Arnova | Email this | Comments

Oregon Scientific MEEP! tablet ships for $150, gives kids a safe, exclamation-filled place to play

Posted on 03/10/2012 by Jon Fingas

For all the enthusiasm Oregon Scientific put into launching (and naming) its MEEP! tablet, the company has been a bit timid about getting the kid-friendly Android device into the market -- we're just seeing it go on sale eight months after it was first shown to the world. Now that the slate is here, it may be worth the patience from parents. The 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 chip, 512MB of RAM, 800 x 480 screen and 4GB of storage won't have the adults regretting their Kindle Fire purchases, but the MEEP! does come in a smash-resistant form with remote parental control and an allowance-based store that lets kids 'buy' apps with virtual coins. Oregon helps its case through the use of Ice Cream Sandwich, preloaded games like Angry Birds and a raft of accessories for games and music. The $150 asking price is just low enough that we can see a few families starting their youngest technophiles on a MEEP! before graduating them to bigger, badder tablets with less punctuation in the name.

Continue reading Oregon Scientific MEEP! tablet ships for $150, gives kids a safe, exclamation-filled place to play

Filed under: Tablets

Oregon Scientific MEEP! tablet ships for $150, gives kids a safe, exclamation-filled place to play originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 21:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink

Android Community | source

Oregon Scientific | Email this | Comments

Matrix One tablet goes on sale for an even more frugal $90

Posted on 03/08/2012 by Jon Fingas

Direct Merchandise Marketing might not have the most alluring name as a tablet maker, but it still raised a few eyebrows with its Matrix One in June: it hoped to crack the $100 barrier while still producing a device you'd still be proud to take home to Mother. The 7-inch slate is going on sale ever so slightly past its late July target, but with a surprise price drop to $90 -- more or less, considering that shipping costs a minimum $10. Whether or not that extra Hamilton bill's difference is an illusion, you're still getting a surprisingly competent device for the money, with a 1.5GHz ARM Cortex-A8 chip, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of built-in storage moving Android 4.0 along at a decent clip. The 2-megapixel front camera, full-size USB and HDMI also help reinforce that it's more than just a no-frills slab. Having said this, we'd be brave enough to crack the triple-digit barrier and spring for the considerably more future-proof $130 edition with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of space. The feature gap is still wide enough that Nexus 7 owners won't experience buyer's remorse; at this price, however, it's not hard to imagine handing out Matrix Ones to family members like so much candy.

Filed under: Tablet PCs

Matrix One tablet goes on sale for an even more frugal $90 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 23:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

Matrix One | Email this | Comments

Archos Child Pad gets capacitive screen upgrade, minor price hike to $140

Posted on 02/08/2012 by Jamie Rigg

Parents who've already purchased Archos' 7-inch Child Pad may be feeling somewhat miffed, as its screen's been upgraded from resistive to capacitive just two months after launch. There's no such thing as free multi-touch, so you'll have to fork out another ten bucks on top of the original asking price for the new version of the ICS slate, bringing the total to a cent under $140. Other internals are identical, so customers can still expect a 1GHz ARM processor, 1GB of RAM and 4GB of expandable storage, with some exclusive chipmunk-based content to boot. Just remember to let the kids have a go once in a while.

Filed under: Tablet PCs

Archos Child Pad gets capacitive screen upgrade, minor price hike to $140 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 13:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

VIA makes its first ARM-based Pico-ITX board, adds dual graphics for your in-car pleasure

Posted on 25/07/2012 by Jon Fingas

VIA has only ever really had a dalliance with ARM; the VAB-800 might be a sign that it's willing to go steady for awhile. As the company's first Pico-ITX board with an ARM chip, the 800 stuffs up to a 1GHz, Freescale-made ARM Cortex-A8 and 1GB of RAM into a tiny, 3.9 x 2.8-inch board. Somehow, it still fits up to four USB 2.0 ports, mini HDMI, VGA and as much as 64GB of storage. The board's real tricks are its dual integrated graphics processors: the VAB-800 can independently steer two displays, just in case your in-car infotainment system can't be contained by merely one screen. You'll likely have to be a car designer or an industrial device maker to make an order, although the 5W power draw and support for Android, Ubuntu Linux and Windows Embedded Compact 7 should soon see the VAB-800 crammed into logic-defying spaces everywhere.

Continue reading VIA makes its first ARM-based Pico-ITX board, adds dual graphics for your in-car pleasure

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Transportation

VIA makes its first ARM-based Pico-ITX board, adds dual graphics for your in-car pleasure originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 05:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink

The Inquirer | source

VIA | Email this | Comments

Ergo GoTab Epic hands-on (video)

Posted on 10/04/2012 by Daniel Cooper

There's a new entrant in the cut-throat world of British budget tablet makers: Birmingham-based Ergo Electronics. It previewed its new GoTab line of Ice Cream Sandwich-powered slates and e-readers at this year's Gadget Show Live, but our interest was captivated by the most premium model: the GoTab Epic GTB9040. Interested in our impressions? Course you are, that's why you're going to read more after the break.

Gallery: Ergo GoTab Epic - Hands On