Bezos: Amazon breaks even on Kindle devices, not trying to make money on hardware

Posted on 12/10/2012 by Alexis Santos

Amazon makes a pretty good case for its Kindle Fire HD and Paperwhite with prices as low as $199 and $119 respectively, but it turns out there's more at work than just special offers to keep them affordable. In an interview with the BBC, the company's head honcho Jeff Bezos revealed that they can keep the price tags reasonable since they don't turn a profit on the devices. "Basically, we sell the hardware at our cost, so it is break even on the hardware," Bezos said. "We're not trying to make money on the hardware." Instead, Amazon banks on making a buck when owners of the slates and e-readers purchase books, movies, games and other content through their digital storefront. This doesn't exactly come as a surprise, but we're glad that Jeff's confirmed our suspicions.

Filed under: Tablets, Amazon

Bezos: Amazon breaks even on Kindle devices, not trying to make money on hardware originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 03:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atom-powered Acer Iconia W510 on sale November 9th for $500 and up

Posted on 09/10/2012 by Sarah Silbert

Acer recently announced pricing and availability for its Iconia W700, and now its other Windows 8 tablet, the Iconia W510, is getting that same treatment. The 10.1-inch slate will ship for $500 and up when it goes on sale November 9th.

The W510 sports an IPS display with a 1,366 x 768 resolution, and that panel is coated in Gorilla Glass 2 for some extra scratch resistance. Unlike the Ivy Bridge-packing W700, this device runs a 1.5GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2760 processor (from the Clover Trail series) with 2GB of RAM and up to 64GB of solid-state storage. Connections include a microSD card reader, micro-HDMI and a micro-USB 2.0 port. Acer also offers a $150 keyboard dock, which connects to the tablet from the top and offers a full-size USB 2.0 port. Without the dock, the tablet is rated for up to nine hours of battery life; the dock adds another nine. We got a chance to play with an early unit of the W510 -- head over to our in-depth preview for a closer look.

Gallery: Acer Iconia W510 press photos

Continue reading Atom-powered Acer Iconia W510 on sale November 9th for $500 and up

Filed under: Tablets, Acer

Atom-powered Acer Iconia W510 on sale November 9th for $500 and up originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung ATIV SmartPC for AT&T hands-on (update: video)

Posted on 04/10/2012 by Terrence O'Brien

Samsung ATIV SmartPC for AT&T handson

We knew we were going to get to spy some sleek new devices from AT&T today, but the company sprung a bit of a surprise on us at the last moment by announcing that it would also have a few Windows 8 tabs on hand running on its "blazingly fast" LTE network. The Samsung ATIV SmartPC, which has also gone under the name Series 5 Slate in a few other circles. The 1.5GHz Clover Trail chip inside hummed along in our brief hands on, chewing through the gorgeous don't-call-it-metro UI with relative ease and loading a few apps and webpages with nary a pause. With 64GB of storage on board there should be plenty of room for basic productivity apps and a view movies. Though, if you're a serious MP3 hoarder, we wouldn't expect to carry your whole music collection with you.

Gallery: Samsung ATIV SmartPC hands-on

Continue reading Samsung ATIV SmartPC for AT&T hands-on (update: video)

Filed under: Tablets, Samsung, AT&T

Samsung ATIV SmartPC for AT&T hands-on (update: video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 18:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft Surface Windows 8 RT tablet hits the FCC?

Posted on 04/10/2012 by Michael Gorman

Well well, it looks like Microsoft's getting all its Windows 8 ducks in a row today. First, it sends out the invite for the Windows 8 launch event and a save the date for a Windows Phone 8 party, and now it looks like one of its Surface tablets has garnered FCC approval. Dubbed the Model 1516, the device in question can't be confirmed as a Surface slate, but we do know it's running Windows RT and has a membrane keyboard peripheral thanks to the docs submitted to Uncle Sam. We also know that it's got a stand, as the FCC label will be residing on the back panel beneath it, and the radios on board are of the Bluetooth and 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi variety. Does that add up to a Surface RT tablet? We sure think so, but see the evidence for yourself at the source link below.

Filed under: Tablets

Microsoft Surface Windows 8 RT tablet hits the FCC? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 14:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Purported iPad Mini parts leak as WSJ reports production has started

Posted on 03/10/2012 by Joe Pollicino

Hey look, another round of purported iPad Mini parts has surfaced, this time courtesy of Ukrainian iPhone. Conveniently enough, the Wall Street Journal also happens to be reporting that its sources have confirmed "mass production" of the still unannounced slate has begun by Apple's "Asian suppliers." This time we're looking at an anodized black version of the familiar back plate, alongside a separate digitizer in white, hinting that we'll see the final device in the same colorways as the iPhone 5 . As 9to5Mac points out, the casing houses a SIM card tray, similar antenna spacers to the current iPhone crop and a layout akin to the current iPod Touch. WSJ further notes that its sources state this tab's LCD screen is indeed 7.85-inches, being sourced from both LG and AU Optronics. Naturally, pricing is almost definitely set to be cheaper than the full-size iPad -- here's to waiting for an invite to the supposed unveiling event set for this month.

Gallery: Leaked iPad Mini digitizer and black housing

Filed under: Tablets, Apple

Purported iPad Mini parts leak as WSJ reports production has started originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 04:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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9to5Mac, The Verge, @asymco (Twitter) | source

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Fujitsu Arrows Tab shows up at CEATEC with Windows 8 in tow (video)

Posted on 02/10/2012 by Sarah Silbert

We got a look at Fujitsu's Arrows Tab at CEATEC last year, and the 10.1-inch tablet is making an appearance yet again -- this time running Windows 8 rather than Android Honeycomb. Exact specs were MIA, but the slate sports a front-facing camera along with a rear-facing shooter, plus a micro-USB port and a microSD card slot. Rather than the shiny plastic backing we saw last year, this device has a slightly textured, metallic finish, and it sports much sharper corners than the earlier version's more curved design.

A booth worker did confirm that the Arrows Tab is waterproof like last year's model, and while he wouldn't provide exact availability, he said the tablet will launch within the October-November time frame. Last year's Arrows Tab F-01 LTE debuted on NTT DoCoMo, and given Japan's penchant for hydrophobic gadgets, it's safe to say that the device will be targeted at this country in particular. Head past the break for a quick video hands-on.

Gallery: Fujitsu Arrows Tab with Windows 8 hands-on

Continue reading Fujitsu Arrows Tab shows up at CEATEC with Windows 8 in tow (video)

Filed under: Laptops

Fujitsu Arrows Tab shows up at CEATEC with Windows 8 in tow (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Oct 2012 22:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Modbook Pro to launch with SSD storage, up for pre-order October 3rd

Posted on 29/09/2012 by James Trew

It wasn't all that long ago that Modbook Inc's CEO, Andreas Haas, made the mac-in-tablet Modbook Pro official, now we're learning that the super-slate will launch with high performance SSD storage. So, as you wield your MacBook Pro come tablet, you'll be free from spinning disks. Great, but what impact will this have on capacity? Well, according to the firm, storage will start at 64GB as standard, with upgrades possible all the way up to a, not-unreasonable, 480GB. Pre-orders go live on October 3rd, along with the all important reveal on price. Regardless of cost, if that void between the iPad and full-fat Windows 8 slates had been irking you, here's your answer.

Continue reading Modbook Pro to launch with SSD storage, up for pre-order October 3rd

Filed under: Tablets, Apple

Modbook Pro to launch with SSD storage, up for pre-order October 3rd originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 29 Sep 2012 10:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ZTE shows off new V98 Windows 8 slate, we go hands-on

Posted on 28/09/2012 by Michael Gorman

ZTE shows off its first Windows 8 slate, we go handson

Intel just outed its new Atom SoC, and at its tablet event in San Francisco today, the company had a whole slew of slates packing the Clover Trail silicon on hand. Dell's Latitude 10, the ASUS Tablet 810, Acer's Iconia W510 and W700, Lenovo's ThinkPad 2, the HP Envy x2 and Samsung's Series 5 were all there. However, it was the handsome slice of Windows 8 from ZTE that really caught our attention. Called the V98, it has a 10.1-inch, 1366 x 768 LCD on top of an aluminum chassis with a beveled edge similar to what you'd find on a white iPhone 5. Beneath that handsome exterior is the aforementioned Intel Z2760 chipset, 64GB of ROM, 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage (plus a microSD slot if you need more digital space). There's 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth 4.0, tri-band UMTS and quad-band GSM radios, plus NFC and LTE can be had as options. It's got an accelerometer, proximity and ambient light sensors, a magnetometer and a gyro, too. An 8-megapixel camera is stuck in the back, while a 2-megapixel shooter resides round front. ZTE managed to stuff all that and a 7,000mAh battery inside a svelte 8.9mm-thin package.

We got to spend a little bit of time with a prototype ZTE model, and found the hardware to be solid for a hand-built unit. Its aluminum chassis makes for quite a rigid device in hand, and the machined and polished bevel gives the V98 a very high-end look. The chromed plastic volume rocker, power button and screen orientation lock switch nestled in the plastic radio reception strip at the top of the device are decidedly less luxurious, however -- the travel of each was shallow, and the finish on the plastic appeared a bit cheap to our eyes. That said, the rotating magnetic aluminum door that reveals the SD card and SIM slots is slick -- far easier to open and close than the plastic port covers found on most other slates. There's also a 30-pin docking port on the bottom edge of the tablet, but ZTE informed us it'd be another month or so before the dock is ready for public consumption. Unfortunately, the V98 won't be available for purchase until Q1 of next year, but you can see if its worth waiting for in our gallery of shots below.

Gallery: ZTE V98 Windows 8 tablet hands-on

Filed under: Tablets

ZTE shows off new V98 Windows 8 slate, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 20:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Archos 101 XS available in Europe for £300 via the company’s online store

Posted on 21/09/2012 by Sarah Silbert

The Archos 101 XS, a 10-inch ICS tablet packing a magnetically attached keyboard dock, is now available for purchase via the company's European websites. The slate, with 16GB of internal storage, is going for £300 (about $487). No word yet on when this guy will make it to North America. Check out our review for the full lowdown on this unique, productivity-minded tablet, and non-stateside types can click through to the Archos site to nab one for themselves.

Filed under: Tablets

Archos 101 XS available in Europe for £300 via the company's online store originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Sep 2012 17:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell’s Latitude 10 tablet and dock, OptiPlex 9010 AIO, Latitude 6430u laptop arrive to tempt business pros

Posted on 19/09/2012 by Michael Gorman

Windows 8 is coming folks, and so is an onslaught of new machines featuring Microsoft's something-for-everyone OS. Dell already showed us some of its fresh consumer Win8 hardware back at IFA 2012, and now it's the enterprise's turn to shine. First up is the Latitude 10 tablet, which packs an Intel Atom SoC, a 10.1-inch IPS 1366 x 768 LCD display covered in Gorilla Glass, 8-megapixel primary camera plus an HD front-facing shooter. It's got 2GB of RAM and up to 128GB of eMMC NAND storage, plus an SD card slot should the integrated storage prove insufficient. Connectivity comes via one full-size USB 2.0 port, a microUSB charging socket, mini-HDMI, a headphone/microphone combo jack, proprietary docking port and a micro-SIM slot for WWAN use. The Latitude 10 packs up to a 60Wh battery, which isn't remarkable in and of itself, but the fact that it's removable is. That means road warriors can travel with a spare cell or two to keep their slate in the juice no matter how long they work on it. While the swappable battery can keep the 10 from being tethered to an outlet, the dock Dell built for it ensures it'll have a stylish place to rest when it is. The dock expands the slate's connectivity with four USB 2.0 sockets, Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI and audio output.

Gallery: Dell Latitude 10 business tablet and dock

Next is the Optiplex 9010 all-in-one desktop we saw earlier this year. It still has the same 23-inch, 1920 x 1080 panel on the front and vPro-equipped Ivy Bridge silicon lurking beneath -- the only change is the upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 8. The Latitude 6430u is an addition to Dell's venerable business laptop line, and is the first to bear the Ultrabook moniker. It's generous to label the 6430u as such, as it's .82 inches thick and weighs 3.7 lbs, but it's still a fairly thin and light laptop -- plus it has the same solid magnesium chassis construction as its Latitude brethren. The 6430u crams a 14-inch, 1366 x 768 matte display into its 13.3-inch chassis, and users have the option of Ivy Bridge Core i3, i5 and i7 silicon with vPro, up to 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB worth of solid state storage. Naturally, there's 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth and mobile broadband available for wireless connectivity. Unfortunately, we can't tell you how much Dell's new business computers will cost, but we do know that they'll be available when Windows 8 is, which is to say late October.

Gallery: Dell Latitude 6430u laptop and OptiPlex 9010 all-in-one