iPad 3 - Quad-core, 4G, 64GB

The third-generation iPad (announced as "The new iPad", colloquially sometimes known as "iPad 3") is a tablet computer designed, developed and marketed byApple Inc. The third-generation iPad adds a Retina display, the new Apple A5X chip with a quad-core graphics processor, a 5 megapixel camera, full HD 1080p video recording, voice dictation, 4G (LTE) and Siri (coming 3rd quarter 2012). It shipped with iOS 5.1, which serves primarily as a platform for audio-visual media, includingelectronic books, periodicals, films, music, computer games, presentations, and web content.

In the U.S. and Canada, there are nine different variations of the third-generation iPad, whilst in the rest of the world there are six, although some countries just have the Wi-Fi only model for sale. Each variation is available with black or white front glass panels, with options for 16, 32, or 64 GB storage capacities. In North America, connectivity options are Wi-Fi only, Wi-Fi + Cellular on Verizon, or Wi-Fi + Cellular on AT&T, Telus,Rogers, or Bell. For the rest of the world, connectivity options are Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi + Cellular, with the latter not being sold in some countries, and the LTE connectivity also not actually operational compared to the variations sold in North America.

The tablet was released to ten countries on March 16, 2012. It gained mostly positive reviews, praising its Retina display, faster processor, and 4G (LTE) capabilities. However, controversy arose when some users realized that the device would not work on 4G (LTE) networks in their country. Three million units of the 3rd generation iPad were sold in its first three days of release.

Software

The 3rd generation iPad shipped with iOS 5.1, which was released on March 7, 2012. It can act as a hotspot, sharing its internet connection over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or USB, and also access the App Store, a digital application distribution platform for iOS developed and maintained by Apple. The service allows users to browse and download applications from the iTunes Store that were developed with Xcode and theiOS SDK and were published through Apple. From the App Store, GarageBand, iMovie,iPhoto, and the iWork apps (Pages, Keynote, and Numbers) are available for purchase to use on the iPad.

The iPad comes with several applications by default, including Safari, Mail, Photos, Video, YouTube, Music, iTunes, App Store, Maps, Notes, Calendar, Game Center, Photo Booth, and Contacts. Like all iOS devices, the iPad can sync with a Mac or PC using iTunes, although iOS 5 and later can be completely Mac and PC-free. Although the tablet is not designed to make phone calls over a cellular network, a user can use a headset or the built-in speaker and microphone and place phone calls over Wi-Fi or cellular using a VoIP application. 

The 3rd generation iPad has dictation, using the same voice recognition technology as the iPhone 4S. The user speaks and the iPad types what they say on the screen provided the iPad is connected to a Wi-Fi or cellular network.

                                     The 3generation of iPad full reviw, detal specifications

First Tablet With Quad-core procesor - Asus Transformer Prime

The original Transformer was a unique concept put forth by ASUS in an effort to gain ground against the then-ubiquitous iPad. With its attachable keyboard, the tablet gained a fair amount of attention and performed well sales-wise to boot. But, although it had a "wow" factor with its keyboard accessory, some felt it lacked the build quality and style of its competition. So, ASUS went back to the drawing board, and the sequel device has all the advantages of the original with its detachable keyboard. It's wrapped in a thinner, lighter, better-looking case that's every bit as stylish as anything else on the market, and it adds kick-butt performance to boot.

Device Overview

The specs of the tablet portion of the Prime are, in most ways, common to a number of other devices on the market, including the following:

• Size/weight: 263 x 180.8 x 8.3mm; 586g.
• RAM: 1GB.
• Storage: 32GB Flash storage.
• Screen: 10", 1200px W x 800px H Gorilla Glass display (178° viewing angle).
• Power: 25Wh Li-polymer battery (est. 12-hour life).
• Controls: power switch and volume rocker control.
• I/O: 40-pin proprietary connector (charging via cable or keyboard dock); MicroSD card slot; 8MP, F2.4 rear-facing camera with flash; 1.2MP front-facing camera; Mini-HDMI port and 3.5mm headphone/microphone jack.

Connecting to the keyboard adds the additional features:

• Size/weight: 263 x 180.8 x 810.4mm; 537g.
• Power: 22Wh Li-polymer battery (est. additional 6-hour life).
• 73-key, 254mm island-style (that is, chiclet-style) keyboard.
• Multitouch touchpad/button (one-button).
• Full-size USB port.
• SD card slot.
• 40-pin male proprietary connector (for connection to/charging of tablet).
• 40-pin female proprietary connector (for charging the tablet and keyboard).

The main thing setting the Prime apart is its processor: the 1.2GHz Tegra 3—a Quad-core processor that impressed the tech media when NVIDIA first demonstrated it. The Prime has been the only mainstream tablet to feature this chip, and it provides the Prime with a nice boost under the hood.

Device Introduction and First Impressions

Before even cutting the plastic wrap on the Prime's box, one thing you notice is how svelte even its packaging is. The box also is blissfully uncluttered within, as the only things it contains are the tablet itself, a quick-start guide, the warranty form, a screen-cleaner cloth, and the power cable and plug block. You notice at once when you lift the tablet out of the box how solid it feels, to the point where it almost feels heavier than it is. The casing, which features the same circular brushed-aluminum design with more-recent ASUS ultrabooks and other machines, feels smooth. There is a little flex to the tablet's casing, but only if you squeeze it harder than most people are likely to do.

Figure 2. When you look this good, you don't need a lot of packaging.
Although the initial boot of the Prime puts you into a fairly stock version of Android 3.2 (Honeycomb), ASUS thankfully has not gone the route of heavy customizations to the interface. But, due to the arrival date of my device, I spent so little time with it, it was difficult to give the software platform a thorough walk-through. I received the tablet on a Thursday, and it was upgraded to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) the following Wednesday. This review focuses on that version of the operating system, as anyone purchasing a new Prime will be upgraded in short order.

Unboxing and detailed review of the Asus Transformer Prime with Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0). 

MSRP: $499-599
Specs:
Nvidia Tegra III Quad Core 1.3 Ghz
RAM: 1GB
Storage: 32GB or 64GB (including Micro SD Expansion)
Colors: Champagne(shown) or Amethyst

First 4G Android Tablet With Netflix Launches on Outdated OS

HTC's Evo View is the first tablet to run on Sprint's 4G network, and the first to run the Netflix app. Photo: HTC.

It’s a big day of firsts for Sprint. The carrier launched its first Android tablet on Friday compatible with the new 4G “Wi-Max” network. The device is also the first Android tablet out there capable of running Netflix.

Unfortunately, despite being first in line for 4G and Netflix, Sprint’s HTC Evo View tablet ships with the older version of Android: 2.3 (Gingerbread), not version 3.0 (Honeycomb). A future software update will bring Honeycomb, the version of Android made specifically for tablets, to the device.

That speaks to a larger problem of “fragmentation” on Android devices: the inability to implement the platform consistently across multiple types of hardware made by different manufacturers. Fragmentation is also the key reason why Android tablets have been slow getting popular video-streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu onto its devices. It presents a problem for making sure that Digital Rights Management technologies — or applications that make sure you aren’t ripping and recording any of the streaming content you’re watching — function across all devices.

“It’s not one type of gas that goes into every vehicle,” said Netflix head of communications Steve Swasey, in an interview. “DRM isn’t consistent across all Android devices, and unlike the iPad and iOS devices, there’s not one universal solution to it.”

Nonetheless, the HTC Evo View 4G’s compatibility with Wi-Max will be significant for those who want to watch streaming media on their tablet devices, as the speed boost you’ll get moving from a 3G device to 4G is considerable.

The even better news for movie buffs: Unlike the multiple Android tablets that have already hit the market this year, it’s the first Android tablet to run Netflix at launch. The device will essentially come pre-bundled with the Netflix app (after a minor software update upon first powering up the tablet). As of today, only five Android phones are officially capable of running the Netflix app.

“This is a result of extensive testing of the Netflix app on the product to make sure it works smoothly on our network,” a Sprint spokeswoman told Wired.com.

Most tablets released in 2011 so far fall into two categories: Wi-Fi only, the type of device most manufacturers launch first, and a 3G or 3.5G networked device, like the original Samsung Galaxy Tab (on Sprint’s 3G network) or T-Mobile’s G-Slate (which is 3.5G at best). HTC introduced the Flyer, the Evo View’s Wi-Fi-only predecessor, in late May.

Under the hood, the Evo View 4G is no slouch. The tablet sports a 1.5-GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a gig of ram, front and back-facing cameras and a 7-inch 1024×600 screen. It’s also got a stylus pen, which (for a limited time) will be thrown in for free if you buy a two-year contract.

In addition to the Evo View tablet, Sprint also launched the Evo 3D, HTC’s first 3-D-video-capable Android smartphone. The Evo View and Evo 3D are both available in Sprint and Best Buy stores as well as online, for $400 and $200 respectively, if purchased in conjunction with a two-year contract.

Android - The Best Operating System

Android is a Linux-based operating system for mobile devices such as smartphonesand tablet computers. It is developed by the Open Handset Alliance, led by Google, and other companies.

Google purchased the initial developer of the software, Android Inc., in 2005. The unveiling of the Android distribution in 2007 was announced with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of 86 hardware, software, and telecommunicationcompanies devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices. Google releases the Android code as open-source, under the Apache License. The Android Open Source Project (AOSP) is tasked with the maintenance and further development of Android.

Android has a large community of developers writing applications ("apps") that extend the functionality of the devices. Developers write primarily in a customized version ofJava. Apps can be downloaded from third-party sites or through online stores such as Google Play (formerly Android Market), the app store run by Google. In October 2011, there were more than 500,000 apps available for Android, and the estimated number of applications downloaded from the Android Market as of December 2011 exceeded 10 billion.

Android became the world’s leading smartphone and tablets platform at the end of 2010. For the first quarter of 2012, Android had a 59% smartphone and tablets market share worldwide. At the half of 2012, there were 400 million devices activated and 1 million activations per day. Analysts point to the advantage to Android of being a multi-channel, multi-carrier OS.

Apple Ipad - Steve Jobs announcing

The tablet computer market was reinvigorated by Apple through the introduction of the iPad device in 2010. While the iPad places restrictions on the owner to install software thus deviating it from the PC tradition, its attention to detail for the touch interface is considered a milestone in the history of the development of the tablet computer that defined the tablet computer as a new class of portable device, different from a laptop PC or netbook. A WiFi-only model of the tablet was released in April 2010, and a WiFi+3G model was introduced about a month later, using a no-contract data plan from AT&T.

Since then, the iPad 2 has launched, bringing 3G support from both AT&T and Verizon Wireless. The iPad has been characterized by some as a tablet computer that mainly focuses on media consumption such as web browsing, email, photos, videos, and e-reading, even though full-featured, Microsoft Office-compatible software for word processing (Pages), spreadsheets (Numbers), and presentations (Keynote) were released alongside the initial model. One month after the iPad's release Apple subsidiary FileMaker Inc. released a version of the Bento database software for it. With the introduction of the iPad 2 Apple also released full-featured first party software for multi-track music composition (GarageBand) and video editing (iMovie). As of the release of iOS 5 in October 2011 iPads no longer require being plugged in to a separate personal computer for initial activation and backups, eliminating one of the drawbacks of using a non-PC architecture-based tablet computer.

On May 20, 2010, IDC published a press release defining the term media tablet as personal devices with screens from 7 to 12 inches, lightweight operating systems "currently based on ARM processors" which "provide a broad range of applications and connectivity, differentiating them from primarily single-function devices such as ereaders". IDC also predicted a market growth for tablets from 7.6 million units in 2010 to more than 46 million units in 2014. More recent reports show predictions from various analysts in the range from 26 to 64 million units in 2013. On March 2, 2011 Apple announced that 15 million iPads had been sold in three fiscal quarters of 2010, double the number that IDC than predicted.

Steve Jobs tallking about the new generation of the devices that will chage the world of modern tehnology.

First Windows Tablet - Comodex 2000

In 1999, Microsoft attempted to re-institute the by-then decades-old tablet concept by assigning two well-known experts in the field, from Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, to the project.

In 2000 Microsoft coined the term Microsoft Tablet PC for tablet PCs built to Microsoft's specification, and running a licensed specific tablet enhanced version of its Microsoft Windows OS. Microsoft Tablet PCs were targeted to address business needs mainly as note-taking devices, and as rugged devices for field work. In the health care sector, tablet computers were intended for data capture – such as registering feedback on the patient experience at the bedside.

Tablet PCs failed to gain popularity in the consumer space because of unresolved problems. The existing devices were too heavy to be held with one hand on extended periods, the specific software features designed to support usage as a tablet (such as finger and virtual keyboard support) were not present in all contexts, and there were not enough applications specific to the platform - legacy applications created for desktop interfaces made them not well adapted to the slate format.

Microsoft Tablet PC is a term coined by Microsoft for tablet computers conforming to a set of specifications announced in 2001 by Microsoft, for a pen-enabled personal computer, conforming to hardware specifications devised by Microsoft and running a licensed copy ofWindows XP Tablet PC Edition operating system or a derivative thereof.
Hundreds of such tablet personal computers have come onto the market since then.

The First Ever Made Tablets - History

The tablet computer and the associated special operating software is an example of pen computing technology, and thus the development of tablets has deep historical roots.

The depth of these roots can be quite surprising to people who are only familiar with current commercial products. For example, the first patent for an electronic tablet used for handwriting was granted in 1888. The first patent for a system that recognized handwritten characters by analyzing the handwriting motion was granted in 1915. 

    The first publicly demonstrated system using a tablet and handwriting text recognition instead of a keyboard for working with a modern digital computer dates to 1956.

In addition to many academic and research systems, there were several companies with commercial products in the 1980s: Pencept, Communications Intelligence Corporation, and Linus were among the best known of a crowded field. Later, GO Corp. brought out thePenPoint OS operating system for a tablet computer product: one of the patents from GO corporation was the subject of recent infringement lawsuit concerning the Tablet PC operating system.