Top 6 Tablets at CES 2013

The important Electrical event 2013 CES Vegas is ongoing and will go to an end, it always takes the most anticipated smartphones and tablets to customer and this year is no exception. And it seems that tablets are the limelight this year, so what are the top tablets on the show which impress people much? Just go with me.

Top 1.The Razer Edge Windows 8 Gaming tablet
Packing with Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, Nvidia's GT 640M LEGPU, and up to 8GB of RAM, The Razer Edge Windows 8 gaming tablet is worth to be called "most powerful tablet in the world." The tablet comes with four core modes covering tablet, PC, console, and handheld, which demonstrate the device's versatility and performance for any play style and game genre.Even you can use an add-on keyboard and a Bluetooth mouse for more MMO-focused experiences. The price is $999 for 64 GB version without bundled in accessories but has an MSRP and $1299 for 128GB one. Whatever, it can be the top gaming tablet in the world.

Top 2. Panasonic's 20-inch 4K Tablet
If 4K TVs is something special, then 4K tablet may be a wonder. Yes, Panasonic shows off its massive 20 inch 4k tablet running windows 8 in a prototype form at show, the first 4K tablet in the world. Sporting a stunning 3840 x 2560 (220ppi) IPSa display, the tablet is mainly targeted toward photographers, video producers, and marketing professionals. It includes a 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 processor, an unspecified Nvidia chip with 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. It is very good to read ebooks, view photos and other things. But it is not really amazing considering of ppi (iPad 264ppi,Nexus 7 300ppi).The price is not told, but it won’t be low.

Top 3. Lenovo’s insane 27-inch table tablet
Lenovo introduced the insane 27-inch all-in-one table tablet IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC at CES 2013, which is described as its first "interpersonal PC" for sharing horizon computing experience. The size makes it the largest tablet. The tablet can multi-player games to life with its gigantic screen, dynamic graphics and 10-finger touch and it is very suitable for home.

Top 4. Vizio’s 10 inch Tegra 4 Android Tablet
For Vizio, it is a very good opportunity to bring its new Android tablet to people at CES,a 10 inch Tegra 4 Android Tablet, after the announcement of the first 11.6 inch Windows 8 tablet. The Android one comes with an Nvidia's new Tegra 4 processor and a 2560×1600 sharp display just like iPad.The Android will run the Android 4.2 out of the box.The release data is not clear, but it worth your attention.

Top 5. Archos Titanium line of Android tablets
A coupon of weeks ago, Archos launched a 9.7-inch Titanium Android tablet. And on this show, the company completes its entire Titanium line, which includes a rare 8 inch 80 Titanium at $169, the 7-inch 70 Titanium at $119 and the 10-inch 101 Titanium for $199.All the Titanium pack with IPS display, which feature a 1.6GHz dual-core CPU and quad-core GPU, and run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The prices are very good for people and the specs seem enough for most of people, so will these are your options?

Top 6. Kogan's 5-inch Android phablet
5 inch phone-cum-tablet? Yes, it seems to be anther eye attracting thing. Kogan has announced a 5-inch, dual-core powered, Android 4.04(ICS)-based handset that is suitable to be called phablet. The handset comes with a 480 x 800 pixels touchscreen display, 5-megapixel camera and houses a 1GHz dual core Cortex A9 processor. Also, it includes 512MB RAM, 4GB of onboard storage, a 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera and support for microSD cards. The point of it is it offers the option of using dual SIM cards. That is the meaning of phone-cum-tablet.




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Upcoming and Anticipated Tablets in Early 2013

Upcoming and Anticipated Tablets in Early 2013

At first, Merry Christmas, and I wish everyone go through a happy holiday.

New Year 2013 is coming, and 2012 is gone. Undoubtedly, we can list the surprises of 2012 tablets such as Nexus 7,Kindle Fire HD，iPad Mini，Nook HD+，Surface RT, etc. The perfect performances of new tablets just make us enter into a world in which tablets and smartphones are neck and neck. So what can we expect for tablets in 2013? Following just let’s have a look at the upcoming and anticipated tablets in 2013.

Microsoft Surface Pro
The most notable thing about Microsoft’s tablet is its windows 8 in this moment and Surface RT tablet’s Windows RT system is based on it.But surface RT cannot support any desktop applications. So comes the advanced version the Surface Pro.With a 10.6′ inch ClearType HD display, Surface Pro comes with an intel Ivy Bridge Core i3/i5 processor and 64/128GB Storage. Also, it contains two HD cameras both on front and back. It supports 3G, 4G LTE.It will be inarguably a big hit when Surface RT is released.

Asus Transformer Book
The most excellent tablet is probably Asus Transformer Tad 700 at present. And Asus has planned to brought some new tablets to us. The first one coming in January 2013 is Transformer Book, which is a wonderful Convertible of Laptop to Tablet running on Windows 8.Sporting Core i7 3517 processor which runs at 1.9GHz and 4GB RAM , Transformer Book gives you three options 11.6 inch,13 inch and 14 inch. Whatever Transformer Book performs, I think we need to take care of it to get a view of the flexibility of this device.

HTC Windows RT tablets
According to Bloomberg ,HTC will be producing 12-inch tablet and a 7-inch tablet running Windows RT and slated to be released in Q3 of 2013. The 7 inch version would be the first 7 inch windows RT model which will of course join in the 7 inch competition. The special feature about the HTC new tablets is that both of the two versions can make phone calls.That is to say, you can take it as a phone. It is said that the new tablets will use Qualcomm chips but no other specs have been revealed. Whatever, this new HTC tablets can worth expecting.

Archos GamePad and 97 Titanium HD
Archos launched GamePad and 97 Titanium HD in this December. GamePad is a 7-inch Android 4.1 Jelly Bean gaming tablet, which is now available in Europe for 150 euros and will released in US in the first quarter of 2013.It comes with a 1,024x600 screen ,14 physical buttons and a game-mapping tool that lets you set up your controls. It sports a dual-core ARM Cortex A9 processor with a quad-core Mali GPU, and also it includes a 8GB storage(microSD card is allowed), a front-facing webcam and a mini-HDMI output to connect to HDTV.As a gaming tablet, GamePad has its own pros but it is still early to answer the question “Can it be another Nexus 7?”.

Just like other great tablets, 97 Titanium HD aims to match it with a 9.7-inch IPS multitouch panel with an ultra-high resolution of 2,048x1,536 pixels. It includes a dual-core ARM Cortex A9 processor with a quad-core Mali GPU, 8GB of storage, and microSD and running Android 4.1 "Jelly Bean", as similar as Gamepad. With a Retina-like screen, I think 97 Titanium HD is what we anticipated.

Acer Iconia B1 Android tablet
From a report in the Wall Street Journal，Acer is planning to launch the Iconia B1 Android tablet for just $99 , a beatable price compared to 7-inch tablets like the $159 Amazon Kindle Fire.The B1 comes with a 1024 x 600 resolution screen and 1.2GHz dual-core processor. Unfortunately, Acer is planning to release this one in emerging market rather than US maket.

Nokia Windows 8 tablet
With Nokia’Lumia 920 ruling the sales again, Nokia is also working on the new Windows 8 tablet.The tablet will be matched with a kickstand-provided keyboard cover that will have its own battery, allowing it to run as an auxiliary power supply. Others now known include HDMI and USB ports, a cellular connection, and boasts a 10.1-inch display like the Microsoft Surface. AT&T will reportedly be the first carrier partner to sell the device. Nokia is succeeding to change its decay with the new windows smartphone, so would it be the same to the tablets? Just need to wait.

When you have read the list, you will find that it seems that most of the upcoming tablets are windows 8 tablets. Maybe the reason is the great Android tablets and iPad 4 have been released in this year and maybe it is still too early. But 2013 is another necessarily competitive year for both tablets or smartphones. The last winner, Windows , Android or iOS?

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Upcoming and Anticipated Android Tablets(2012)

Tablet Buying Guide to Get Your Most Appropriate One

With the new tablets’ constantly roll out including Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD, iPad Mini, etc, you can easily find that tablets is without question the mainstream of mobile device as well as smartphones. Many people want to own a tablet, however, increasing popularity means increasing choices, which obviously turns the buying into a difficult task. Luckily, you can refer to following tablet buying tips to narrow the pack and choose the right one for you.

Basic Information before Buying a Tablet

• What is a tablet?

A tablet is a wireless, portable personal computer with a touch screen interface,of course, you can install a physical keyboard if you need. It is a slate-style device sharing similar processors and operating systems like smartphones. Most measure between 7 to 10 inches. 

• Tablet Functions

Like smartphone，it use preload apps to offers service.You can Check email,Browse the InternetView Photos and Video,Enjoy Music, Movies and TV,View and Edit Documents, Access Social Networking,Read eBooks, Play Games ,Purchase and/or Download Apps and others.

Key Considerations
When you have an understanding of these information of tablet, then you can start your travel of shopping .And following tips can help you choose a tablet.

• Your budget

The first thing you should ensure is how much you can pay for the tablet. You can purchase a 7-inch media tablet for under $200 or under $300. Or you want to pay $400 to $500 for the high-end model like iPad，Transform Pad and others. Whatever, make your budget clear.

• Operating System

There are at the moment three major operating system, that is Android, iOS, Windows.If you like Apple’s.

iOS is Apple’s iPad’s os with a deep media ecosystem that allows for sharing across idevice, a gargantuan app catalog, and a very simple, user-friendly interface. Android is Google’s operating system which is the most widely used os on the tablets. Android's freshest version, 4.2 Jelly Bean, officially runs on only the Nexus tablets and has brought the amazing features like Photo Sphere, Multi-user support and so on. Windows-based tablets (also known as PC tablets) are about as close to a laptop experience as you can get. The latest Windows 8/RT is a new os which Surface tablet runs with an elegant and powerful tablet UI solution. 

Of course, there are other os, HP touchpad runs webos, Blackberry Playbook run playbook os. When you considering this factor, note that which apps you want to use as the os will dictate the tablet’s apps.

• Tablets Size 

After you decide the OS, make sure the size of tablet you want to choose. 

The tablets between 7 and 8 inch is usually lower priced and under-powered compared with larger tablets,but it is more portable to fit purses and small bags.You can find Nexus 7,Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD, Nook HD, iPad Mini and the like.

8.9 to 10.1 inches is the medium and common size of tablets.These tablets offers larger screen and resolution but heavier than the small. Games will feel more interactive, movies and TV shows, more immersive. These tablets are higher than the small in the price as well. You can find 8.9inch Amazon Kindle Fire HD, Nexus 10，Nook HD+,iPad 4,Samsung Galary Tab 10.1,etc.

You may find a few tablets which measures over 10.1 inch like Surface RT.These tablets are often in high price and the function is also the most powerful.

• Storage

The storage is another factors you must note, since whether movies, music, games, or books, you just need storage to save them. Most of the tables are start from 8GB (Nook HD,iPad) ,some start from 16GB(Nexus 7,Kindle Fire HD, iPad),a few start from 32GB like Surface RT. Some have microSD card like Amazon Kindle Fire, some don’t like Nexus 7.You must decide how large the storage you need then choose. Also，take care of that whether you need a microSD card which can expand the storage

• Web Connetivity

The web connectivity is very important, and you must check out it for your demand. The general tablets can support Wi-Fi, but 3G or 4G is not common. Now, 3G/4G model you can find Nexus 7, iPad , Verizon Wireless Galary Tab 7.7.

Other Specs Which Should Consider

• Resolution and PPI. Want a HD display or Retina Display or a plain display?The resolution is higher and ppi is higher ,the display is better.

• Built-in camera(s).The camera on the back is for taking photos and videos and a front-mounted camera is for video chatting, Skyping, social networking and so forth.Several tablets have both the two cameras ,some have one,some don't.You can choose according to your using.

• Battery life.How many time you will take on tablet?If you take most of your time on tablet,then you should not the battery life.

• Processor.Now the fast processor includes A6X, Qualcomm Snapdragon 4, Texas Instruments OMAP 4470, Samsung Exynos, Nvidia Tegra 3.And if you want a fast speed,then you may should care the processor.

Think about all these factors, and then you can get the appropriate tablet for you.



Related article: 
Best 10 Tablets to Buy for 2012 Thanksgiving and Christmas Gift

Best 10 Tablets to Buy for 2012 Thanksgiving and Christmas Gift

Time has gone to the end of 2012.The happy thing is we still have Thanksgiving and Christmas, which can be a crazy shopping season in the face of so many products, especially mobile device. 2012 is just a year full of surprise, it seems that I have said more than once, but I do think it is with so many great new gadgets especially smartphones, tablets. Lots of folks just have planned to buy one for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but it is definitely not easy to choose a proper one among the large range. So, I collected the best tablets in 2012 and maybe you can find one you like here.

Small tablets

• Nexus 7

Undoubtedly, Nexus 7 is the best small tablet with the price of only $199, offering 16GB and 32GB storage. It runs Android 4.1 which is closest to Android 4.2.If you buy one, now you can upgrade it. You can use cutting edge hardware built in it. If you want a best small tablet under $200, pick up Nexus 7.

• Amazon Kindle Fire HD

If you are fans of Amazon, and you are just addicted to Amazon Prime service, then you can choose Kindle Fire HD which also starts at $199 with 16GB storage. It is by no means a great small tablet to firstly dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi for 40% faster downloads and streaming in tablets market. The HD display and HD camera can impress you without question. Whatever, considering of it when you are an Amazon Addict.

• Nook HD

In fact, compared to Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD, Nook HD has no highlighted features. It starts at $199 with only 8GB, it has its own app store but offering not too many apps ,it hasn’t a camera. You may think it is not worth buying, but it is really good for families which is Nook emphasizes all the time. And the spectacular screen which offers the highest 1440 x 900 resolution in small tablet market, smooth performance and memory card slot can add Nook HD some point.In short, Nook HD is good compared to other common tablets.

• iPad Mini

If I have enough money, I will buy an iPad without hesitation. Ok, this is just my mind. But iPad is really a thing.And the lucky thing is that Apple has released a 7.9 inch iPad Mini with the starting price of $329.More importantly, it offers Sari, which is not available iPad 2.Besides,you can enjoy the full iPad experience in this Mini one.If you want a iPad but just cannot afford iPad 4 or you just a smaller one, iPad Mini is your right decision. 

Full-sized Tablets

• Nexus 10

Nexus 10 is presently a very hot and powerful 10 inch tablet and both of 16GB and 32GB are sold out. Running the latest operating system Android 4.2，Nexus 10 surprise you at 2560 x 1600 pixel resolution for 300 ppi. You can enjoy almost all Google Service on it and get the new features of Android 4.2 including NFC (Android Beam), Photo Sphere, Multi-user support and more. It starts at $399 which is $100 than iPad 4. It is no exaggeration to say, Nexus 10 can be a thing.

• iPad 4

iPad 4, the stunning Retina display and the fourth generation iPad. It takes the powerful A6X chip which is double fast than A5 X. Delivers up to twice the graphics performance, without sacrificing battery life, you can easily feel the breakthrough. It is at the moment the most advanced iPad maybe the most advanced tablet in the world, if you just need the high-end tablet, iPad 4 is absolutely your choice.

• 8.9 inch Kindle Fire HD

Sporting an amazing IPS TFT display with 1920 x 1200 resolution (254 ppi) which is close to iPad 3′s Retina Display, the $299 8.9 inch Kindle Fire HD (16GB) sounds like a pretty good deal. This one also offers the special Amazon Prime service and 1.5 GHz dual-core processor and Imagination PowerVR 3D graphics core for fast and fluid performance. However, you may feel annoyed with lots Ads directly in the US.

• Microsoft Surface RT

Although the high price (starts at $499) of Surface RT has broken people’s expectation, plenty of folks get interested in it probably for its office 2013 service. Yes, office 2013，which we will need for our work even homework. Also, it provides the keyboard match. In addition; Microsoft has built an app store to offer more apps than iPad. The Windows RT system can make you use the tablet just like a PC. It includes 32GB and 64GB version. If you want to experience the Windows RT or like the office service, you can try this one, of course you can afford it.

• Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

Named as the best Android tablet as toptenreviews, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 offers the brilliant display screen like using a full-sized computer. Then you may impress the speed at which web-based video content loaded and the flawless playback. Video plays it very smoothly just like others. If you're a fan of the many advantages of Android smartphones, this is definitely the tablet for you.

• Asus Transformer Pad TF300

If you are game-players on tablet, then Asus Transformer Pad TF300 should be your priority. With Tegra 3 and faster Wi-Fi performance, a more responsive screen, and an actual (and official) GPS feature. Micro-HDMI and microSD return, as does the keyboard option, Asus Transformer Pad TF300 can be the best full-Android tablet value currently on the market.

So, have you got your favorite?




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A 10-inch Nexus tablet with Android 4.2 to be Released by Google on October 29?

The end of this month promises to be full of tech news, as Apple has an event on Tuesday that could see the release of the iPad Mini, Microsoft launches Windows 8 on Friday, and Google has scheduled an Android event for the 29th. As you might expect, leaks are emerging about what the search giant is planning to announce at that event, including the long-expected larger sibling to its Nexus 7 tablet.

The Next Web is reporting that Google is working with Samsung on a 10-inch Nexus -- code-named "Manta" but possibly to be released as the Nexus 10 -- that will compete against the Apple iPad, Amazon Fire HD 8.9", and Windows RT tablets, including the Microsoft Surface.

The site says it's been tipped off on two intriguing specs the new Nexus will have. One is resolution: 2,560x1,600, which could work out to be a higher pixel density (around 300 pixels per inch) than the latest iPad with Retina Display offers. The tablet will also apparently ship with Android 4.2, which was once code-named Key Lime Pie, but which is now being referred to as Jelly Bean, just as Android 4.1 has been.

The Nexus probably won't be the only device announced on the 29th that will run Android 4.2, but it will probably be touted as the first tablet to have it. Whether the latest OS will offer enough novel features to make the Nexus 10 stand out in the ever-more-crowded full-size tablet market remains to be seen, but the success of the Nexus 7 suggests that Google would probably have another winner on its hands regardless.

Are you intrigued by a 10-inch Google Nexus tablet? Enough to buy one over another full-size slate? Let us know in the Talkback section below.

source:zdnet



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WishTel is launching a tablet PC at Rs.10,500 in India

WishTel along with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) is launching a low priced Tablet PC, IRA Icon at just Rs.10500 on October 1. It is powered by built-in 3G SIM of BSNL.

Ira Icon comes bundled with BSNL’s 3G SIM and free 3G data of 2GB for about two months. Moreover, consumers can avail the benefits of special 3G data plans that are exclusively designed for the tablets.

Also, the Triple Play tablet is pre-loaded with many applications including Wish Learning, Wish Studio, Wish TV, Wish News, Wish video calling and many more

Specifications :

•  800 x 480 pixel full angle 7 inch TFT LCD capacitive multi-touch screen
• dimension of 195 x 120 x 12 mm and weighs in at 370 grams.
• Android Ice cream sandwich
• 1.2GHz processor
• 1GB RAM
• 4GB internal memory and Expandable upto 32GB
• 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
• 4,000 mAh Li-ion battery delivering about 4 to 5 hours of browsing time.

Perfeo 7500HD - New Tablet PC

Perfeo 7500HD - new Tablet PC for users who value functionality and design.Comfort when reading e-books and surfing the Internet will provide an increase of up to 1024 * 600 resolution capacitive screen responsive 7 inch. For high performance gaming and smooth playback of HD-video meet 1.2GHz processor and a gigabyte of memory, with support for wireless mice, external drives, and HDMI-out the presence of the new tablet will compete even fixed game consoles and media players.

Modern "stuffing» 7500HD packed into the body with a special protective coating, made by technology IML. The tablet comes with an updated operating system Android 4.0.4 and a set of useful services of Yandex. Playback of video in any popular formats, including MKV.

Perfeo 7500HD tablet goes on sale in late September 2012 for a suggested retail price of 4590 rubles.

Key Features tablet Perfeo 7500 HD :

• Color touch screen HD-7 "1024 x 600 16:9 (capacitive technology)
• Accelerometer sensor for gaming and auto screen rotation
• 1.2GHz processor Boxchip A10 (Cortex A8) with 3D accelerator (Mali 400)
• 2M camera and secondary camera for video calling 0.3M
• Android 4.0.4 OS with better support for video calls
• Internal Memory: 1 GB of RAM DDR3 + 8GB NAND. A slot microSD (maks.32GB)
• Built-in Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n. Supports external 3G modems
• Li-Ion battery 3200mAch (up to 5-6 hours of video playback)
• Size 193 * 124 * 11 mm. Weight 323 grams
• Housing with protective cover IML
• Cover color / frame color: gray / dark gray or white / red
• Video formats: MKV, AVI, WMV, RM, RMVB, 3GP, MP4, ASF, VOB, MPG, MOV up to Full HD 1080p (when connected via HDMI - to Super HD/3D 2160P)
• Pre-installed software: services Yandex.Maps, Yahoo Yandex.News, Yandex.Weather, clients of social networks, E-Book reader, video player, audio player, photo gallery
• Supported the installation of new applications and games from Google.Play

Includes charger, USB cable and USB-host. 12 month warranty.

Microsoft Surface tablets estimated prices.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

Microsoft Surface tablets estimated prices.

The hardware cost of Surface RT is at US$300-400 and US$400-500 for the x86 version. Since the devices will not need to pay the licensing fee for the operating system. The RT version will be priced below US$399, while the x86 version is estimated to be US$100-200 higher based on hardware costs and priced at US$500-700.

Since CEO Steve Ballmer in a recent interview pointed out that a price level between US$300-800 will be the sweet spot for PC sales, some market watchers have interpreted the statement as a hint for Surface pricing.

Source: Digitimes

7 inch tablets makers to drop prices when the iPad Mini is released.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

7 inch tablets makers to drop prices when the iPad Mini is released.

According to  Digitimes Apple will have a big influence on the 7-inch tablet market just like it currently has with its 9.7-inch iPad series and competitors will need to drop their tablet prices as well as provide more value-added features for the devices.

Tablets priced US$199-400 are expected to drop in price to US$150-200 in order to help non-Apple tablet makers stay competitive when Apple releases its reported 7.85-inch iPad.

Amazon will offer $15 opt-out for ads on New Kindle Fire tablets

The new Kindle Fire HD tablets from Amazon have good hardware and software technology inside that belies the low pricing. It turns out that pricing is low due to the inclusion of ads on the Fire HD lock screen and home screen.

These ads will be on all Kindle Fire HD models according to Amazon, without the ability to opt-out. Ads on Kindles are nothing new as Amazon has offered models of the ereader with ads at a lower price for some time.

Kindle buyers have the option to pay a little more for models sans ads or go cheap and put up with the ads. To be fair the Kindle ads have never been obtrusive.

The ads on the new Kindle Fire HD tablets will be on the lock screen that is displayed every time you turn the device on. These ads will include "sponsored screen savers" according to Amazon. The lock screen disappears as soon as you unlock the display so this may not be an issue with most users.

The other ads will be on the lower left corner of the home screen. Amazon insists they will not interfere with the normal use of the tablet, but that will be up to each user. It cannot be turned off so it's there to stay.

Amazon took this ad-supported route no doubt to keep the prices of the Kindle Fire HD as low as possible so it may be an acceptable trade-off for most.

It turns out the ads will "be available in both the US and the UK".And Amazon is now stating that no-ad options will be available for the Kindle Fire HD for $15.

from zdnet

Nexus 7 or Kindle Fire,Which One Should You Buy?

Nexus 7 and the Kindle Fire are two hot and favorable android tablets at present,and most of people cannot decide to buy which one.My suggestion is buy the Nexus 7 unless you're a huge Amazon user. Then get the Fire.

There you go. No beating around the bush. Just a simple answer. Or is it?

Let's regroup for a second and really look at the question. The Kindle Fire is Amazon's $199 7-inch Android-based Kindle device. It's WiFi-only. The Nexus 7 is Google's $199 7-inch Android device. It's also WiFi-only.

Now you can see why there's some level of confusion. The two devices are the same size and the same price. There are some differences, however.

Physical device

The Kindle Fire weights 2.6 ounces more than the Nexus 7. It's 14.6 ounces, while the Nexus 7 is 12 ounces. In a handheld device, 2 ounces is something you'll notice.

More to the point, the Nexus 7 is a lot more machine for your $199. It's got a much faster CPU, a graphics processor, twice the RAM of the Kindle Fire, and (for an extra fifty bucks) can store twice as much as the Kindle Fire.

On raw horsey-power, the Nexus 7 gets the win.

Android OS

Although both devices are based on Android, you'd be hard-pressed to notice Android on the Kindle Fire. The Kindle Fire is a Kindle first, with Android 2.3 running underneath, hidden from view.

On the other hand, the Nexus 7 is Google's current benchmark tablet, running Android 4.1 (otherwise known as Jelly Bean).

On Android compatibility, the Nexus 7 gets the win.

Software compatibility

Here's where things start getting interesting. You'd think the Nexus 7 would run more Android apps, but because it's the first Jelly Bean product in a 7-inch tablet form, many Android apps (like Instagram) won't run because they check the version number. 4.1 is higher than many apps are comfortable with.

On the other hand, the Kindle Fire runs apps primarily from the Amazon app store. While you can side-load regular Android apps, there's some hoop jumping involved.

When it comes to software compatibility, at the time of writing, neither wins the top slot. It's a draw.

Gaming

There are quite a few nice, little games for the Kindle Fire. But the Nexus 7 has a built-in Tegra 3 T30L graphics processing unit. Almost, without a doubt, and especially since the system also has twice the RAM, the Nexus 7 will be the better gaming machine.

Nexus 7 gets the win.

Security

This one is interesting. Android security is somewhat problematic, especially if you decide to download apps from secondary app stores. Apps purchased through Amazon have a much higher chance of being safe. In fact, the entire Kindle experience is tied into your Amazon account, and is secured by Amazon's relatively strong attention to detail.

For security, the Kindle Fire gets the win.

Media

Here's where Amazon takes the lead from Google. Amazon has a rich media experience, and also provides a substantial library of free movies and TV shows to Prime customers. Google Play isn't nearly as good. Jason Perlow also pointed out that only actual Kindle devices (not just those devices running Kindle software, like an iPhone), can take things out from the Kindle Lending Library. So if you want to read best-sellers for free, the Fire is your best bet.

On the other hand, the Nexus 7 will play that media better, because it has substantially more power and a higher-resolution display.

We'll call this a draw.

Which should you get?

Without a doubt, the Kindle Fire is a Kindle, while the Nexus 7 is an Android tablet. If you want a Kindle more than you want an Android tablet, then you might be happier with the Kindle Fire. Likewise, if you want to stay out of the morass that is the Android ecosystem and just want to stay in the welcoming, comforting arms of Amazon, you'll be happier with the Kindle Fire.

On the other hand, if you want a powerful, inexpensive, solidly designed pure Android tablet, the Nexus 7 is a no-brainer.

My wife and I have two iPads and two Kindle Fires at home. I'm honestly thinking about selling my Kindle Fire and getting a Nexus 7 to replace it. If you do decide to sell your Kindle Fire, make sure you remember to decommission it before you sell it. Otherwise, the device has access to your entire Amazon account.

Hmmm...maybe the Kindle Fire isn't that secure, after all.

from zdnet

Two more Android tablet makers adds to Microsoft's patent-licensing list

Microsoft has added yet two more companies with Android- and Chrome OS-based products to its patent-licensing list.

The latest additions, which Microsoft announced on July 9, are Aluratek and Coby Electronics. Microsoft officials said as of today's latest signees, "Microsoft has licensed more than 70 percent of all U.S. Android devices."

As part of today's deals, Microsoft will be receiving undisclosed royalty payments from both vendors.

Aluratek makes Android-based tablets, e-book readers, digital picture frames and other consumer electronics devices. Coby makes Android-based tablets and netbooks, TVS, and other consumer electronics devices.

Microsoft's claim is that Android and Chrome OS violate publicly-unspecified Microsoft patents and companies that are choosing to build products around these Google operating systems are making a risky bet.

Microsoft has convinced a number of Android and Linux-based device makers that it's better and cheaper to pay than fight. Among those companies with Android- and Linux-based devices that have capitulated are Amazon, Buffalo, Compal, General Dynamics, HTC, LG Electronics, Samsung, TomTom, Velocity Micro and others.

Barnes & Noble was a holdout, refusing to sign a patent deal with Microsoft, but a coule of months ago, opted to settle and sign with Microsoft. Microsoft invested $300 million in a new joint venture with B&N as part of that settlement.

from zdnet