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Tablet

The coolest laptops of 2010's show

LAS VEGAS--We saw dozens of new laptop models at CES this year, and though the vast majority of them were next-step upgrades of existing models, there were a handful that really grabbed our attention, either because they brought something new to the game, or because they were excellent examples of their category.

We've already rounded up the various slate/tablet devices, so we'll concentrate on traditional laptop-shaped systems (although we'll make an exception for the Lenovo U1 Hybrid, which docks its tablet screen to become a standard Windows 7 machine).

Check out the gallery below for shots and details … Read more

Is MSI dual-screen mini-laptop the way to go for future ultraportables?

LAS VEGAS--Amid the tablet, smartbook, and smartphone wars, a new conceptual spin on the old screen-and-keyboard-connected-by-a-hinge way of doing things has us wondering if the idea is so crazy, it just might work.

MSI showed off a concept 7-inch mini-laptop/e-reader at CES, and its most notable feature was the swapping out of the keyboard with a second screen. The device could generate a virtual keyboard in the lower space, or another sort of interface--and, of course, the device could be turned on its side like a book, allowing two-page reading in a more book-like format than single-screen e-readers. It'… Read more

Harry McCracken talks tablets, slates

CES was awash with nontraditional PCs like tablets, slates, smartbooks, and Netbooks. Harry McCracken, founder and chief blogger at Technologizer and former editor-in-chief of PC World, talks with Larry Magid about the nontraditional PC devices he saw at CES and one device that has never been seen in public--the Apple tablet that is rumored to be announced on January 27.

McCracken thinks that Apple's sofware is what will distinguish its device from the ones he saw at CES.

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Apple looms over CES from afar

LAS VEGAS--The most buzzed-about device at CES 2010 wasn't even on display here.

A tablet or slate computer from Apple was basically all anyone wanted to talk about, and it's not even a confirmed product yet. As a result, Lady Gaga might be the only thing that was actually at CES 2010 that could even be described as generating large-scale buzz.

We can partly blame both Apple and Google for this. Google sucked all the air out of the Las Vegas Convention Center Tuesday, two days before this whole show even got started, thanks to its introduction of … Read more

Tablet runs Motorola-Verizon software, Android

LAS VEGAS--At CES here on Friday, graphics chipmaker Nvidia showed a tablet, or slate, computer running a "demo" Motorola-Verizon tablet interface on top of the Google Android operating system.

I stopped by the Nvidia booth, where an Nvidia representative gave a quick demonstration (see video) of the tablet from Seattle, WA-based ICD. It has an Nvidia Tegra 2 chip, which is expected to find its way into a number of tablets this year.

The tablet performed well for a prototype, though the unusable Wi-Fi connection on the CES show floor made wireless connectivity impossible. The device will also … Read more

Slate mania grips PC makers

LAS VEGAS--Call them tablets or slates, but companies at CES seem obsessed with showing off the possibilities of PCs stripped of their keyboards and touch pads. These slate devices are essentially handheld screens that do some or most of what your laptop does, but with touch controls and, often, 3G data access.

We've seen several versions this week, in situations ranging from extensive hands-on demos to arms-length sneak peeks of devices that may or may not ever see the light of day. Of course, all of these products are operating under the very long shadow of Apple's still-unannounced tablet. (… Read more

Intel: Customers have 'lots and lots' of tablet designs

LAS VEGAS--2010 indeed many the year of the tablet. Intel Senior Vice President Sean Maloney said his company's customers are working diligently on tablet designs.

And Intel should know. It supplies the core silicon to virtually every PC maker in the world. "We have lots and lots of tablet designs going down with our customers," said Maloney in an interview Thursday at the Consumer Electronics Show.

Maloney favors the larger size tablets. "It seems likely to me that you have a large screen. And you want a pure Internet experience," he said about potential tablet … Read more

Dell says, 'Wait, we're doing a slate PC, too!' - plus hands-on impressions

Update: Hands-on impressions added below.

LAS VEGAS--At its Thursday morning CES press conference, Dell briefly announced plans to release a slate-style tablet PC, in the same vein as the rumored Apple Tablet or the HP/Microsoft prototype tablet shown earlier in the week.

Details are scarce, but the 5-inch device would be smaller than rival ideas coming from HP and (presumably) Apple. Describes as a "tablet concept," there's no guarantee the product would ever reach the public in its current form.

Update: We had a chance to check out the device behind closed doors after the press … Read more

Forget the Apple tablet, HP's TouchSmart tm2 is already here

With all the hype around Apple's still-mythical tablet, it's easy to forget that HP has been making a 12-inch consumer tablet for several years.

In fact, the product that started life as the HP tx1000, and is now called the TouchSmart tm2, is one of the only convertible tablet laptops aimed at mainstream entertainment consumers; most tablets are intended for medical, educational, or other specialized markets.

While convertible tablet laptops, which have screens that rotate 180 degrees to fold down over their keyboards, have never been a mainstream product, there's a certain appeal to using the multitouch … Read more