[3GScottishUser]

Apple didn’t name their tablet the iTablet as some rumours predicted, but one British company hoping to piggy back on the iPad now has: presenting the X2 iTablet Windows 7 slate, with monster specs and absolutely no dignity.

The iTablet is actually surprisingly well specced for something that’s been pushed out of the gate just a week after Apple’s unveiling. It’ll run Windows 7 on a 1.6GHz Intel chip, with a 250GB hard drive inside, and there’s 3G and Bluetooth to get you connected.

On paper, the iTablet actually even beats the iPad in some respects: it packs three USB ports, a 1.3 megapixel webcamera and even HDMI out.

It’s worth remembering though that companies have been pushing out Windows tablets for almost a decade now with little success (There’s a reason Apple opted for iPhone OS rather than desktop OS X in the iPad) so there’s little reason to think the iTablet will change anything, especially when it’s 35mm (almost an inch and a half) thick.

Should you feel ready to take fanboy fightback to the next level against Apple though, you’ll be able to pick up the X2 iTablet in 10.2 and 12.1-inch flavours from April. Don’t come crying to us though if things don’t turn out as you hoped.

Price TBA

http://www.electricpig.co.uk/2010/02/05/the-real-itablet-unveiled-x2-windows-slate/

[Ben]

It's about the software, stupid. (that's not aimed at you, personally, at the iTablet)

Apple don't like people using "i". I'm sure they'll try and inflict their world of legal hurt on the manufacturer. :/

But yeah, a Windows tablet is a Windows tablet at the end of the day. Much like an OS X 10.6 tablet would be relatively uninspiring. iPad is all about an OS built from the ground-up for touch, and only touch, with a finger and not a stylus to boot. It's about a software ecosystem built around that, with easy access to the things you'd want to do on a tablet - like reading newspapers and books.

Interesting find, though! :)

[miffed]

I agree ! to watch Apple launch the iPad , watch the presentation , see the whole world take it all in

.....and then release (yet another) Tablet which is simply a fully fledged PC in a smaller box - completely missing the point sort of makes you want to grab hold of the manufacturers by the lapels and scream "ARE YOU LISTENING ???" in their faces :D

Are they REALLY missing the point , or are they arguing it ? , from our perspective its easy to look and think they can't see what is obvious to the rest of us , but realistically ,these companies are run by clever people - Do they think , perhaps they think that Apple will make tablets "trendy" ... and that will pave the way for them to try again with the failed idea of selling fully fledged PC's i tablet form ?

[3GScottishUser]

I suspect there will be a rush to produce a range of tablets with various connectivity and OS options. There will be a range of price points too and with Windows 7 touch screen equipped there could be a lot of worthwhile alternatives to the iPad. There will of course be other devices with perhaps Android, Chrome or other operating systems available.

It will take a lot of 'convienience' to convince folks to part with a similar amount of cash for an iPad when they can have all of their familiar software on a tablet with touch screen functionality.

The next few months will no doubt see some feverish development in the far east to explot the concept of the iPad but also improve on it's price and facilities and fortunately for them Apple have not released a particularly high spec target.

[Ben]

The thing is the 'concept' of a tablet isn't new. There are already loads of Windows tablets and none of them have sold. Yes, other manufacturers may be able to briefly capitalise on the hype surrounding the iPad, but without custom software they will continue to be unsuccessful.

Manufacturers shipping Windows 7 tablets should, and will, consider a touch-based skin just like manufacturers do for Windows Mobile.

[The Mullet of G]

I don't think companies are expending a great deal of resources on tablet based PC development, as they simply don't see the point. Up till now no one has sold any significant amount of them, so why continue to bang there head against that wall. If Apple do manage to shift a few, then it would be foolish not to think those same companies wont invest more resources and bring out competitive products to steal a slice of the pie.

Windows 7 running on a reasonable hardware platform is for me a much more attractive proposition than one running mobile OS X, and I suspect for a large amount of people this is also the case. People who use PC's are familiar with it, and thats pretty much everyone.

[miffed]

I agree Ben , I've had umpteen Tablets , UMPC's and Netbooks , and all they have proven (to me at least) is trying to cram a Desktop / Laptop / "full sized" OS into a smaller package simply doesn't work ! After all , if an OS is supposedly optimised for a 15" -20" ....then its reasonable to assume it is going to be a problem on a 5 - 10" screen (if we are to believe it was ever "designed" and not simply thrown together in the first place then surely this must be the case ? )
My experience of the OQO was that , while it looks amazing on paper , a device that you hold in your hand , that gets warm , has noisy fans , and takes a couple of minutes to boot up is not much good to anyone - even with good specs I cannot see a tablet running Windows (of any flavour) delivering the kind of silent , cool , instant performance that the iPad is going to
If MS were to take the cue here , and knock out a device running WM7 , or even WM6.5.5 (just installed a ROM this morning on the HD2 , looks good so far ) then we may be onto a winner !
Got a feelng that Microsoft WON"T take the cue though , ......but on the other hand , we could see an Android device , THAT would be pretty cool IMO

[colin25]

I thought I read that google were going to be doing an i-pad device (for want of a better word). I think they have released some photos, or artist impressions. Won't come out until 2011.