Android popular as a tablet operating system

Not only the big global players like Samsung, Acer, HTC but also the smaller companies like Creativ and NEC are planning to bring an Android tablet onto the market.

Tablets: NEC is jumping on the Android bandwagon

Largest Japanese PC manufacturer launches seven-inch device

The electronics company NEC http://www.nec.com shows from today, Thursday, as part of the C&C User Forum & iEXPO 2010 with the "LifeTouch" its own Android tablet. The largest PC manufacturer in Japan is thus relying on the Google operating system for this device class, following the trend towards the seven-inch format. The group positions its model as a versatile "cloud communicator" that is suitable, among other things, as an electronic cookbook, as a sales tool in shops or for logistics activities.

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LifeTouch: NEC's seven-inch Android tablet (Photo: nec.co.jp)

The LifeTouch, which weighs just 370 grams and has a battery life of up to eight hours, is also versatile in terms of operation. The device supports both finger and stylus input and also has a navigation button on the side. The NEC tablet will be shipped from the end of this month, but will be reserved for the Japanese market.


Really trendy
Apple boss Steve Jobs recently criticized the current trend towards seven-inch tablets with Android. But that doesn't change the fact that manufacturers without their own operating system often rely on this format and operating system. Well-known providers such as Samsung with the Galaxy Tab or Cisco with the Cius are now joined by NEC, the leading computer manufacturer on the Japanese market. The LifeTouch should score points there with its great versatility.
NEC emphasizes, for example, a high level of adaptability to corporate applications. This includes use as a cloud tablet for mobile employees as well as use as an electronic menu in restaurants. At home, the device can be used as an e-book reader or, in a suitable stand, as an information display in the kitchen. In addition to using their fingers or stylus, users can also use the button on the side to browse through photo collections without touching the screen, for example. Like the iPad, the LifeTouch is offered with WLAN and optionally with integrated 3G.


Solid lightweight
Compared to Samsung's Galaxy Tab, which is considered the most serious iPad challenger to date, the LifeTouch is slightly larger with dimensions of 220 by 119,5 by 13,9 millimeters. Nevertheless, the NEC device is around ten grams lighter. As with the Korean tablet, a Cortex-A8 processor is used, but the RAM is a bit more compact at 384 megabytes. The equipment of the NEC model includes a three-megapixel camera, an SDHC card slot and two USB ports - all of which are features that critics criticize on the iPad.

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