Models with keyboard docks ring in the range of products at the trade fair
Even before the official start, it is clear that this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) http://cesweb.org will be all about tablet computers. Versatile Android devices are also in vogue. With the "Eee Pad Transformer", Asus has announced a 10,1-inch model which, thanks to the keyboard dock, easily becomes a workhorse and comes with the tablet-optimized operating system version "Honeycomb".
Lenovo goes one step further and has also announced a 10,1-inch model with the "LePad". The company is thus reviving a hybrid concept one year after the first presentation. Because when the Android tablet is plugged into the dock of the "IdeaPad U1 Hybrid", the device turns into a full-fledged Windows 7 netbook.
Tablet with netbook dock: Lenovo's "LePad" becomes a Windows workhorse (Photo: Lenovo)
Wonderfully changeable
The Eee Pad Transformer relies on Nvidia's Tegra 2 platform for the necessary performance to, among other things, play Flash content without any problems. The 10,1-inch display has a resolution of 1.280 by 800 pixels - just like the LePad, which Qualcomm's Snapdragon uses as the processor. Lenovo is demonstrating its device with Android 2.2, but it should come onto the market in North America and Europe as well as the Asus competitor with the successor version of the operating system, which is better suited to tablets.
Asus uses a dock with a full keyboard as an additional selling point for the Transformer. That could work, because according to accessory providers, keyboards are a popular addition to the successful iPad. With Lenovo's hybrid approach, the mobile media tablet is even converted into a pure screen via a dock. Because the U1 case contains an Intel CPU, and the resulting netbook uses Windows. So it should be better than pure Android devices for serious work.
Tablet mania
With their convertible devices, Asus and Lenovo are part of a whole wave of tablets and related products at CES. Other large manufacturers such as LG Electronics are also likely to present Android devices. In addition, devices such as the Notion Inks Adam, which have been announced for a long time, are being presented to the public for the first time at the fair. Interested parties should also keep an eye on accessories and useful tools. For example, the browser manufacturer Opera is presenting a version that is specially tailored to tablets for the first time.
(ck)
.