LincolnBlogs

OK, I give. Apple has had their iPad out for MONTHS now and here I sit, still waiting for someone to get off their rhump and give me a decent android alternative. Sure, there have been some cheapo knockoffs overseas that aren’t readily available here in the states. If you look at the specs, though, even those are quite underwhelming. They typically sport 7 inch displays, very low cpu speed and memory, an outdated version of Android OS and no Android Marketplace (difficult to get any apps on them without it). Take the Eken Tablet for instance. This sports the 7 inch display (woo.. :/), 600mhz proc, 2gb flash and Android 1.6. Now the price point is great at right around a hundred dollars U.S., however, everyone I have spoken to that has one says it’s quite sluggish and small.

Now there are a LOT of companies that SAY they have a viable alternative *under development* but, hey, I am getting tired of waiting on vapor-ware. I WANT my tablet folks. You would think that with the likes of LG and Cisco and Samsung and, gasp, Google, that I could have something really great rolling around in my messenger bag right now, but, alas, it is not so.

For those afore mentioned companies who are vying to get my money first, here is what I would LIKE to see in an Adroid tablet, and I am willing to pay at least as much as the iPad alternative, however, inexpensive is a good word to keep in mind. I want a 10 inch screen. This is the minimum usable screen size in my opinion for my netbook and I cannot imagine reading or doing anything work related on something any smaller. I want horsepower. Again, my netbook sports a 1.6ghz proc and gets along pretty well. Slower in the cpu department would hobble the device for me. I need storage space, maybe 16gb or better. I would like to have some capacity to store multiple videos, documents and books to take with me. A SD card slot is great too, for this, but good local storage is always a plus. And speaking of SD capability, don’t diminish the usefulness of the device by not providing the necessary array of connections (SD, USB, audio, bluetooth) so I can easily transfer files and use all my favorite peripherals.

So guys, who will be first to step up to the plate?