Get some ‘Tablet Love’!

At Starbucks, this afternoon, in Tsim Sha Tsui, I look around me. What do I see? “Tablet Love!” A relatively new phenomenon that sees almost every one taking advantage of the free wifi on either their ipads, Samsung tablets or some version of the same thing bought across the border from China. Out with the mini computer, this is truly the “Age of the Tablet”.

And yes, of course you know … that the new iPad 2 hit the shelves in the US last week and then went online two days ago to a spate of almost frenzied orders. I almost choked with laughter when someone told me at lunch yesterday that if I was going to buy one, it should be in ‘white’ and encased in a transparent sleeve so that everyone would know that I was NOT holding the old model. “So last year!”.

LOL! Such is the mentality here in Hong Kong but enough said .. if you want a piece of ‘tablet love’, here is what’s newly launched so that you can pop that pill and join the masses at the nearest free wifi zone in your neighbourhood.

An Apple a day … take a bite of Apple’s iPad 2

The iPad™ 2 has arrived! Generation Two of this magical device with a 10 hour battery life (same as the original) allows you to browse the web, read and send email, enjoy photos, watch videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and everything its predecessor did, only faster with its iOS 4.3, the latest version of the world’s most advanced mobile operating system. It is also is 33 percent thinner and up to 15 percent lighter than the original while maintaining the same stunning 9.7-inch LED-backlit LCD screen. Its new new dual-core A5 processor delivers fast performance and stunning graphics and now includes two cameras, a front-facing VGA camera for FaceTime® and Photo Booth®, and a rear-facing camera that captures 720p HD video, bringing the innovative FaceTime feature to iPad users for the first time. Available in black or white.

New clothes for the new baby come in the form of an innovative new iPad 2 Smart Cover that provides protection for the iPad screen. Designed with a unique self-aligning magnetic hinge that makes it easy to attach and remove, the new iPad 2 Smart Cover automatically wakes iPad 2 when it’s opened and puts it to sleep when it’s closed, and has a soft microfiber lining to help keep the screen clean. The Smart Cover also folds into a stand for typing or viewing videos and is available in vibrant polyurethane or rich leather in a range of colors. You can also buy two new apps: iMovie® and GarageBand® for iPad, both available on the App Store℠ for just US$4.99 each.

iPad 2 with Wi-Fi is now available in the US at US$499 for the 16GB model, US$599 for the 32GB model, US$699 for the 64GB model.  iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G will be available at US$629 for the 16GB model, US$729 for the 32GB model and US$829 for the 64GB model. iPad 2 will be available in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK on March 25; and in many more countries around the world in the coming months. Further international availability and pricing will be announced at a later date.

Get Creative …  pop a ZiiO Shenbi Tablet

Creative (made ‘with pride’ in Singapore) helps to make mastering Chinese fun and easy as it offers an innovative PlayChinese™ Pedagogy System which is set to revolutionise the way people approach the Chinese language, help to eliminate fear of the language and enable people to master Chinese through fun and play. Creative’s cutting-edge digital technologies combined with its vast knowledge in the field of Chinese language education unlocks the ability to master Chinese through four key pillars:

• ZiiO Shenbi tablet - an all-new handwriting enabled Android-based tablet pre-installed with Creative’s revolutionary PlayChinese software that offers a whole host of Magicware applications, together with fanciful colour MagicPens
• iFlashbook online learning portal
• WaWaYaYa children’s educational content
• ZiiBoook – the online library with access to over 1 million books, plus 3D flipping software and unique collaborative sharing technologies

HansVision, a Chinese productivity software, is the super-pillar that enables anyone to enhance their proficiency level in Chinese with minimal effort. Other features of the PlayChinese Pedagogy System include the PlayChinese 14-book series in hardcopies, the PlayChinese Magic Cards and other Magicware. The PlayChinese Pedagogy System promises a “no tests, no stress” approach to mastering the language. Anyone, regardless of proficiency level, can master the Chinese language through this fun and easy system. A PlayChinese Marathon Contest will be launched at the inaugural Creative PlayChinese Expo where Creative Guru, Sim Wong Hoo has pledged to offer up to S$2 million in cash out of his own pocket as prize money, and participants can win up to a total of S$3 million in cash and prizes. Contest terms and conditions apply. Those who want to see this tablet in action can head to the Creative PlayChinese Expo from 11 – 20 March 2011, from 12noon – 9pm, at Creative Resource in International Business Park. The Creative PlayChinese Expo is a 10-day long festival of innovative technologies, dynamic content and exciting showcases that are the culmination of years of research in innovative technologies. See: www.playchinese.com.

No fuss efficiency … definitely get the ASUS Eee Slate EP121

You don’t need fancy … and efficiency is the key, then the Asus Eee Slate EP121 is your bet as its been designed for users who require a highly portable handheld device that can also run standard office software while multitasking with other applications. Powered with an Intel® Core™ i5 dual-core processor, the Eee Slate features a 12.1” LED-backlit display with a 1280 x 800 resolution and a wide 178° viewing angle. Good for the office on the go and also when you want some multimedia entertainment.  A Windows® 7 Home Premium ensures full compatibility with a wide range of popular applications controlled by flexible input options thanks to the Eee Slate. The capacitive touch-screen responds instantly to fingertip control for day-to-day use, while the capacitive stylus offers fine precision input and control. An on-screen keyboard is also complimented by support for an external Bluetooth keyboard for traditional desktop use.

The Eee Slate is available with 32GB or 64GB of SSD storage (expandable via SDXC), and up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM. All models have 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, a 2-megapixel camera, plus two USB 2.0 ports that provide full support for a wide range of standard PC peripherals, along with a mini-HDMI port that is ideal for connecting to external displays. This model is due to hit the shelves in May and June this year (TBC).