2010. október 27., szerda

Revised specifications for the Notion Ink Adam

As the Adam is approaching its public release, some parts of the specification have changed compared to the originally published spec and there is now some information about the target pricing as well. Of course any of it is subject to change. Some of this information is not even corrected on the official Notion Ink website but was posted on their blog.

The bezel of the tablet has been slightly enlarged (as can be seen on the picture):



There will be four base variants of the Adam:

  • PixelQi screen, wi-fi

  • PixelQi screen, wi-fi, 3G cellular modem

  • Ordinary LCD screen, wi-fi

  • Ordinary LCD screen, wi-fi, 3G cellular modem


Both the PixelQi and the ordinary LCD screen will have capacitive, multi-touch interface and 1024x600 resolution, anti-glare coating (matte finish). This is especially useful for reading and outdoor use. PixelQi variant is usable in direct, strong sunlight.

There is no info yet on the HSDPA/HSUPA speeds for the 3G cellular modem.

For internal storage, 16 and 32 GB flash will be selectable.

Common specification elements:

  • Nvidia Tegra2 System On Chip operating at 1Ghz (dual-core ARM Cortex-A9)

  • 1 GB of RAM (DDR2, 667Mhz)

  • WLAN 802.11 b/g/n (previously it was not known whether it will have "n" as well)

  • Bluetooth 2.1 EDR with A2DP (for stereo bluetooth headsets)

  • External loudspeakers (expected to be good quality for enjoyable video playback), external microphone, headphone and microphone jack

  • 3.2 Mpixel swivel camera which will be usable for both taking photos and video calls

  • 2 normal size USB ports and 1 mini-USB port

  • HDMI output

  • microSD card slot

  • Docking port

  • 3-axis accelerometer

  • Ambient light sensor and automatic screen backlight adjustment (this will have a big, positive impact on the battery runtime)

  • Manual LCD back-light switch (most useful for the PixelQi variant)

  • Standalone GPS chip and antennea (with support for A-GPS quick positioning). The Adam will be capable for navigation without 3G network coverage

  • Sound volume keys

  • Backside trackpad (this is an interesting part, check the videos on Youtube)

  • 24 Wh battery (3-cell configuration). Expected runtime is 15 hours for wifi browsing (recently reported on the blog), 140 hours of listening to audio, more than a week standby

  • Operating system is Android Froyo (2.2) with a custom, tablet-enhanced user interface


It is not yet known whether the Adam will have a digital compass (for better navigation and augmented reality apps). It has been asked on the Notion Ink blog comments but no confirmation yet. It would be very much logical to have it in a machine with this hardware level but the long-time omission from the specs indicates otherwise.

Target end-user prices are between $400 and $500 for the 4 variants in the US. Their target is to keep even the fully loaded variant below the price of the entry level iPad.

Availability/release of the Adam is not finalized, but the Early Access Program winners (developers) are expected to have their machines shipped around November 15. Public release should happen soon after in order to make the Adam available for the Christmas shopping season.

Sources:

DDR2
Bejegyezte: dátum:
Címkék: , , ,

6 megjegyzés:

  1. Eric2010. október 27. 15:28

    Have you read any recent predictions about a US release date?

    VálaszTörlés
  2. Soltész András2010. október 27. 16:24

    Updated the article: Availability/release of the Adam is not finalized, but the Early Access Program winners (developers) are expected to have their machines shipped at around November 15. Public release should happen soon after in order to make the Adam available for the Christmas shopping season.

    VálaszTörlés
  3. darethehair2010. október 27. 16:55

    Any comments on built-in compass for 'augmented reality' (e.g. astronomy) apps? This is something that I very much desire in any tablet I purchase. Also, doesn't 'Android Market' specs require a compass?

    VálaszTörlés
  4. Mark2010. október 28. 0:50

    I thought the bezel increase was only in the photograph and that Rohan specifically mentions in one of the posts that the bezel will be more like in the original pictures? I.e. smaller. This was commented on in one of the recent design-related articles and comments.

    VálaszTörlés
  5. soltesza2010. október 28. 1:55

    Yes, the bezel will shrink to some extent (Rohan says the glass was painted incorrectly on the pre-production batch and this will be remedied) but It still looks a bit wider than the original (that was really thin).

    VálaszTörlés
  6. Mark2010. október 28. 2:12

    That's what I thought. I also understood that the discussion with the designers about the size of the bezel centred around retaining some bezel so as to improve neutral handling without interfering with the touch screen activitation. But Rohan was skeptical of that argument and was pushing for the same bezel as before. I guess we'll have to wait and see. It's been a long wait.

    I just bought a Kindle, but I'll still buy this Adam as and when it comes out, because of it's greater capabilities.

    VálaszTörlés

Feliratkozás: Megjegyzések küldése (Atom)