My personal haven, An escape from the hoi polloi.
Hardware
Building a new PC gaming system for BF3? Yup, me too. :)
Jan 16th
I recently started playing Battlefield 3 (BF3) for PC like every other FPS gamer in the world and realized it’s absolutely amazing but it takes some major video card (GPU) power to push the graphics out at native resolution on any modern monitor (IE: 1080P 20INCH LCD) and it’s much much tougher (it could take as much as 1000% more GPU power) to push the graphic quality over any modern large high resoltion monitor (such as a 27″ iMac or 30″ Dell/Apple Cinema display which would run native resolition at 2560 x 1600 ish ranges) to combat this since my last gaming system is a year old I had to design and build a new gaming specific system for my 2560 x 1600 native resolution apple cinema display – extremely long story short after a day of research and digging into it I found the most extreme system I could build (without going unnecessary overboard IE: GTX590 nvidias in SLI) would cost me $2,300and it would run BF3 in Ultra settings at 60 ish frames per minute (FPS) the human eye can only see 30 FPS’s ish so to hit 60 or a steady low of even 45FPS would make it so the human eye could see a smooth graphic you never want the system dropping under 30 FPS or for $1,400 you could build a system that would easily run BF3 at 2560×1600 on Medium > High settings (which is still extremely good IE: you may lose some distance on the foliage at a long distance when zoomed in on a 12 x sniper riffle) but you wouldn’t lose anything relevant such as viewing distance etc just textile quality and foliage viewing range/quality – Below are the system build specs I used in case anyone is in the market for a new gaming system build – Enjoy!
———————————————————————————————-
$2,300 BUILD SPECIFICATIONS: (Including liquid cooling CPU for overclocking)
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit
Item #:N82E16832116986
$99.99
Patriot Signature 4GB Flash Drive (USB2.0 Portable)
Item #:N82E16820220099
$6.99
OCZ RevoDrive 3 series RVD3-FHPX4-120G PCI-E MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Item #:N82E16820227745
$399.99
Intel Core i7-2600K 3.4GHz LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor
Item #:N82E16819115070
$319.99
ASUS P8Z68 Deluxe ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
Item #:N82E16813131753
$244.99
PLEXTOR 24X Internal DVD Super Multi Drive Black SATA Model PX-L890SA LightScribe Support
Item #:N82E16827249066
$33.99
LIAN LI Lancool First Knight Series PC-K9WX Black Computer Case With Side Panel Window
Item #:N82E16811112337
$119.99
Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
Item #:N82E16835100007
$12.98
CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory
Item #:N82E16820145347
$97.99
EVGA GeForce GTX 590 (Fermi) Classified 03G-P3-1596-AR Video Card
Item #:N82E16814130693
$749.99
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-850TX 850W Power Supply
Item #:N82E16817139009
$134.99
CORSAIR CWCH50-1 High Performance CPU Cooler
Item #:N82E16835181010
$70.67
———————————————————————————————-
$1,400 SYSTEM BUILD:
Intel Core i7-2600K 3.4GHz LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor
Item #:N82E16819115070
$319.99
Codemasters Operation Flashpoint: Red River PC Game – Gift
Item #:N82E16800999280
$39.99
LIAN LI Lancool First Knight Series PC-K9WX Black Computer Case With Side Panel Window
Item #:N82E16811112337
$129.99
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit
Item #:N82E16832116986
$99.99
PLEXTOR 24X Internal DVD Super Multi Drive Black SATA Model PX-L890SA LightScribe Support
Item #:N82E16827249066
$33.99
EVGA GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) HD 012-P3-1571-AR Video Card
Item #:N82E16814130621
$339.99
CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory
Item #:N82E16820145347
$89.99
Open Box: ASUS P8Z68 Deluxe ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
Item #:N82E16813131753R
$189.99
COOLER MASTER Silent Pro M700 RS-700-AMBA-D3 700W Power Supply
Item #:N82E16817171037
$104.99
Western Digital Caviar Blue 320GB 3.5″ SATA 6.0Gb/s Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #:N82E16822136770
$94.99
Microsoft’s New Mouse Input Device Revealed, Their Take On Apple’s Magic Mouse, The Arc Touch.
Aug 18th
Microsoft has a new input device coming to market in the USA in the near future and they call it the Microsoft Arc Touch from the limited data available it basically looks to be Microsoft’s more ergonomic take on Apple’s Magic Mouse from the look of the device they just might have a winner on their hands but that is yet to be seen, We’ll certainly be first in line to review it on release day so we’ll keep you posted on this promising new device as details become available.
Reported Mouse Features To Date:
Touch Scrolling
Battery Indicator
Track on almost any surface
2.4ghz nano transceiver
$69.95 rumored price point
Apple Magic Trackpad – My Final Thoughts
Aug 18th
It’s been a few weeks since I picked up my shiny new Apple Magic Trackpad a product that I had been dreaming about since my first MacBook pro that came with the Glass Multi-Touch Trackpad, As soon as I got my hands on the gesture enabled MacBook Pro Trackpad I knew it was only a matter of time before they released a version of it for our desktop PC’s and just two years later my dreams came true in theory the Apple Magic Trackpad is exactly what I wanted it was a larger version of the MacBook Pro Trackpad with clickable feedback legs and a nice angle for use on the desktop and of course it was built amazingly well as all Apple devices are in my opinion but as soon as I started using my new Apple toy I thought it was perfect, Exactly what I had been waiting for It had Jitouch compatibility out of the box adding a plethora of new functionality in gestures and its size was perfect not to mention it looked amazing sitting next to my shiny Apple Wireless Keyboard and it matched it perfectly as if the two were destined to sit side by side and they are however fast forward just 2 weeks and as I look down at my desk I realize something my shiny new Apple Magic Trackpad is now laying almost out of reach entirely underneath my 30 inch Apple Cinema Display and its been replaced by my beloved Logitech Performance Mouse MX at first I thought nothing of it as I had only put my old Logitech mouse in that position to do some gaming as I had always known that no mater how amazing the Magic Trackpad was it would never be able to stand up to a gaming mouse when it came to gaming so I replace the Logitech mouse with my new Apple Magic Trackpad and then something happened I realized after using it for about 2 hours that the reason I hadn’t switched back to the Magic Trackpad after gaming was because my Logitech mouse is comfortable enough to use for 24 hours straight on those long endless nights programming (and playing games in between of course) however the Apple Magic Trackpad starts to hurt your wrist just a little and it begins to generally annoy you just enough to make you go back to your old trusty mouse after a few hours of use and all of the super cool gestures and shortcuts in the world can’t make an uncomfortable device comfortable so this being said I feel that the Apple Magic Trackpad does have its place especially when it comes to graphics editing and short term use for browsing and such but it will never be a true mouse replacement especially not when compared to a mouse as amazingly responsive, customizable and comfortable as the Logitech Performance Mouse MX.
THE BOTTOM LINE: The Apple Magic Trackpad is as perfect as a trackpad input device can be in my opinion and while it certainly has its place in the input device market it’s not for everyone and I believe that even the people it’s geared towards will find that even while they love their new Magic Trackpad most users will find themselves using their beloved mouse more than they do their new Magic Trackpad after a short period of time.
What are your thoughts on this subject? Speak up! 
Logitech Performance Mouse MX [$99.99]
Apple Magic Trackpad [$69.00]
Apple Wireless Keyboard [$69.99]
Jitouch [$5.99]
Toshiba’s New Dual Touchscreen “Laptop” (Foldable Touchpad) Windows 7 System
Aug 16th
The new Toshiba Liberetto W100 is a cool new take on an iPad style touchpad device with its two 7 inch folding touchscreen displays, 1.2ghz U5400 Pentium processor, 2GB Ram and a 64GB SSD with Windows 7 Home Premium loaded on it they just might have a winner -if- they lower the price, As it stands this new niche system prices itself within the range of much more powerful portable systems however should the price become more comparable to that of the iPad and like products then Toshiba really might have a future winner here. Photos and videos below.
Hackintosh i7 Desktop Vs MacBook Pro i7 Benchmark Results
Aug 15th
I recently built a 2.8GHZ i7 intel Hackintosh and I wanted to benchmark it versus my 2.66GHZ i7 MacBook Pro, Lets see what the results look like but first some basic information on the two machines.
System 1: “Hackintosh i7″
2.8GHz Intel i7-860
4GB Ram DDR3 1333MHz
Complete Specs and Build Guide And Parts List Here [TUTORIAL]
System 2: “MacBook Pro i7″
2.8GHz Intel i7-860
4GB Ram DDR3 1333MHz
Complete System Specs And Reviews Can Be Found Here [CNET]
Future Product: Microsoft Adaptive Keyboard Prototype
Aug 12th
Microsoft’s Prototype Adaptive Keyboard is basically a large touchscreen LED with a led driven keyboard below it, This prototype keyboard will likely be on the market in the next 12 > 24 months at much more reasonable price than its only competitor on the market the Optimus Maximus and it will have more functionality as well. Check out the videos below and let us know what you think.
Build Your Own i7 Hackintosh System For $862 That Will Run With Apple’s New $2,499 Mac Pro
Aug 12th
First let me start by saying how much I love building my own computers and how much I love Mac OS X I’ve been working with computers for about 19 years now (professionally for the last 15 years) and for the first 8 or so years of my professional computer based career I relied solely on custom built PC’s running Windows but a business partner and great friend of mine Ryan Johnson (RJ2 RIP) reluctantly introduced me to Mac OS and Apple hardware in 2003 and I’ve been a die hard fan ever since so I think it’s only natural that I combine my love of building computers and my love for everything Apple and Mac OS in this beautiful i7 Hackintosh Build
(The Complete Parts List Can Be Found At The Bottom Of This Article)
Ah today is a great day! Just 2 days ago I ordered my custom i7 rig piece by piece from NewEgg.com and today while watching a movie the UPS guy knocks at the door and I answer with a smile on my face
Now that we’ve got our build parts I think it’s important to start randomly stabbing the packages until the parts are shattered all over the floor, No but seriously take your time and open and unpack the boxes carefully there’s all kinds of little parts and random stickers and such that can be missed in NewEgg’s bubble packaging if you’re not careful, It would also really suck to be in a rush and scratch your beautiful new Lian Li case now wouldn’t it
After a minute of sifting through all the bubble packing in our box it looks like everything made it here on time, weehoo!
By sure to take your time and unpack each item making sure not to let any of the electronics sit anywhere that static may be able to effect them (such as the bare floor etc) you shouldn’t have any issues if you just unpack them and place them on the boxes they were shipped in at a handy distance for building the system.
Note: Items such as the motherboard and hard drive that come wrapped in anti-static paper should be placed on top the anti-static paper on top of the box until you’re ready to install the items into the case and motherboard.
Now it’s time to put this bad boy together lets start by making a coffee (this step’s optional) now lets open up the case and take the screws and such that are sure to be found in a box taped to the inside of the case somewhere and lets lay those out in an easy to reach place, We’ll need them for the build obviously. Building a computer is very easy but if you haven’t done this before there is tons of information on the actual building of the system all over google so just take a look or just give it a shot, Honestly if you’re cautious you can’t really mess anything up just take your time and see what goes where as each part only fits in one place on the motherboard it’s pretty basic a lot like playing blocks as a kid, the square only fits in the square and the circle only fits in the circle, Yes it really is that easy the more difficult technical part comes later when installing OS X on this by default unsupported hardware.
Ahh she’s a beauty!! I think I’ll call her Butters #2 after my lil pup Butters lol Now time to see if she runs as good as she looks on the first try!
Now it’s time to setup the BIOS, Boot your system into BIOS (When you turn it on It will say hit Delete now to enter BIOS so just hit Delete when asked to) once BIOS is loaded up the easiest way to get it configured to run as a Hackintosh is to “Load Optimized Settings” then goto “Integrated Peripherals” now you’ll want to change your boot order to boot CD/DVD first then boot Hard Drive also change “PCH Sata Control Mode” to “AHCI”, “SATA Port 0-3 Native mode” must be DISABLED and set “HPET” to “64-bit mode” this should be all you need to change to get this method of Hackintosh install to work for your new Gigabyte board.
(Note: Different motherboards require different configuration and some are simply not compatible)
Once your BIOS is properly configured you’ll need to burn an iBoot iso to a blank CD, Download the iBoot.iso here once you’ve burned the iBoot.iso to disk insert your iBoot disk that you’ve just created and reboot the computer, When the system loads off the iBoot disk you’ll see a screen that says iBoot in the middle of it with a picture of a CD, Now simply eject the CD and put your Max OS X install DVD into the DVD drive and Press F5 now select your Mac OS X Install disk to boot off of.
Note: There are many random errors you can get while doing this such as “mac os x can’t be installed on this computer.” this error in most cases simply means that the Mac OS X install disk you’re trying to use isn’t valid for this time of Mac (aka Our Hackintosh) for example the install disk you’ve most likely borrowed is an install disk from a MacBook Pro and won’t work with a Mac Pro (what our system will likely register itself as post install) long story short google your error codes should you have any and find out what the issue might be and try another Mac OS X install disk if all else fails.
After the Mac OS X Install boots and select your language it will bring up the main install screen make sure you launch Disk Utility and partition your hard drive to GUID Partition Table then format your hard drive to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) once this is done go back to the step by step Mac OS X install screen and complete the install. It’s important to note that after the install you might get a screen that says “Install Failed: Mac OS X Cannot Be Installed on this Volume” this is normal just restart as it says to and select your new Mac OS X boot drive at the chameleon boot screen.
After a successful install you’ll need to setup your new Mac OS X install with the proper drivers which are called kext files on Mac OS X and the easy way to do this is using MultiBeast 2.0 so Download MultiBeast Here you’ll also want to Download The Mac OS X 10.6.4 Update Here and you’ll need the custom DSDT.aml file for your motherboard which you can Download Here if you have the same motherboard we did in this build however if you used a different motherboard chances are you can find the proper DSDT file Here.
Once you’ve got the necessary utilities download simply place the DSDT file on your Mac OS X desktop then open MultiBeast and check the UserDSDT option also check the System Utilities option in the install menu but do -not- start the install yet, Now open and run the Mac OS X Combo Update you downloaded earlier, At the end of the install it will ask you to click Restart do not do this at this time you want to finish the MultiBeast install, Once the MultiBeast install is complete you can close MultiBeast and select reboot from the Mac OS X Combo Update screen.
Your new Hackintosh should be up and running with all onboard hardware working properly however if it’s not (as one of my installs wasn’t) odds are you’ll only need to fix your audio and ethernet at the most and if this is the case all of the files you’ll need can be Downloaded Here
If the Audio isn’t working make sure you first try going to System Preferences and going through selecting all of the Output Devices and testing them to confirm you didn’t simply have the wrong Output Device selected, If you’ve confirmed that the audio is in fact not working simply do the following:
1. delete all LegacyHDA driver in /Extra/Extension
2. delete AppleHDA.kext and HDAEnabler.kext in /System/Libarary/Extension
3. Using Kext Utility to remove the driver cache
4. Using Disk Utility to repair the permission
5. Install the AppleHDA.kext and HDAEnabler.kext using “Kext Helper” (which was previously installed to the application directory with MultiBeast)
6. Run “Kext Utility” which was previously installed to the application directory with MultiBeast
7. Run “Disk Utility” and select your hard drive with Mac OS X Installed on it then click “Repair Disk Permissions”
8. Reboot and your audio should be working (if it’s not simply try all of the output devices again and it should be working, If it’s not just post on this blog or email me for help I’ll do my best to help you out)
If your ethernet isn’t working simply install the RealtekR1000.kext using “Kext Helper” (which was previously installed to the application directory with MultiBeast) then run SnowR1000 which was also included in the “Extras” download then run “Kext Utility” from your applications directory then run “Disk Utility” and select your hard drive with Mac OS X Installed on it then click “Repair Disk Permissions” then reboot and your ethernet should be working perfectly (if it’s not retry this process and this time use RealtekR1000SL.kext and it should be working, If it’s not just post on this blog or email me for help I’ll do my best to help you out)
That’s it folks! I hope this Hackintosh tutorial helps someone out there build their dream system, If you have any questions or input on this topic please feel free to post on this blog or email me I love getting feedback from the community, Thanks!
| Qty. | Product Description | Savings | Total Price | |
| 1 | 
PNY XLR8 GeForce 9800 GT VCG98GTEE1XEB Video Card |
-$5.00 Instant $15.00 Mail-in Rebate |
$109.99 $104.99 |
|
| 1 | 
GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD3 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard |
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate Card | $139.99 | |
| 1 | 
ASUS 24X DVD Burner – Bulk Black SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS |
$19.99 | ||
| 1 | 
LIAN LI PC-A05NA Silver Computer Case |
-$10.00 Instant | $99.99 $89.99 |
|
| 1 | 
Intel Core i7-860 2.8GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor |
$289.99 | ||
| 1 | 
COOLER MASTER GX Series RS750-ACAAE3-US 750W Power Supply |
-$30.00 Instant | $109.99 $79.99 |
|
| 1 | 
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory |
$93.99 | ||
| 1 | 
Western Digital Caviar Green WD5000AADS 500GB 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5″ Hard Drive |
$54.99 | ||
| Grand Total: | $878.92 | |||
Very useful external resources:
Complete iBoot and MultiBeast install guide step by step by the creator of iBoot and MultiBeast
Next Gen iPod Touch Rumored To Have Dual Cameras And Retina Display To Launch In A Few Weeks!
Aug 10th
We all know how the Apple rumor mill flows around here but this rumor comes down the usual info channel thats proven to be very accurate in the past and since it only makes sense that Apple would finally revamp its iPod Touch and add the well received dual camera and retina display we certainly believe this rumor to be right on point, iPod touch users get your wallets ready this is sure to be a must have upgrade.
(but really, why not just upgrade to an iPhone 4 and ditch the double device wielding all together?)
New Designer Gaming Mouse Formed To Fit Perfectly In The Palm Of Your Hand, Finally.
Aug 2nd
Damien Crossan’s of Yanko Designs 11 button monster of a gaming mouse is molded to fit perfectly in the palm of your hand designed as if only to be a hand rest molded to each individual finger and your palm perfectly for relaxed use gaming. Although this prototype’s design is complete and Logitech is on board there is no word on production date (or if it will ever even go into production) but don’t worry we’ll keep our eyes open for this beast to get unleashed.
Make Your Apple Magic Trackpad Work On Windows
Aug 2nd
Apple’s new Magic Trackpad is one of my favorite input devices, I’ve always been a fan of macbook pro’s trackpad with its multi touch gesture support but when apple released its new Magic Trackpad one major thing was missing, Windows support. Today Apple released BootCamp drivers for the Magic Trackpad for Windows which means if you extract the windows only driver install file from apple’s bootcamp package you can make the Magic Trackpad work on your Windows OS machine, Simply put download the EXE below and run it on your Windows PC and your Magic Trackpad will work with gesture support.
Download Apple’s Windows BootCamp drivers for the Magic Trackpad here.
If for any reason the above download does not work for you go here for a complete list of windows downloads for the Magic Trackpad.
![IMG 0885 300x224 Follow Up Review Of Apples Magic Trackpad After 24 Hours Of Use [VIDEO]](http://www.mattbrandenburg.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/IMG_0885.jpg "Magic Trackpad Next To Wireless Keyboars")
![IMG 0884 300x224 Follow Up Review Of Apples Magic Trackpad After 24 Hours Of Use [VIDEO]](http://www.mattbrandenburg.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/IMG_0884.jpg "Magic Trackpad And Wireless Keyboard Flush Setup")
![IMG 0886 300x224 Follow Up Review Of Apples Magic Trackpad After 24 Hours Of Use [VIDEO]](http://www.mattbrandenburg.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/IMG_0886.jpg "Magic Trackpad And Wireless Keyboard Sky View")
Review Of Apple’s New Magic Trackpad [VIDEO]
Jul 27th
A brief review and opinion of Apple’s new Magic Trackpad released today July 27′th 2010 and a list of features and product functions.
Brief overview and review of Apple’s new iPad
Apr 14th
I’ve had a lot of people asking a lot of questions about Apple’s new iPad let me first start off by saying NO it is not an oversized iPod Touch and anyone who has used it for any period of time will agree with this, from a distance it certainly might appear as such but I can guarantee you this is not the case.
A lot of concerns were placed on the iPad’s processing power I had my own concerns with this as well but I can say without a doubt its processor is beyond sufficient for its configuration and the system is lightning fast no lag what so ever like you may have experienced on your iPhone 3G.
The iPad feels like its the perfect size and the onscreen keyboard fits nearly perfectly in your hand while holding the device and using both hands thumbs to type with, It doesn’t take long to catch on with a good amount of speed and accuracy.
The iPad’s battery life is amazing its every bit of Apple’s 10 hour video playback claims and I’ve personally used mine very consistently for 3 days and still had a little battery life to spare.
Overview:
The iPad is perfect for content viewing such as reading emails and surfing the web and has some pretty amazing games that take great advantage of the iPad’s accelerometer making it a very fun interactive gaming device however the iPad is absolutely not designed for content creation of any type, for content creation I would most certainly go with the laptop of desktop of your choice and avoid the iPad.
iPad Pros:
Amazingly lightweight
Comfortable
Amazing battery life
Great for games based off the accelerometer
iPad Cons:
Flash will never be supported on this device by apple (although a hack is in the works)
No iPhone internet tethering allowed by Apple (although a hack is in the works)
Which iPad to Choose?
I personally went with the most basic 16GB WiFi version and heres why first off I will only be using it for email and surfing the internet around the house unless I’m traveling in which case it will easily hold 10 compressed HD movies and hundreds of songs (who needs more than this for even the longest flight?) and I saw no point in getting the 3G model and paying a $30 (USD) service charge for the internet on it because I can just tethering my phone to the iPad (against Apple’s TOS you simple Jailbreak your iPhone and install the MyWi app on it and it makes your iPhone a WiFi hotspot that your iPad can connect to in turn using its 3G connection) hopefully this helps some of you in making your iPad choice.
Tablet Computing, Why go tablet? Which tablet is right for you?
Mar 16th
With all this hype surrounding Apple’s new iPad tablet and my friend’s and family constantly asking me “what’s up with this iPad thing?” I figured it was about time to clear the air.
Q: What is a Tablet PC?
A: By today’s definition a Tablet PC is simply a touchscreen computer that fits in the palm of your hand(s) which is generally between 4 and 12 inches of display and around half inch in thickness and very lightweight, These systems generally only have a “Soft keyboard” (on screen touch keyboard) and/or a stylus writing device.
Q: What would I use a Tablet PC for?
A: Tablet PC’s are designed specifically for content consumption and interaction and they are not designed for content creation, Due to the size/weight and battery life of these devices they are generally a perfect fit for traveling.
In my opinion your average computer user would not buy a Tablet PC unless they already had a desktop computer or a laptop because I believe your average user would do some level of content creation that’s either going to be beyond the capabilities of a Tablet PC or it just isn’t going to feel comfortable on a Tablet PC.
At this point you should have some idea if a Tablet PC fits into your everyday life and if it does you need to know that there are many other options beyond Apple’s iPad and each one has it’s pro’s and con’s so lets go over some of these now to better understand what’s right for you.
The apple iPad to be released on April 3′rd 2010 starts at $499 for the 16GB Wi-Fi version and weighs only 1.5 pounds while boasting a 9.7 inch LED backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with a 1024 x 768 desktop resolution and runs on a 1Ghz Apple A4 custom-designed low power processor, The iPad also contains an Accelerometer and ambient light sensor and is advertised as having a 10 hour active battery life which I’ll believe when I see. The iPad has a built in speaker and microphone. It needs to be said that the iPad does not run the Mac OS it actually runs a hybrid of the iPhone OS which is app based so it will be much like using an over-sized iPhone instead of feeling like your using a Mac computer it’s also important to know that the iPad does not play flash and has no plans to integrate flash in the future, This is a major issue of debate as flash is still a very heavily used web technology.
The HP Slate to be released sometime in 2010 is said to be priced around $800 not to many specifications have been released on the HP Slate yet but what we do know so far is that it will be around 10 inches it will have a multi-touch touchscreen and an integrated webcam and it will run on a custom edited version of Windows 7 OS which means yes it will play flash and adobe air but it will not have a “gameable” accelerometer such as the iPad has.
A new startup company has arrived named JooJoo and it’s first (and only?) product release is going to be the JooJoo tablet to be released in May 2010 and is priced at $499 boasting a multi-touch 12-inch LCD with a resolution of 1366 x 768 it weighs 2.4 pounds and runs off a 1.6GHz atom with Nvidia Ion processor which runs the JooJoo OS containing a webkit-based web browser and supports web-based applications which are more like simply shortcuts to web apps it has a 1.3MP camera built in and does support flash, The JooJoo for whatever reason only sports a 4GB storage unit so unless you’re streaming media good luck with storing your video library on there for future playback
The Notion Ink Adam is probably the least known of the to-be Tablet’s competing for market share against the iPad it’s said to be released in the spring of 2010 and the price is unknown but we do know that it will have a multi-touch 10 inchtransfelctive Pixel Qi LCD with a resolution of 1024 x 600 and will run the Andriod OS and will not support flash playback (yet) it has a built in 3MP camera, 16GB storage and runs off the Nvidia Tegra 2 processor giving it an astounding 16 hours web use and 8 hours of video playback (reported) while weighing only 1.7 pounds.
Final Thoughts:
While I don’t believe any of these options is entirely perfect I would personally choose the iPad knowing that the hardware will be amazingly sturdy and well supported and I know exactly what to expect with the OS as I run an iPhone daily I also think that gaming on it will be astounding, I truly wish it ran a full Mac OS and supported Flash that would make this Tablet PC completely unstoppable but I don’t believe its competition stands a chance after doing my research I found that I don’t believe I would be comfortable running a windows 7 system entirely touch screen based and If I had to choose between android OS and iPhone OS I would choose iPhone every time but thats a personal choice, JooJoo is just to new to the game and unknown in my opinion and the fact that it supports no real on system storage to speak of just destroys its chances with me, If I had to pick a second favorite I would shoot for the HP Slate but would absolutely have to check it out in person before buying and I still don’t think I’d be pleased with it in comparison to the iPad. Hopefully this review is of some help to some of you debating on your Tablet PC purchase, Happy shopping
if you’re looking for more information on these devices and other Tablet PC’s check out the gizmodo tablet showdown report
