Notion Ink Adam tablet PC versus the Apple iPad and other tablet PCs
After the distractions of the Computex 2010 trade fair in the last week, today on whattabletpc.com we get back on track with our series of posts looking at the Apple iPad alternatives.
Today it’s the turn of the Notion Ink Adam Tablet PC, and what an awesome tablet it could be…
What is the Notion Ink Adam Tablet PC?
The Notion Ink Adam has yet to hit the shops but there’s been plenty written about it and a good few “hands-on” reviews so plenty for us to delve into. It an Android toting, Nvidia Tegra 2 powered, multitasking, Flash-running powerhouse tablet with groundbreaking screen technology that could give you up to 160 hours of battery life on one charge. As per the ICD Gemini preview, Android is the Google operating system chosen but with the Adam’s own wrapper to enhance the user interface. To give you an indication of it’s impact… Notion Ink are working to get to a 3 second boot time. They’re also looking at designing their own pre-installed applications optimised for the device.
Who are Notion Ink?
Notion Ink are an Indian start-up who have been working on the Adam Tablet PC for a number of years.
What’s the Notion Ink Adam design and screen like?
Okay, this is the thing that’s really got everyone excited. The 10.1-inch screen format designed by Pixel QI is both a screen comparable to e-ink (as used by dedicated e-readers) and an LCD display that adapts depending on the amount of light falling on the screen. This means you get the benefit of e-ink-like readability that takes the glare and eye-burn away from an LCD screen, plus it’s easier on the battery and is more like reading a physical book. At the same time get a glorious multicoloured LCD for video, games and web-surfing. The multi-touch capacitive screen will be capable of recognising six simultaneous points of contact. You can choose to turn the backlight on or off or leave the Adam to work out the best setting based on it’s sensors.
The final production model is expected to get down to around 14mm thick and weigh 1.7lbs so just a fraction thicker/heavier than the iPad and still ultra-mobile
What are the key features of the Notion Ink Adam?
The Notion Ink Adam is powered by a Nvidia Tegra 2 Dual Core 1GHz processor so pretty comparable to the iPad.
Other features are as follows:
- Amazing Battery Life – Due to the display the device should give fantastic battery life. Notion Ink claim 16 hours but in the low-power reflective mode (equivalent of e-ink as mentioned earlier) the 3-cell battery will potentially give up to 160 hours use. That does mean 160 hours not only e-ink comparable black and white but also potential for video playback and reading colour content.
- Accelerometer – this will reformat the screen based on the screen orientation just like the iPad does. It will also support motion-based gestures for tasks such as selecting, cutting, copying and pasting also. You can also navigate on the screen using the trackpad on the back of the Adam to get around whilst holding the device in two hands and avoiding smudging the screen – a real issue with the iPad! Basically you use the trackpad to move the cursor around the screen and tap it to select.
- Rotating 3-Megapixel Camera – allowing you to set-it up as forward facing for video calls but also backwards facing for taking pictures.
- 3 USB Ports – for charging, attaching peripherals such as printers and USB sticks for getting files and photos onto the Adam. There’s also an SD card slot for downloading photos from your camera directly on to the Adam.
- Multitasking– meaning you can run more than one application at a time and flip between apps picking up from where you left off – e.g. you could be watching a video, using a Facebook app, web surfing and dealing with email all simultaneously. The iPad can only manage single tasks simultaneously until we get an upgrade to the iPhone operating system – due soon though.
- Assisted GPS– comparable GPS to the iPad for mapping and location services.
- Bluetooth – for wireless syncing with other mobile devices.
Notion Ink have also said that the Adam Tablet PC will have the potential to run operating systems other than Android such as Linux builds, Ubuntu & Chromium.
How do I browse the internet on the Notion Ink Adam?
- 3G and Wi-Fi support– obviously you’ll need a carrier for the 3G to work but basically the device will be capable of web connectivity picking up your home Wi-Fi network, Wi-Fi hotspots or use the 3G network for when you’re out of range of a Wi-Fi signal.
- Web browser– Google Chrome, Firefox and even a tailor-made browser have been discussed but effectively you’d be able to download your browser of choice on this.
- Adobe Flash support– this is something Apple have knocked off the iPad spec due to it’s battery draining and buggy implementation. That said it’s such a ubiquitous technology on the web that without it we’re missing a substantial chunk of the web – particularly video and games are impacted. The Adam will give you Flash content though so you’ll get the complete web if you want it.
What about watching movies and TV downloads on the Notion Ink Adam?
High-definition video is dealt with by the 1024 x 600 resolution, it’s also capable of outputting 1080p video playback. A HDMI output means you can hook it up to a HD TV or projector and watch your films on the large screen.
How will the software perform on the Notion Ink Adam?
This is one area we don’t know much, in theory Android is only getting better and better with a growing app eco-system (although still far smaller than the Apple iPad App Store). The user interface wrapper and bespoke apps that Notion Ink are building for the Adam should in theory give a superior experience but it remains to be seen.
How much will an Notion Ink Adam Tablet PC cost?
Prices have been discussed ranging from a basic model at just $327 up to $800 for the highest spec. We can’t tell at this stage though what you get on the basic model.
When will the Notion Ink AdamTablet PC be released?
We don’t have any definite dates although last we heard, it’s likely to start shipping in the next few months. June/July was stated a while ago but given there haven’t been any announcements on this, it’s looking unlikely and latest rumors suggest November. We’d certainly hope to see it by the end of 2010.
Conclusion
The Notion Ink Adam has huge potential and the Pixel QI screen may well be the future of tablet PCs if it achieves the flexibility and amazing battery life that has been claimed. You can’t help but get excited by what this could be, we just need to see it in operation and on sale as soon as possible. Check out the Notion Ink Adam hands-on video at LaptopMag too.
Could this be the killer competition that blows up the tablet PC market and steels a march on the iPad?
UPDATE 10th June 2010: The Notion Ink blog was updated yesterday with news that the Adam is still on target to launch in the next couple of months. They also announced a final round of funding is complete ensuring they can deliver the Adam and also some variations that allow someone to select an LCD screen rather than the Pixel QI version to get the price down.
Image Source: Engadget
Related Posts:
iPad alternatives – Fusion Garage JooJoo Tablet PC Review Round Up
iPad Alternative – ICD Gemini Tablet PC Overview
iPad Alternatives – Netbook Tablet PC Hybrids
iPad Alternatives – The Archos 9 PC Tablet
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I found your site because I am looking for a tablet-pc. I never had a tablet-pc so far and I don’t want an iPad. Are there any good hints other than in the article?
Thanks for the question. To be honest, if you’ve decided against the iPad then I’d suggest holding tight for the time being. The alternatives that are available now such as the Archos 9 and JooJoo all have issues and I wouldn’t recommend them. There should be a wave of tablet PCs coming available in the next few months giving a much larger range of options and making the whole tablet market very competitive. You’re also likely to have a range to choose from with low cost tablets to high spec tablets. Some of the bigger brands will also be launching such as ASUS and Samsung. If you can’t wait for then and don’t mind a smaller screen then the 5-inch Dell Streak thats just come out may be interesting to you. I haven’t covered it as it’s more like a large smartphone than a tablet PC but if you want to take a look then check out this engadget link. We’ll also be looking at the Archos 7 Home tablet PC on Monday which is an ok device if you’re looking for an inexpensive option that’s pretty good as long as you accept its limitations given the low cost. My advice would be hold on to your money and wait for the other tablets to launch. Hope this helps.
One other thought, would you consider a netbook with a swivel screen that can become a tablet? They’re heavier and chunkier than an iPad but equally you get a much more powerful device with a physical keyboard. Check out our article here on netbook-tablet PC hybrids to get an idea of what’s available. There are other options than the 2 represented here but it’s a different device altogether so we haven’t covered many of these yet but if you think they could be of interest then maybe we should. Let me know what you think.