Cheap android tablets for £85 - our next threat?

[joydivision]

A few places in the UK are selling 7" tablets based on Android 1.6 for £85 brand new. There is also a version which is based on 2.1 which has a flexible Qwerty keyboard built into its case.

I am worried that people will just buy one of these for their facebook instead of getting their old PC or laptop fixed.

To put this into perspective, a Ipad costs £500.

 

[Xander]

I got one a couple of months ago. They're fun and... slow enough that I don't think most folks would consider them a great alternative.

 

[ljtechservices]

meh. cheap or not. users will always be users.
they will figure out a way to fsck them up and then run crying to the nearest techie because something "important" is on it.

on the other hand, this is why it's important now to develop support for businesses.
do you think a secretary or accountant is going to spend 8 hours looking at a small screen?

the tech may change but there will always be a need for techs that can change with it and provide the support that people need.

 

[edgepcs]

Most of these tablets are horrible. I wouldn't be surprised if they get a lot back shortly after sale. The only ones worth buying are ones from the big manufacturers e.g. Samsung Galaxy Tab.

But as ljtechservices has said some people will still buy them and break them.

 

[ATTech]

to fsck them up

There aren't many people now-a-days that are using Linux, much less have a reason to think their file system is in jeopardy.

 

[joydivision]

I just hope your are right, I was imaginging a larger version of my phone for £85 but when you think of the specs of my Android phone:-

Dual Core 1GHz CPU
512MB DDR RAM
Dedicated Graphics Chip
8GB storage plus upto 32GB on SD
4" screen
3G
Wifi N


These tablets are nothing like that high spec.

 

[MobileTechie]

I used an ipad the other day and whilst it's slick as hell even that isn't a replacement for a PC. You wouldn't want to be working on it or using it for kid's homework.

I'm sure something will take the PC as we know it out of the market eventually but not these tablets just yet.

 

[Mr I]

I used an ipad the other day and whilst it's slick as hell even that isn't a replacement for a PC. You wouldn't want to be working on it or using it for kid's homework.

I'm sure something will take the PC as we know it out of the market eventually but not these tablets just yet.

Are you talking about a tablet that can be used as a PC? well it's here!!! Link

 

[JAG Computers]

Are you talking about a tablet that can be used as a PC? well it's here!!! Link

I saw that in a laptop magazine the other week. I want one.

 

[MobileTechie]

They've been doing tablet PCs for years. That one looks nice but I bet it's not £80.

 

[Wheelie]

While the low cost iPad like device mentioned above (as y'all have noted) is probably cheap and not very powerful or functional ... that is the "warning shot across the bow." As time goes by these products will be improved and their prices will drop. That is how market competition works. Smartphone and iPad-like devices will move into the installed PC market place more and more as convenience and features improve. The latter is what drives the market.

In the coming months we will see:

• Continued doubling of CPU power every 13 to 20 months (Moore's Law)
• More standard RAM (faster)
• More storage on the device and in the "cloud" (convenience)
• Faster mobile Internet speeds (my smartphone's "tetherable" 4G is currently 6 to 10 Mbps in my living room)
• More functionality (easily connects to printers, ext displays, ext keyboards & mice)

Lower initial cost = disposable when it breaks (just like the printers of today). It will be cheaper to replace than to repair.


.

 

[Thedog]

Those tablets will never be a computer replacement for the general person. I got one (1 ghz, 10" Zt-180 tablet) and it is exactly as you expect, a lot of tweaking and not something that works good "out of the box", this fact alone will scare non-geeky people away from the advices.

Although good tablets such as Ipad will probably not replace laptops but they will probably replace the usage-rate of the laptops which mean less laptop problems overall (viruses, broken hardware etc).

 

[Wheelie]

A lot of out of the box tweaking? That is the definition of today's PC and why we have a job. I think that good tablets and smart phones will continue to use OS's that are nearly maintenance free (Android and iPhone/iPad). Data backup is a breeze and reloading the OS is as simple as holding down two keys. No tech needed for that.

Tablet-type PC's and smart phones are already beginning to displace a significant number of installed desktops and laptops as speed and features improve on those devices.

I suspect that about 50% to 60% of all laptop & desktop Windows PC users only need a Android or iPad type tablet or a full featured smart phone. When the day comes (in days or months) that these to devices easily connect to a full sized printer, LCD, keyboard and mouse, the Windows based laptop and desktop PC numbers will decline rapidly to much lower numbers than we see today. It only makes sense.

 

[noah]

... When the day comes (in days or months) that these to devices easily connect to a full sized printer, LCD, keyboard and mouse, the Windows based laptop and desktop PC numbers will decline rapidly to much lower numbers than we see today. It only makes sense.

I'm just waiting for the announcement. "Introducing the Idock. Now you can attach your Ipad to your television or monitor and get all the great benefits of cloud computing with a full size keyboard."

Hell, check this out. http://xtreamer.net/ixtreamer/features.aspx

The only reason you don't have full access to the IOS is because Apple hasn't given them permission.

 

[Wheelie]

I'm just waiting for the announcement. "Introducing the Idock. Now you can attach your Ipad to your television or monitor and get all the great benefits of cloud computing with a full size keyboard."

Hell, check this out. http://xtreamer.net/ixtreamer/features.aspx

The only reason you don't have full access to the IOS is because Apple hasn't given them permission.

Even better than attaching your iPad to your TV: Logitech Revue with Google TV and other Internet Ready Google TV's that interface with your smart phone

These products bring the Internet conveniently to your television. Combined with the new $8/month Netflix it is quite a powerful technology. They are claiming BluRay quality movies over the Internet.

These products (and others) will certainly reduce the footprint of installed desktop PC's especially in residential settings. They have "purpose-built" processors and OS software that have been developed for Internet TV's.

Learn more ...


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