Few months after its roller coaster ride in the US and other parts of the world, Google's Tablet poster boy - Nexus 7 - arrives in India. The starting price of Rs. 15,999 is a killer deal.Give this guy a serious look if you are planning to buy a 7" tablet.Google Nexus 7 has some serious specs and design elements.
Quad Core Processor
1280 x 800 HD Resolution. This is awesome for 7" size
Android Jelly Bean
Thin and light - 344 gms and 0.4 inches
Although it can't beat the form factor of iPad mini, it is still very convenient to hold and carry around
It has some limitations though
No expandable memory
No front camera
This is a Google branded Android tablet. This does not mean it is manufactured by Google. It is in fact manufactured by Asus. The Google Nexus branding implies that Google played an active role in its design and is expected to have perfected it. The Nexus 7 is now available on Google Play market for Rs. 15,999. I think its a great value proposition for a table with these specs, given that other 7" tabs like Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 sell at around Rs. 19,000. You can order the Nexus 7 on Google Play store here.Posted By: Amol Mategaonkar29th March 2013Originally posted at http://digitalden.tumblr.com/
It has been quite some time that I wrote on this blog. However, I wanted to write about something that I am really excited about . Adam - soon to launch Tablet Computer from NotionInk. The innovative design of this Tablet has already created lot of excitement since when it was first shown in the Mobile World Congress 2010. What is more exciting about this is that it is completely Desi at heart. It's designed and built by an Indian company in Bangalore - NotionInk under the leadership of the young innovator - RoshanShravan. http://www.notionink.in/ The super cool innovations in this product, coupled with a lucrative price makes it a potential iPad killer. Here is why.
Design
The Adam has loads of innovations built into the design of the Tablet itself. With the unique "Curve" design, 180 degree turning camera, multi-touch capacitive touch screen, Pixel Qi e-ink technology (will explain this below), innovative track pad navigation from the back side, NotionInk has dozens of patented elements into the new gadget.
User Experience
The User Interface of the Tablet is extremely fresh and young. Have a look at some of the screenshots here. The company promises completely new user experience on this gadget. The Adam is built using Google's Android Operating System, however completely customized for its use. As you might know, Android is fast becoming the Operating System of choice on the Smart Phones. However, looking at the size of the Tablet, which is quite larger compared to a smart phone, NotionInk has customized the OS to suite their needs and also made many innovations to enable far richer user experience. Going by the limited previews available for the product, they seem to have done pretty impressive job.
Performance
Adam boasts of an impressive nVidia Dual Core 1GHz processor, supposedly faster than the Apple A4 processor in iPad. This means much faster processing speeds and graphics responses. RoshanShravan claims a battery life of 16 Hrs compared to 10 hrs of iPad.
Pixel Qi e-ink Display
The Adam has an optional Pixel Qi display. This means simply that you can clearly read the tablet even if you are standing in bright sun. This feature is currently found in eBook readers like Amazon Kindle. Even iPad does not have it so well. See the demo of this in the video.
Connectivity
Adam supports three USB ports and an HDMI output. This means that you can connect external devices like hard drives, mouse, keyboards to it at the same. Also, you can project the tablet on a High Definition TV using the HDMI port. Sorry. The iPad is nowhere closer Mr. Jobs. Apart from this, it also supports Wifi, 3G and GPRS. It also has GPS chip.
Price
The Adam is priced between $375 to $549 (depending upon connectivity and display options). Compare this with iPad that ranges between $499 to $799. Moreover, Adam will have a global price. This means that this will make it even more attractive price in Europe. India hasn't seen the formal launch of iPad yet. The max price of $549 of fully loaded Adam (Rs. 24,000) is extremely exciting compared to an iPad that is available for 38000 in the gray market. The price is cheaper than many smart phones like higher end Blackberry, Motorola Droid and iPhone.
See an interview of Shravan here
A few Questions though
All the above looks very lucrative and exciting. I do have these questions before I finally give out my verdict.
I understand that Adam has customized Android OS for its use. What does this mean for the millions of applications available out there on the Android market? Will those applications work on the Adam? If they don't, then Adam has a huge set back given that iPad has a killer app market and anything and everything you need is available there.
The looks of it are impressive - especially the User Interface. Will the experience itself be as impressive? I mean, will the response time of the touch screen be as lucid as an iPad?
Will it be available in India? :-) Steve Jobs was ok. But hope Mr. Shravan does not ignore his own motherland.
The Adam has started taking pre-orders since couple of days back. It is being manufactured in China and being shipped world-wide from there. If it stands up to the expectations and excitement it has created, it is definately an iPad killer and surely a reason enough for all of us to be proud of. Finally, are we up for a real global IT product Made (oops, designed) in India?
An IT Knowledge Worker by Profession, I love to explore new things always. I have been in the IT industry for around 16 yrs and have been associated with all major waves in the last decace - ERP, SOA, BPM, Cloud Computing, etc. Usability of Software, Web 2.0, Mobile Tech, Social Media are other areas of interests. Currently, I head Indian operations of a US based BPM Consulting Company. I am avid lover of Indian Classical and Old Film Music. I am a Musician myself.
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