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I Want One of those Tablet Thingies


unit731

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Primary and secondary students get a free lunch every day at school. They get free milk every morning. That has been going on for decades. (HM pushed for the free milk programme, with the result that Thais are taller than they used to be!) I doubt that many Thai kids are going hungry. However, what their parents feed them upcountry is a different matter. Anyone for bugs, lizards and rodents with their rice? :p

 

As Kamui notes a tablet PC would be simply a toy for 90% of the recipients. Many private unis have the students buy a mini-laptop or tablet PC at a reduced price. You see the students chatting or playing games on them, very seldom doing anything remotely academic.

 

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At my kids school, private Thai school, they get lunch included up to P3 from P4 onward they have to pay daily. I say included as I'm sure it's factored into the term fees. Maybe just gov schools are free for all the P and M years.

 

Neither of mine would get much out of a tablet of any kind, other than a door wedge.

 

 

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You see the students chatting or playing games on them, very seldom doing anything remotely academic.

 

Same as employees in Thai offices!

They're all sitting there on MSN chat, Facebook and Farmville! :doah:

 

I remember when I was office manager for my job in Thailand, I blocked Facebook, MSN, Yahoo, Gmail from the staff's computers. There was a Thai version of uproar and they didn't talk to me for about a week.

 

So be it - they're there to work, not play bloody games! I tried to tell them that if they spend 50% of their day working, should they then get 50% of their current salary?

Needless to say, this didn't sink in at all and they just didn't get it!

One girl actually resigned because I blocked access to those websites! :surprised:

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A quick cruise through Zeer Rangsit yesterday to pick something up showed a veritable cornucopia of tablets. The new 10.1 inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 seemed to be the star amongst the various offerings so I had a little looksie. Very nice, very iPad like, even the price. 16Gb either Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + 3G no 32GB, no 64GB, Both models were 1000 baht less than the same spec iPad 2's. I'm sure they will sell all they make but for a difference of 1000 baht, less than 10%, it's going to be tougher than it might need to be.

 

Cheapie Chinese rip off 7 inch tablets running Android 2.1 (ugh) about 4500 baht. Much more than the online prices.

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A quick cruise through Zeer Rangsit yesterday to pick something up showed a veritable cornucopia of tablets. The new 10.1 inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 seemed to be the star amongst the various offerings so I had a little looksie. Very nice, very iPad like, even the price. 16Gb either Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + 3G no 32GB, no 64GB, Both models were 1000 baht less than the same spec iPad 2's. I'm sure they will sell all they make but for a difference of 1000 baht, less than 10%, it's going to be tougher than it might need to be.

 

Cheapie Chinese rip off 7 inch tablets running Android 2.1 (ugh) about 4500 baht. Much more than the online prices.

 

 

 

I just bought a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. The 16 gig was $499 and 32 gig was a hundred bucks more. I'm more than pleased with it's performance. It's simple to use, well organized and supports Adobe flash, which the IPad 2 doesn't. I think this tab will give Apple a run for it's money. Highly recommended.

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Sony Tablet S teardown: Wild wedge-shaped case hides unique hardware

 

The Tablet S is Sony’s first serious shot across Apple’s bow in the growing tablet war. Like other Android tablets, it has a dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, two cameras, Wi-Fi connectivity, and comes in 16GB ($499) and 32GB ($599) versions. The Tablet S is also similar to other tablet’s in size and weight. It weighs 1.3 lbs. and measures 9.5″ (W) x 6.8″ (H) x 0.3″ (D). But, the Tablet S has several unique characteristics, both inside an out.

 

The device’s wedge-shaped exterior is unlike any other tablet on the market today. When you hold it upright, with the thick edge in your palm, the Tablet S almost feels like a paperback book folded in half. When you place it on a flat surface, the inclined screen reduces glare and makes typing with the onscreen keyboard easier than on a completely flat device.

 

Equally interesting is the device’s internal design and hardware components. The Tablet S has an internal plastic frame, which protects the inside hardware and gives the device substantial rigidity. The Nvidia Tegra 2 processor and Elipda DRAM module appear to be part of the same IC package. And, the Tablet S has several unique chips, such as the UEI U122 remote control chip and Audience earSmart A1026 Voice Processor. I provide more information on each point in the Cracking Open observations section below.

 

Full teardown gallery: Cracking Open the Sony Tablet S

Cracking Open observations

 

* Easy-to-open case: There are two external screws are hidden under the back cover’s rubber feet. But once the screws are removed, you can easily slide off the curved cover.

* Standard screws: Sony used standard Phillips screws throughout the Tablet S. I was able to remove all screws using a Phillips #0 bit.

* Internal plastic frame adds rigidity, but complicates repairs: The Tablet S’s outer shell is plastic, but unlike other tablets with plastic cases, such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, the Tablet S feels solid in your hands. Sony engineers achieved this rigidity in part via sturdy plastic frame that runs throughout the Tablet S. Unfortunately, this frame must also be removed, before you can access any of the internal components, even the battery.

* Battery can be replaced: The Tablet S’ 5,000 mAh Li-ion battery pack can be replaced.

* Front panel and display are fused together: The front panel (digitizer) and LCD screen are either fused together of attached with extremely strong adhesive. Separating the two components could result in damage to either or both.

* 3G-ready motherboard and case: Sony left an open spot on the motherboard and inside the case for a 3G or 4G card. The internal mounting bracket even has screw holes for it.

* Integrated processor: Unlike other Tegra 2-powered tablets I’ve dissected, the Tablet S’ doesn’t have a separate processor chip, at least not one that I can find. Given the motherboard’s size, the standard Tegra 2 package would likely take up too much room. To solve this problem, Sony engineers appear to have used a processor that’s integrated into another IC–most likely the Elpida B8132B1PB-6D-F package. The Motorola Atrix uses a similar Elpida chip as does the Motorola Droid Bionic (although the Bionic uses the TI OMAP 4430 processor).

* Several unique chips: After cracking open numerous tablets and smartphones, I’ve grown accustomed to seeing the same chips pop up over and over again. The Wolfson WM8903 Audio CODEC and Cypress Semiconductor CY8CTMA395 touchscreen controller are definitely among the usual suspects. And while the Tablet S does contain a few of these chips, this tablet has several ICs that I’ve never encountered. For example, the UEI U122 remote control chip allows the Tablet S to function as a regular IR remote. The Audience earSmart A1026 Voice Processor is also something I haven’t seen on another tablet.

 

Internal hardware

 

Our Sony Tablet S test unit had the following hardware components:

 

* 5MP rear-facing camera

* 0.3MP front-facing camera

* 3.7 V / 5,000 mAh / 18.5 Wh Li-ion battery pack (SGPBP02)

* SD card reader

* Left and right speakers

* LG Display LP094WX1 LCD (1280 x 800)

* SiW SW5044 G1045400 1126

* Cypress Semiconductor CY8CTMA3 touch screen controller (x3)

* Cypress Semiconductor CY8CTMA395 touchscreen controller

* LG Display SW0632 0ISWL-0047A 1127 N621860H

* 3.5mm audio jack

* Eplida B8132B2PB-6D-F 1GB LPDDR2 DRAM (and likely 1.0 GHz dual-core NVidia Tegra 2 application processor)

* Texas Instruments LVDS83B power controller

* Texas Instruments TPS65862 power-management IC

* Intersil ICL7660 voltage converter

* D6583 1235A

* Samsung KLMAG4FEJA-A001 16GB Flash Memory

* Universal Electronics, Inc. (UEI) remote control chip (U122 3F80KBX1A-QZ8B UEIC 2010 K6V4F2)

* AGD8 2121 D1HCI

* Texas Instruments PT8121 integrate switching regulator

* Wolfson WM8903 Ultra low power audio CODEC

* Audience earSmart A1026 Voice Processor

* Murata Manufacturing LBEE69QSYC Bluetooth+Wi-Fi Combo Module

* 213J5C NNP 1212

* NCAI 3/0 GCUW

* Ublox UBX-G6010-ST standard grade GPS chip

 

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/itdojo/sony-tablet-s-teardown-wild-wedge-shaped-case-hides-unique-hardware/2930?tag=nl.e019

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Gimme, gimme, gimme ....

 

http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/04/asus-eee-slate-ep121-officially-unveiled-ips-display-core-i5-a/

 

12" screen, core i5, 4GB RAM and a known brand name on the front - finally, someone has built the tablet I've been waiting for, its just a shame about the PRICE. And the fact that a 64gb SSD is about as useful as tits on a bull for a *real* computer.

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