Blog

Tag Archives: IPad

Ladies and Gentlemen… I present to you the Blackberry Playbook

By Nicola | Posted in Blackberry, Mobile, Twitter at 12 | October 21, 2010 – 12:07 pm

blackberry playbookIt sounds like a sequel to the film Gladiator – but this time there is no Russell Crowe (swoon).

In a technology battlefield where mobile phones go head-to-head, a new war has commenced and this time it’s between tablets.
Following the success of the ever popular iPad, RIM has now unveiled their contender in the form of the 7inch Blackberry Playbook.

So what can it do?
The Playbook runs a new OS from Blackberry based on QNX, with built in multitasking. It has a browser with support for Flash 10.1 and HTML5 and front and rear facing HD camera for video conference. It supports 802.11b/g/n Wifi and has mini USB and HDMI ports for physical connectivity. Additionally, The Playbook has a 1GHz dual core processor with 1 GB of RAM.

Why would you want to buy it though?
With more and more people getting an iPad, any competitor that comes into the field needs to offer something unique. One of the best benefits about the Playbook is that it’s smaller in design – 3 inches smaller than Apple’s tablet. And even though it’s not as big, videos and pictures apparently still manage to look really crisp, clear and extremely vibrant.

But with every upside, there has to be a downside and there is one in this case. Blackberry has always had a reputation for making devices for business users and here at QuadroNation, we’re not entirely sure who this is aimed at.

Also, we’re still unaware at this stage of how much the Playbook is going to cost and when it is going to be released. Many experts in the know have suggested that it will retail for between $500 and $1000 and will launch in the middle of next year.


Yay or Nay?
Whether you buy it or not is down to each individual but its worth considering all of the other competitors that are being released into the market.

If you thought choosing a mobile phone was difficult, you’re about to enter a whole new techno world.

Check out our other blogs for reviews…

Tagged: |

All I want for Christmas is… a new mini iPad?

By Nicola | Posted in Apple, Gadgets, Retail, Twitter at 12 | October 6, 2010 – 11:55 am

iPad MiniI don’t want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need… la la la… okay, I take the hint – less of the Mariah Carey act.

Yes, this story is about the most wonderful time of year when we get to eat mince pies, drink mulled wine and fall asleep in front of Doctor Who.

News just in to the QuadroNation office is that Apple is busy working away delivering a new mini iPad just in time to be on the shelves before Christmas. Rumours flying around at the moment (which were mostly started by a Chinese newspaper) say that the new version would be seven inches in size, which is 2 inches smaller than the one on the market at the moment.

“Chimei Innolux will supply seven-inch LCD screens, which use the same IPS (in-plane switching) technology found in the original iPad, which improves viewing angles and colour on LCD screens,” the newspaper reported.

Following a successful 12 months, this could create yet another huge hit for Apple with some bloggers saying it could have the potential to ‘become the iPad nano of tablets’.

The current iPad model sold a staggering three million units in just the first 80 days of its release back in April of this year.

Best start writing our Christmas letter to Santa…

Tagged: |

Top six iPad alternatives

By Nicola | Posted in Gadgets, Microsoft, Twitter at 12 | September 10, 2010 – 12:08 pm

Here at QuadroNation, we like to think of ourselves as quite generous (tis true).

A couple of months ago, we decided to provide our regular blog readers with a daily informative fact and our Twitter at 12 posts continues to keep our readers up to date with all of the goings on in the world of a technical know it all.

But enough of the self promotion, today we’re here to talk about the iPad.

Nearly everyone on the planet knows someone who owns one and they are rapidly becoming the must have gadget of the century. Today, forecasts have predicted that there will be 28 million iPad sales before the end of 2011 – yes, 28 million.

However, did you know there are alternatives to the iPad? Yes, alternatives!

We’ve compiled the top five touch screen offerings that may just make you stray from your usual digital devise provider Apple.

HP Slate PC HP Slate PC
Hewlett Packards’s touch screen slate is expected to go on the market later this year for under $500. Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer has already described it as ‘a beautiful little product… as portable as a phone and as powerful as a PC running Windows 7.’ Fancy.

It may not look like a real contender to Apple’s tablet but the prospect of having Windows 7 on such a small device is very exciting and demonstrates just where technology is headed in the next few months 2010. £TBC, www.HP.com/uk, out late 2010

Sony Dash Viewer Sony Dash Viewer
Sony’s seven-inch touchscreen Wi-Fi ‘Personal Internet Viewer’ runs the Linux-based Chumby OS. Users will be able to access 1,000+ free Chumby apps for news, weather, photos etc, and it can also be propped up like a photo frame. For under $200, could you go wrong? $199 (£120), www.Sony.co.uk, Out April




T-Mobile Vega T-Mobile Vega
Available later this year in the UK, the Vega from T-Mobile is one of the first tablets to run on Android. With a 15-inch touchscreen and powered by an Nvidia Tegra 250 mobile web processor, it’s designed for family use within the home. T-Mobile describes it as a ‘family communication network’, which can be accessed remotely by several users. £TBC, www.T-Mobile.co.uk, out early 2010


Lenovo IdeaPad U1 hybrid Lenovo ideapad u1 Hybrid
The 11.6-inch Ideapad U1 hybrid from Lenovo features a detachable, tablet-style screen and when the screen is locked into the chassis, it becomes a Windows 7 Home Premium laptop with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor. It can also transform into a Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered, multi-touch slate with 16GB storage, running Lenovo’s Skylight Linux system. The notebook has built-in Wi-Fi and can use the tablet’s 3G connectivity to get online. The only thing it doesn’t do is make you a cup of tea by the sound of it! $999 (£610), www.Lenovo.com/uk


Dell Android Slate 5inch Dell Streak
This visually appealing slate is currently referred to as the ‘Dell Concept Tablet’ and boasts a five-inch screen, runs the Android OS and also totes a five-meg camera with LED flash. It is expected that the device will have 3G and Wi-Fi capabilities . £TBC, www.Dell.co.uk, Out 2010

And last but not least (if I leave this out my colleague will never speak to me again!)…


Samsung Galaxy TabSamsung Galaxy Tab
Samsung will release their answer to the iPad this year, and people already have high hopes for the device. The company have not yet released the specifications of its new device, but what we do know is it will be powered by Android and will have an integrated Flash player, integrated GPS with Google Maps, WiFi, SyncML support, Swype, and Bluetooth.
The Galaxy Tab is expected to be around half the size of the iPad, making it ideal for people who want something a little smaller. £600-700, http://www.samsung.com/uk/galaxytab, Out October.

Tagged: |

iPad therefore i Am

By Cheryl | Posted in News | July 8, 2010 – 2:53 pm

ipadAfter months of rumours about Apple’s new tablet device, the Mac fanatics finally saw the release of the iPad. Selling in 16GB, 32GB & 64GB versions, the large flat screen device caused even the most hardened Microsoft fans to look on with slight envy.

Clearly inspired by the iPhone design, the iPad uses the same home screen & many of the same applications but contains more advanced features. Quoted as being a cross between a smartphone & a laptop, the iPad incorporates the same ease of use as the iPhone but with the business element of a laptop.

A complete touch screen tablet has never appealed to me for work use, so I was happy to hear that an external keyboard could be used.  Also, Apple’s official iPad case is a must; as well as protecting the device it can be used as support to prop up the tablet. No one wants to contend with a flat screen lying on a desk all day!

iPad for business?

For any company, first impressions are always important, so turning up at an appointment flashing your new iPad can never be a bad thing!

The iPad incorporates everything from a Mac desktop to a small portable device and according to Steve Jobs “will get up to 10 straight hours of battery life”. Microsoft Exchange is fully compatible with the iPad, as are most document types including .jpg, .gif, .tiff, pdf, .doc, .xls and many more.

Of course, as you with find with most things, there are some features that the iPad is lacking, the most noted by users being the lack of a camera. But fear not!  As with most technology, there is always someone waiting in the wings for opportunities to exploit missing features. Rumours of a frame that can be attached around the iPad with camera connected seem to be rife on all the Apple message boards. I guess this is another ‘wait and see…’.

Tagged: |