Looks like an overblown Zaurus
800x480 ferchrissake! That might be fine for viewing SD video, but it's useless for pdf/ebook reading duties.
NEC has taken the wraps off its entry into the Android tablet - sorry, "cloud communicator" - arena. Said gadget is branded the LifeTouch, and it goes on sale at the end of the month. NEC said it is aiming the "cloud communicator" - don't mention the T word - at big business, but since it also lists "electronic books, home …
For very small values of "superior", presumably.
Newsflash: good usability is no longer an optional extra.
You could build a slate device right now with every single feature the iPad has—and then some—but those features are *worthless* without a good user interface.
It's not as if there aren't any university courses and textbooks on the subject, so there really is no excuse for not having *both*. Anything else is unacceptable.
It amazes me too, that companies still haven't figured that out. But how do you define "good UI"? It can be done, but you will get a spectrum of answers to that question. Good UI takes far more effort and resources than most people realize.
The problem is, EVERYONE imagines themselves to be UI experts, and to be able to tell whether the UI is "good" or not. You know what they say, "If you don't know, you don't know that you don't know." That also applies to those Steve-Jobs-wannabe-CEOs that think they can tell whether something is cool or not. They can't, even if they wear all the black mock turtlenecks in the world.
that when you used the phrase "technically superior" you were NOT referring to this particular monstrosity?
"The tablet contains 384MB of Ram but seemingly no storage - you need SDHC cards for that. It has two USB 2.0 ports - one big, one mini - 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, a 3MP camera, and GPS. It runs Android 2.1 [and has a] resistive touch screen"
Ewww, if I got one in the proverbial Corn Flakes packet I very much doubt I would use it for one second longer than the time it took to ascertain how truly terrible it is.*
Paris, because she is technically superior.
* But it does have two USB ports! LOOK, MY TABLET, IT HAS TEH PORTS!!!!! YOU'RE FAGGIT IPAD SUX0RS LOL H4H4 P0WNED LUSERS
..... but I rather like it.
There could be some hidden uses, like PDA usage, for example. Ok, no keyboard, but this could be a pretty useful little 'jack of all trades' device : some music, while you read, synch' to have contacts 'n' tasks ready. I assume email will be straight forward, so why not.
The Japanese do have a habit of making some strange stuff, but they get functionality bang on.
Personally, I have the I-Pad thing. Looks a bit weedy, far too pricey, crap at web [won't render the BBC correct for example] and, frankly, I trust Apple about as far as I can throw them...
I'd but this NEC thing if it were in the £200 range....
P.
Are Sony and HP the only computer companies to have learn the lesson of Apple?
It is as important that the product look lovely as work properly. For many market segments, looks are the more important characteristic.
That thing could be the best tablet on the market, but it is ugly!