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WePad Tablet Will Use Linux To Rival the iPad

Posted by kdawson on from the open-period dept.

cypherdtraitor writes with news of an iPad rival being prepped in Germany for a June launch. "A German company, Neofonie GmbH, has set out to provide an alternative to the iPad, according to Neofonie's founder, Helmut Hoffer von Ankershoffen. The WePad will boast a Linux-based OS, USB ports, webcam, and Wi-Fi, as well as other features. The 16GB edition will cost €449 ($610), and the 32GB €569 ($773). A more expensive model will include a 3G modem. This PDF compares WePad specs with the iPad. There are also hints of cheap, available software. For example, OpenOffice.org will be the primary office suite, and you may use 'any application that pleases you' to play music and video, a clear edge over Apple's limitation to iTunes." The WePad will also run Flash.

2 of 536 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Give me ARM, please by jedidiah · · Score: 5, Informative

    > If you're running Linux, you're sticking with legacy x86 architecture.

    How can you even be on Slashdot and post something that ignorant?

    --
    A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
  2. That's not why. by Civil_Disobedient · · Score: 4, Informative

    everyone puts up with it because of it's ubiquity

    No, everyone puts up with it because:

    1. Unlike everything else on the web, It Works.
    2. Define works? Sure, no problem. It handles:
      • Vector animation
      • MP3 support
      • MP4 support
      • TrueType fonts

      ...all out-of-the box.

    3. Define works, in developer terms? Sure!
      • You don't have to fix cross-browser issues. It is truly write-once, play-anywhere
      • If you know JavaScript, you know ActionScript

    As of 2010, these bullet points have all been true for nearly fifteen years. Meanwhile, HTML5 will still be playing second-fiddle even when the language is completely formalized (no fonts, MP4 is questionable, MP3 is questionable, and you'll still have to test twenty different versions and have plenty of hacks up your sleeve to get everything to look correct across all platforms & browsers).