Dell Reveals Specs For the Looking Glass Tablet

adeelarshad82 writes "Dell hasn't officially unveiled its Looking Glass tablet, but it's on record at the FCC. The spec sheets reveal a device with a 7-inch screen, 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity, and an SD card slot. The Looking Glass will likely be announced at next week's Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which is sure to have no shortage of new tablets. Dell filed the documents for device approval by the FCC on December 17. The Looking Glass is expected to be one of the first devices to pack an Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, a powerful chip for mobile devices that can support both typical functions (like e-mail and Web browsing) as well as advanced graphics — all while preserving battery life."

Comments

ergh

[nomadic]

Why are all these ipad competitors doing 7 inch screens?

Re:ergh

[93 Escort Wagon]

Why are all these ipad competitors doing 7 inch screens?

You can't easily hold an iPod with one hand for any length of time. Have you seen the Galaxy Tab TV commercial? They make a point of showing the tablet being held one-handed.

For some of us, the iPad is too big. I'm just waiting for a true tablet version of Android. I'd get a 7" iPad, but Jobs has already said that isn't happening.

Re:ergh

[dhovis]

Because, believe it or not, Apple came in at a price point that nobody could match without Apple's sales volume. The only way to under cut Apple's price is to reduce the screen size. By half, it turns out (7^2 = 49, 10^2 =100).

Re:ergh

[swb]

I think you're right. IMHO, the iPad display needs to be higher resolution. And if they ever made a 12" or even better, a 14" version, I'd be all over it -- magazines at actual magazine size, and with "retina" resolution, pretty darn comparable to magazine look. And much improved newspaper layout as well and better web site browsing (still a tad too much zoom & pan).

About the only other thing I'd also do would be more CPU -- I find some web sites with heavy javascript make typing and interaction laggy. OK, one more thing -- how about 128 or 256MB flash?

Overall, though, I really like my iPad.

Re:ergh

[dhovis]

Because, believe it or not, Apple came in at a price point that nobody could match without Apple's sales volume.

So Apple sell a netbook with no keyboard and an ARM CPU for twice the price of a netbook and no-one can compete with it on price?

Perhaps you're right, but that seems... odd.

Calling the iPad a netbook with no keyboard it a bit of a stretch. Even if you don't like Apple, you'd be hard pressed to find a netbook with an IPS LCD display, for example. Also, I don't know of any netbooks that have a touchscreen, which more than makes up (costwise) for the lack of a keyboard.

Anyway, If anyone could make a 10" iPad competitor at $500 or less, they'd have done so by now. That everyone who is trying is coming in at half the screen size should be confirmation. There were stories when the iPad was announced that it was going to $800-$1000. Everyone was preparing tablet competitors to go up against that price range. When the iPad came out at $500, it submarined everyone else's plans. It killed the HP Slate, for instance.

Re:ergh

[Anonymous Coward]

Just because you don't know about it, doesn't mean they don't exist. http://www.amazon.com/Asus-T91MT-PU17-BK-8-9-Inch-Netbook-Computer/dp/B002UAR8SK

iPad vs. everyone else

[Toe, The]

Just FYI, a recent business IT survey shows interest in iPads stomping all other tablets: about four fifths of companies planning to buy tablets next quarter plan on buying iPads. And it shows satisfaction with iPads vastly outstripping other companies' offerings. (It's also extremely interesting to note that 38% of IT respondants using iPads say they are using them for laptop replacement.)

In other relevant iPad news, holiday sales numbers seem to show iPads squashing competitors in the consumer channel.

Re:iPad vs. everyone else

[Lunix Nutcase]

That's funny because before the iPad came out all Slashdotters could do was point out how the iPad was nothing new and how tablets had been around for ages, etc etc. And now that the iPad has pretty much owned the entire market the excuse is that "there are no viable competitors". Would it kill you people to admit you were wrong about the iPad and it's likely success? This is like the failed Slashdot predictions about the potential success of the iPod and iPhone all over again.

Re:Do you even own one?

[oodaloop]

Or in a bag. A 10" tablet is too big for my tankbag for my motorcycle for instance, but a 7" fits nicely.

Re:Do you even own one?

[roc97007]

My company issues ipads, and after using one for two weeks I returned mine. It just wasn't a significant win in portability over my notebook, which does more and has SD and USB slots. I don't need to carry around yet another device just 'cause it's cool.

If the iPad works for you, great, but appreciate that others have different needs. The 7" form factor will fit in a coat pocket, which means I'm more likely to have the device on me. That it's not made by Apple makes it more likely that it may have the I/O ports I need. A double win.

10" tablets under $500

[DragonWriter]

Anyway, If anyone could make a 10" iPad competitor at $500 or less, they'd have done so by now.

There's actually quite a few ~10" Android tablets that have been announced at that price point; all 4 of the Notion Ink Adam 10.1" (1024x600) models which sold out of preorders this month had prices under $550, 3 of the 4 under $500 (all but the Pixel Qi + 3G model).

The ViewSonic G 10.1" (1024x600) tablet that has been on sale since November seems to be $399.99 at most major online retailers that sell it, slighlty lower at some.

That everyone who is trying is coming in at half the screen size should be confirmation.

Actually, several competing models that have been announced (including a few already available) are in the 11.6" to 12.1" range (typically 16:9, 1366x768), and quite a few are 10.1" (1024x600) devices.