If you thought Apple’s iPad was the last word in tablets — especially of those with the ‘iX’ naming convention — you’d be wrong. A British company has decided to test the waters, and perhaps the patience of Apple’s legal department, with the iTablet.
Hardware Central takes a look at the devices, and weighs the chances of its success.
As the bad-taste jokes surrounding Apple’s iPad slowly fade away and the countdown to the March launch begins, a UK company has announced a competing product with the name many thought Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) would use. X2 Computing, which specializes in handheld devices, especially ruggedized devices, is calling its new computer the iTablet.
The iTablet comes in two forms, with a 10.2-inch or 12.1-inch screen. A multitouch display is said to be “optional.” The system has a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, an undisclosed amount of memory, a 250GB hard drive, and 3G and GSM wireless chips, along with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Users have a choice of Windows 7, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, or Linux. The iTablet is thicker than the iPad, 35mm (1.38 inches) versus 13.4 mm (0.53 inches), but that’s because it has more inside — including a 1.3 megapixel Webcam and USB 2.0 and HDMI ports, none of which are in the iPad.
“iTablet will empower users with unlimited technology and advanced multimedia access across multiple platforms without being restricted to exclusive content providers,” said Jonathan Wharrad, R&D director of X2 Computing in a statement. “This new breed of Windows-based computer takes design, functionality, and solution fit to new and higher levels.”