tagged w/ Tablet Pcs
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"What is it in France they say? 'America contributed three things to culture: jazz, musical comedy and comic books.'" You can already buy two on iTunes. And if things pan out, you'll be get the third on the Apple tablet.
It's an easy presumption for comic book fans. The Sun Times' Andy Inhatko is betting that LongBox, a digital distribution platform for comic books, will make an appearance on Apple's upcoming tablet. More than just an appearance, really:
I'm pretty sure that Apple is entering into a formal alliance with LongBox. When I asked [LongBox CEO Rantz] Hoseley about what kind of partnerships the company is forming, he spoke vaguely of what was taking up most of his time at the moment: a lengthy and complicated agreement with a seriously large company operating in the media space.
One problem: Several sources I spoke to over the last couple of weeks, including top-level executives at giants like Marvel and DC, have said they've not heard a whisper from Apple—despite a nearly desperate hope that Apple would come a-courtin'. One executive said to me, when I mentioned the possibility of putting his comic books on the Apple tablet, "If you've heard anything from Apple, please tell them I'm ready to do it.""What is it in France they say? 'America contributed three things to... more
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Nokia's version of the iPhone called the N900 was supposed to be released in October, is now slated for release in November. It will cost $649, have a 5 megapixel camera, and expandable memory.Nokia's version of the iPhone called the N900 was supposed to be released in... more
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Earlier this week Sony announced that the PlayStation Portable will have an eReader by December and, even better, users will be able to read comics on it. Sony has partnered with IDW Publishing and iVerse Media, and Marvel Entertainment to bring back-catalog, new and digital-only titles to the handheld. The PSP isn't the ideal device for this, but now that Marvel is in the game, I'm hoping that it will signal a sea-change as far as comics on digital readers.
There are more good eReaders out there beyond Amazon's Kindle, and though they're currently all grayscale, that shouldn't hinder manga publishers. Color eReaders will be here in the next year, including the one from Plastic Logic, who is already partnered with Barnes & Noble's new eBookstore. The iPhone and other smartphones will get their share of apps, too, but I think the best device for reading digital comics will be the new tablet computers on the horizon, like the Apple Tablet/Giant iPod Touch or the CrunchPad.
If you had a lightwieght touchscreen device, wouldn't you want to read all of your comics and books on it? Imagine carrying around hundreds of graphic novels at once, and being able to flip through them like you would a book. It would also be a great way to sample and discover new comics.Earlier this week Sony announced that the PlayStation Portable will have an eReader by... more
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Our own Adam Frucci doesn't like the idea of tablet computing. And most of the world agreed with him back in 2001 when Bill Gates and Microsoft were pushing the form factor.
You may remember, Bill Gates was a loyal tablet user for years (and he still uses one). He was such a fan, in fact, that back in 2001 Gates told CNN, "The tablet takes cutting-edge PC technology and makes it available whenever you want it...It's a PC that is virtually without limits — and within five years I predict it will be the most popular form of PC sold in America."
Obviously, Gates was wrong—at least about the timeline. It's seven years later and tablets are all but dead while netbooks and touchscreen smartphones thrive. Keep in mind that multitouch wasn't around yet, though the idea of smudging up your computer's screen probably didn't make much sense given that a stylus was the ideal means for navigation.
Microsoft has since dialed back their enthusiasm on the tablet form factor, but you can see its spirit live on in products like the Surface and Windows 7's multitouch support.
To me, the question is not so much whether or not tablets are capable of succeeding in the marketplace but how they've captured the imaginations of Bill Gates, Apple fanboys and Star Trek alike yet still managed to elude mainstream popularity.Our own Adam Frucci doesn't like the idea of tablet computing. And most of the... more
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Today, the Financial Times reported that Apple is planning to release a tablet computer as soon as this September. According to the report, the tablet PC will probably be a larger version of the iPod Touch—a touch-sensitive machine with a screen as big as 10 inches diagonally. Steve Jobs and co. must have been listening to Farhad Manjoo: Back in December, he urged Apple to make "a flat-panel, touch-screen tablet that can do photos, music, movies, e-mail, games, and full-function Web browsing." The original piece is reprinted below.Today, the Financial Times reported that Apple is planning to release a tablet... more
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HP is one of the few PC makers that can design smart-looking tablets (such as the consumer friendly tx1000). New today is the HP Compaq 2710p Tablet PC, a 12-inch widescreen tablet that weighs in at 3.6 pounds and is only 1.1 inches thick. HP smartly adds a LED Backlit display, which helps with battery life and weight, plus Intel's Ultra Low voltage Core 2 Duo CPUs. Looks like the standard HP digitizer screen and stylus are included, which makes this a thin, lightweight package worth checking out.
There are five pre-configured models available, starting at $1,649 and going up to $2,478 for a bigger hard drive, slightly faster processor and a second GB of RAM.HP is one of the few PC makers that can design smart-looking tablets (such as the... more
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