[PhantomCat]

2011 has been dubbed "The Year of the Tablet," and from my visit to Cnet.com, why should I think any different?
Follow this link and watch the clip of the soon to be released Samsung PC Slider 7, you will be amazed. Keep watching for the clip on the new sleek, ultra thin Samsung 9 Series PC that is to do direct battle with Mac's Air Book. You will be amazed again.
Please let me know what you think.

http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/samsung ... entBody;1r

[intimidator rider]

PCat that's awesome have you heard a price on it.

[PhantomCat]

According to third party data, $699 is the starting price and March is supposed to be the month of release.
One thing I don't understand is why they decided to go with WiMax instead of Wi-Fi?
Hopefully, buyers will have a choice.

[PhantomCat]

I'm surrounded by Techies.
Here's how it was explained to me:

Wi-Fi users compete for use at hot spot locations. When numbers reach their max, some users are bumped off the signal. The signal used to have only about a 100 feet radius but more recent developments have extended it out to 2 miles.

Wi-Max is more expensive to operate but there is no competition among users to stay online because it is multi-directional. When the maximum amount of users is reached, newer users are rerouted to a different tower's signal. As of now, Wi-Max's signal can be used as far as 30 miles away and there is still room for improvement. Can you imagine sending files to your home printer from miles out of town?

I expect news media and different business to adapt to Wi-Max on a small scale at first. I believe it will be years before it takes its place in everyday use by everyone. Right now, Wi-Fi is king, with hot spots galore, everywhere.

[billcollins531]

VERIZON IPHONE!!!!!


Sorry... That kind of eclipsed every other tech advance in my world. *drool*

[arby]

PhantomCat - I alluded to that last year when you were asking about the iPad. I suggested waiting to see what this year had in store. The last I heard, 14 different manufacturers were coming out with tablets. What's good about that is competition which will bring more features at a lower price than what an iPad costs now. I'll be in the market for a tablet when they hit the $200 price point (cause I'm cheap).

[TrojanCamMan]

I am looking forward to the iPhone for verizon.

My contract does not end till august so i'll just wait till iPhone 5.

[billcollins531]

I totally hijacked this thread from you PhantomCat. Sorry bout that.

People are complaining about the lack of voice and data on the Verizon iPhone, but if you look at it realistically - how often would you really need to use both at the same time? The feature can really only be used while on speakerphone - which is a pretty unusual use for most phone users.

[TrojanCamMan]

Next they will complain about not being able to video call while regular calling. C'mon people!

Todays people are wanting to multi task while doing every thing! Whether it be running coasters and rides or Driving.

[PhantomCat]

billcollins531
Don't you even worry about the phone talks or stealing the post. This is where I want people to talk about upcoming gadgets. I don't mind a bit.

Speaking of new tablets...
I've been watching the latest releases since Christmastime on QVC, HSN, and Shop NBC TV shows. So far, I've not seen one that compares to the iPad. They all seem sluggish in responding to touch, they don't have the pinch technology for photo enlarging or cropping, and some of them carry the awful resistant touch technology where you must press down on the screen then remove your finger in order for the desired command to work. The Pandigital 9 has about the quickest response time of all tablets right now. The soon to hit the scene Velocity Micro Cruz Reader is reported to hold the Android 3.0 processor.

To Everyone who suggested I get an iPad for working on my books.
Thank You! It looks like I will be doing just that. Although, that Samsung Slider PC 7 sure looks inviting. I've been talking to more techno brainyacks about the iPad and it turns out I need the app titled "Pages." I don't have to e-mail my work to myself to get my work out of the tablet, I have to download iTunes onto my PC. From there, when I connect the iPad to my PC with the included iPad cord, the two will communicate and sync. I'm told Microsoft Word will recognized Pages' documents and open them because they are very similar documents. I sure hope all of this is true. I don't want to have to e-mail my work to myself. If you'd like to see my first novel, just follow this link:
http://www.amazon.com/Grandmother-Home- ... 328&sr=1-1

[arby]

I have a lady who I do some work for (she's in her 70s and not real technical). She has an iPhone, an iPad, and a Mac and they all work seamlessly together and she loves them. She is now able to more easily run her business by carrying around her iPad and she says everything stays in sync well for her. I don't know any details of syncing PCs with the iPad.

Good luck with the book, PhantomCat. My brother has recently published his first book of inspirational poetry so I know the struggles of an author.

I'm a PC according to the commercials but I'm split on phones right now. I currently have a Windows touchscreen phone (Windows Mobile 6.1) and it works great with my Exchange server and email. It really stinks for anything else so I'm going away from Windows phones. I've read the reviews on the Windows 7 phone so I'll just stay away from it.

The rest of the people that I work with are pretty much split down the middle, half have iPhones (both v3 and v4) and the other half have droids of all varieties. I'm split down the middle and don't know which way to go. My next phone has to be a mobile hotspot so I can easily work on the road but the Verizon iPhone and most Droids do that. I also have to stick with Verizon because we get a 20% discount with them.

I don't plan on getting a new phone til this summer but I am keeping a close eye on comments from people on both droids and iPhones to help me make my decision. I really think all and all they're pretty equal depending on what you really need from a phone.

[billcollins531]

PhantomCat, I'd hold off on getting the iPad for now. We have one and it's fantastic as a portable computer, but Apple is having another product event very soon that will introduce iPad 2. This is rumored to have cameras on both the front and back, and also to contain an SD card slot. The decision is totally yours, but if this is around the corner, I'd just wait for it.

Arby, iPhone is expensive. That's it's only downside. What you're paying for is why it's beating the crap out of the competition. The software is really easy to use - like Mac OS, it just works like it should. There's only one button on the front - again, simplification. Apple's app store is the largest in the market with apps ranging from fun games to apps helping you with your Starbucks purchase. The ability to hotspot with the Verizon iPhone would definitely help you on the road or in the airport if you needed to use your laptop. But who's saying that you can't do these on other phones? I suggest trying out a few that you like and seeing which you like best.
For me, the iPhones software and ease of use drew me in. So far, I haven't been disappointed.

What are y'all thinking about this Android tablet running Bumblebee OS?

[PhantomCat]

Hello Guys
Arby - It sure is great to hear that a seventy-something senior has adapted to new technology and loves it. Most of them seem to be turned off by it and want to avoid it. Your story was so inspiring. I don't think the iPad will sync with the PC. That's probably why I have to download iTunes so they can communicate. But all of this is what I'm being told. I can only trust and hope that the tech people's information is correct. If not, I just may have an iPad up for sale soon after I get it, lol. While I also want to download a reference Bible into a tablet vs. carrying that giant book around, I don't need a tablet with an expensive price tag on it just for reading. Please, iPad, do everything I need you for.


billcollins531 - Thanks for the tip. When do you think the iPad 2 is coming? I heard March, I think. About the only new thing on it useful to me would be the USB port - if it will even have one. The iPad 1 seems perfect for me as is, and you can just imagine that iPad 2 will have an even bigger price tag. Geeez!

Is this what all the buzz is about?: http://mashable.com/2010/12/21/motorola-ces-teaser/

[arby]

Price will certainly be a factor for me so I might as well start researching those droid phones now...

They did the droid phones well so I expect their tablet will be done well too.

UPDATE: I just saw this - Android might not be the way to go right now until they get this worked out.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/21/oops-android-contains-directly-copied-java-code-strengthening/

[CarowindsFreak]

I know I am waiting for a IPad 2. Don't know if the price will change or not.