Exploring the Realm of Tablets: A Look Beyond the iPad
Early-Generation Tablets Compared: BlackBerry PlayBook, HP TouchPad, Dell Streak, Motorola Xoom, and Samsung Galaxy Tab
In the year 2010 and 2011, the tech world was abuzz with the release of several early-generation tablets. Among them were the BlackBerry PlayBook, HP TouchPad, Dell Streak, Motorola Xoom, and Samsung Galaxy Tab. Each of these devices offered unique features and specifications, catering to varying preferences and budgets.
BlackBerry PlayBook
The BlackBerry PlayBook, powered by the BlackBerry Tablet OS (based on QNX), boasted a 7-inch display and was equipped with a dual-core 1 GHz Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 CPU, 1 GB RAM, and storage options ranging from 16 GB to 64 GB. It retailed for around $499 at launch in 2011.
HP TouchPad
The HP TouchPad, running on HP webOS 3.0, featured a larger 9.7-inch IPS LCD display and was armed with a dual-core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU, 1 GB RAM, and storage options of 16 GB or 32 GB. Its price was set at $499 (16 GB) and $599 (32 GB) upon release.
Dell Streak
The Dell Streak, marketed as a phone-tablet hybrid ("phablet"), initially ran on Android 1.6 but was later updated. It sported a 5-inch display, a single-core 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU, 512 MB RAM, and 16 GB storage. It was priced at about $549 at launch in 2010. The new seven-inch model, Streak 7, boasts a dual-core processor and wireless capabilities. Additionally, Dell Streak models have an SD storage slot for expandable storage and are known for their long battery life, lasting up to 10 hours.
Motorola Xoom
The Motorola Xoom was one of the first tablets to use 'Honeycomb', the tablet version of Google's Android operating system. It boasted a 10.1-inch display, a dual-core 1 GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 CPU, 1 GB RAM, and 32 GB storage. It was initially priced at around $799 at launch in 2011. Notably, it offered a higher resolution screen than the iPad.
Samsung Galaxy Tab
The original Samsung Galaxy Tab, running on Android 2.2 Froyo, featured a 7-inch display, a 1 GHz ARM Cortex-A8 CPU, 512 MB RAM, and storage options of 16 or 32 GB. It was priced at approximately $499 at launch in 2010. Samsung later released new 10.1-inch and 8.9-inch models in June.
These tablets varied in screen size (5 to 10.1 inches), operating systems (Android variants, BlackBerry OS, webOS), CPU power (single to dual-core processors), RAM (512 MB to 1 GB), and prices from around $499 to $799 at launch. The HP TouchPad targeted a larger tablet format with webOS but was discontinued shortly after release. The Motorola Xoom, on the other hand, was focused on providing a more "full" tablet experience with Android Honeycomb.
As for pricing, the BlackBerry PlayBook (32GB) retailed for £479, the Dell Streak (new seven-inch model, Streak 7) was priced around the same, the HP TouchPad (16GB) was £399.99, and the Motorola Xoom (32GB) was £449.99 at launch.
Gadgets like the BlackBerry PlayBook and Samsung Galaxy Tab, part of the early-generation tablets, showcased various technological advancements in 2010 and 2011, with the PlayBook utilizing BlackBerry Tablet OS and the Galaxy Tab running Android. Each device, including the HP TouchPad and Motorola Xoom, offered unique features and specifications that catered to diverse preferences and budgets in the realm of technology.
