'Tablets' Aplenty Will Come Out at CES This Week

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As the world awaits Apple's touchscreen tablet, upstart Notion Ink is one of many competitors moving to top the smartphone at this weeks's CES
By Douglas MacMillan
... Notion Ink will introduce its device in early January at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Boasting a 10.1-inch touchscreen, Notion Ink's tablet is larger than a mobile phone but smaller than a traditional laptop. It's designed for people who want easy access to the Web, online videos, and a wide range of other applications without having to boot up a bigger, more powerful computer. Notion Ink CEO Rohan Shravan says he plans to show off the first prototype of the device in early January, partly to entice consumers who might otherwise hold out for Apple's long-awaited device. "We are pushing to launch before Apple," Shrivan says. A host of other hardware and software makers with the same strategy in mind are expected to showcase their own tablet computers at CES, which gets under way on Jan. 7. Microsoft (MSFT), Dell (DELL), Lenovo, and Asus may be close to unveiling their own tablet computers. Several could use the CES stage to try to steal the spotlight from Apple. Analysts say tablets will become a big business this year. Spurred on by the explosive use of mobile content, the ubiquity of wireless networks, and the increasing affordability of touchscreens and powerful chips, device makers hope to tap demand for larger handheld computers that can outperform mobile phones. By the end of 2010, tablets could make up a $3.5 billion market, says John Jacobs, director of notebook market research for Austin-based DisplaySearch. "We're talking about a brand-new market," he says ... http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jan2010/tc2010013_141192.htm

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1. Freescale unveils design for $199 tablet PCs

By siliconindia news bureau
Monday,04 January 2010, 00:10 hrs
Bangalore: Freescale Semiconductor has unveiled designs for tablet PC that it believes will hit the market with a price tag of below $200. According to Freescale, the tablet PCs integrates its version of the power-efficient ARM processor, the i.MX515 chip based on ARM Cortex-A8 technology, reports CNET News. With regard to the development of the chip for the under $200 tablet PC, Freescale has partnered with Inventec Appliance for design and manufacturing services and Thundersoft for software integration customization and optimization. Freescale calls its technology the Smart Application Blueprint for Rapid Engineering or SABRE. "The SABRE tablet platform for smartbooks incorporates feedback from a recently completed end-user research study conducted in conjunction with Savannah College of Art and Design's prestigious Industrial Design program," the company said. The smartbook reference design is expected to be available for evaluation beginning in February ... http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Freescale_unveils_design_for_199_tablet_PCs_-nid-64270.html