tablets

I've been hearing "post-PC era" so much now that I wince when I hear the term. Clearly it must be time for me to get something off my chest.

There is no post-PC era.

Not as I see the landscape, at least. To me, tablets are a big break with the past when it comes to user interface, but deep down, more stays the same than changes. And the better tablets get, the more they'll simply absorb what we do with PCs.

In short, tablets will become PCs. Different PCs from today's PCs, but PCs. … Read more

Editors' note: The video battery results for the Motorola Xoom were corrected from the original post. The original post contained results not in line with our final testing methodology. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.

During the deluge of iPad 2 coverage last week, you may have missed CNET's handy tablets table. In it we gave an overview of the major non-Windows tablets already released and those soon-to-be released.

For the few tablets we actually have in the CNET Labs, we're able to go a bit more in depth with what each has to offer. … Read more

Consumers eager to pick up a version of Motorola's new Xoom tablet without the pricey data plan and two-year contract could get their wish courtesy of Sam's Club.

A series of photos and news reportedly coming from the retail chain's annual "Year Beginning" meeting this week point to the upcoming Wi-Fi-only Xoom popping up in its stores at a price tag of $539, according to DroidLife.

The photos offered up by DroidLife show a display filled with Xoom product vouchers and a sales sign above sporting the $539 price.

But zooming in on the sign … Read more

Microsoft doesn't plan to challenge Apple and Google with a new tablet operating system until the latter part of next year, according to a published report.

The software giant won't release a Windows operating system tailored especially for tablets "until the 2012 back-to-school season," according to a Bloomberg report that cited people with knowledge of the company's plans. Testing with partners and customers is not expected to begin until the end of this year, according to the report.

A Microsoft spokesperson declined to comment on the report.

The news is a further setback for the … Read more

AT&T customers can now choose postpaid data plans for their tablet PCs.

Starting today, AT&T said, customers can opt to pay $14.99 for 250MB of monthly data or $25 for 2GB of monthly data. The postpaid option will show up on the person's monthly wireless bill after the data is used. Prepaid plans, which feature the same price and data allotments, are charged on a person's credit card prior to their use.

Both the postpaid and prepaid plans are month-to-month, meaning that customers have no long-term contract.

The only difference, apparently, between the … Read more

Hot on the heels of yesterday's iPad 2 announcement, Barnes & Noble is now offering (via eBay) the Nook Color e-book reader for $199 (plus sales tax in most states). That's after applying coupon code CBARNESDD at checkout.

Update: Sigh. Sold out. I'm having the worst luck this week! My apologies, folks. I had no idea B&N was pulling this so soon.

These are new units, not refurbs, which makes me think a permanent price cut is coming (though maybe not, as Apple didn't lower prices for the iPad 2, much to my surprise).… Read more

Apple CEO Steve Jobs had some choice words today for the tablet PC, a relatively obscure PC product category that never caught on with consumers.

What is the tablet PC exactly? While there's a long history of this product category and thus not a hard-and-fast definition, it's probably best exemplified today by hybrids like Hewlett-Packard's EliteBook 2740p (which starts at a whopping $1,599) or the Fujitsu Lifebook T900 Tablet PC (which starts at an even higher $1,899).

The tablet PC has been largely a vain attempt--certainly compared with the popularity of the iPad--to meld the … Read more

The new iPad 2 will hit store shelves in the U.S. on March 11.

If you've been waiting to see what Apple would put in the latest version of the hit tablet, here's a quick FAQ that spells out some of the key features. It also is a quick guide to what's new for the iPad 2 and how much one of these new devices will cost you.

For a blow-by-blow account of today's announcement in San Francisco, check out CNET's archived Live Blog. And for a recap and analysis on what it all means check out this CNET story.

How is the iPad 2 different from the original iPad? In a nut shell, the iPad 2 is thinner, lighter, faster, and has two cameras for video conferencing.

The new iPad uses a new A5 dual-core processor, which Apple CEO Steve Jobs says is twice as fast as the previous iPad. He also said it will help boost graphics performance making it nine times faster. The newer iPad is also about 33 percent thinner and lighter than the original iPad: 1.3 pounds instead of 1.5. And it now comes in white as well as black.

Additionally, the iPad 2 now offers two cameras, which means it can be used for video conferencing via Apple's FaceTime app or a third-party video conferencing app, such as Skype. The rear camera is 720p. And the front camera is "VGA-quality" suitable for video and still photography.… Read more

We've all known more or less what was coming for a while. The iPad 2 was going to get slimmer and lighter, have a faster processor and better graphic engine, as well as sport cameras in the front and back--oh, and the already impressive battery life would be about the same. We also knew that if past Apple product upgrades were any indication, the new, improved iPad was going to be the same price as its predecessor. And it is, with the Wi-Fi-only version of the iPad 2 (16GB) starting at $499.

So what's this all mean for … Read more