Tech - World's first dual screen tablet

This is a belated review about one of the early tablets. It is called Adam. And befitting it's name, it's the world's first tablet which can function both as a tablet and an ebook reader.

It runs on Android, no surprises there. The specs of the tablet are good - Tegra2 dual-core 1 Ghz CPU, ULP GPU, 1 GB RAM, Expandable SD and USB slots, GPS, Compass, Bluetooth, Accelerometer, Wifi (3G model available too). There is only one camera but it swivels to face both front and back!


The most interesting feature is the 10.1" Pixel Qi screen. This screen is a translfective display. You can notice the difference in the screenshots below. The screen can work in dual mode as a LCD and without backlight (like an ebook reader). Battery life currently lasts for a couple of days, should be more given the screen capabilities. One can use the screen without backlight not just in the Kindle app but even in other apps like Gmail etc.

Screen with backlight ON




Screen with backlight OFF




Good
• Obviously, the screen
• The USB and SD card slots
• Honeycomb 3.0 OS
• Download Latest apps from Market
• Good speakers

Bad • Lack of accessories for now
• The build quality on this tablet should be improved
• It's a bit heavy at around 800 gms
• Lack of USB / micros USB slots for charging

Currently, the tablet is on pre-orders. It is not yet commercially available. I am hoping that the glitches are sorted out and we get an ever better version of the tablet. It will also be interesting to see if other manufacturers find use for the Pixel Qi screen on mobiles or tablets.

Finally, it's easy for me to point the flaws, but it's a good attempt for a tablet. For now, I am enjoying using it on a daily basis. The tablet is designed and launched by a Bangalore based startup - Notion Ink. More on their website - www.notionink.com.
Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

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