Updated 19 Nov
1) TechRepublic, the home of the lists, presents a slideshow and snapshot of 20–count ’em, 20–new tablets arriving on the market at 7″ and above (not including the 5″ Dell Streak). This includes dual screens (Toshiba Libretto) and the netbook style dock (Lenovo Hybrid). The Cisco Cius and BlackBerry PlayBook, along with the ‘ruggedized’ Motion Computing entry and the minimalist NEC LifeTouch may be ‘way to go’ for healthcare enterprises. And LG hasn’t even entered the fray yet. It doesn’t quite answer the question–Will the iPad be surrounded?—but it’s a start.
2) The heralded Samsung Galaxy Tab–the first ‘viable Android tablet to make it to market from a mainstream technology company’ gets the exhaustive once-over from ZDNet’s team. Verdict: while a solid entry and first out, it is a bit old-school PDA-ish, like an overgrown smartphone, Android 2.2. not optimized for tablets and too darn expensive. Bottom line: wait till 2011. Everything you need to know….
3) NEW Another handy list of tablets coming to market, courtesy of ZDNet and contributor Doug Reid.
4) NEW Not on either list: When is a tablet not a tablet? ZDNet profiles the Dell Inspiron Duo which looks like the familiar Mini 10 when open (but thinner). Flip the screen on its hinge, close it and it’s a 10″ tablet. At 4.5 lbs. it’s not light but the form is easier for the touch-screen keyboard challenged (and for heavy typing, like EHR charts); being able to flip the screen back and close it inside can give an edge in durability. And the 10″ screen may be more a winner than the too small 5″ Streak.