Cisco enters the tablet wars

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The Tablet Wars just added a new combatant which may heat up the war.  The latest entry (1stQ 2011) will be the ‘mini’ version just announced by Cisco–the Cius.  With a 7″ screen (way cool portable, or way too small, depending on your eyesight!), but with all the ‘toys’ the iPad doesn’t offer:  an audio station ‘dock’, USB ports, front and back cameras, video conferencing capability, Wi-Fi and worldwide cellular connectedness.  It’s also explicitly ‘IT friendly’ for enterprise use and with pricing below $1000, it’s a deft challenge to the direction a lot of people wanted for the iPad–healthcare and business use. Will Apple catch up the iPad (still in beta to this editor) in time?  Stay tuned. Gizmag. Cisco Cius release.