Via chips coming to Android-based sub-$200 tablets this year

[Matthew DeCarlo]

With honchos like the iPad raking in $500+ a pop, the market could certainly use more low-cost options, and Via says a handful of devices will step up to the plate this year. The Taiwanese company expects its chips to ship in several sub-$200 slates before the year is up.

To be specific, Via executive Richard Brown says about five different Android-based tablets priced between $100 and $150 will arrive in the US during the second half of 2010.

Consumers have long refused tablet PCs, but Brown feels Apple has "legitimated" the tablet market with the success of its iPad – and he's not alone. Research house IDC believes the iPad will incite a sixfold increase in global tablet shipments by 2014, rising from 7.6 million to 46 million. With such projections, it would appear tablets are here to stay for the foreseeable future. If you haven't already hopped on the bandwagon, what'll take you to get you aboard?

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https://www.techspot.com/news/39062-via-chips-coming-to-android-based-sub-200-tablets-this-year.html

 

[Guest]

This is the future, but its not quite here yet.

Right now I want an easy way to print wirelessly from a pad/slate, an xtra USB slot or two, and more normal productivity apps like an MS Office version and yes it would be cool to use Painter with my finger tips. I also want to be able to adjust that virtual keyboard into something like a split keyboard, you know to avoid caper tunnel syndrome, etc. I don't need 6 apps running at once but 2-3 should be allowed.

Simply put I want more than a media consumption device, I want something that will help me with my productivity too in the size of an iPad. If it comes close to taking the place of a netbook, and its not something to just run movies and ebooks on then I will buy one.

 

[Tekkaraiden]

Availability since via based products are very hard to find in Canada.

 

[tipstir]

Smart Pad or Smart View so smart you tell it what to do and it does it. Have full touch, scroll you name it and cost less than $400 bucks. Games, movies, HD TV and etc.. fine but I need more features with 10 hour battery and less than 1 hour to charge it. Netbook okay though I don't know what the heck they were thinking with 1024x600 VIS, nuts..

 

[Guest]

I just want something to read ebooks with, but everything is way too expensive. This looks like a step in the right direction, but really I don't need all the functionality. Right now all ebook readers are $200 and up, but under $100 seems more reasonable. I'd like it if they made more segments in this market.

 

[Wagan8r]

It will take a good Tegra II tablet to get me to jump on the bandwagon. I would personally prefer an actual table PC and not just a tablet device.