By Steve Johnson
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews
Out of Asia comes the PMG Quadpad, effectively a tablet PC, though its distributor, Tronic International Pte Ltd, is marketing it as a “total lifestyle product”, serving mobile entertainment, communication, and computing needs on the go. That’s sounds much more marketable than just “tablet PC” doesn’t it?
Tronic says that the PMG is a hybrid version of other portable mobile devices but with integrated multimedia functions that complements the “digital lifestyle” user. It’s intended to be more about videos, music, e-books, PDA, and wireless connectivity, but still having all the functions of a Windows powered PC.
It comes with 3 USB 2.0 ports, an IrDA port, PCMCIA slots for GPRS/GPS/3G connectivity, built-in WiFi and Bluetooth, and a mini VGA output port. It also has the usual microphone, earphone, and modem jacks.
Keeping true to form with the tablet PC design, it comes with a touch-screen, pen-writing recognition, a virtual keyboard, a 360-degree rotating screen, and switches from portrait to landscape screen presentations. It’s probably one of the smaller tablet PCs as well, measuring about 9 inches wide, and 7 inches tall. It boasts a diagonal screen size of 8.4 inches, with a maximum resolution of 800×600. As you would guess, it’s very light weight at only 2.6 pounds (with battery).
Among the accessories that Tronic sells for the PMG, is a Bluetooth foldable keyboard, car adapter, USB DVD Drive, and others.
By all accounts, there really isn’t anything specific about the PMG Quadpad that makes it much more of a multimedia device than a tablet PC, but that’s how it’s being marketed and packaged, and perhaps it might succeed in selling the consumer on the idea of tablet PCs.
Expected retail price is $2,188.00. They’re currently only available in Asia, and is not yet known when we’ll see them here in the States.
Source: Tronic International
Some may find such a thing useful, but from my perspective it’s a solution in search of a problem. Good call on the marketing technique too, by the way. I always like it when your site does an “emporer has no clothes” kind of thing on some vendor.
When tablet PCs are under $1000 let me know. There is just not enough bang for the buck in these things yet.
Why exactly does this think cost so much?! All the hardware is from what, 2 years ago? Why is a Dell Inspiron 600 laptop around $750 ($650 on a good day), and this thing is over $2100?
My Dell X50v PDA comes very close to the functionality of this unit for $300.
As for the use of it… bundle it with a SlingBox, a solid eReader, music player, and a durable touch screen. The form factor should allow you to ’snap on’ a bluetooth keyboard for easy carrying. Built-in GPS would be very impressive. It’s these kind of things that I would expect to push this unit over $2K.
I hear this is actually launched in Europe at around £800 and apparantly when it launches in the States it will be nearer $1400. Thats seems pretty good. Not sure I’ve seen anything else similar to this at this price. Quite unusual. Wi-Fi(g) so I can see the portable aspect around the home and out-and-about being useful. Beats carrying a huge laptop around.
This is by far the lowest priced PAD I have seen and I have been in this space for a LONG time – having said that it is a product seeking niche market apps. Not hard to find – PDA’s are a pain in the rear when it comes to practical mobile applications in warehousing, product delivery, stock control, hospitals, hospitlaity industry etc. etc.,
Some guys just don’t get it – clamshell devices are a thorough pain in the rear when it comes to on the fly mobile apps and PDA screens are too small for most such apps. Squniting is not an option! Tablet PC’s are too expensive, chuncky and fat and this little beauty seems to weigh in at the right size and is sitting at the (almost) right price point – a retail of USD 1500 would be great but volume talks and releasing this at USD 2100 retail or thereabouts may be just OK provided the application is there. 3G apps would rock on this – what is 3G say US citizens? Well, we in Australia know very well what 3G is – just that nobody has hit the killer app yet bar sending pix, video mail etc. This little ripper will surely get a heads up here if pointed to the right partners.
1Ghz processor – enough grunt? I think so, not for hard core gamers but not built for that – and that VIA keeps cool with low power useage.
From what I see I must say … Hats off to Tronic, good job – I want one.
Why is it running Windows XP/Professional instead of Windows Tablet?
As of this moment an expensive toy.