Here’s a new product that might give the iPad a run for its money. The Vega, from Innovated Converged Devices (out of Seattle), runs Android 2.0 on an NVIDIA Tegra processor. With a built in 32 GB SD hard drive, support for an expansion SD hard drive, and a firkin’ huge 15 inch screen size (11 and 7 inch sizes will be available), not to mention freedom from the iPrison of Apple apps, the Vega could be the go to multimedia pad. And, come on, that docking station is just cute! Originally announced in late 2009 for a mid-2010 release, currently it appears only available in the UK with T-Mobile 3G connectivity.
The video below is lousy, but it showcases some interesting feature of the prototypical Vega. Check out the product page at ICD.
I got a Barnes & Noble Nook for xmas, and (due to a shipping delay) I received it Thursday. Friday night I read a free book (Charlie Huston’s Already Dead) I had added to my B&N Library in December, when I knew I was getting the Nook. I turned “Airplane mode” on after downloading the book (which took about 1 minute. Maybe two.) and the battery level indicator barely dropped during the whole read (~ 5 hours. Finished the book.). That’s pretty sweet. Page turns were more frequent than with a paperback, due to the smaller screen size, but I quickly fell in to a rhythm and soon didn’t notice them anymore than I would with a dead-tree edition. The screen refresh during page turn seemed slightly slower than for a dead-tree, but only slightly. I’d estimate it takes about 1.5 times as long. The screen is totally easy on the eyes. Examining it under magnifying glass reveals a surprisingly paper-like texture to the landscape. It’s no wonder then that the text looks so natural. Overall, I quite enjoyed the reading experience on the nook and I look forward to trying more books on it in the near future.
DriveThruRPG
Hudspeth Games