Samsung Galaxy Tab: Gadgets on my wish list, part 2

As each day passes, more and more of my friends and family are giving in to their desire for an iPad, Apple's wildly popular tablet computer. This despite the fact that the iPad has still yet to be launched (officially) in the Philippines. As of today, those hundreds of iPads you see being bandied about by their owners around the metropolis -- they're all gray-market iPads.

Can hardly wait until Samsung's Galaxy Pad rocks my world.

I never would turn down an opportunity to buy myself an iPad, too. But I just cannot bring myself to spend a considerable part of my annual income on something that almost everyone I know says is the coolest thing to own. I never appreciate being told by almost everybody else what is cool and what is not.

I'd rather be the judge for myself of what is cool and what should be avoided at all cost. That is why, I am waiting for Samsung's Galaxy Tab to reach these local shores.

India's 35-dollar slate PC

Seeking to enhance Indian college students' education and IT skills, which the Indian government believes will boost the country's economic development, India has developed a dirt-cheap slate computer. The 35-dollar touchscreen tablet PC is set for release in 2011 and is seen as reinforcing India's IT leadership.

Developed by the Indian Institute of Technology and the Indian Institute of Science, the gadget is part of the Indian government's efforts to improve the country's education system. With a literacy rate of about 60%, India lags other Third-World countries, such as China, which has 94%.

Windows MIA in the tablet PC wars?

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer can say whatever he wants about the tablet computer market's future, but all signs indicate that Windows most likely would never be a significant factor, at least for the very near future. Most industry observers concur that Windows does not figure much in the tablet PC scene.

It must be a rather painful and embarrassing situation to be in. Imagine, everybody is talking about the future of computing and nobody is saying anything about Microsoft and its flagship platform, Windows. Hey, even PC vendors who have had long history with Windows are turning out tablet PCs running on Android, Google's mobile operating system.

Many tablet PCs to battle with the iPad

Apple said it has sold more than two million iPad tablet PCs as of May 31. This has prompted some industry analysts to predict that the Cupertino company will sell at least 10 million iPads before the year ends. Watching IT could find no strong reasons to disagree with these market observers.

A pair of tablet PCs from Asus

(Eee Pad)

While Taiwanese IT vendor ASUS (http://www.asus.com/) claims its pro-cloud computing philosophy has prompted it to come up with the Eee Pad and Eee Tablet slate computers, I cannot help but see something of a poetic justice at work. Please humor me by recalling with me that Steve Jobs and company have berated the netbook on several occasions.