A tablet computer, commonly shortened to tablet, is a mobile device, typically with a mobile operating system and touchscreen display processing circuitry, and a rechargeable battery in a single, thin and flat package. Tablets, being computers, have similar capabilities, but lack some input/output (I/O) abilities that others have. Modern tablets largely resemble modern smartphones, the only differences being that tablets are relatively larger than smartphones, with screens 7 inches (18 cm) or larger, measured diagonally, and may not support access to a cellular network. Unlike laptops, tablets usually run mobile operating systems, alongside smartphones.
The Classmate PC, formerly known as Eduwise, is Intel's entry into the market for low-cost personal computers for children in the developing world. It is in some respects similar to the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) trade association's Children's Machine (XO), which has a similar target market. Although made for profit, the Classmate PC is considered an Information and Communication Technologies for Development project (ICT4D). Introduced in 2006, the device falls into the then popular category of netbooks.
Kno, Inc. was a software company that worked with publishers to offer digital textbooks and other educational materials. In November 2013, after raising nearly $100 million in venture capital, the company was acquired by Intel. The website was stopped and the service renamed to Intel Education Study later on.
The Adam Tablet is a tablet computer designed by Bangalore-based firm Notion Ink Design Labs. The worldwide launch occurred on December 18, 2010 via a video released by Notion Ink detailing their Eden Interface. On December 9 a limited number of devices were released for pre-order globally, followed by a larger pre-order starting January 9, 2011 and an open subscription pre-order from 11 January 2011. The Adam runs a customized version of Android 2.2 Froyo, and has released beta versions of Android 3.0 Honeycomb and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich The beta versions released were largely done through the efforts of volunteer developers. The Adam is set to be the first Android device marketed to contain Pixel Qi's low-power, dual-mode display. The device is one of several tablet form-factor devices to include a dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor that can support 1080p video output mirroring.
Rockchip is a Chinese fabless semiconductor company based in Fuzhou, Fujian province. Rockchip has been providing SoC products for tablets & PCs, streaming media TV boxes, AI audio & vision, IoT hardware since founded in 2001. It has offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Hangzhou and Hong Kong. It designs system on a chip (SoC) products, using the ARM architecture licensed from ARM Holdings for the majority of its projects.
Google Nexus is a discontinued line of consumer electronic devices that run the Android operating system. Google managed the design, development, marketing, and support of these devices, but some development and all manufacturing were carried out by partnering with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Alongside the main smartphone products, the line also included tablet computers and streaming media players; the Nexus started out in January 2010 and reached its end in October 2016, replaced by Google Pixel.
Chromebook is a line of laptop and tablet computers that run ChromeOS, an operating system developed by Google.
The Acer Iconia is a range of tablet computers from Acer Inc. of Taiwan.
The Barnes & Noble Nook is a brand of e-readers developed by American book retailer Barnes & Noble, based on the Android platform. The original device was announced in the U.S. in October 2009, and was released the next month. The original Nook had a six-inch E-paper display and a separate, smaller color touchscreen that serves as the primary input device and was capable of Wi-Fi and AT&T 3G wireless connectivity. The original Nook was followed in November 2010 by a color LCD device called the Nook Color, in June 2011 by the Nook Simple Touch, and in November 2011 and February 2012 by the Nook Tablet. On April 30, 2012, Barnes & Noble entered into a partnership with Microsoft that spun off the Nook and college businesses into a subsidiary. On August 28, 2012, Barnes and Noble announced partnerships with retailers in the UK, which began offering the Nook digital products in October 2012. In December 2014, B&N purchased Microsoft's Nook shares, ending the partnership.
Jeotex, Inc. was an Canadian company that specializing in the development and manufacturing of low-cost tablet computers and smartphones. Founded in Montreal, Quebec, the company aimed to produce tablets primarily for markets in India, Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. Joetex gained recognition for creating the "world's cheapest tablet" the Aakash tablet computer, priced at US$37.99 per unit. The Aakash was developed for India's Ministry for Human Resource Development (MHRD).
The IdeaPad tablets from Lenovo were a brand of consumer-oriented tablet computers designed for home use or entertainment, as opposed to the business-focused ThinkPad Tablet series. Devices sold in certain countries, such as China, India and New Zealand, were sold under the LePad brand, similar to the LePhone series of smartphones. IdeaPad-branded tablets have been produced with the Android and Windows operating systems.
Atom is a system on a chip (SoC) platform designed for smartphones and tablet computers, launched by Intel in 2012. It is a continuation of the partnership announced by Intel and Google on September 13, 2011 to provide support for the Android operating system on Intel x86 processors. This range competes with existing SoCs developed for the smartphone and tablet market from companies such as Texas Instruments, Nvidia, Qualcomm and Samsung. Unlike these companies, which use ARM-based CPUs designed from the beginning to consume very low power, Intel has adapted the x86-based Intel Atom line of CPU developed for low power usage in netbooks, to even lower power usage.
Microsoft Surface is a series of touchscreen-based personal computers, tablets, and interactive whiteboards designed and developed by Microsoft, most of them running the Windows operating system. They are designed to be premium devices that set examples for manufacturers of other Windows-compatible products. It comprises several generations of hybrid tablets, 2-in-1 detachable notebooks, a convertible desktop all-in-one, an interactive whiteboard, and various accessories, many with unique form factors. The majority of devices in the Surface lineup are based on Intel processors and compatible with Windows 10 or Windows 11.
The ThinkPad Tablet 2 is a tablet computer announced in 2012 and released by Lenovo in 2013.
The Surface Pro is a first generation 2-in-1 detachable of the Microsoft Surface series, designed and manufactured by Microsoft. The device ran a 64-bit version of Windows 8 Pro operating system with a free upgrade possibility to Windows 8.1 Pro, and eventually also Windows 10. Initially announced as Surface for Windows 8 Pro on June 18, 2012, at a Los Angeles event, Microsoft later renamed the device to Surface Pro, and launched it on February 9, 2013.
Amplify is a curriculum and assessment company launched in July 2012. Amplify Curriculum was built on the foundation of Wireless Generation, an educational company the original News Corp bought in 2010. Amplify products and services provide assessment and analytics for data-driven instruction and next-generation digital curriculum based on the Common Core State Standards.
The Samsung Ativ Q was a 13.3-inch convertible laptop to be manufactured by Samsung. Unveiled at a Samsung Premiere event on June 20, 2013, the tablet was to run Windows 8, but also shipped with software that also allowed it to run the Android operating system. The Ativ Q's hardware was also distinguished by multiple folding states and a high resolution display.
The Transformer Book Duet TD300, was a 13.3 inch tablet computer that was developed by Asus. The device used two operating systems interchangeably: Windows 8.1 by Microsoft, and Android 4.1 by Google. The device featured a tablet screen and a detachable keyboard. The device was reported to be cancelled due to opposition from both Google and Microsoft in mid-March, 2014.
Asus Transformer is a series of 2-in-1 convertibles, detachables and hybrid tablet computers, designed and manufactured by Asus, consisting of three major lineups.
