Indianapolis – Startup AHX Global plans to bring four tablets to
the U.S. market in the coming months from its home U.K. market.
Two models in the company’s
line are Windows 7-based, and two are Android 2.2-based.
The two Windows models are the W101 and W102, which ship in March
at $849.99 and $749.99, respectively. Both are targeted to prosumers who want
desktop-like performance and applications and want to share information with
home or work computers, the company said.
The Evesham, U.K.-based company is a joint venture between
U.K-based mobile-computer supplier X2 Computing and AMtek Systems, a Taiwan-based
tablet designer. AMtek registered the itablet trademark in 2004 before
previewing early development models in 2007. The company’s U.S. offices are in
Indianapolis.
Both Windows-based models feature 10.1-inch 1024×600 capacitive
touchscreen, 32GB embedded memory, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, multitasking,
full Flash compatibility, choice of browsers (Explorer, Firefox andOpera), and
built-in stereo speakers. The top $849 W101, however, ships with Windows 7 Home
Premium OS and a trial version of Microsoft Office 2010, while the $749 version
ships with Windows 7 Starter Edition.
In other differences, the top model features Intel’s Atom Z530
1.6GHz processor with 2GB DDR2 SDRAM, while the $749 W202 features Atom Z510
1.1GHz processor with 1GB DDR2 SDRAM. The top model also adds HDMI output and
integrated 2 megapixel webcam and microphone for video chats and VoIP use.
Both models feature SD Card reader and two USB 2.0 ports to
connect to such peripherals as external hard drives and cameras. Both models
are 10.67 by 6.42 by 0.63 inches and weigh about 2 pounds.
The Windows-based models, said CEO Francis Davis, deliver “the
functionality that users need without the focus on design that limits the
usefulness of highly priced media tablets that don’t allow creative
applications to be run.”
“Tablet computers are not new, and we have over 10 years
experience of designing and manufacturing them for a wide range of commercial
applications,” added AHX Global GM Stanley Hsu. The Windows-based itablets
provide users “with the same full desktop experience on the move that can be
achieved with a laptop but in a more compact, lightweight and easy to use form
factor.”
For consumers who don’t need a desktop experience, AHX Global has
launched two Android-based tablets, both running the Android 2.2 OS and
featuring ARM Cortex A8 800MHz processor with 512 MB DDR2 RAM. Both also
feature 10.1-inch capacitive 1024×600 touchscreen, 16GB memory, Bluetooth,
802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, full Flash compatibility, embedded stereo speakers, and two
USB 2.0 ports. The top model adds HDMI output and 2 megapixel webcam and
microphone for video chats and VoIP conversations.
Both are 11.16 by 6.97 by 0.51 inches and weigh less than 2
pounds. Pricing wasn’t available, but they’ll launch simultaneously with the
Windows models.
