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NVIDIA Tablet Is Tegra-Based but Not Apple

The prototype is less than one inch thin and runs Windows CE

Nov 28, 2009 09:49 GMT  ·  By
The first sighting of the misterious tablet in a shot by shufflegazine.
   The first sighting of the misterious tablet in a shot by shufflegazine.

Not too long ago, the media got a picture of NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang sporting a tablet PC which was assumed to be the same thing as the highly-anticipated Apple Tablet. The shot was taken during the CEO's speech at the American University of Dubai, but no details were given about the technology used in the tablet's creation, nor concerning the actual manufacturing partner.

Initial assumptions revolved around the idea that the device was an Apple-Tablet powered by NVIDIA's Tegra platform. It seems that only half of the assumptions hit the mark. After the tablet arrived in London, Engadget editors managed to get their hands on a copy and additional info. It seems that the tablet is indeed based on Tegra but was not made by Apple, with the actual company behind the gadget's creation being ICD. The tablet is still in prototype stage so it does not boast all the features enthusiasts might want. The design is still somewhat rough, but the display is quite large, 15-16 inches, and has a resistive touchscreen. The product is less than 1-inch thin and can provide excellent video playback at a 720p. The tablet also has a wireless recharge station base accessory which was enlarged and magnetized as well so that it can allow the tablet to stay upright. As a reference, the Tegra powering the tablet is similar to the one used by Microsoft's Zune HD.

Obviously not in its final stages, the tablet might still be equipped with additional features by the end of its development. Enthusiasts might still get to see the already impressive tablet get more refined, by means of multitouch technology, for instance, and through the implementation of a more user-friendly operating system. If these perks are packed into a more comfortable design, the tablet will most likely offer strong marketing competition to the other tablet PCs being marketed, including Apple's products. However, the tablet PC will most likely not cause any tensions between the two companies, considering the growing collaboration between them over the past few months. After all, this particular tablet was supposedly mostly aimed at getting orders from T-Mobile.