14 DAY TRIAL // The company name of Smartbook AG may lead one to believe they deal in those small, netbook/smartphone hybrids, but they don't really do that, as proven, somewhat, by how they were just revealed to have made their own tablet.
When thinking of a smartbook, the minds of end-users versed in such things will snap to that sort of device that looks like a miniaturized netbook but is supposed to have the always-on capabilities of mobile phones.
Some time ago, Smartbook AG stirred a sort of debate over whether or not using the word smartbook, its company name, to define those electronics was illegal.
Regardless, the company made it clear it dealt in more or less regular laptops back when it built the Smartbook Logo.
Now, the outfit has again broken its silence, or is said to have done so, in order to introduce a tablet.
The product is dubbed Surfer 360 MN10U and utilizes NVIDIA's Tegra 2 SoC (system-on-chip), based on the ARM architecture.
It features a 10.1-inch display with an LCD display whose native resolution is of 1,024 c 600 pixels and which has touch support, of course.
There is also mention of 512 MB of DDR2 memory, as well as the same amount of Flash storage space, the latter expandable via a microSD card slot.
Other specifications include a 1.3 megapixel webcam, a mini USB port, 802.11 b/g WiFi and 3G connectivity.
All the hardware is packed inside a package measuring 27.5 cm x 17.8 cm x 1.36 cm and weighting 750 grams.
Finally, the gadget is kept operational by a 3,399 mAh battery and should soon start selling, if it hasn't already, for the price of 499 Euro.
What remains to be seen, of course, is how this particular model, running Android 2.2, fares against all other products of its type.