14 DAY TRIAL // News-conscious end-users should be prepared, because the next few months will be littered with new tablet announcements. ARM has only just finished stating how there will be about 50 tablet announcements before the year is over, so it's not a surprise to find out that there is already a product out there claiming the title of iPad killer. Developed by Chinese manufacturer Hott, the new tablet known as the Hott MD500 claims to be able to “play every codec” at a price of under $100.
Before Apple launched its iPad, the hype surrounding the product had reached such ridiculous levels that, among other things, the device was called the Jesus tablet or other such names. Basically, the general impression was that Apple would launch a highly disruptive product that would set a new standard and create a new market. When the device was finally launched, it turned out to be, according to analysts, less than perfect, with main criticism being centered on the lack of Flash playback and the inability for multitasking. These so-called disadvantages of the iPad, however, were seen as fortuitous by those companies that aimed to also enter the new market segment.
So far, most, if not all, announcements concerning new tablets have been centered on those tasks that the product in question can do and the iPad cannot. As such, it is hardly surprising to see Hott exploiting all it can when advertising its new device. At a first glance, the so-called tablet might not look like a real threat, because it is significantly smaller than the iPad, measuring 4.8 inches, but it supposedly plays any codec and was even shown playing a 720p clip from Tokyo Drift. The device also somewhat imitates iPhones in design and has a screen resolution of 800 x 600, along with a wide range of customizable OS features.
The most advantageous characteristic of this so-called iPad killer, however, is its price. It has a tag of only $92, which is quite attractive, even though the price does not include the flash memory. Of course, given that microSD cards aren't exactly budget-breaking, this might not be such a big drawback at all. Unfortunately, the availability of the device is not yet known.