Windows 7 Tablet Gets CPU Upgrade

Archos is sporting a meatier Archos 9 tablet at ceBIT 2010.

Jkkmobile, currently attending CeBIT 2010, is reporting that Archos is showcasing an upgraded version of its PC tablet, the Archos 9. The hardware revision could be a sign that Archos plans to duke it out with Apple and its upcoming tablet, the iPad.

Packed with Windows 7 Starter Edition, an 8.9-inch LED backlit, resistive touchscreen, 1GB or RAM and 60GB of HDD storage, the current version poses as a handy tool around the house for a meaty $550 USD. Consumers can play 1080p videos on its 16:9 screen, have video chats with its built-in webcam, and even access websites utilizing Adobe's Flash platform. It's definitely a sexy little machine.

However the version on display at CeBIT 2010 offers a faster CPU. The current model sports the Intel Atom Z510 clocking at 1.1 GHz, whereas the upgrade model's CPU is clocked at 1.2 GHz. There was also mention of a faster GPU (the current model uses the Intel Poulsbo US15W), a faster bus, and hyper-threading. The site also said that the hard drive size still remains the same at 1.8-inches... no surprise there.

The rest of the specs apparently are unchanged: a 1024 x 600 native resolution, USB 2.0 ports, Realtek ALC269 audio and more. Future upgrades may bring a capacitive multitouch display and an optional 3G module.

The revamped Archos 9 should pose as an excellent rival to Apple's iPad when it eventually hits the market. Hopefully the price will be reasonable.

Microsoft Courier tablet prototype reminds us of Codex

The tablet arena seems to be getting about just as much hype as the netbook market was getting when the first ones were being showed off. This time though, Microsoft is interested in a bit more than just the software side of things. Gizmodo got its hands on Courier, quickly called it "Microsoft's astonishing take on the tablet," and noted that the interfaced was "unlike anything we've seen before." Don't get too excited just yet. First we must remember that this is in the late prototype stage of development, but that still means prototype, no matter how you slice it. Microsoft is developing the user experience and showing design concepts to outside agencies, but at any time the device can still be axed.

Secondly, the device is in fact a booklet, not a tablet: it has two 7-inch screens that are both designed to be used with a stylus as well as hands. Think of it like a DS on its side, except both screens can be touched—multitouched in fact. The hinge that connects the two screens has a single home button and can be used to hold items you want move from one page to another. Various status icons, like wireless signal and battery life, are shown along the rim of one of the screens. There's also a 3MP VGA 4x zoom camera with flash on the back cover. Check out the video, branded by Microsoft's Pioneer Studios, for a closer look:

As we noted earlier this week when the Microsoft tablet rumors came back in full force, Chief Experience Officer J Allard is leading the Alchemy Ventures group that includes at least one exec from Microsoft Surface. We must remember that the group of engineering experts has more than just the Courier prototype in the works.

Codex

Now that we've covered everything we know so far on Courier, let's talk about Codex, the Microsoft Research project we first heard about in October 2008. At the time, the dual screen device had a moleskine-style knitted elastic strap to hold it securely shut, a loop for the pen, and a mesh pocket so you wouldn't lose small items you wanted to bring with you. It weighed just over two pounds.

Codex used InkSeine, a prototype inking application also developed for Microsoft Research and released in February 2008 for Tablet PC and UMPC devices. We covered InkSeine's infrequent updates once or twice, including in March 2009 when Microsoft improved the software's support for Windows 7. It's not clear if Courier runs some form of InkSeine, but we'd be surprised if it didn't.

The similarities between Codex and Courier are too striking to ignore. Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates is a big fan of tablets, so it's really not a huge surprise that development has been going on for so long. We bet Gates would be quite happy if some form of a Microsoft tablet saw the light of day; would you share his enthusiasm?