viziblr

What stood out for me this week was two videos, each about on a iPad-like tablet device.

Video #1 the Samsung Galaxy Tab

There’s even more on Engadget’s preview of this device, but let’s on the key points.

• Better-pixel density that the iPad (even though there are slightly fewer pixels in total)
• Smaller than an iPad – that should translate into weight savings that would let me use this as a comfortable eBook reader
• An experience built to take advantage of the pixel density, multi-touch, form factor

Based on the video, this looks like a solid device that does everything I expect and - as far as I can say at the moment - it is my leading contender for a slate device.

Video #2 the HP Slate

Via Engadget

First, let me say this. It’s not that I believe Windows 7 itself necessarily has problems running on such a form factor – the OS components and User Experiences are overall great. I say that both as a consumer and as someone who designed and implemented features that exist in Windows.

But to achieve a great User Experience will require companies like HP to have software designed for the this form factor and the user scenarios. The same interfaces, concepts, assumptions, and affordances that let me successfully use Visual Studio on my 30” LCD monitor (2560x1600 resolution) are not going to simply transfer over to a 7” to 10” lcd and “just work” in a way that will charm users. Ars Technica explores this even further in their post indelicately titled “HP Slate video shows all that's wrong with Windows 7 on tablets”.

In short this device – or rather the experience of this device - looks to be a disaster. I hope HP can prove me wrong.