Slate

According to a report in Reuters last week, Toshiba is jumping on the tablet bandwagon. The company is in the process of developing new slate devices, including a 10-inch model and a dual-screen model. The devices will run on either Windows 7 or Android, with the Android models coming in at a less expensive price point.

Jeff Barney, Toshiba general manager of digital products said, "We definitely see a place for the slate, we see there's a market there," Barney said. "It'll be expansive like netbooks, it won't be cannibalistic."

Toshiba is also said to already be in the process of lining up content providers for the slate devices. The slate PCs are expected to be available later this year. No additional information was given.

When it comes to technology, there is no middle ground. Either our products need to be as large as imaginable (like TVs), or they need to be as small as possible to avoid cluttering spaces and weighing down pockets. Pantech and AT&T’s Slate phone is definitely in the latter category. This phone is less than a centimeter deep, yet still boasts a full QWERTY keyboard. To take advantage of its tactilely pleasant keyboard, the slate offers text message and email capability, as well as the ability to send pictures it takes with its built in 1.3 megapixel camera. You might expect this phone to be out of your price range, but Slate is only $49.99 after a two-year service agreement and a $50 mail-in rebate.

With the holiday approaching, the Slate might be a reasonable solution for that special someone who has never upgraded from more primitive models.

For more information visit www.wireless.att.com or www.pantech.com