Oh hooray forever on top of a mountain, Notion Ink Adam’s day for pre-order has arrived. Low price for basic models, Honeycomb yumminess, details on the launch, global pricing, colors, UI, Apps, NFC, Digitizer, Mystery Feature, and more! Behold the mighty object, a place where Google’s Android system can run wild and free and smell all the daffodils. Full rundown go!
Pricing
First a formost, what does this thing cost? Originally we were told the device would cost $399. Not true anymore. Not only will the price be smaller, it wont be adjusted by country – therefor, if you live in a place like England where your pound is worth two USD, you’re in LUCK.
There are 6 variants with four different prices:
LCD (wi-fi only) $375.33
LCD + 3G -900 series $425.33 (possible limited time offer price)
LCD + 3G -850 series $425.33 (possible limited time offer price)
Transflective (Pixel Qi) (Wi-Fi only) $499.45
Transflective (Pixel Qi) + 3G -900 series $549.99
Transflective (Pixel Qi) + 3G -850 series $549.99
System Details
Notion Ink notes that with Android 2.3 and 3.0 (Honeycomb,) you’d be getting Better OpenGL ES, OpenSL ES support, SIP/VOIP, Multi-touch Keyboard, Better Copy, paste features, Kernel Upgraded to 2.6.35, Better View Support (Honeycomb) and Clean User Interface; Better Memory Management.
Inside Adam, you’ll be getting
OpenGL
Which Notion Ink notes works the best with NVidia’s Tegra. Especially since they’ve got high expertise on graphics, this paiting with the built-in GPU of the Tegra 250 SoC is both exhaustive and highly accelerated. (They also note that OpenSL support will come as an update soon.)
SIP/VOIP
Newly announced official support is in place on already implemented SIP and VOIP, allowing programmers to port with ease.
Multi-touch Keyboard
Can you say “Ctrl+Z”? With a multi-touch keyboard you’ll be able to do all the things you normally would on an analog keyboard, quite simply. This functionality will be coming with Android 2.3 and 3.0 Honeycomb. Adam is delivered with 2 keyboard designs, both with multi-touch, both with the lines and space deleted from between the keys. What’s that? Does that seem strange? Notion Ink notes that during their exhaustive studies of typing on screens, the reduction of space between keys ended up increasing the correct-typing done by the user. Better word counts and lowered error rates all around. One keyboard appears to be close to what you’d expect, the other is a split keyboard that you can access while holding the device in both hands. Quick access keys are added, and all keys are able to have 2 functions (multi-touch activation!)
Android 2.3 with Kernel Version 2.6.35
Notion Ink notes that the latest version which NVidia Tegra works with is 2.6.36
Honeycomb
Inside the world Notion Ink has titled Eden, you’ll find “Support of Views within views”, a panel system allowing 100s of panel instances, or windows on screen. The new user interface should be instantly apparent upon the install of any native app, and memory management should be newly top notch. Notion Ink says they’ve done everything in their power to make Android 2.3 feel like what 3.0 will end up being so that when the update comes across, it wont be such a shock.
Launch
In a very strange move, Notion Ink’s sending of pre-order links are to go to everyone who had commented in their official blog before a certain point, these links remaining active for 6 hours from the receipt of the email. These emails were to be sent out 10 December 00:00 AM IST, after six hours (06:00 AM IST) the door to pre-order would be open to everyone.
Colors
There are SIX color variants for the Notion Ink Adam at launch, an addition of 2 colors making it a total of 12 variants – get it? The default color of the Adam is matte black (that’s what I’d choose) with a white strip, but the strip is replaceable. In mid-January of 2011, partners of Notion Ink will start shipping all sorts of wacky color strips so your Adam can be completely unique! I’ll take bumble-bee yellow pleeeease.
Shipping
You’ll be receiving your Notion Ink Adam in a big yellow van – that’s right, DHL, global shippers. Tracking included.
NFC
Adam does not come with NFC sensor out of the box. Whenever “Eve” comes out, it more than likely will. By that time NFC should be implemented in enough facets of everyday life that it’ll make sense to have it come standard.
Digitizer
Adam comes with Open Source implementation that converts it into a digitizer. Hooray! Wireless! Use your Adam “as a BIG touch screen for all your PCs, so you can draw, paint, sketch, click, select and do all you want!” Super neato.
Mystery Feature
Still a mystery! Notion Ink says the following: “One of my wish was to design a product where every fortnight you can receive a new update which isn’t just a security bug fix, but a discovery of something which already existed, sort of un-locking a part. This is my first attempt on the same lines!”
What Adam Means for Notion Ink
Adam is certainly the beginning. Fortunately, the excitement of what future might hold has made us rather more focused, because we need to lay the grounds for what is yet to come. The test for Adam is harder than we think. It’s the survival of the fittest out there. We have designed it to be the latest in technology for next 12 months but the competition might catch us even faster. Adam has to succeed as a product, as a vision and as a consumer device.
He is going to be a companion for students, an access to the world of featured emails for businessmen, platform for experimentation for scientists, and the true internet device which defines half of our time today! As someone commented, it is an Inception, and its going to make us look at it in awe!
The Adam has arrived!
With Warm Regards
Rohan Shravan
Check out this gallery of screenshots as well. Jump for joy!
Still sounds like vaporware and I doubt anybody will preorder w/o ever seen what the final hardware/software looks like. Plus they basically have already said that this unit is obsolete and they’ll be releasing something better next year.
LOL, There are THOUSANDS of folks on the BLOGS waiting for their “INVITE” to preorder something they haven’t seen in Video Yet… Yes..this is a Strong, “Apple Like” community…
So As for Pre-orders…no issues…
“Still sounds like vaporware and I doubt anybody will preorder w/o ever seen what the final hardware/software looks like. Plus they basically have already said that this unit is obsolete and they’ll be releasing something better next year.” That is funny, Apple has a one year standard refresh cycle, so by your logic no one would ever order an apple product, becuase is will be oboselete soon. By your logic, no one would ever purchase anything electronic and most everything is obolete in a very short time.
@Ryan, vaporware, haha! sounds like you’ll be screaming vaporware even after it ships on JANUARY 6th. Maybe you just need to be slapped in the face with one before you believe its real.
Fact is I’m one of the people waiting to pre-order and just got my link. Price is not an issue as it is cheap and if the product doesn’t come out AMEX will bail be out anyway. Do you really think people wont order this? Have you even read the specs this is basically an ipad and kindle boxed together with tons more… I’m waiting for the ipo after I get my adam!
@Anish I’m waiting for the six hour pre-preorder to end to preorder. that’s a lot of preordering. I’m excited. The screen alone sells it for me.
Nobody has been able to pre-order yet. Email link still says “Not yet, come back at 12 pm PST!”
Rohan has NOT given any responses or updates, other than to push back the pre-pre-order from 00:00 IST to Noon PST.
It is now 1PM PST and nothing.
Vapourware? Maybe
Failure in communication: Absolutely
Risk money on Notion Ink: Not now.
Sounds interesting. I don’t see memory mentioned? Am I just missing it? I tried their web page but must be getting bombarded, kept getting errors.
I’ve yet to find info on the 3G. Do I have to buy a subscription somewhere like with the iPad, or is it included in the price of the unit like the 3g on Kindle?
Finally got on their site. 8GB flash with Micro SD support. Archos 101 may not be as fancy but I have 16GB with Micro SD support for less money.
does any one know how to pre order one of these tablets? wher is the link to order?
thanks
mike, unless you were leaving messages on their site before today, you can’t pre order until 5:30pm mountain time. Some people have been watching for this since January when the first hands on video was released. I don’t have that kind of patience. Still deciding if this will be worth it for more money and less memory than my Archos 101.
Ohhh dear god 🙁 I checked out the new sales policy link… and it’s a half filled out template… with INTERNAL notes…! I really am cringing that they are starting to crack so early on… it’s killing me to see it :s
Any information on 3g carrier?
What is the difference between a -900 and -850 series?
The Adam was not rushed into production. Anyone calling it vaporware must be out of touch with reality. Even the pre-production models looked impressive to people that have gotten a look at them. And it looks like Notion Ink took their time to put some thought and innovation into the Adam tablet. I think it’s funny that iPad users are trashing the Adam when the iPad still can’t support flash even at such a high price and with such weak specs. The specs on the Adam put it in a class far above the iPad by any standard. I have tested 4 of the Archos tablets and the 43 and 70 are good pieces of hardware at a fair price. (didn’t test the 101) But the Adam looks so much better on paper it’s worth a try. Indian companies are putting out some excellent products and at a cost that rivals much of the competition. And frankly the Chinese are producing such poor quality products in the tablet market that they are a step below their competitors in India.
I tried placing a pre-order. The order screen on their site is pretty crappy. There isn’t anywhere to choose a color. Nor is there a place to differentiate between the 3g 850 or 900 series. Also, I couldn’t use a different shipping address than billing address. Is the thoughtlessness on the order page a preview of the product to come?
I have just pre-ordered 2! Could not order 2 in one go but had to go through the order process twice. Apart from that hopefully all ok. Can’t wait to get my hands on the Adam!!
Bring in On ! I’m in
No pay
850/900 what is it.
@michael100 and @Fruckus the 850/900 are the GSM frequency bands the device supports. If you live in the United States/Canada you want to get the 850, if you live prettymuch anywhere else you wants to get the 900. If you don’t get the device with the right frequency, no 3G for you.
Can’t wait to get me one!
Ophelia, The ADAM has capacity for additional 128gb space via SD, so your ARCHOS is not even close.
Thank you for the answer Dion!
The fact is, NI is already operating at capacity. They’ve not enough units to sell. Now that all the capital is there, I can’t really see them just refunding at this point. :/
MEMORY DETAILS??????
@Ryan:
Wow, you’re smart. This year’s unit is obsolete because they’ve announced their intention to release another model next year?
Doesn’t this sound like… oh, EVERY SINGLE TECH COMPANY? Except most companies release when there’s a newer processor / faster / etc.
At least they’ve included all basic functionality unlike another pad. What retard wouldn’t put a front / rear camera when all portable machines have cameras. OH WAIT. ^^
@MyName
Support up to 128GB
From their website, I understand that it will have 1GB application, 8GB internal Storage, 1GB system RAM.
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to buy a Notion Ink Tablet until I read some stuff a website called notioninkhacks.com The tablet looks very promising and I can’t wait to get it. I would also recommend that everyone visit that website and sign up for the forums. Looks like it’s going to be a great community .
mystery feature is a fm radio!