Toshiba JournE touch multimedia tablet
Hey Apple, check this thing out! Toshiba just blazed into IFA on a 7-inch multimedia tablet, the JournE touch. It's dominated by the touchscreen display, but underneath there's support for a wide range of codecs (H.264, DivX, WMV), 802.11b/g WiFi, some online multimedia services like YouTube and Flickr, and some light internet duties thanks to Internet Explorer running on Windows CE 6.0 Pro. Despite the size and multimedia prowess (it can output sub-1080p video over an HDMI plug in the dock), the device measures a mere 14mm thick and weighs just under a pound. There's only 1GB of built-in storage, but that can be expanded via the SD slot, and the device can access external storage over USB. Word is it'll retail for 250 Euro in Q4 this year.
The device feels pretty nice in hand, but there's still a bit of a prototype vibe about it -- maybe because it's still a prototype. It's clearly a resistive screen, and the device will include a stylus for non touch-optimized apps. Toshiba seemed to be having fun with the multitude of Apple comparisons, namely since there isn't an Apple device to compare it to yet. They also call the video output the tablet's killer app, and promise to show more once they can track down a WiFi signal. Sure, it's just a MID at the end of the day, but we'll be happy to humor them -- it's a pretty hot MID.
