any <250$ tablets with 3g available known to you?

What about a tablet with this sort of design:



The whole point about the PC Security Lock holes on either end is for a keyboard accessory to latch on.
Eg a keyboard/second screen similar to this one:



PS: I will re-edit the image to fix it up and make it look nicer, its just an illustration for now to get your thoughts on the design aspects. For instace, does the idea of sliding doors to cover the connectivity ports (a la Galaxy S) strike you as useful? Does the unibody design seem stylish? etc etc

You won't find anything below $300 with 3G, if not more. All these $200-$100 tablets coming out of china are bottom-of-the-barrel in terms of specs and probably have fairly badly adapted installs of Android on them. I'd be shocked if the sources for the kernel on them (never mind Android itself) were even available.

Expecting anything other than a device that turns on and runs an old version of Android, badly, is expecting too much.

I think this is a good summary;

http://www.jkkmobile.com/2010/09/top...d-tablets.html

is it missing anything formidable?

A bit incorrect I think to suggest that the Galaxy Tab has "TV-out". More accurately, it has a general purpose 30 pin port to which you can connect an as of yet unavailable composite video cable

http://www.mobilecityonline.com/wire...roductid=27060

Oh nice observation, gracias aMeeGo!

After a looong consideration, I finally decided for the A81e.
It's very portable, it's Froyo, have lot's of users to help me when I brick it, and costed 220$.
If I get to use it a lot, maybe I'll risk it and get a better one (Did anyone say WeTab?)
Bundyo, Bun, I think this is the model you've got, isn't it? What about a little "what-to-do first" for me to warm up until it comes next week?
Cheers!

Well, right from bunanson' private messages:

"Latest firmware here:
http://www.slatedroid.com/nationite-...-2-1102-a.html

Install this after that:
http://www.slatedroid.com/nationite-...zard-full.html

It will get you root.

After that, follow this tutorial to move your app folder to the SD card (I made mine 2GB):
http://www.slatedroid.com/nationite-...e-apps-sd.html

If you have problems with a software that doesn't want to install - unmount your SD card and try again (the secure containers on the card do not work for some reason)."

Also - for some reason you need to use HP SD formatter 2.0.6 to format your card before copying the firmware files - this is important...

I'm still trying to get MeeGo on it with limited success, there are some things missing from the original kernel which are needed for the newer framebuffer drivers and config or sources aren't available. I'll probably end up recompiling one of the drivers if I figure out how to get a full-blown ARM MeeGo emulator running (I really don't want to compile on the N900)...

For me, missing the g-sensor is a surprise disappointment. The current batch of shipment does NOT have g-sensor. If that is important to you, you may want to do something quick. The next batch, dont know when, will ship with g-sensor.

So far, I am please with my A81e. That is because it does what I want.

Pros:
- Froyo 2.2
- 7 " form factor
- I have yet to find one video that does NOT play. It plays anything I throw to it.
- large amounts of streaming internet TV around the world and USA
- hackable if you know how
- Android market with hack
- less thing to carry, it is a netbook without the keyboard, weights really really light
- wifi stable

cons:
- battery sucks big time, 3 hrs max, but they shipped you two batteries
- still monkey with the gps 3 days into ownership!
- 7" form factor, too big to hold in your palm
- no true multitask
- Android, a controlled linux
- like your maemo tablet, you need to do a little bit work to make it performs better. Right out of box performing are just ok.
- only 113 MB ram after flash (Nitdroid managed to have 227 MB!)

If you love your N800, you will like this thing. It almost does everything your N800 does and better, except true multitask. Web browsing/reading ebook/video playing/number of apps/email is many times better than N800. However, if you dig a little bit deeper, like hacking/root/SSH/streaming TVvideo, N800 is 'easier' for the linux newbees like myself

Regarding the form factor. I know 10" is way too big, I was shocked that 7" is still too big. I cannot comfortably hold the thing between my index finger and my thumb, I have to lay it on my palm. I am now interested in a 6" thing if there is such.

7" screen makes reading a breeze. As I am trained with N800, now N900, I changed the fonts from the default, medium, to very small. on browsing, I see the full screen without scrolling. All my collegeaus think I am crazy by using such small fonts. If you are the one that constantly set your desktop monitor to the highest resolution, 1280 X 800, you would love this A81e, no scrolling, you are seeing the full screen. That is already better than my netbook, which I have to constantly scroll up and down. And then, rotate this thing into portrait mode, this is even reading more than my laptop! For reading, this is bravo!!!

Bottomline:
You want a shipping froyo today, this is the only one in the whole world. All others are 'coming', 'shipping', 'on schedule'...
For me, no microphone and no g-sensor miss a lot of fun.

Knowing what I know now, would I buy it? An absolutely YES. In particular, if my ameego Bundyo packs it with meego....

More reviews here:

http://digital8.org/reviews/wits-a81e-review-1767.html
http://mp4nation.net/blog/2010/09/5-...g-the-rocktab/
http://digital8.org/reviews/wits-a81...vert-1765.html

bun

I ordered from mp4nation.com, A81e + gps = 227$ shipped.

In the box: A81e, AC adapter, auto adapter, USB cable, batteries X 2; no user manual.

It came with FW 1021, has since updated to FW 1029, FW 1102 and FW 1102 variations.

I played with the original firmware for 4 hrs, to make sure everything worked, I then flashed it to FW 1102. Not happy with it, flashed to petolley 1102 variations.

Needs to install:
- LauncherPro to make rotateD works
- flashplayer 10.1 (check flash player with website youtube.com or kongregate.com)
- ConnectBot> (= xterm)
- z4root (not necessary)
- Titanium backup (need root)
- shootme (screen capture)
- ES file explorer (talk with your winPC)
- Advance task manager

Enjoy,

bun