The tablet-computer war is heating up as Black Friday nears, with Samsung rolling out its Android-based Galaxy Tab on several wireless carriers next week and ViewSonic unveiling two new devices Monday — including one that runs both Google’s Android and Microsoft’s Windows 7 Home Premium operating systems.
After its debut in Europe last month, T-Mobile will be the first in the U.S. to get the Tab, which is essentially a larger version of the Samsung Galaxy 5 phones available in variations on all four top wireless carriers. T-Mobile’s price, beginning Nov. 10, will be $399 with a two year contract. Sprint Nextel will charge the same price, also with a two-year contract, beginning Nov. 14, while Verizon Wireless as of Nov. 11 will sell the Tab for $599 without a contract, although a data plan is available. Consumers can also put the Tab on their tab at Best Buy stores.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs, in an Oct. 18 earnings call, took a calculated jab at the Tab and others like it, saying, “The seven-inch tablets are tweeners: too big to compete with a smartphone, and too small to compete with an iPad.” He also noted that Google was advising tablet makers that the current 2.2 version of Android is not well suited for tablets, and that was the reason given by Motorola co-CEO Sanjay Jha for his company’s slow entry into the tablet market.
Dual Boot
But Walnut, Calif.-based ViewSonic, best known for computer displays, evidently has no such reservations about Android as it unveiled seven-inch and 10.1-inch ViewPad tablets. But the larger model seems to be hedging bets by allowing users an option to boot up in Windows 7.
The smaller ViewPad, equipped for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3.5G data, will be available later this year for $479 and packs front and back cameras,…