Toshiba unveils JournE touch multimedia tablet, continues work on app store
Forget about your pockets. Toshiba is coming after your house with its upcoming JournE touch multimedia tablet.
Unveiled today at IFA 2009 in Berlin, the 7.4" x 5.3" x 0.55" slate runs a customizable finger-friendly user interface on top of Windows CE 6.0 Pro and is strictly designed for home use, even though its lithium-polymer battery is estimated to run for up to 14 hours on a single charge and it supports 3G USB modems. Tipping the scales at just under a pound (15.87 ounces), the JournE touch features a 7" LED-backlit touchscreen (16:9, WVGA), 1GB of internal memory, an SD card slot for up to an additional 32GB of storage, WiFi, instant-on, HD output, and video on demand.
A device designed for couch surfing and kitchen counter/coffee table use isn't new, but what could take the JournE touch to the next level is that Toshiba is reportedly "hard at work on an app store for the media tablet." Assuming it's done well, attracts quality developers, and is easy for consumers to use, this has the potential to become the non-Apple version of the long-rumored giant iPod touch or Mac tablet.
Too bad plans for a release in the US haven't been mentioned yet. All that's known about availability so far is that it's expected to retail for €249 (~$355) "via selected resellers in Europe, Middle East and Africa" in Q4 of this year.
See a hands-on demo and videos from the live presentation and subsequent Q&A.
