You have to hand it to Apple. The iPad has really pushed the tablet market into overdrive. So much so that by next year the iPad may likely be the tablet not to be seen with anymore. There’s a first wave of Asian cheap tablets already available, some of which are quite interesting, and of course HP is cooking up some very interesting stuff. And now Cisco is also stepping into the ring with the Cius.
Cisco is aiming at business users with the Cius, but the specs are pretty impressive for lots of other things as well:
- 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, 3G data (4G to follow soon) and Bluetooth 3.0
- HD video: 720p at 30 FPS (with Cisco TelePresence interoperability)
- 5-megapixel rear facing camera and dual noise-cancelling microphones
- On-board accelerometer
- Virtual desktop client
- Android operating system, with access to Android marketplace applications
- Collaboration applications including Cisco Quad, Cisco Show and Share, WebEx, Presence, and IM
- 7” hi-res color screen with contact-based touch targets
- HD media station supports Bluetooth and USB peripherals, 10/100/1000 wired connectivity and a handset option
- 8-hour (detachable and serviceable) battery
- Cisco AnyConnect Security VPN Client
- HD audio with wideband support
Shawing, baby! Sweet! Weighing in at just over a pound (520 grammes / 1.15 lbs) this bad boy will be available Q1, 2011.
I want one. Badly.
