-- By Stewart Wilson | March 4th, 2011

Remember the TEGA Tablet v1? We have it a 5.5 out of 10 and there where a number of huge flaws with it. Now Tegatech have introduced a new tablet called the TEGA Tablet v2. It's slimmer, faster and look great.

Now with a capacitive touch screen, you can use your fingers to navigate around Windows 7 and Android 1.6 (2.2 available now). TEGA even provide a stylus to do those precise movements.

SCORE: 8.0 / 10

As you may/may not have noticed, there aren’t many good Windows tablets on the markets. HP promised some a while ago but still nothing from them. The tablets that are currently dominating the market now is the iPad and now the Samsung Galaxy Tab. TegaTech have been a supplier of Windows/Android based tablets for a while but have entered the market with their own tablet (TEGA V1) and now have their newest addition.

Hardware

The tablet is configurable to what you want. It features an Intel Atom N455 processor, either 1GB or 2GB of DDR3 ram, 16/32/64GB of HDD Space, 10.1″ capacitive touch screen, your selection of OS (None, Windows 7 Home, Windows 7 Pro or Android) and a Lithium Polymer Battery. It also has 802.11 b/g and an optional 3G. It weighs 870 grams and it’s size is 243mm (L) x 190mm (W) x 14mm (H). In the box, you will get an AC adapter (which is quite small and handy to carry around), Manual, CD Driver, Screen Protector, VGA Cable, Simple Stand, Car Charger and Screen Cleaner.

The tablet is only 1 mm more thick than the 1st generation iPad and is about 140 grams more than the 1st generation iPad – this is a huge improvement and makes the TEGA Tablet a huge iPad competitor. Picking up the tablet, it feels great. The aluminum backing makes it feel much like the iPad, unlike many other windows tablets which have a very tacky plastic backing. The tablet is very thin so it can’t house a ethernet port, however, it has two USB 2.0 ports, a micro-sd port, mini vga port and a combined headphone/microphone port. The top of the tablet has a SIM card slot allowing you to insert a SIM card if you have ordered the built in 3G module.

The display is fantastic, it being a capacitive touch screen, means a gental swipe and soft pushing on the screen is all you need. However, this means the touch screen is prone to finger prints. TEGA sell their own screen cleaner, however, a simple wipe over with a cloth does the job. There is a built in accelerometer to easily change the orientation. There are three buttons on the side, a power button, a home button and the back button. In Windows, the home button hides all windows and presents the desktop and the back button acts as a WiFi/3G enabler.

The battery lasted for about 5 hours. I used the tablet on and off using both 3G and WiFi. It was used for general web browsing and I watched a couple of YouTube videos. I was impressed by the battery capacity.

Software

The tablet we received had Windows 7 Professional and Android 1.6 preinstalled. Windows 7 ran fantastically, so no problems there. However, the tablet did have Android 1.6 on it, which is a great addition. Unfortunately, 3G connectivity doesn’t work in Android as yet and WiFi is touch and go. It doesn’t have the Android Market and you need to use a 3rd party installer. However, Android was fast and responsive. TegaTech have said they are working on Android 2.2.

Conclusion

This tablet was fantastic. It is a huge improvement over the 1st generation tablet and the thing I loved the most, the fan exhaust is on top of the tablet! Way out of the road now. If your looking for a tablet and don’t want an iPad, grab this! We will update this post when they release an updated version of Android for the tablet (if it happens).

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-- By James Kendrick | March 9, 2011

The TEGA v2 is a thin slate with a 10.1-inch display running at 1024×600. It is heavier than the Motorola XOOM, but about the same size. It is basically a netbook in a slate form, with an Intel Atom processor, 2 GB of RAM and a 32 GB SSD to speed things along. The multitouch capacitive digitizer works as well as that on any smartphone, and the webcam is handy for video conferencing.

Hardware Specs as reviewd: 

• CPU: Intel Atom N455, 1.6 GHz (single core)
• Memory: 2 GB
• Storage: 32 GB SSD
• Display: 10.1-inch, wide-angle, 1024×600
• OS: Windows 7 Pro
• Slots/ ports: 2-USB, Mini VGA, microSD, audio, SIM (3G)
• Battery: integrated, 3,500 mAh, 3.5 - 4 hour real-world battery life
• Connectivity: WiFi b/g, Bluetooth, 3G (GSM)
• Webcam: 1.3 MP
• Dimensions: 10.8 x 6.7 x 0.63 inches, 1.9 lbs.

The construction of the TEGA v2 is first-rate, from the black plastic bezel on the front of the tablet to the aluminum back. It feels very solid in the hand, if a tad heavy for prolonged use. The accelerometer is used for auto-rotating the display to the desired orientation, and as this feature is incorporated in the BIOS it works very well with only a slight delay observed in the process.

The three buttons on the right of the display (in normal landscape orientation) are reminiscent of those found on Android phones. They are (top-bottom) Power; Home; and Back. The Home button has a nice function that is handy for a Windows tablet; hitting Home instantly minimizes all open windows and displays the desktop. It is a toggle so a second tap brings all of the windows back instantly. The Back button toggles WiFi on and off so care must be exercised to not hit this accidentally. The Power button works as it does on any Windows system and can be configured in the power management to put the tablet to sleep.

Windows operation

The TEGA v2 is a complete Windows system and operates as expected. The touch screen has just the right sensitivity for operation via the fingers, and Windows 7 works with touch better than you might expect. Some controls are small for tapping with the finger, but most can be adjusted in size to make this work better. Overall I find that it is easier to use Windows on the TEGA v2 than I thought it would be. The performance of Windows on the tablet is quite good, due to the fast SSD.

The problem with this tablet, as with all Windows touch tablets, is quickly discovered when you run a program. As my ZDNet colleague Mary Jo Foley is fond of pointing out, Windows 7 is touch capable but not touch-centric. This is evident when running programs; any Windows program can be used on the tablet, but few of those are written to handle touch operation properly. Most Windows programs don’t handle touch at all, and these can be tough to run without a mouse and keyboard. This will have to be addressed in future versions of Windows designed for touch. It is not just the operating system that must be written for touch, the apps must also be optimized. This is not unique to the TEGA v2, it is the same for any touch tablet running Windows 7.

The advantage of the Windows tablet over those running other platforms is the ability to run any Windows programs. The TEGA v2 can handle any of these with ease, with the exception of CPU-intensive programs. It can also be used with an external keyboard and mouse if necessary, in effect turning it into a super portable netbook. For those facing situations where running Windows programs is mandatory, and the TEGA v2 is a perfect fit.

Android operation

The TEGA v2 (and the ViewSonic ViewPad) dual-boots into Android 1.6. Tegatech is working to release version 2.2 (Froyo), but they’ve been working on it for a while and it’s not out yet. This old version of Android cannot run some of the newer Android apps, and older apps don’t handle the large 10-inch screen particularly well. The Android Market is not available either, so having Android on the tablet is more a novelty than anything useful.

Once Froyo is released that will change, as Android can be used for quick sessions without firing up Windows. It should be better for battery life, too. I will give this a try when the update is released but until then I don’t boot into Android.

The TEGA v2 has the Intel processor, so the open-source version of Android written for the x86 platform is what is used. This may be affecting the speed of the Froyo update on the TEGA v2.

Conclusion

The TEGA v2 is a solid tablet that is well-made and quite functional. Windows 7 runs very well, and the touch screen and other controls are nicely laid-out. Windows tablets such as the TEGA v2 are suited for the enterprise, particularly those with proprietary Windows programs that would benefit from the slate form factor. If running Windows programs is not what you need, you will be better off looking at the iPad 2 just announced or another tablet such as the Motorola XOOM.

This tablet is available through Tegatech for US$799, which is the price for the tablet as reviewed. They also have accessories for the TEGA v2, including a case with an integrated keyboard.

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-- by Kyle Paddock from Tekgoblin

Smaller companies like Tegatech have decided to step up to the bat at make tablets. The TEGA v2 was created by Hugo Ortega; a tablet PC enthusiast from Australia Tegatech was excited to see that we were interested in reviewing their products. When you see this product you will see why we wanted to review it. This tablet is pure awesome.

The TEGA v2's smooth black bezel and glossy screen look like the most other tablets currently in the market. But this is not any ordinary tablet this is the Tegra. The aluminium backed tablet makes it feel similar to the iPad. Its brushed metal edges give the tablet more sturdiness. The TEGA v2 is 9.5 x 7.5 x 5. It is .02 inches than other current tablets. With those dimensions it includes a 10.1 inch screen totally at only 800 grams. The tablet is thinner than most competitors so there is no built in Ethernet port. But there still is two USB ports, a micro SD slot, a mini-VGA port, a combo headphone/mic port, and a SIM card slot (this feature is a additonal $85).

The 10.2 inch 1024 x 600 screen is your basic netbook display. The main feature of this screen that makes it not a netbook display is that it is a capacitive touchscreen. That is the same screen as the iPad and if you had the fingerprint smudge issues on the iPad you will have the same ones on the TEGA v2. So you should get yourself some anti-fingerprint cleaning solution. The screen also has a built-in accelerometer.

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These photos were taken at the Kids Village of the Swiss Ski & Snowboard School of Thyon. The temprature that day was -12°C and the altitude is 2,150 meters, Swiss Alps, with the Dent-Blanche and Matterhorn / Mt Cervin in background.

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At the top of the list for the best of 2010 is the TEGA v2 Multi-touch Tablet PC. A truly impressive Tablet PC that can be go anywhere you go and be used for work, travel or play, the TEGA v2 can do it all.

It's sleek, it's sexy, it runs Windows 7, fits easily in Chanel bag and can be installed everything people need for work or travel on it, which makes the TEGA v2 Tablet the most popular among all new "slate" style Tablet PCs.

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Tegatech North America Sales Lead Ben Sanders (right) was showing TEGA v2 on Andy Goodmans (left) user group meeting in Greensboro, NC USA on 04 Nov 2010 with Dick Snow (middle).

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We haven't seen many -- okay, any -- Windows 7 slates from major manufactures (i.e. HP, Lenovo, ASUS) like Steve Ballmer promised back in July, but one thing is for certain, smaller companies aren't just sitting around waiting for the other shoe, er slates to drop.

We've already gotten our hands on products from the likes of CTL and Netbook Navigator, but Australian-based Tegatech also wants a piece of the large touchscreen pie with its 10.1-inch Tega v2. Like the others, the US$799 Tega v2 is pretty much a netbook that's lost its keyboard -- it's got an Intel Atom N455 processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 32GB SSD that boots Windows 7 Home Premium -- but the 0.5-inch / 1.9-pound slate sets itself apart by being one of the thinnest and lightest out there. Oh, and did we mention that it dual boots Android? So, is the Tega v2 the Win 7 tablet you've been waiting for -- assuming you have in fact been waiting for one?

Hit that read more button to find out in our full review!

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HAS LANDED

TEGA v2, the latest version of TEGA family, launched on 15th October. Tegatech provided a limited time special introductory offer.

As a result of the global interest in the TEGA v2 we have decided to announce a limited time offer to all first round buyers. Please note that with the special pricing the TEGA v2 below will be shipped with the free screen protector only, and none of the complimentary accessories offered on the standard range, i.e. car charger, simple stand, screen cleaner and VGA dongle.

Given that many first round buyers will be exploring the TEGA v2 for the first time, and perhaps with the intention of buying more after an evaluation period, we feel this offer gives those buyers the best opportunity.

The TEGA v2 is gathering worldwide media coverage and has been on TV so we're pretty pleased.

If you would like to purchase please visit our shopping cart.

WITH FULL TOUCH TABLET PC WITH INTEL ATOM 1.66GHz, WIN 7 HOME, 32GB SSD, 2GB DDR3, YOU WILL SPEND ONLY $899 ($989 incl GST)

Please visit     $899 ($989 incl GST)

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Kerri Anne Show

TEGA v2, the latest version of TEGA family, will be on TV across Australia on Kerri Anne Show 4th October 9 am.

Thanks to the Daily Telegraph journalist @StephenFenech (blog).

TEGA v2

TEGA v2 will be launched globally on 12th Oct in North America, Europe, Australia & New Zealand.

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NEW TEGA RELEASE

TEGA v2

It is with much excitement and anticipation that Tegatech share with you some details of the upcoming release of TEGA v2. With capacitive multi-touch screen, built-in 3G, accelerometers to register rotation and approximately 5hrs battery life. The TEGA v2 will impress greatly when coupled with Windows 7 and will be available from September onwards.

More details please visit tegatech.com.au/TEGA/v2

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