Laptop Thoughts: Another Android Tablet, But With A 3D Camera: LG G-Slate

"It looks like tablet season is getting started early. LG's G-Slate is having its T-Mobile coming out party on the same day that RIM's PlayBook is set to slide into the hands of consumers, making for tough decisions for some. The device - powered by Android's latest incarnation, Honeycomb - is the first in a slew of me-too devices that follow in the spirit of Google's first stab at this game, the Xoom. Like the Xoom, this slate runs a stock build of the OS, has the same Tegra 2 CPU inside, and features both a front- and rear-facing camera. While the Xoom is available on Verizon here in the States (for now), the G-Slate is a GSM device sporting T-Mobile's "4G" HSPA+ service."

Another generic Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) 8.9-inch tablet with one gimmicky addition, a 3D (Stereoscopic) camera that needs special glasses. The author seemed to dislike the (uncomfortable, awkward) feel of the tablet in the hand, and the ergonomics were a bit lacking (mostly to to the stock Honeycomb software). The Tegra processor never bogs down, but the tablet's sound is disappointing. Similar to the Xoom, the screen is excellent, and the battery is great. As for the 3D camera(s), the author is decidedly unimpressed. Pricing from T-Mobile is on the high side, when buying subsidized on a two-year contract (with their 4G offering). Contract-free, the LG-G Slate will cost you around $750. So, the bottom line here seems to be LG's desire to add "3D Camera" to their marketing collateral. Otherwise, it's a Xoom clone. Would I buy this to make some 3D videos that nobody can view correctly without special glasses? Probably not.