FNB has released a new Banking App customised for tablet devices, complimenting a much larger tablet device strategy for the Bank. From today, the App is available for download from today in app stores across Apple, Android and Windows 8 devices.

“The new Banking App, designed specifically for tablet devices, was developed with ease-of-use as a key priority and utilises the full capability of the latest tablet devices. It is completely custom-made and not a re-skin of our existing smartphone App.” says Farren Roper, Head of FNB Connect ISP and Business Operations.

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HP at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, announced the HP Slate7, an affordable Android Jelly Bean consumer tablet that provides customers with easy access to Google Mobile services.

The Slate7 will have a 7 inch screen and weigh 368 grams (13 ounces) – putting it up against the current king of Android 7 inch tablets – the Nexus 7. The HP Slate7 features a stainless-steel frame and soft black paint in gray or red on the back. It also is the industry’s first tablet to offer embedded Beats Audio, for the best-sounding, richest audio experience available on a tablet.

The HP Slate7 delivers the Google experience with services like Google Now, Google Search, Gmail, YouTube, Google Drive and Google+ Hangouts for multiperson video chat as well as access to apps and digital content through Google Play. (more…)

Gadget junkies have always liked FNB for their great app and smartphone and tablet deals. FNB today announced that new and existing FNB Cheque Account and Credit Card customers can now qualify for an additional discount on their already reduced retail rates for a smartphone, tablet or laptop. This additional saving is available to both new and existing customers who have both an FNB Cheque Account and Credit Card, and constitutes a total saving of up to R2 400 per device provided the user pays for the device over a two year period.

The offer will apply to all brands and models in the FNB range including the popular Apple iPhone, iPad and MacBooks, BlackBerry smartphones, Samsung SIII and new Samsung Note 10.1, Acer Windows laptops, to name but a few out of the range of more than 20 devices. (more…)

It has taken a good while for Microsoft to finally be transparent about the impressive looking Surface‘s pricing. While sporting a really good looking design and a innovative keyboard design, Microsoft did not reveal too much about the tablet. Finally, the pricing has been revealed, and it does look good compared to Cupertino’s offerings (via Paul Thurrott)

Surface Tablet 32GB with Windows 8 RT: $500

Surface Tablet 32GB with Windows 8 RT (with black keyboard cover): $600

Surface Tablet 64GB with Windows 8 RT (with black keyboard cover): $700

If you want to later buy the magnetically attached keyboard seperately, it will cost $120, but it will then also be available in other colours: White, Cyan, Pink, Red. There is also no mention of 3G or LTE options, so it looks like it will be Wifi only at launch. (more…)

For the last few days the technology media has been abuzz about what Microsoft had planned for its launch event on Monday night, and it seems they took a page out of the Apple playbook in terms of keeping these plans secret. Microsoft launched their own branded tablet – in other words, the tablet will not be marketed by a HP or a Dell – it is Microsoft’s own, just like the Xbox. And we like that.

First off, the tablet will run Windows 8, and will be available in two versions. A thinner, lighter version running with a ARM processor will run Windows 8 RT, and a higher end, thicker, heavier model running a full version of Windows 8 Pro. Microsoft was however not very upfront about everything – there is little in the way of actual specs, battery life, etc. Some media channels are reporting that the RT version will run a standard 10.6 inch HD display (think 1280 x 720) and the Intel based one will have a decent Full HD display, both covered in Gorilla Glass.

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HP has had some tough times in the past year – after their then-CEO Leo Apotheker announced that HP would be stepping out of the PC game, their sales figures took a small dive, but luckily he got ousted before such rash moves. HP is now once again back in the number one spot when it comes to overall PC sales worldwide.

Canalis’s research now starts to include tablet devices under PC sales, and Apple’s iPad sales has contributed significantly to Apple’s sales numbers, but even so, HP’s sales was slightly higher overall. So Apple was in second place, Lenovo in third (with big increases in sales) and Acer and Dell taking the fourth and fifth spots.

What is clear however, is that tablet devices has started to eat away at the previously very popular netbook market:

“The total client PC market grew by 21% to 107 million units. Importantly, while the pad category exhibited the highest growth – more than 200% year on year – notebook and desktop PC shipments were up too, rising 11% and 8% respectively. Netbook shipments, however, were down 34% on the year-ago quarter – the sixth such fall in succession.”

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Microsoft has been criticized in the past for the sheer number of SKU’s they roll out for Windows. Windows 7 arrived in quite a few editions – Windows 7 Starter, Windows 7 Home Basic, Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Ultimate, and also Windows 7 Enterprise for the volume licensing customers. All of these version have their own capabilities, and the Starter version had some severe limitations, that basically just begged the user to upgrade it. Confusing right? Compare that to Apple, who only makes one edition of Mac OSX for consumer machines. The good news is that Microsoft has finally listened to the criticism, has made the Windows 8 choice a lot easier for customers.

Here are the “normal” versions of Windows 8:

Windows 8: This is the defacto version of Windows 8 which will ship with most new consumer x86 based computers. x86 processors are your standard Intel or AMD based laptops or desktops. Users of Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, and Home Premium will have an easy upgrade path to this version of Windows 8. Expect the new Start Menu, with its all the included “tile” based apps, like Mail, Calendar, Messaging, Photos, Music, Video, and some social features. The user will of course still have access to the traditional desktop for apps that have not been written to utilize the new Start Menu tile interface.

Windows 8 Pro: Another x86 based Windows version, but focussed on business-line machines, who also require business features, like joining domains. Users from all versions of Windows 7 (except Enterprise) can upgrade to this version of Windows 8, and the feature additions are all valuable to power users. Security features include Bitlocker encryption, encrypted file system, group policy and remote desktop host. Expect business-focussed hardware to ship with this version of Windows.

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Good news to all the Apple fans who have been holding out to get the new Retina display sporting iPad 3rd generation. In a few short weeks it will officially be available in SA.

On Friday, April 27, the new iPad will also become available in Colombia, Estonia, India, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, South Africa, and Thailand.

However, be aware, that even though “the new iPad” will have 4G capable radios, it will only reach 3G speeds on South African networks. We recently posted our review of the “resolutionary” tablet, and we are still confident in recommending it as the best tablet on the market. The major upgrade is of course the incredible new high resolution display, which even in its 10 inch size, has a million more pixels than your large screen Full HD display TV! Magazines look especially good.

Apple is also marketing the older iPad 2 in a cheaper $399 model, but we do not know whether Core will be bringing in this more affordable model.

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