Gizmo Ave

Our previous coverage of the WITS A81 tablet MID has generated a fair amount of interest and discussion, from the updated information released last November to Wirelession distributing the A81 as the rebranded W1060. Since then we haven’t had much further news on the device, including the status of the company’s stated intentions of releasing a downloadable Android installation for owners and launching a version of the A81 with a multi-touch capacitive touch screen in Q1 2010.

While we wait for more developments in those areas, a video of the A81 has surfaced giving a thorough overview of the tablet’s interface and capabilities. The video is produced by Ownta, an online distributor that sells the tablet for $247.65 including free worldwide shipping and a free case.

The video is a good showcase of the versatility of the 7-inch tablet, demonstrating its Windows Embedded CE 6.0 OS, e-reader, image/slideshow viewer, web browser, on-screen keyboard, and video player.

Some of the demos are all too brief, as I would have liked to have seen more of the web browsing, typing, and video playback experiences, but my overall impression is positive with the performance looking fast thanks to the ARM Cortex A8-based CPU and the implementation of all the functions looking well thought out.

The lack of an accelerometer (and I believe limitations within WinCE) mean screen rotation has to be done manually and navigation on the resistive touch screen using the supplied stylus although adequate are clearly two areas where an updated Android version could improve upon. But having said that, I think the existing A81 is still an impressively versatile and full featured device. Check out the video below and see if you agree! For those interested, it’s also worth having a look at the A81 product pages on Ownta and Witstech for more information and images.

via pocketables, PMP Today