Well, it finally happened…  Way back in July, many speculated about a tablet coming from Apple, and now we get to see how close everyone came with their guesses.

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Am I disappointed?  Well … yes and no.  It’s cool, it’s really f-ing cool.  It’s almost exactly what I expected from Apple,  but it’s not exactly what I wanted.

[singlepic id=143 w=500 h= float=]I think it’s evident by many of the speculative renderings that some additional connectivity was expected.  We wanted, at the very least, a built in USB port.  I think the other thing everyone wanted was a full-blown version of OS-X and not the iPod Touch software running on a large screen.

Oh, and can I just mention the name….  Uhm.  iPad just sounds like a feminine product.  I don’t know why, since crunchpad sounds like a great name and doesn’t bring tampax to mind, but I can’t shake the image….

Anyway — I can’t wait to get my hands on one for a little real-word play.  Maybe it’ll be enough for me — at the very least, it’ll make a great little news-reader and e-book platform.

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Acer joins in on the mutli-touch all-in-one party with their announcement of the Z5610.  This announcement come just a week or so after Sony and Gateway announced similar All-In-One systems.

Priced at $899 for the Z5610-U9072 comes configured with a 23″ HD Display (1920×1080), Pentium Dual Core E5300 Processor (2.60GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB), 4GB DDR3 SDRAM, 320GB SATA Hard Disk, SuperMulti Optical Drive, Multi-in-One Card Reader, ATI Mobility Radeon HD4570 Graphics With 512MB Memory, High Definition Audio With 5.1 Channel Support, 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11 b/g/Draft N, Six USB 2.0 Ports (Two Side, Four Rear), eSATA Port, Integrated HD Webcam with Microphone, Integrated Keyboard Light and Foot-Mounted Ambient Lighting and wireless Keyboard and Mouse.

LA-based rap band Get Busy Committee has decided on this rather cool USB machine gun as the distribution medium for their new record, Uzi Does It.

I’m not a this particular genre of music, but it’s not too bad.  And for me, the Uzi would be a welcomed addition to my USB drive collection.

[via WiRED]

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Gateway will launch it’s Gatway One series of multi-touch all-in-one desktop PC’s tonight.  The first two models in the lineup are the ZX4800 and ZX6800.

The ZX6800 Specs include a 23-inch multitouch LCD at 1,920 x 1,080, Intel 2.33GHz Core 2 Quad Q8200S CPU, 1GB ATI Radeon HD 4670 video, 8GB DDR3 RAM, an 8x slot-loading DVD burner, a 1TB HDD or 64GB Solid State Drive, WiFi, Gigabit Ethernet, six USB 2.0 ports, an eSATA socket, wireless keyboard and mouse, integrated HD webcam, a hybrid TV tuner and built-in speakers with a Price starting at $1399.

The ZX4800 Specs take it down a notch to a 20-inch LCD at 1,600 x 900, a Intel 2.1GHz T4300 CPU, GMA X4500HD integrated graphics, 4GB of DDR2 RAM and a 750GB SATA HDD with a Price starting at $799.

Both are expected to hit stores in plenty of time for Christmas.

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The WNR3500L Open Source Gigabit / Wireless N router – It’s preloaded with Linux and a USB ReadyShare which, when combined with a USB HDD, turn this thing into a media server in seconds.

A bunch of support already exists on the myOpenRouter.com community portal, including the Open Source Guide and Resources which covers most of what anyone would want to know about the router.

[via Netgear & myOpenRouter]

Maybe I like it cause it’s pretty — or maybe I just like saying al-u-MIN-i-um, but I digress…

Averatec released the 13″ N3400 aluminum (al-u-min-i-um) clad laptop yesterday.  Weighing in at less than 4lbs and with an MSRP of around $799 it’s not too shabby.

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As one of the thinnest and lightest notebooks on the market, the N3400 meets the demand of consumers who require the ultimate in portability and a little flash of style without breaking the bank,” said Henry Hewitt, vice president of sales at TriGem USA. “Although it is small in size and weight, the N3400 is large in power and performance. This notebook is sure to stand out from the crowd with its low weight, small footprint and affordable price point.

The specs:

• Intel Pentium Dual Core T3400 2.16GHz
• 13.3″ WXGA
• 3GB DDR2, Expandable to 8GB
• 250GB SATA (5400 rpm)
• External USB 8x dual-layer DVD burner (Not sure if this comes in the same Aluminum outfit)
• All your standard ports & a 4-in-1 memory reader
• Bluetooth, 802.11n, and standard gig-E lan port
• Windows Vista Home Premium
• 12.8″ x 9.0″ x about 1″ thick
• 3.8 lbs

Overall, it’s not a bad looking package for $799.

UPDATE:  Seems ASUS has scrapped this board for no particular reason — at least no reason they’re willing to share publicly.

The ASUS P6x58 Premium features two USB 3.0 ports moving at 4.8 Gb/sec and SATA 3.0 interface clocking in at 6 Gb/sec.  A ton of pics and more specs at XFastest.

ASUS P6X58 Premium. The 2 blue ports on the left are USB 3.0.