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LG Optimus Slider: Hands-on, images, video

SAN DIEGO--LG Optimus handsets here in the U.S. broke ground by proving that entry-level Android handsets need not be deprived of features. LG continues that mantra with the LG Optimus Slider, which as its name implies, adds a sliding QWERTY keyboard to the Optimus form factor.

As a result, the LG Optimus Slider is substantially thicker and bulkier than its nonsliding cousin. But to those who love to text, the cost should be worth it, as you get a very roomy four-row QWERTY keyboard in exchange. The keys are also nicely raised above the surface for easy texting, and we like that there are navigation controls on the keyboard too. … Read more

iPhone keyboard case lets things slide

Once upon a time, cell phones with small screens were supplemented with an invention known as the slider keyboard. This advance made texting much more pleasant for fleet-fingered phone users.

Now that touch screens have taken over the market, virtual keyboards are the norm. It's not always fun trying to cram your digits onto a digital representation of a keyboard. With the Concord Keystone Eco Slider, you can turn your iPhone into a keyboard-toting slider phone.

This isn't a brand spanking new idea. ThinkGeek came out with the TK-421 iPhone keyboard that swivels into position. Concord Keystone keeps things a little more compact with a straightforward sliding motion.… Read more

LG Optimus Slider, HTC Wildfire S join Virgin Mobile's Android family

Today, Virgin Mobile announced the upcoming availability of its latest Android smartphones, the LG Optimus Slider and HTC Wildfire S.

Equipped with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, the carriers says the Optimus Slider is ideal for those who love to e-mail, message, and social network on the go. In fact, the Android 2.3 Gingerbread handset will come preloaded with Virgin Mobile's Live 2.0 social networking app that lets you access the carrier's custom music stream and allows to you check into special events.

The Android 2.3 Gingerbread handset also has a 3.2-inch touch screen, a … Read more

Asus Eee Pad Slider review: Not a 'pure' tablet experience

Thanks to their slim designs, touch screens, and light weights, tablets have taken off in the last few years as a popular alternative to Netbooks and, in some cases, even laptops.

Unfortunately, a tablet screen isn't the most ideal environment for typing. By including a built-in keyboard, the Asus Eee Pad Slider attempts to offer a solution to this problem. But does the inclusion of a keyboard defeat the purpose of owning a thin, light, and cool-looking media device?

Obviously, there's more to a tablet than its looks and ergonomics. Available apps, services, and functionality are just as … Read more

LG Optimus Slider planned for September

A recently uncovered Sprint product listing indicates that an LG Optimus Slider is headed to the carrier later this fall.

Listed under the code name Gelato, there's still very little known about the device, aside from that it has a sliding QWERTY keyboard. The interesting part of this news is that LG might be adopting a strategy similar to the one employed in late 2010 with its Optimus One line.

As you may know, LG released wallet-friendly variations of the same hardware across multiple carriers in the United States. For instance, T-Mobile offers the Optimus T while Sprint offers … Read more

What should we call the new generation of tablet/laptop hybrids?

At CES 2011 we saw several examples of a new kind of hybrid product that straddles the line between laptop and tablet. We're not talking about convertible laptops, which have been around for years and are generally Windows laptops with screens that rotate around and flip down over the keyboard. We're instead talking about slate-style tablets, commonly running Android, but also Windows, that add laptop-like features in an unexpected way, such as using a hidden slide-out keyboard.

We saw examples of this design concept recently from Lenovo, Samsung, Asus, and others. The ones that stood out in particular (… Read more

Samsung introduces Sliding PC 7, a unique Windows tablet

LAS VEGAS--Now here's a new idea...how about a tablet that runs on Windows instead of Android? Samsung's newly announced Sliding PC 7 is a funky hybrid touch-screen device with its own slide-out keyboard. It's a revamp on the idea of a Netbook, and an attempt to finally make a Windows tablet work a little bit better.

The 10.1-inch mini-laptop has a striking design, and has a multitouch screen so it can operate in both tablet and Netbook-esque format.

Specs are Netbook-esque: an Intel Atom Z670 CPU, 2GB DDR2 RAM, 32 or 64GB SSD drive, and … Read more

Asus' Slider hides a surprise

I love the idea of tablets. A smallish, thin, quickly accessible portable computer with (hopefully) a low performance overhead. However, one of my biggest gripes with tablets is the size of my thumbs. Well, more accurately the size of the software keyboard keys and how they relate to the size of my large thumbs.

The easy solution to this problem is to add a hardware keyboard into the mix, as Asus is doing with the Eee Pad Slider. Though this would likely solve my large-thumb problem, it also encroaches on one of the previously mentioned advantages to tablets. Asus is … Read more