Kogan Technologies today launched a tablet based on Google’s Android operating system, more than a year after its maverick founder Ruslan Kogan started demonstrating a similar device.

Kogan’s tablet demonstrations in March last year generated a bit of buzz at the time, coming as they did some months before the launch of Apple’s flagship iPad tablet in Australia in mid-2010 – and almost a year before Samsung would be the first major vendor to launch a high-powered Android tablet locally, with its 7” Samsung Galaxy Tab.

However, it has taken more than a year for the project to reach fruition – during which time Apple has taken almost complete control of the tablet market in Australia, with Samsung and other manufacturers only now gradually starting to play catch-up.

Kogan’s device is based on Samsung’s Cortex A8 processor, running at 1GHz. It comes with 512MB of memory, as well as 4GB of storage space, and a microSD card expansion slot which allows additional storage of up to 32GB. It runs version 2.2 (Froyo) of Android, with a screen resolution of 1024×600 and a 7” capacitive touchscreen.

The so-called ‘Agora’ device has no 3G support, but does support 802.11b and g Wi-Fi. It weighs 390g. Kogan’s site currently lists the tablet as costing $151, but the price is continually changing.
“With the Kogan 7” Android Tablet, we have created a device with all the features our customers need, at an unheard-of price. You no longer have to feel guilty about spending big bucks on a tablet entertainment device,” said Ruslan Kogan in a statement.

The company has also launched several other devices in the Agora range. Despite the sliding popularity of Linux in the netbook space – and of netbooks in general, due to the growing popularity of tablets – Kogan has launched a 12” netbook for a price starting at $299, running Ubuntu Linux.

The device comes with a Celeron M processor running at 1.2Ghz, with 1GB of memory and a 250GB SATA hard disk drive. The screen runs at a resolution of 1366 by 768 and Kogan lists the battery as lasting about 3.5 hours. A slightly more powerful model has more memory and hard disk space for a slightly higher cost.

Kogan has also launched a television set-top box running Android that is designed to both play multimedia content as well as provide access to the internet. It comes with a Samsung Cortex A8 CPU at 1GHz, 512MB of memory and 2GB of storage space – although customers can add extra storage on via USB hard disk or SD card. The box starts at $149.

“Everyone can now watch what they want, when they want,” said Ruslan Kogan in the company’s statement. “They can stream movies from content providers across the globe including YouTube, Ustream, and any website with video. They can browse the web, chat to their friends on social media, share and view photos, movies and music, and even play games like Angry Birds on their TV!”

Image credit: Kogan

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1. PointZeroOne
   Posted 14/04/2011 at 3:43 pm | Permalink | Reply

   I’m not too sure about the TV box. It’s an interesting idea I just don’t think Android would work well in that situation.

   I’m all for the tablet though

2. Bryn
   Posted 14/04/2011 at 4:57 pm | Permalink | Reply

   Rather then saying the tablet is currently $151 but the price is changing, why didn’t you say it’ll be $189 at launch and some discounts area available for buying early- which gives us a better idea of the cost?

3. Joe
   Posted 14/04/2011 at 7:27 pm | Permalink | Reply

   @Bryn – the price that I just got was $139.80.
   Says that they sold out of their initial quantity. Only a 3 day delay.

   • Bryn
     Posted 14/04/2011 at 7:37 pm | Permalink | Reply

     The live price is moving around apparently- but the non-liveprice is listed as $189 and isn’t changing. Once they start shipping, that will be the price. So its the “real” price & the current prices are pre-order discounts :).

4. PointZeroOne
   Posted 15/04/2011 at 10:22 am | Permalink | Reply

   Either the first batch is really small or its really popular…

   “LivePrice: 1st Production Run of this Tablet SOLD OUT at 5.52pm on 14th April 2011.”

5. PointZeroOne
   Posted 15/04/2011 at 11:14 am | Permalink | Reply

   Kogan have now changed the specs for their tablet. It now has a 800×480 screen.

   Thats pretty freaking dodge really. Hopefully the people who bought it when it said ’1024×600′ are actually getting that spec!

   • PointZeroOne
     Posted 15/04/2011 at 11:20 am | Permalink | Reply

     http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?sclient=psy&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=nCt&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-GB%3Aofficial&source=hp&q=cache%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.kogan.com.au%2Fshop%2F7-inch-tablet-pc-android%2F&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&pbx=1

     Still showing old res in google cache

6. Dean
   Posted 15/04/2011 at 11:25 am | Permalink | Reply

   After having used my Xoom for a few days now, I cannot imagine using a tablet with Android 2.2. Honeycomb is to 2.2 what Windows 7 is to Windows 95 IMO…

   • PointZeroOne
     Posted 15/04/2011 at 11:27 am | Permalink | Reply

     Of course, but if you’ve only ever used win95 and never used win7 you don’t know what you are missing out on ^_^

7. PointZeroOne
   Posted 15/04/2011 at 11:26 am | Permalink | Reply

   Ok so over on whingepool

   http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=1679231&p=5#r100

   Shows a chat log with Kogan Sales person saying it was an error showing the larger screen res

8. PointZeroOne
   Posted 15/04/2011 at 12:10 pm | Permalink | Reply

   Bluetooth is missing from the spec list as well now..

   kogan fail