By It seems like the official announcement of the Samsung Galaxy Tab may have ushered in the latest era of Android devices – tablets. Today, Sharp has announced two new devices called “Galapagos” – a 10.8-inch tablet and a 5.5-inch version – to be available this December.
Thanks to the tipster who sent this in, who also claims the Galapagos will run Android, but I was unable to find an official trace mentioning Android or another definitive OS for that matter. However the name Galapagos was assigned because Charles Darwin, the father of Evolution Theory, was born in the Galapagos Islands and Sharp’s new devices will allow software updates “to evolve”.
Sounds like Android to me! Of course those “software updates” could merely be discussing the 30,000 magazines, newspapers, and books that will be available with a service/content plan, suggesting that the device will offer new content as new issues of magazines, newspapers, and books are published.
The announcement was made at an event in Tokyo, and due to my inability to speak Japanese, all the details of this story aren’t 100% clear. For example, although Sharp announced the Galapagos it appears it may be sold with a Kuraudomedia brand and marketed as an Electronic Bukkusutoasabisu, which I assume is the Japanese equivalent of an “eReader”.
If you’re a Japanese speaking Phandroid feel free to jump into the comments and properly direct the conversation and analysis. It will certainly be interested to see what eReaders and tablets catch fire and which one struggles, also noting what types of service plans and content offerings play into the picture.
It seems the Galapagos is destined for an Asia only release, at least initially, but details of the story are a bit unclear. I guess the latest we’ll find out is December!
Update: looks like a mini-site is going up at Sharp.co.jp/galapagos
Darwin was hardly born in the Galapagos. His main theories were born there.
Darwin was not born in the Galapagos. His main theories came to life there though.
Um, Charles Darwin was born in Mount House, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England – not Galapagos.
The Theory of Evolution, however, may have been born in the Galapagos, but likely began in London.
Charles Darwin was born in England. He did a lot of his research in the Galapagos, but he was 23 years old when he arrived there.
Hahahahaha born in the Galapagos! The whole point of the Galapagos was that man had never been there!
(Well, kind of – the “whole point”, I guess, were that they are a number of small but geographically similar islands, the inhabitants of whom cannot move between the islands, thus isolating their evolution).
Guys, I would assume that it was another translation error. Either that or the a bad case or Engrish. Get over it.
Bukkusutoasabisu most likely is a Japanese phonetic variation on “Bookstore service”.
Almost all syllables end in vowels in Japanese, and some of our vowel sounds don’t exist. Thus the substitiutions
all of you are lame
Wish it was a tablet
Don’t know.. the video linked to the site shows it browsing the web and playing videos.. the lines blur between e-reader and tablet.. It may be their marketing strategy to focus on it as an e-reader that also has some of the capabilities of a tablet.. tomato tamahto
I was the tipster. (not Yo Mama) hehe.
It does run Android, though the version is unclear. However, it does not support the android market at the moment, and will ship with only the book-reading application and a web browser at release. More apps will follow later. Whether or not it will be opened up fully as a tablet remains unclear, which is a pity as the 10″ looks quite nice.
if its e reader only.. it should be 100 bucks.. if not.. i can do more with an archos for the same price.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Darwin
The above link quells any questions on Darwin’s birthplace.
the idea behind “galapagos” is found here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10543126
Galapagos islands are specific ecosystems- each creature great for that environment and no other. The tongue in cheek is that Japan was recently compared to the other island chain because their products bear the same features- global incompatibility.
Sharp is playing with the idea of breaking the stigma and turning the recent label into a brand. Good idea, but too much lag to make it anything other than reaffirming of the accusation at this point in time.
buy this domain: http://www.sharpgalapagos.com
Kuraudomedia brand would mean “Cloud Media”, while Bukkusutoasabisu would mean “Bookstore Service”.