Apple announced their long-awaited tablet today, the iPad.  You can get details on the Apple iPad here.

The iPad will begin shipping in late March and starts at $499 with 16GB of flash storage and no built-in 3G wireless.

Apple iPad Product Page

If you spend as much time reading smartphone specs as we do (thrill a minute, we know – jealous?), you’ve probably noticed a majority of SDHC-compatible devices list their maximum supported memory card capacities at 32GB.  But smartphones use microSD memory cards, which are only currently available with – at most – 16GB of storage.  16,000 megabytes is quite a lot, but where are the 32GB cards we’ve been so anxious to fill?

We check weekly for news on the 32GB microSDHC front, and today we sorta-kinda hit potential paydirt.  In September, SanDisk began shipping flash memory cards based on a new technology called X4, which allows memory cells to store twice the data of those in previous chips.  This development will push standard SD cards to 64GB of data in the coming months.  The first memory chips using the X4 technology (Secure Digital and Memory Stick Pro DUO) are now being shipped.

So, can 32GB microSD cards be far behind?  Inquiring media packrats want to know.

Source: SanDisk X4 Press Release

The new ARCHOS 5 Android-powered Internet Tablet (the first non-phone Android device released) is now available for purchase in the United States at Amazon.com.  The tablet is available in three variations: 500GB and 160GB drive-based models and a 32GB flash-based model.

The ARCHOS 5 is one of the first non-smartphone devices to firmly grab our attention in some time. This is largely due to device’s rich media features.  The ARCHOS 5 has a 5” 800×480 touchscreen and an extensive codec library; this not only means that video will look great, but also that you won’t have to worry about the rigid transcoding requirements of other mobile video devices (cough… iPhone… cough).  Popular image and audio formats are compatible with the ARCHOS 5 as well.

Other features include the ability to playback 720p HD video (including MKV, MPEG-2, H.264, WMV HD files/formats), Android application support, an 800MHz ARM CPU, 802.11n Wi-Fi, an HDMI Mini Dock (optional), a DVR Station for recording TV (optional), a web browser, integrated GPS (navigation is a paid feature), a microSDHC memory slot (flash models), social networking software and more.

We hope to get one of these devices in for review soon.  If you have an Archos 5 Android tablet, let us know what you think of it!

Microsoft’s latest Zune portable media player, the Zune HD, is now available for purchase. 

Many in the tech world are raving about the new player, which boasts a new Tegra mobile processor, a 3.3-inch OLED touchscreen and the ability to output 720p HD video to TVs with an optional dock.

Other features include HD Radio support, built-in Wi-Fi, a web browser, up to 8.5 hours of video playback and wireless syncing. The Zune HD is available in two capacities, 16GB and 32GB. 

We doubt the Zune HD will prove much of a treat to Apple’s iPod touch, irrespective of how well it performs in consumers’ hands.  Microsoft will need a line of winning media players to compete with the ubiquitous iPod.  However, the new Zune may provide some insight into how Microsoft plans to beef up its future Windows Mobile devices’ multimedia experience.

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Microsoft will begin shipping Windows 7 on October 22.  But today through July 11 in the United States and Canada, you can pre-order the Windows 7 operating system for as little as $49.

Like Vista, Windows 7 will be available in several flavors.  Windows 7 Home Premium is the edition most Vista users will likely want to upgrade to, but Windows 7 Professional (which includes an XP virtual machine) may be a better upgrade for some business users. 

The Home Premium upgrade discounted price is $49, but increase to $119 after the pre-order sale ends. The Professional upgrade pre-order price is $99, but will cost $199 post-discount.

We’ve been using Windows 7 (the Beta and the Release Candidate) for a few months and are very impressed by how solid it is even in the testing phase.  If you’re a Vista user and don’t plan on buying a new PC in the next year or so, get in on this 50% off sale before it’s over!