With a touchscreen keyboard and interface, the iPad has made great strides in pushing printing and writing towards extinction. But Casio sees a different future with its new Paper Writer tablets. A future where hand-written notes and tablets live side-by-side in perfect harmony.
When available in September (pricing to be determined) there will be four models to choose from, but as far as tech-specs go the tablets are decidedly run-of-the-mill with a 1.5GHz processor, just a gig of RAM, and 16GB of onboard storage. Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC/RFID support are notable additions, but what makes the Paper Writers truly unique is their front-facing camera which can digitize hand-written notes, documents, and even business cards using the tablet’s notepad-packing case.
It also lets those more comfortable with pen and paper use a stylus directly on the tablet’s touchscreen display for taking notes or navigating the UI. So maybe it’s best to think of Casio’s new hardware as a way to help hesitant users finally make the transition to a tablet-only lifestyle. At least users who live in Japan, because there’s no word if these will be made available worldwide at any point. [Casio Paper Writer via Ubergizmo]
