Remember the Wikipad? This 10-inch Android gaming pad with detachable controllers was supposed to be ready for a release to Gamestop awhile ago, but has largely disappeared off the radar– until now.

The folks behind the Wikipad are pack, this time saying that the 10-inch tablet has been canned in favor of a cheaper 7-inch model that they expect to sale for just $249.99, half of the asking price of the original 10-inch design.

So far into the game, you have to wonder: what happened to the 10-inch model? Apparently there was a mechanical issue with the first batch that they had to retool their efforts. They have since ironed out the issue but before they could roll out new units they found that the manufacturer that had been making the 10-inch panel they planned to use had apparently decided to discontinue the display.

Seeing that they were running into tons of issues, and realizing that 7-inch tablets were quickly starting to outshine 10-inch models, they decided to scrap everything. The result is a 7-inch Wikipad that is essentially identical to the original model, except with a smaller screen.

This means a Tegra 3 procesor, 1GB of RAM, a 1280×800 resolution display, 16GB storage, 8 hours of battery life and Android 4.1

The company behind the Wikipad admits they failed first time around, but promises they are getting everything right for a second go. The big question is whether or not you should care. With devices like Nvidia’s Project Shield just around the corner, and so many cheap tablets that you can add 3rd party controllers to, the Wikipad might not elicit as much excitement as it once did.

What do you think, interested in the 7-inch Wikipad or not?

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Mobile Magazine first reported on the Wikipad at the beginning of this year. At the time, it was supposed to arrive by spring of 2012. Months later, amid several delays, news hit that the streaming service Gaikai was teaming up with Wikipad to create a great streaming experience.

Again, no news of a launch date. It’s September now, so where is the Wikipad? It seems that Gamestop will start carrying the tablet on October 31^st for the price of $499. This is a far cry more expensive than the sub-$250 price point that it was originally rumored to carry.

The final design shows off a 10.1-inch slate that is 8.6mm thin, weighs a little over a pound and comes equipped with the detachable game controls with every package. What kind of specs does the $499 tablet boast?

The Wikipad is powered by a 1.4GHz Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, 1GB of RAM, microSD and either 16 or 32GB of internal storage. The device is powered by Android 4.0. The big draw though is about the games. Beyond just typical Android games, Gamestop pledges to include exclusive full-length game titles- though what titles they are talking about remains unseen.

What about Gaikai streaming? Gaikai recently was bought out by Sony, so does that mean we won’t see any streaming service standard with the Wikipad? Actually, the Sony streaming service will eventually arrive on the Wikipad when its ready. The Wikipad is a Playstation Certified device as well.

Gaming and hardware for the Wikipad seem to be set to impress, but $499 is still a hard sell. Sure, you get a 10-incher, but there are many other smaller screen options. This includes Sony’s Vita, the 3DS and even the nearly announced Archos Gamepad- which will retail for under $250.

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It seems that Wikipad and Gaikai are coming together to create a gamepad attachment for the Wikipad, allowing gamers to add dual analog and buttons into their Wikipad gaming experience. The Wikipad tablet was first shown off at CES earlier this year, running on Android and it now includes a 10.1-inch screen, a quad-core processor, and even 3G as an option. Right now there is no clear release date for the Wikipad, but by coming together with Gaikai we do know that streaming games will certainly play a role for this tablet.

Of course, Onlive already has an Android app that allows controller usage and more on the tablet, and it isn’t half-bad. I’ve had the chance to play around with On-Live demos using just the touchpad and must say that streaming technology certainly allows a level of gaming on a tablet that would otherwise not be possible. Will Wikipad and Gaikai offer something new to the streaming/tablet scene or not? That’s hard to say for now.

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The post Gaikai and Wikipad Working Together On Gaming Tablet appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Despite the name, the WikiPad is not a highly-optimized Wikipedia tablet as the name may lead you to believe, it just has a strange name. Still, what is unique about the WikiPad is that it is the first Android 4.0 ICS tablet to feature glasses-free 3D touch and an interesting gaming dock attachment.

The attachment adds a d-pad, dual analogue stick, 4 face buttons, and built-in speakers. I can already see this bad-boy loaded with classics like GTA 3. Now all I need to do is keep my fingers crossed that more and more big-name studios start bringing top-notch games to Google Market that have tablets in mind.

The idea of 3D gaming on a tablet alone is pretty awesome, unfortunately we don’t yet have any real information on the specs, so its hard to say how ‘up for the job’ its hardware is. What we do know is that it features 1080p high-def 2D/3D playback of multiple formats including H.264, VC1, VOB, ISO, M2TS, and FLV. We also know it has USB 2.0 and mini-HDMI.

As for storage, the WikiTab has a rather tiny amount of space for a tablet that is targeted at gamers: 8GB. Luckily, it does have a micro-SD port that allows you to expand your storage up to 64GB.

The Wikipad will be available spring 2012 for purchase online and through retailers worldwide.

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