NOT FOR LACK OF TRYING 並非嘗試不夠

字彙

not for lack of trying
not to have much luck with tablets
earlier endeavor
to be saddled with
to fall into place
a credible contender
for sheer numbers
let alone
to catch up
in a way
it gets the job done
point-and-shoot
Dell is hardly alone in that regard


文句

Not for lack of trying, but PC makers haven’t had much luck with tablets. Earlier endeavors were big and heavy, burned through batteries, and were saddled with versions of Windows that weren’t really designed for touch and lacked real apps. They were expensive too.

Now the pieces are falling into place to build at least a credible contender to Apple or Samsung in tablets. Many chip companies offer inexpensive dual- and quad-core ARM processors for Android tablets and Intel’s Bay Trail platform, the first truly competitive x86 alternative, works with either Android or Windows. Microsoft has made real improvements with Windows 8.1 and now throws in a version of Office on smaller devices. For sheer numbers, the Windows Store won’t match Android, let alone Apple, anytime soon, but most of the major apps are now available.

For the past few weeks I’ve been trying out two new tablets from Dell that illustrate how PC makers are trying to catch up on tablets. The first one, the Dell Venue, is based on the older Intel Clover Trail platform and runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. It starts at $150 with a 7-inch display, but I tested the 8-inch version, which is $180. I also tested the Venue 8 Pro, which also has an 8-inch display but is based on the newer Intel Bay Trail platform and runs Windows 8.1. 

Dell Venue 8 tablet (Image: Dell)It starts at $300.

There isn’t too much to distinguish the Venue from other basic Android tablets, but in a way that’s a good thing--it shows that Intel and the PC makers are finally catching up. Like most tablets in this price range, it has a lower resolution display (1,280 by 800 pixels) and the Cloverview processor (a Z2560 dual-core in the Venue 7 and a Z2580 dual-core in the Venue 8) can’t match the performance of top-end mobile processors, but it gets the job done. Both also come with 2GB of memory, 16GB of storage, 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0, and a microSD card slot. The Venue 7 has a VGA front camera and a 3MP rear one; the Venue 8 has a 2MP front camera and a 5MP rear camera. Neither one will replace your point-and-shoot, but Dell is hardly alone in that regard--most tablets have mediocre cameras.

(原文參考)

解釋

not for lack of trying  並非嘗試不夠、、、

not to have much luck with tablets  (只是做電腦的廠商）在平板上的發展，卻沒什麼運氣

earlier endeavor  早期的努力

to be saddled  "saddle" 是 "馬鞍"，如果作動詞則是 "套上馬鞍" 。這裡指 "裝載" 微軟 Windows 系統。

to fall into place  原指每一部分開始井然有序地歸位到正確的位置，這裡可以理解成 "漸漸上了軌道"。

a credible contender  指足以和蘋果與三星對抗的實質對手

for sheer numbers  這裡應該指的是銷售業績的數量（，不敵安卓系統的產品）。

let alone Apple  更不要說（能夠對抗）蘋果

to catch up  趕上

in a way  在某程度上

it gets the job done.  (它-- Venue）還是能完成任務。

point-and-shoot  指的是袖珍（傻照相機（compact camera），強調操作簡單、自動對焦、自動閃光，等的功能。

Dell is hardly alone in that regard.  在那個方面，也不是只有 Dell 一家這樣子。