$450 for a 3G-enabled (HSPA+ no less) 7 inch tablet on one of the fastest ARM-based processing platforms there is with hardened capacitive multitouch screen a 5mp auto-focus camera and Android 2.2 isn’t a bad price at all. It beats the Galaxy Tab on price and performance, that’s for sure. The only problem is that, as always, you have to look for the showstoppers. With the Dell Streak there a number to consider.
Battery life There are reports coming in from reviewers that the Dell Streak 7 isn’t making it though a day under normal (reviewer) usage. Note that the battery is only 10Wh (The Galaxy Tab has a 15Wh battery)
Android 2.2 Android 2.3 is out and the Tablet-focused 3.0 is coming up soon. In fact, Android 3.0 is the first to be optimised for a multi-core processor so there’s a mis-match here.
Screen quality 800×480 is great for gaming, videos, navigation and many other functions but when it comes to reading, the lack of resolution is noticeable. Not only that but there are reports that the screen brightness isn’t as good.
On one hand, the Galaxy Tab can get a little sluggish so it would be nice to have something with more ooomph. On the other hand, it that means having to charge twice every 24 hrs, it’s not worth the bother in my opinion, even if it saves $50-$100
Maybe a Wifi-only version with a lower-price would be more interesting to people?
10” consumer tablets don’t seem to make much sense to me. I can’t think of any scenarios that need that much space apart from newspaper and magazine typesetting. Sure, a netbook running a multi-windowing OS could use a whole lot more space but when I look at Android tablets that show one window at a time through apps that were created for a maximum 5” screen I have a problem. Having said that, there’s a special feeling one gets when touching and moving huge web pages smoothly across such an area when the screen is only 50cm from your face. Video becomes more immersive too, especially when it’s good quality. The challenge is to create a large screen at a very low weight. A low price always helps too!
The Archos 101 [specifications and details] does 10” in 480gm. That’s an impressive size/weight ratio and when you add in a price of just $300 you have to agree that Archos have set out in the right direction with the 101.
Its almost no surprise that the Archos 101 doesn’t include Google Applications but there’s a lot more to get excited about. A full range of codec support, USB host (with full-size USB port) and a good level of processing power. It looks good too which is important when you’re aiming for as many coffee tables as possible.
Personally I still think that 7” makes more sense for a single-window experience but if you’re looking for an impressive gift for yourself, big is always better right?
Full specifications are in the database, a Chippy hands-on is shown below and we hope to be testing this out further as soon as we can. Note that the test devices at IFA were all running Android 2.1 Android 2.2 will, without a doubt, speed this up to very acceptable levels.
We’ve got a few videos coming up on the Viewsonic Viewpad 7 but first, here’s the pics and a few thoughts (I need to hit decent internet connection before I upload the videos – they’ll come later.)
In summary, the Viewsonic Viewpad 7 is delivering most of what the Galaxy Tab is delivering, for an excellent price. You haven’t quite got the build quality (it’s good though) and you’ve got a known brand, Android 2.2, capacitive touch (good screen quality), 3G, voice and the Google apps. The only thing you might notice is the user interface. It’s not as swift as the Galaxy Tab and that’s clearly because the CPU is a Snapdragon at 600Mhz and not the high-end A8 Cortex device of the Samsung. It’s not bad though and in my tests over 3G I was happy.
The price, BTW is a decent 399 Euro (350 UK pounds) and it’s coming soon. (Within the next few months)
$450 for a 3G-enabled (HSPA+ no less) 7 inch tablet on one of the fastest ARM-based processing platforms there is with hardened capacitive multitouch screen a 5mp auto-focus camera and Android 2.2 isn’t a bad price at all. It beats the Galaxy Tab on price and performance, that’s for sure. The only problem is that, as always, you have to look for the showstoppers. With the Dell Streak there a number to consider.
