Chippy has already unboxed and live reviewed the Viewsonic Viewpad 7 [tracking page] and although its not quite the Samsung Galaxy Tab it is a viable and cheaper alternative.

Well if you’re on an even tighter budget you may want to look at the identically spec’d Linx Commtiva N700 which is a full £100 cheaper than the £400 Viewpad 7. It still comes with the same lowly Qualcomm MSM7227 600 Mhz  CPU and 7 inch 800 x 480 resolution capacitive touch display, but it also has Android 2.2, 3G connectivity and the all important access to the Android market.

The reason it looks so much like Viewpad 7?, well it is. Its the same reference design used by Viewsonic on the Viewpad.

If you’re in the UK the N700 is available at Tesco Direct, meaning you can cash those clubcard vouchers for even more discount, the same applies to the Galaxy Tab which they also stock.

Are you the adventurous type? Paul O’Brien has you covered over at MoDaCo with a whole host of various hacks, tips and tricks on the Commtiva N700 / Spice Mi700 / ViewSonic ViewPad 7 / Camangi FM600.