Android tablets

[.:Cyb3rGlitch:. 755]

I've been interested in getting into Android, but I don't need a new phone, and thus I'm not interested in paying in excess of $600 for a smartphone with it installed. So, I've been looking at compact tablets. Now you might argue that you can get older model phones which run Android just fine, but I'd prefer something a little larger than the phone form factor (my main use will be web browsing). And no, not iPad big, that's just too bulky.

 

Lately I've been looking at some of the cheaper options coming to the market, and I'm quite amazed how cheap some devices are. I've created a small list of my findings. The best bit is, if they remain this cheap, you could hack the shit out of them and not feel bad if you break them - now that's tech the excites me.

 

zenPad

This one you can actually buy the 8GB model now for $155USD + $25USD worldwide shipping. It's not bad for the price, however the Samsung CPU is a little off-putting IMO.

 

 

Website | Specs

 

 

Hott MD500

Now this one is making me really excited. At a mere $92USD distro price, you could trash this thing and not feel bad in the slightest. Looking at some footage, it runs reasonably well, too. Runs an ARM9 Rockchip.

 

 

(the iPod killer references are humorous, but they do admirably considering the price)

 

Apparently the Ramos W7 is exactly the same device.

 

Website | Specs

 

 

WePad

This one is actually an iPad competitor, and unfortunately (for me) the same size too. However, it completely owns in terms of specifications, with an Atom processor under the hood. Apparently it's aimed at publishing houses.

 

Website | Specs

 

ICD Ultra

Probably the most powerful of the compact tablets, the ICD Ultra sports an Nvidia Tegra T20 (eight cores, apparently) processor which is absolutely drool worthy. It's a little chunky though.

 

 

Website and specs

 

Well, those are the only ones that have caught my eye so far. MSI and Nvidia are also releasing tablets, but there's no word on when they're due for release. Most are based on Tegra 2.

 

Anyone else looking at an Android tablet? Which one interests you?

Edited April 5, 2010 by .:Cyb3rGlitch:.

[Betzie 18]

I have android running on one of these

 

http://www.astone.com.au/index.php?productID=8

 

 

needs a bit of work to get all the services up and running but its running and stable.

 

 

I hope they do some work to make the releases more compatable with computer hardware.

 

It is fast tho and an ideal platform for netbook/browser/email based netbooks

[Greaver 0]

Yeah its a very promising scene to say the lest, been looking at getting into a bit on android fun

[morris 11]

I'm interested in an iPad alternative, hence why I'm interested in an Android Tablet.

 

I will have to look into this.

I will be keeping an eye on this thread too for more gadgets and tech.

[jdee71 12]

I have android running on one of these

 

http://www.astone.com.au/index.php?productID=8

I remember that, you had that on Trademart or bought it from there

 

 

I'm interested in an iPad alternative, hence why I'm interested in an Android Tablet.

 

I will have to look into this.

I will be keeping an eye on this thread too for more gadgets and tech.

I too will be keeping an eye on it.

[morris 11]

http://www.androidtablets.net/

 

Looks to be covering different Android Tablets (including most of the ones in the OP)

[.:Cyb3rGlitch:. 755]

The JooJoo is interesting:

 

1 GB RAM (user replaceable)

2x mini PCI-e slots

SSD slot (4GB included)

3g SIM slot

Nvidia Ion

An atom n270 processor

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Camera

External USB ports

1366×768 resolution

Accelerometer and ambient light sensor

$499USD

 

Runs a shitty OS, but if you could get Android on there, it'd be pretty good. If only there was a smaller version.

[tastywheat 438]

What about the Dell Mini 5?

 

 

5" capacitive touchscreen with 480 x 854 resolution

1Ghz Snapdragon QSD8250 processor

405MB Ram

3G phone and data support

GPS

802.11 b/g/i

Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR

µUSB 2.0

MicroSD slot

5mp camera with LED flash

1530 mAh removable battery

 

Currently running Android 1.6, but I'm sure they'll have ported something more recent to it by the time it's released.

 

Hands on impression can be read here: http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/dell-mi...pe-impressions/

 

Personally, I think 5" is an awkward size. It's too big to fit in a pocket, and too small to offer a significant advantage over smartphones in terms of usability.

Edited April 6, 2010 by tastywheat

[.:Cyb3rGlitch:. 755]

Ahh yes, I was looking at the Dell Streak (that's its official name) not long ago. The thing that puts me off is the glossy paint job. I *hate* gloss with a passion. However, if it's cheap enough, it might be the tablet I get.

[.:Cyb3rGlitch:. 755]

Here's another one:

 

Pasen MID5

 

5" 16:9 800x480 (probably resistive)

Micro SDHC expansion slot (up to 32GB)

HDMI video out

USB OTG

4.5 hours of video, 10 hours of music, 4 hours of internet browsing

Built in speaker

CPU Rockchip RK2808

Dimensions: 128x84x13.3

2300Mah battery.

High quality earphones (apparently, I don't believe them)

Remote

[Girvo 32]

Good thread!

 

Ideally, I think a 9" tablet isn't that bad, as for me it's literally to fit between my smartphone and proper laptop. My main planned uses are to have lecture notes next to my book as I sit in at Uni, ebooks, and recipes. It'll be chucked in my backpack with my other books, hopefully I can get electronic copies of my texts too!

 

'cause of this, Android has me curious. WVGA doesn't seem like a large enough resolution, but then apps won't scale very well up will they... I'm not convinced that Android is the perfect tablet OS for me. Maemo or MeeGo on the other hand seem perfect: swanky UI, scales up well, based on full desktop Linux but with a touch-friendly UI layer... my kinda thing.

 

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2010/01/hands-on...android-tablet/

 

That however is sexy too. Really nice UI overlay on top of Android.

 

I still think that MeeGo has huge potential. ARM based, so excellent battery life, Linux-based, so large catalogue of software that (if not straight away) can be ported with ease: only a new UI would need to be developed (which I would be cool with doing for the apps I like)...

 

I suppose my main gripe is that Android is a phone OS, not a tablet OS, and it hasn't had the refinements needed like the iPad got. As much as I don't like the iPad, the Pixel-doubling is a brilliant idea, and the fact that many many developers are recreating apps to take advantage of the larger resolution is tops.

 

Android doesn't have the mind share nor critical-mass to get many developers to do that I think, which is a damned shame.

[.:Cyb3rGlitch:. 755]

Scaling doesn't matter to me. I only want it for web browsing, which upscales perfectly by its very nature.

 

That being said, I believe Android will get the upper hand. The iPad is as popular as the original iPhone if we go by sales, so it's going to be a while before it matures. At least this time manufacturers are ready.

[morris 11]

Gizmodo have done an article on the ICD Gemini and a comparison to the iPad and the Joojoo

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2010/04/icd-gemi...st/#more-391076

 

Here's the feature comparison.

 

I know the screens are bigger than what .:Cyb3rGlitch:. is looking for (The iPad has the smallest of the 3), but there's a few of us that might want that size screen.

Not interested in the phone part of the Gemini, but it's packing some features.

 

 

Still with the extra stuff, I want to know about battery life.

[Betzie 18]

that Gemini looks pretty tasty..

[.:Cyb3rGlitch:. 755]

Yeah, the Gemini is pretty nice. The Notion Adam is quite awesome:

 

http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/16/notion-...eo-at-mwc-2010/

 

The cool thing about it is the screen. It's colour e-ink, and there's a button on the side to swap between colour and monochrome. The advantage is that is uses 4x less power, apparently.

[morris 11]

Now you've really got my attention :D

[.:Cyb3rGlitch:. 755]

Sinchun Saycool M7

http://besttabletreview.com/sinchun-saycool-m7-mid-tablet/

 

7-inch 1024 x 600 capacitive touchscreen with multitouch

Intel Atom Z510 1.1GHz

16GB SSD

1GB DDR2 RAM

WiFi b/g, Ethernet

Bluetooth, 3G optional

0.3MP camera

USB port, micro SD card slot (expandable to 32GB)

SIM card

1900 mAh battery (rated for 3 hours)

Windows XP

Built-in mic

3.5mm headphone jack

19.4 ounces, 7.87 x 4.84 x 0.87 inches

 

iLet Mini HAL ~ $200

VIA ARM with Freescale MX Integration 600MHz

7" TFT LCD touch-screen 800*480

128MB DDR2

2GB NAND FLASH, supports to 32GB flash or 250GB USB

Ethernet 10/100M, 802.11B/G, 3G USB optional

SDHC, 2 x USB, stereo audio out, microphone in

Stereo speaker output

16 hours active battery - 72 hours standby

Ocean Android OS (Upgradable)

10GB Cloud Storage via Halerons iConnect

 

Inkia MID500 ~ $350

Intel Atom Z510 1.1GHz

5" WVGA 800 × 480 touchscreen

1GB RAM

16GB SSD

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

VGA camera

microSD, 2 x USB

350 grams

Windows XP or Windows 7

The 1850mAh Li-Ion battery (up to 3 full hours)

 

Viliv S5

Intel Atom Z520 1.33GHz

1GB DDR2

4.8" 1024x600 touchscreen /w haptic feedback

6 hours video battery life, 200 hours standby

Windows XP

Bluetooth, 802.11b/g

Website and specs

 

Inkia MID500n (Viliv S5 clone)

5" 800 x 480

Intel Atom Z510 1.1GHz

1GB RAM

16GB SSD

Two USB 2.0 ports

GPS

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi

350 grams

16cm x 9.5cm x 2.2cm

 

Edited April 7, 2010 by .:Cyb3rGlitch:.

[morris 11]

Is there any advantage of going Windows XP over Android (or vice versa)?

[.:Cyb3rGlitch:. 755]

I personally would go Android, because it's built for low-end hardware and touch-screens. It's also free.

[Goonit 0]

Smartq V7 (or V5)

 

 

ARM11 600mhz processor

WiFi (b/g)

Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR

3G Edge card

DDR II RAM 256MB

HDMI port

3.5mm earphone

2GB flash memory

Loaded with 3 OS’, WinCE 6.0, Linux and Android

7 inch 800 x 480 LCD screen

USB OTG

 

http://en.smartdevices.com.cn/Products/V7/200912/04-40.html

Edited April 8, 2010 by Goonit

[.:Cyb3rGlitch:. 755]

I'm liking that SmartQ V5!

 

 

Trying to work out if it's worth $175AUD + shipping. Out of all the videos I've watched, this seems to show the best performance, so I'm sceptical.

[Betzie 18]

unfortunatly the smartq doesnt seem to have capacitive touch which is needed for pinch zooming etc

 

other than that they seem pretty awesome, HDMI is nice

[.:Cyb3rGlitch:. 755]

Yeah. I'm thinking I should get something with a higher res, and slightly larger build.

[.:Cyb3rGlitch:. 755]

Apparently the Gemini is fast.

 

You'd hope so, with a Tegra 2 under the hood!

 

Here's the full review.

[Betzie 18]

Apparently the Gemini is fast.

 

You'd hope so, with a Tegra 2 under the hood!

 

Here's the full review.

 

this is a good thing even just to wipe the smug look off iPad users faces :P

 

I just hope android matures on the productivity side of things

 

 

will be keeping an eye on the gemini