By Tablets are released left and right these days. Most of them you don’t hear about as they trickle out from mainland China and other parts of the technologically obscure world. Others are released in nationally and globally known stores. Such is the case with Maylong’s 7-inch M-150 tablet being sold at Walgreens for $99.
For the price, you can’t expect much in the way of specs. Still, they don’t look too bad for anyone who needs a quick and dirty Android-based solution on a 7-inch screen. Take a look:
FEATURES
- Google Android™ Operating System
- LCD color touch-screen 7-inches
- Full Internet browsing capability
- Experience YouTube at your fingertips
- Easy access to emails
- Download and play games
- Included digital music, video player, digital camera, video camera and digital picture viewer
- Digital picture frame
- e-Book reader
- Download and install custom Google Android™ Applications
SPECIFICATIONS
- CPU: ARM9(VM8505+)
- Memory – RAM: 256MB DDR
- Memory – Flash: Built-in Flash
- Display – Touch Panel: 7-inch TFT LCD
- Display: Resolution 800 X 480 Pixels
- WIFI: 802.11b/g
- Input/Output – Touch Panel: Resistive type touch panel
- Input/Output – Speaker: Built-in loud speakers
- Input/Output – SD/MMC: T-Flash card slot
- Input/Output – Network/USB: Dongle for RJ-45 network and USB connection
- Buttons/Switches: Power On/Off, Volume adjustment
- Battery: Built-in Li-Polymer battery
- Charger – Input: AC 100-240V, 0.5A
- Charger – Output: 9V, 1500MA
INCLUDED
- Tablet device with 7-inch color touch screen
- Stylus
- AC Adapter
- Network/USB dongle
- User’s manual
No word on which version of Android, but there looks to be light customization judging from the product picture. It’s currently sold out, but it looks like they’ll be expecting new shipments within a week. (Don’t call your local Walgreens looking for one because you won’t ever find it.) Elonex is also getting their cheap tablet into the mainstream as Toys ‘R’ Us will be carrying their 7-inch and 10-inch models this holiday season for £89.99 and £149.99, respectively.
Says Mike Coogan, marketing director for TRU:
“This is yet another new, exciting and innovative product that we are confident to bring to our sales floor. It is important that Toys ‘R’ Us inspire this young and inspirational market offering the best affordable products on the marketplace”
This one looks a bit more promising than Walgreens’ offering, too. It comes packed with an ARM11 1GHz processor, a 2GB SSD, a 2GB microSD card, Android 2.1, and other standard bells and whistles you’d expect. The biggest thing, though, is that it will come with the Android market so you shouldn’t have any problem expanding the experience after you walk out of the store. Would you guys pick any of these up?
[via Pocket-Lint]
interesting……
MAY-not-last-LONG
If these things had stereo bluetooth, I would buy it for a music player for the car. That way I would not have to use my phone and other passengers could grab it and pass it around to pick songs, etc. Could work in the house as well.
Just bookmarked this site. Useful information.
I am definitely picking up the Toys R Us for my father. I see it priced in pounds, is it coming to the States?
The 7″ tablet specs blow, 128MB RAM and Android 1.6 among others: http://bit.ly/aUHw90
1 thing that makes it a bad choice: software-buttons.
having the back and menu button integrated into the notification bar is going to be a big problem with some fullscreen apps.
Well I just grabbed one. Link shows they’re available. I should have it in a couple days to try out.
The 10″ TrU tablet has my attention.
Assuming that I don’t win the Galaxy Tab from Samsung.
Read somewhere that the Walgreens one needs a stylus rather then your finger. Not sure if that’s listed in this article but if that’s true I don’t think even my kids would use it.
@su2lly The article says it’s a resistive touchscreen, which generally means a stylus is required/recommended.
I just brought my tablet from http://www.vairtech.net and it works great
Resistive touchscreen is non-starter. They SUCK at any price.
I hear Apple calling… Lawsuit anyone? I’m sure they have something patented that they can get these dudes for. Maybe the square on the button. Never know with those patent trolls.
I’m certainly not thinking that these screens will be any good but I am bothered when people automatically say resistive screens suck. There are many cheap examples that make them look much worse than they are. Not all resistive screens are created equal. In several conditions such as desiring pressure sensitivity, accuracy, and use with gloves, resistive screens are preferrable. There are extremely optimized sensitive resistive screens out there and multitouch is no longer a problem either.
/end rant
It is painfully obvious that is a photo-shopped picture of an iPad with a graphic on top at the WG website. This does not look legit.
Just bought one, I’ll let you all know once I get it
As soon as I can use one of these as an airbrush in The Gimp, I’ll pick one up!!!
I wouldn’t carry this around with me or do any really heavy duty stuff, but to use for an undercabinet-mounted kitchen computer to pull up recipes, light browsing and email I think this would do nicely…
@Karen – Just how fast IS that 1Giga-MegaHertz processor?
Resistive is a non-starter. If you don’t think so, try one somewhere before you buy one.
Not a bad idea to have one around as an extra hardware device to test on not to mention that app developers WILL have people running your app on them (even if through an alternative market).
The M.aylong tablet runs Android 1.6 (AKA donut)
For all the complaints about resistive touch screen, I’ll just say that I had devices with resistive screens for years. They basically didn’t look as crisp as capacitive screens but were a lot cheaper to make, allowed you to use a stylus, finger, or whatever to tap them. This is not an active digitizer that requires a stylus. It requires physical pressure, that’s all. The old phones came with styli because the screens were small and it was tough to hit tiny areas with a fingertip for some folks. These are bigger so I doubt a stylus would be necessary for anything unless you wanted to use one, in which case you could use anything…chopstick, pen with cap on, fingernail, etc. In a way, they can be pretty cool because you can draw/write much better than you can on capacitive(though not as well as an active digitizer). I really miss taking notes and doodling on my old tablet but I will wait for a nice high end tablet with hybrid capacitive/active for touch typing and pen drawing/notes.
–the Maylong M-150 Android 1.6 tablet,
online from Walgreens.com, and which
has the advantage of no-problem money back return within 30
days at any Walgreen’s drug store nearby
(a couple has already return it). There are several
reviews available, such as a video one at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yybv6XCrO4Q
See also the 9 favorable reviews on the Walgreens
web site
Based on the video, it seems to work okay (not
a speed demon, since it it only $99) and a few people have problems with it. There are enough people
happy with it that I am willing to
give it a try. Was told that the screen was reasonable sharp
Android 1.6 (not upgradable, maybe if you root it),
ARM9(VM8585+ 400 MHz), 256MB RAM, SD slot, wifi, camera,
resistive touch panel (not multi-touch), 800×480,
12 oz, dongle for USB, ereader, etc.
Now some bad news, battery life short (2-3 hours??),
perhaps 10-20% (?) have problems, etc. (Mine is being shipped)
I have a problem with my android the touchscreen is not working anymore and i can’t open the unit because of the “Draw pattern” …. will anyone help me…. I just bought it yesterday but now I can’t open anymore…. huhuhu… HELP pls…
The 7 inch Toys R Us one has naff specs. Android 1.6 and a VIA ARM 9 300mhz processor! 300mhz?! Shame as I like the 7 inch size and cheap cheap price!
I brought the 7 inch from VairTech and it is pretty fast. I love it. The quality is great. I looked at the Walgreen tablet. That tablet is not worth buying. The Android 1.6 has many bugs and cannot be upgrade. That is stupid. VairTech will send out instruction on how to upgrade your tablet whenever updates become available.
Personally I am waiting for a 10 inch tablet and am leaning towards the Archos 101, however I ordered the Walgreens tablet to check it out before sending it as a christmas present for my 9 yr old nephew. This seems kid friendly in both experience and price so if he drops it its not “Oh no, he broke a $500 Tablet”. Its not supposed to be a iPad killer or even competition for the Galaxy Tab, its a cheap tablet option people, you cant expect Galaxy tab specs at a $100 price point.
I wouldn’t get one…even if it was free!