By It’s tablet time! It’s tablet time! See, I can still pretend to get excited about Android tablets even though it seems about a dozen more or less ho-hum offerings drop every week. Do any of the following offer a glimmer of hope?
This Viewsonic 10-inch tablet is probably the most exciting from our list today, though things get confusing quick. The tablet is available for $379.99 from Sears, but while this thing appears to be the ViewPad 10, the listed specs state otherwise. Most notably the suggestion that this tab will have a single OS on it rather than a dual-boot between Android 1.6 and Windows 7. But with the single OS being listed as Android 2.2 and a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, front-facing camera, and 1024×600 10.1-inch screen for less than 400 bucks this thing seems like an awesome deal.
Next up we have the Elonix e-Touch tablet in 7-inch and 10-inch varieties. The specs here aren’t amazing but the pricing isn’t bad at all. The 7-inch carries Android 1.6 and will be available for £97 at ASDA and £90 at Toy ‘R’ Us in the UK. The 10-inch gets Android 2.1 and will retail for £150. at Toys ‘R’ Us.
Finally, Creative is also launching 7- and 10-inch tablets under the Ziio name. Both sizes will run Android 2.1 and be available in multiple memory configurations. Both feature front-facing cameras and extended media support. A major drawback is that all versions of the Ziio feature resistive screens. The 7-inch version retails for £199 for 8GB and £219 for 16GB and the 10-inch goes for £249 at 8GB and £269 at 16GB. US pricing wasn’t revealed, but do some quick conversions and you can get a rough idea. The Ziio is available now through Creative’s online store.
[via TalkAndroid, EuroDroid 1, 2, 3]
Viewsonic looks promising depending how bad they screw up the software, like actually getting flash to work. It would be nice to get some quality tablets out before the holidays. Things are getting better than the chineese knockoffs that have been out.
There are videos of the sears viewsonic on youtube already. Looks like it doesn’t perform all that well.
They completely blew the software. I bought one last night and its going back today.
The hardware is great, the software is slow buggy crap.
Bring on the nearly identically specced Archos 101 for $100 less with stock Froyo.
Here’s my 10 min review of it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCJLK3KgzyQ
man, that’s a disappointing release from creative. Anyone remember the day when creative was pushing the boundary on handheld technologies? seems so long ago.
So the Sears tablet is the G-tablet? What’s the difference from the Viewpad?
I miss those days of great products from Creative. this will surely have great audio and video processors but I don’t see why they don’t have the best tablet available, after all they have been in the handheld portable market for a long time.
Jason, the viewpad is a dual-booting Atom x86 tablet, Android 1.6 and windows 7.
The G-tablet is a Tegra 2 ARM tablet, Android 2.2
The Sears tablet is a homerun for hardware and a HUGE strikeout for OS/software. Viewsonic totally screwed the pooch on this one when playing with Froyo. All they need to do is release the source so when this thing gets rooted it can get a proper Vanilla Froyo ROM and custom kernel to make it work like it should.
Darkseider, i agree 100%
I REALLY REALLY wanted to like this device.
But the lack of a vanilla 2.2 ROM and the issues i had sideloading apps, i’m going to wait for the Archos 101, since i know that there is a 100% working market .APK
The Sears website is listing their Viewsonic as the Viewpad 10 and not the G-tab. I’ll all sorts of confused now. If it is the G-tab then it’ll be an epic failure thanks to the UI (can’t even call it a mere skin).
@mfranke:
How do you know there is a 100% functional market? The Archos 101 isn’t even release yet, still delayed. In fact I think it’s vaporware yet. Archos doesn’t have any better rep with android hardware than anyone else! I think I’ll stick with the Samsung tab when it comes out.
-B
I also have to say that the Quadrant score looks very good though! Just gotta get the software to work right.
-B
@Brad Archosfans.com, engadget and others are reporting a 100% working market .apk for Archos Gen 8 tablets.
Works from the little 4.3″ all the way up to the 10.1″
http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/12/new-archos-tablets-get-android-marketplace-hack-works-as-promis/
@Brad
Forgot to mention, the Archos 70 and 101 have been released in Europe. Hit up youtube, there are now MANY reviews of the two devices.
Rumor has it that the delay for US is that they wanted to have it running 2.2 out of the box. Europe got 2.1 with a promise of 2.2 by the end of the year.
Archos 70 went live for order in the US today, as well. Some early purchasers reporting a 10% discount automatically added from archos.com.
Archos 101 “Internet Table” is still awaiting an unknown delivery day to North American purchasers.
I think it’ll be bewteen the Viewsonic (with an update), galaxy tab, or the archos once it’s released. Yet again theres always the asus android tab coming out next year… i’ll probably wait on that tab or just get the galaxy
In indonesia have CSL android-pad MI700.
spesification and function like samsung galaxy tab ( have froyo, capacitive multi touch, wifi tethere, call function etc) but with 800mhz procecor. price about $349 (no contract)
creative Ziio 7″
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axdpROpGrv8
I was excited at the Elonix(or is it supposed to be Elonex?) one from Toys R Us until I saw the specs: resistive screen and 3 hours battery life with light use. Shame but hey it’s only £150.
What I don’t understand is why everyone who tries to make a tablet just royally screws the pooch. It’s just embarassing.
-B
I have not been able to find the answer to this, but wouldn’t the Viewsonics Tegra 2 processor be much faster than the Archos Cortex A8?
Everything else (hardware wise) between the G Tablet and 101 looks the same.