You may be asking yourself, "What does a tablet give me that I don't already get out of my computer or smartphone?" I felt the same way until I bought one...
Armando Rodriguez
At first, I didn't see why I would need a tablet But after observing quite a few friends using them around the office, I relented and picked one up. Initially, I purchased the device to browse my massive library of digital comic books, but soon I found it useful for other, more practical tasks. I started taking the iPad to meetings and using it to do quick Web searches, and it became my preferred way to read and respond to email.
Next to ordinary computers, tablets by design are comparatively lightweight and relatively easy to carry around. Many of them may still be too heavy to hold in one hand, but they're great in your lap. Reaching for a tablet to browse the Internet during TV commercials is much easier than getting up,going to your desk, and booting up your computer.
I don't expect anyone to type out a proposal using a tablet's virtual keyboard. However, a tablet in the workplace can be quite helpful for handling basic tasks, such as checking email or managing schedules.
Tablets are great for entertainment too. Since a tablet is basically just a large screen, it's a stellar device for watching movies and TV shows.When you're trying to watch an epic movie like inception, a smartphone's 3.Sin screen just doesn't cut it.They're also perfect for catching up on your favourite TV programmes on the long commute to work.
You can also find games to add to your fun. I think I've sunk more hours into Angry Birds than I have into any other game I currently own. Having touch-based controls on a tablet forces developers to get creative.
Love to read the news and stay on top of current events? Download a few news apps. Love to tweet and spend all day on Facebook? Grab some social networking apps to stay in contact with friends.
One of the reasons I prefer carrying around a tablet as opposed to a laptop is its superior battery life. My laptop can only go for around two-and-a-half hours before I have to plug it in, whereas I can get almost a full day's use out of a Samsung Galaxy Tab or an iPad.
Since getting a tablet I've never looked back.
Motorola Xoom
This is the first device to run Google's Android 3.0 (aka Honeycomb) and promises to be the first serious competitor to Apple's iPad
• PRICE £499
•COMPANY MOTOROLA
www.motorola.com
PROS
Fast processor; Good build quality; Future-proof for 4G
CONS
Price; Some software issues at launch
VERDICT
The Motorola Xoom is well-conceived and built, but some rough edges, software crashes and the relatively high price may deter some prospective buyers.
OVERALL SCORE ★ ★★★★
All eyes are on the Motorola Xoom tablet,and for good reason. It's the first device to ship with Google's tablet-optimized Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) and the Motorola Xoom has a lot of features that set it apart from other tablets.
One drawback, however, is its price: in the UK the Motorola Xoom will be a not-insubstantial £499.While this is £80 cheaper than the comparable 32GB iPad with 3G; it is still £100 more expensive than the entry-level model iPad (16GB with WiFi); and that's hardly considered a cheap device. We were rather hoping that the entry of Google Android to the tablet market would drive prices down, not up. But it seems Motorola has other ideas.
The Hardware: Style and Class Still, you get your money's worth.The Motorola Xoom zooms to the top of the Android tablet class in overall style and design.The build quality is solid, with volume and power buttons that are easy to press and a sturdily constructed SIM tray that doubles as the MicroSD Card slot cover.
It has a soft, rubberised feel along the top, and black metal on the bottom when held in horizontal mode. Buttons and other elements arc also configured for that orientation.
The Motorola Xoom stands an inch taller than the i Pad, however, it's screen is also larger at 10.in, with an aspect ratio of 16:10.
Motorola designed the Xoom to be viewed in landscape mode as the buttons have been configured to be accessed in that position.
The MicroUSB and mini-HDMI ports arc at bottom, pcrfcct for mounting the Xoom in its optional dock.The power button is located on the back too, to the left of the rear-facing, flash-equipped, 5-megapixel camera, it lies where your forefinger naturally lands when you hold the Motorola Xoom in both hands.
There's plenty of power on board. It uses nVidia'sTegra 2 processor, with a dual-core 1 GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and 32GB of on-board user storage. The MicroSD Card slot permits users to double their storage space as they use the Motorola Xoom device - a boon for anyone who tends to pack gadgets with media.The display measures 10.1 in diagonally, with 1280 x 800-pixel resolution. The widescreen's 16:10 aspect ratio makes it good for viewing video.
"There's plenty of power on board... a dual-core 1 GHz processor, 1GB RAM and 32GB of storage"
Initially, the display looked lovely. The home screens were readable, and colours looked fine. But as we used the device, the pattern of the screen became more obvious. Over time the Motorola Xoom seemed to present us with a grid whose lines were more obvious in some situations than in others.
The images we captured on the Motorola Xoom device were disappointingly middle-of-the-road as well. Overall, the camera was a bit awkward to operate,as was the video camera.
We were impressed with its ability to zip through content.We speedily moved through menus, through large collections of digital images, and through the redesigned Android Market. Even the file transfer speeds via USB were impressive: we transferred 700MB of digital pictures to the Xoom in just three minutes.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, the price feels high, given that iPad 2's prices start at £399. But by acquiring a 4G SIM card (when the update comes out) and performing a software update, you may be able to surf the web with the Motorola Xoom at lightning speeds.That future-proofing is an appealing touch.
Google Android 3.0 is easily the most polished Google software effort to date. One of the Motorola Xoom's main assets should be its deep integration with the Honeycomb platform. Motorola worked hand-in-hand, we were told, with Google to make Honeycomb run well on the Motorola Xoom.
The battery life is on par with the iPad with Motorola rating it at about 10 hours of high-definition video playback. And the device's recharge time is fast, at just 3,5 hours for a full recharge.
All in all, the Motorola Xoom is a solidly built effort. Platform stability and 4G may come with future software upgrades, and the bugs in the graphics might be fixable through software. But there are a few flaws at launch that prevent us from giving it a rousing endorsement.
SPECIFICATIONS
Dual-core nVidia Tegra 2 processor; Google Android 3.0 (Honeycomb); lO.lin 1280 x 800 resolution display; IGB DDR2 RAM; 5-megapixel HO camcorder (2-mega pixel front-facing camera included); Adobe Flash 10,1 Player support; 802,lln Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR; 32GB internal storage; HQ MI 2.0,USB 2.0, 3.5mm Audio Jack; 249 x 168 x 13mm; 730g
Apple iPad 2
• PRICE FROM £399
• COMPANY APPLE
www.apple.com/uk
PROS
Great screen; Lighter, thinner design; FaceTime capability
CONS
Cameras aren't as good as i Phone 4's
VERDICT
The iPad 2 has had a radical makeover, both inside and out, to make it faster, lighter and thinner, and keep Apple at the forefront of the tablet revolution.
OVERALL SCORE ★ ★★★
The Apple iPad 2 is certainly thinner and lighter than its predecessor, as well as slightly faster and with a couple of video cameras and an interesting magnetic case, that Apple is referring to as the 'Smart Cover'.
What's interesting is the effect all this has on the "grip-ability" of the product. The first iPad was one of the most solid pieces of hardware we've seen from Apple, but the combination of its weight, thickness, and the curve of its backplate made it a bit hard to hold - and made a case pretty much necessary.
It's much more comfortable to hold the iPad 2 in one hand.The slight decrease in weight helps, no doubt, but it's also the thinness - and most notably the fact that its rear tapers to a flat surface in a much shorter distance than its predecessor.
In terms of materials, the iPad 2 and the iPad are cut from the same cloth - there's a glass front and an aluminium back (although now a white model is available).The device still feels solid, though palpably thinner. The big difference when looking at it from the front is that you can't see the edge of the aluminium frame, which is quite noticeable around the edge of the original iPad.The reduced thickness means that we can't say the iPad's buttons and ports are on its side - there really is no side,There's a front and a back, really, with a very small amount of curved space on the back where it meets the front, which is where the buttons and ports are located.The tapered edges make it look physically smaller than before, even though it isn't.
The i Pad now comes in a white edition, and features a range of covers for the device, called the Smart Cover.
Beyond the device's physical redesign, the major outward difference in the iPad 2 is the addition of a pair of cameras; one on the front and one on the back. These cameras can shoot pictures, record video, and be used for FaceTime video conferencing. However, they're definitely of lower quality than the Apple iPhone 4s 5-megapixel camera, and more in line with the cameras on the current-model iPod touch.The test images we shot were grainier and with more evident jagged edges than those shot with an iPhone 4.
Introducing The Smart Cover
As ridiculous as it is to focus on something a simple as a cover when reviewing a tablet, Apple's new iPad 2 Smart Covers are a pretty interesting and are a notable feature: so notable, in fact, that Apple's latest operating system, iOS 4.3, includes a feature designed specifically to support them.
" Lest we judge the iPad 2 by its cover, let's remember that it's the inside that counts...the iPad 2 feels really fast"
The Smart Cover itself is a rectangle exactly the same size of the iPad's screen, folded in four parts.The side that faces inward is made of soft microfibre cloth; the outside is either leather or polyurethane each in one of five colours. On one side is a metal hinge with small magnetics and these attach to magnets embedded in the iPad 2.The inside of the Smart Cover on the edge opposite of the hinges also has an embedded magnet - when you close the cover over the iPad's screen, it snaps closed. But there's more: the iPad 2 senses that the Smart Cover has been closed, and immediately locks itself.That's cool, but even cooler is what happens when you peel the Smart Cover back and disengage that magnetic clasp: the IPad 2 automatically wakes back up, bypassing the lock screen in the process. The Smart Cover can be folded up to provide a gentle incline for typing, or flipped around to make a stand for watching video.
Made either from polyurethane or leather, the Smart Cover is not only designed to protect the screen but to act as a stand for the iPad 2 for typing or watching video.
Lest we judge the iPad 2 by its cover, let's remember it's the inside that counts. In this case, it's an Apple-designed dual-core AS processor.The iPad 2 certainly feels fast - really fast. GarageBand and iMovie, both apps that presumably tax hardware to its limits, moved smoothly. A [though Apple isn't announcing it, the iPad 2 contains, 512MB - the same as the iPhone 4 - and Apple has also touted the iPad 2's graphics performance, an improvement that is subtly visible when you fire up the new Photo Booth application and are greeted with nine previews of real-time effects, ranging from thermal vision and x-ray to twirl and mirror. A brief tour through Epic's Infinity Blade RPG and Gameloft's N.O.V.A. 2 yielded likewise fantastic results. On the whole the iPad 2 is a solid step forward for an already impressive device. Still very much the device to beat .
SPECIFICATIONS
1G Hz dual-core Apple A5 custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip; 16GB, 32GB or 64GB; 9.7111 LED-bacWit multi-touch display with EPS technology, 1024 x 768-pixel resolution at 132ppi; Rear-facing camera: Video recording, HD (72 Op) up to 30fps with audio; still camera with 5x digital zoom; Front-facing camera: Video recording, VGA up to 30fps with audio; VGA-quality stiil camera; Wi-Fi + 3G model: UMTS/ HSDPA/HSUPA (850, 900,1900,2100MHz); GSM/EDGE (850,900, 1800,1900MHz); Wi-Fi (802.Ha/b/g/ri); Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology; Built-in 25-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery; 3,5mm mini-jack, built-in speaker, Microphone; 241.2 x 185.7 x S.8mm;Three-axis gyro; digital compass; 601g
HP TouchPad
Using Palm's WebOS operating system as opposed to Android, the H P TouchPad is another tablet that has entered the fray .
• PRICE £TBA
•COMPANY HP
www.hp.co.uk
PROS
WebOS; Effective multi-tasking; Wireless transfer
CONS
Odd interface; No release date
VERDICT
The H P TouchPad is probably the most talked about tablets, but whether that will translate into sales when it's launched is debatable.
HP is rightly proud of its TouchPad, the large-screen offering based upon Palm's critically acclaimed, but commercially underwhelming, WebOS operating system first seen in the Palm Pré. Getting our hands the HP TouchPad was something of an achievement in itself.
While this doesn't bode well for the development status (hands-off is a sure sign that things aren't finished), behind closed doors we managed to get a test of the HP TouchPad along with a discussion with HP's Sachin Kansal, director of software management. Kansal, who worked on the original Palm Pre project and is now working with HP, spoke about the TouchPad and its place in the market.
First Impressions
First, the good news. It's obvious that this is by far the most interesting of all the tablets, at least judging by the crowds of people who gathered round to take photos and video of it from all angles. Unlike the BlackBerry PlayBook and Samsung Galaxy Tab, the HP TouchPad has a 9.7in display (although it's somewhat smaller than the lOin Motorola Xoom). It is, however, in the same aspect ratio as the Apple iPad, which we prefer on a tablet device to the widescreen format being used by many Android tablets.
Instead of displaying a home screen with icons, the TouchPad features a Cover Flow-style area displaying open documents.
inside is a Qualcomm Snapdragon i.2GHz CPU (as opposed to the iPad 2's updated I GHz A5; and how this will comparc to the Motorola Xoom with its IGHzTegra 2 dual-core processor remains to be seen). Performance -- as we could tell was fine.
The case is stylish, and it has a slightly curved exterior that means it faces slightly towards you when placed on a flat surface.
The HPTouchPad's interface is suitably snazzy and responded quickly to all touches. Instead of displaying a home screen with icons, it has a coverflow-style area displaying open documents. HP seems particularly proud of the devices ability to multi-task more effectively than the iPad, In the email app, in particular, you can write multiple mail messages at the same time, switching between different drafts, with each appearing in a stack on the display when you press the home button.
The H P Touch Pad has a 9.7in display and is same aspect ratio as the i Pad.
As with the Palm Pre, the HP TouchPad's display is somewhat different to the iPad,displaying a preview of application windows and documents that you swipe left and right between.
Like WebOS on the Palm Pre the TouchPad still has a weird (to our minds) interface element where a circle flashes on the screen to let you know where your finger has just pressed.We're not quite sure why this is necessary — certainly none of the other pads seem to feature it.
One key advantage to WebOS is the way it enables you to tap directly into your online services (hence the name). Photos, for example, aren't just the ones on the device but also the ones on your Flickr account, and other cloud services; the same goes for contacts and Facebook and Twitter. Everything is integrated seamlessly into the operating system so it all works from the same place.Again, how well this works when you're out in the wild is something that can only be tested thoroughly when the device has been launched.
WebOS was certainly a big "wow" factor in the original Palm Pre, though, and the big question is whether it'll work commercially this time around.
"I think it's fair to say that the original Palm Pre met with considerable critical acclaim," said Kansal,"but what's different this time around is HP's scale and resources."
Driving Market Share
HP has a lot of clout in the market, from supply to distribution, and is especially large on a global market. Palm was integrated into HPs mobile division and now Palm, or rather HP, hopes that this increased muscle will help it drive the TouchPad into getting wider market share.
Like the iPad, the HP TouchPad has a fixed-in battery, although there's no information yet regarding battery life. Connectivity is limited to one micro-USB socket, with no MicroSD card or DVI video output option.
"WebOS enables you to tap directly into your online services. Photos, for example, aren't just the ones on the device but also the ones on your Flickr account"
There are two more marquee features worth mentioning.The first is inductive charging, which means you can charge up the TouchPad by attaching it to a stand (it clips on magnetically), which can also be angled up and down.
The second is wireless transfer. Kansal demonstrated this by opening a Web page on the Pre and tapping the phone to the TouchPad, which instantly displayed the same Web page. Simple enough to begin with, but HP will expand on the technology and, we presume, will enable sharing of data, apps, and other content wirelessly between devices.
So should you buy the HP TouchPad? It's something of a gamble for customers, lacking the hundreds of thousands of apps on the Apple and Android stores. It's slick though, and we think HP TouchPad owners will be very happy; just how many of them there are though remains to be seen.
SPECIFICATIONS
1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-CPU APQ8060 processor; HP WebOS operating system; 9.7h (1024 X 760) XGA capacitive multitouch colour screen; front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera; 16G B or 32GB internal storage; rechargeable 6300mAh battery; 3.5mm stereo headset/headphone/ microphone jack; internal stereo speakers; 802.1 lb/g/n Wi-Fi; W PA/ WPA2/WEP/802.1X authentication; Bluetooth; 240 x 14 x 190mm; 740
BlackBerry PlayBook
The BlackBerry PlayBook is RIM's first stab at a tablet, and the company has taken a different route, focusing on smartphone integration .
• PRICE £TBA
• COMPANY RIM (BLACKBERRY)
www.blackberry.com
PROS
Intuitive multitasking; Secure sharing
CONS
Small screen size
VERDICT
With its seemless server-side and local integration with BlackBerry smartphones and multitasking, the PlayBook could well be the one device your workforce needs.
In our hands-on trial of the BlackBerry PlayBook we were able to have multiple applications running at once, including the BlackBerry Web browser, the photo slideshow app, music and a game.To move between apps on the PlayBook you must swipe a digit vertically to get back to the app selection on the home page. A nice touch is that currently running apps are displayed as an array below the current one, so you can keep half an eye on an email or an important news announcement you're expecting while browsing through your music collection or editing a document.
The BlackBerry PlayBook will come preloaded with its own lightweight document editing suite in the form of Docs To Go. RIM bought the mobile document editor from Dataviz last year and says it has optimised the word processor, spreadsheet and presentation apps within it for use on the PlayBook. Users will be able to receive a
document over their secured email, download it to their PlayBook tablet and make minor edits to its contents before using the tablet to present a sales pitch or report to clients.Alternatively, the PlayBook's screen can be used by the presenter while the same screen is displayed on a larger monitor via the tablet's HDMI-out port.
Moving between apps is a breeze, simply swipe vertically to display the app selection on the home page.
The 7in-screen BlackBerry PlayBook tablet will support 1080i video playback, has both a 5-megapixel main camera and a 3-megapixel front-facing camera and comes with 16GB of internal storage. It runs off a I GHz dual-core processor and weighs 425g,
In order to maintain the solid security credentials for which the RIM's mobile platform is known, the BlackBerry PlayBook will use a service known as BlackBerry Bridge to provide a secure, Bluetooth-paired connection between the smartphone and tablet. In this way the corporate connection administered from the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) will not be compromised.The same BES server and secure email security policies will be imposed on the PlayBook as on a BlackBerry handset.
The BlackBerry PlayBook will then offer the superior screen,multitasking and HD video playback that is not practicable on the screens used by its range of smartphones. RIM is also keen to stress the PlayBook's "Web fidelity".And in what will be an important distinction between the PlayBook and some other tablets, notably the Apple iPad, apps written in Adobe Air will be able to be ported from one platform to another in a matter of hours.This could be a crucial difference for app makers who find success on one platform and want to replicate it as quickly as possible on another.
"The PlayBook will use a service known as BlackBerry Bridge to provide a secure, Bluetooth-paired connection between the smartphone and tablet"
Surprisingly, RIM doesn't seem to be gunning for current Nokia users who may not welcome the switch from Symbian to a new mobile platform. Asked for a reaction to an announcement that Nokia is to forsake the Symbian mobile OS for Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 platform, the company reiterated the point that RIM will continue to focus on ensuring that the BlackBerry PlayBook and the BlackBerry smartphone platform deliver the required level of user experience.
The 7in-screen BlackBerry PlayBook weighs in at 425g and is powered by a 1 GHz dual-core processor.
Email, Apps and BlackBerry Messaging
RIM says it now has 100 markets for App World, the app store for BlackBerry owners. It has just added worldwide support for mobile operator payments with Telefonica (02 in the UK),T-Mobile and Vodafone.This allows for billing on a device.An important adjunct to this is BBM Ex tens ions. These allow users to gift apps to friends via the secure BlackBerry Messenging service and allows the transfer of mobile payments.The company characterised a typical transaction as one where a parent is able to remotely top up the credit on their teenager's BlackBerry handset or to gift them a game app. As yet there's no set ceiling for the amounts that may be credited in this fashion, though that's sure to be addressed shortly.
BlackBerry Messenging has become one of the major focal points of the BlackBerry platform, allowing secure messaging between friends (users share the unique handset identifier, neatly sidestepping spam and the issue of unwelcome contact by strangers). In creating the BlackBerry PlayBook, RIM had to make sure that the tablet met "the fundamentals of the BlackBerry Messenging platform and the BlackBerry Experience".
SPECIFICATIONS
7in (1024 x fcOQ) LCD display capacitive multitouch screen; 1GHz dual-core processor; Support for HTML 5; 802.1 la/Wg/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth; front-facing 3-megapixel camera, rear-facing 5-megapixel camera; 1080p HD video; H.264, MPEG4, WMV HDMI video output; Mlcro-USB and Vicro-HDMI ports; stereo sound; compatibility with BlackBerry Enterprise Server; BlackBerry Tablet OS, powered by QNX technology; Supports POSIX OS, SMP, Open GL BlackBerry 6; 130 x 194 x 10mm; 42Sg .
Samsung Galaxy Tab
• PRICE £399
•COMPANY SAMSUNG
www.samsung.com/uk
PROS
Compact size; Excellent speakers
CONS
Clunky operating system; Poor screen
VERDICT
Samsung has succeeded in diverting some attention away from the i Pad with the Galaxy Tab. It features better telecoms, at least for voice calls over a GSM network.
OVERALL SCORE ★ ★★★★
In essence, the Samsung Galaxy Tab offers the same features as the iPad -wireless internet connectivity (only with 3G as standard), a multi-touch controlled screen, and a host of apps to run on it. But where Apple has its own iOS touch-based operating system, Samsung has taken Google's mobile phone OS,Android. Unlike the Motorola Xoom, it's not using the very latest version, Android 3.0, instead using the older 2.2 system designed for smartphones. Samsung was obviously keen to get its tablet out into the world sooner rather than later. Yet instead of a half-baked hand held, in the Samsung Galaxy Tab we found a quite usable mobile PC.
As it should be, given that the Samsung Galaxy Tab's price of £399 is also the starting price of the iPad, and that is has a smaller, poorer quality screen. The Tab is also made out of plastic compared with the iPad's liberal-smooth satin aluminium.And the iPad runs a lightning fast and responsive operating system against the Galaxy Tab's jerkier Android.
So let's first focus on the key hardware points of the Galaxy Tab. It has a 7in screen with a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio all contained within a neat black border. The resolution is 1024 x 600, which despite the tight pixel pitch looks a little grainy to our eyes. Unlike Apple's eye-poppingly bright and colourful glass IPS panel, the Galaxy Tab has a duller, flat-looking plastic LCD, Off-axis viewing is not at all great.
The Galaxy Tab features two speakers at its base, and the audio is sufficiently clear for hands-free voice calls.
At 385g, the Galaxy Tab is comfortable to hold, in fact, at just 12cm wide, it can be gripped quite easily in one hand. Responsiveness in core navigation tasks like swiping sideways in the home screen is relatively smooth, even if your fingertips drag across the plastic surface of this capacitive panel. However, there was some annoying latency issues in simple text typing via the on-screen keyboard. Fast typing seems to put the characters (with associated 'clok' sounds) some fraction of a second behind your finger work.
If you're used to an iPad, using key apps such as Browser for Internet browsing also makes the Galaxy Tab feel clunky in comparison. Pages load relatively quickly over a fast Wi-Fi link, and we also saw good download speeds over 3G. But pinch-to-zoom in Android is still a juttering experience, if anything this is magnified here due to the 7in screen where it could hide better under a smartphone's 3.Sin.
Android 2.2 is less sophisticated than iOS overall, and for browsing we couldn't find essential features on the Galaxy Tab to speed up our surfing. If you're at the bottom of a page and want to jump back to the top,for example,you have to scroll manually, which takes time and effort on long Web pages. In iOS.you simply tap the menu bar.
At just 12cm wide, the Galaxy Tab is smaller than most tablets, making it much more portable than its rivals.
When you open a new page, you're forced to open the device's home page (unsurprisingly, Google by default).We prefer to open a blank page, especially when we realised that our choice of home page wasted time while the site's slow-loading pages appear. Flash is partly to blame. Android-toting tablet vendors such as Samsung can smugly list Flash support as a plus-point over the Apple IPad - yet support is far from satisfactory. Aside from the way it slows page-loading when you land on a Flash-heavy site, we saw some comedy lip-sync issues with YouTube videos.And while you're there, don't expect to be able to enjoy much HD video.You're better off leaving the Flash site and viewing video in the YouTube app's H.264 player.
Mobile Phone Capabilities
Two speakers at the base of the Galaxy Tab echo the iPad's layout, as does a dock connector that Samsung has shamelessly copied from Apple, without actually making it compatible with that used to charge and sync every iPod/Phone/Pad since 2001 .The speakers give reasonably clear sound, and combined with a mic built into the left of the case, it's quite straightforward to use the Galaxy Tab as a hands-free mobile phone.
The speakers give reasonably clear sound, and combined with the built-in mic, it's easy to use the Galaxy Tab as a hands-free mobile phone"
With our review sample equipped with the Three voice-and-data SIM card (starting at £ 10/month for 100 minutes talk time and 1GB data), we found the Galaxy Tab could serve as a mobile phone.Video calling capabilities are unknown as yet.With two cameras, pointing fore and aft, it does have the potential for Internet video calling. We downloaded the free Skype app from the Android Market, but this appears to lack video support.
A headset is included in the box for more personal chatting, for plugging into the top of the Galaxy Tab. On the right of the case is a standby/sleep button (difficult to engage without fingernails), volume up/down rocker switch and two be-flapped slots for regular SIM card and MicroS D memory card.The Galaxy Tab comes with 16GB of built-in flash storage, expandable with an extra card.
The Galaxy Tab is just the beginning of Android's entry into the tablet battle, with a slew of devices set to be released. But with newer (Pad rivals running Android 3.0, this is starting to look a weak choice (although you may find units on sale for a bargain price - and it's not a bad tablet by any means). As our options expand, innovation improves and products get better.
SPECIFICATIONS
7in capacltative touchscreen; 1.06GHz processor; 1024 x 600 resolution; 3-meyapixet camera; Google Android 2.2; GPS receiver; Microsoft Exchange support, email, voice recorder, video/audio playback; Alarm, Calculator, Calendar, Motes, Stopwatch; 802.lln, 3G, Bluetooth; phone-calling capability; 3.5 mm mini-jack; rechargeable battery; 19 x 12 x 1,2cm; 385g
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
• PRICE £TBA
• COMPANY SAMSUNG
www.samsung.com/uk
PROS
Large screen size; Android 3
CONS
No unique features
VERDICT
It's hard to see how the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 will differentiate itself from its rivals. Unless you're really partial to Samsung products, why pick the Tab 10.1 over the Motorola Xoom or the G-Slate?
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, as its name suggests, sports a 10.1 in LCD display with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels.The original Galaxy Tab had a smaller 7in display, so the new model will compete directly with the iPad 2, which has a 9.7in display.
Samsung is gathering together quite an arsenal of Android devices with the tablet devices joining the dual-core Galaxy S II smartphone. However, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 runs Google Android 3.0 Honeycomb, which has specifically been designed for tablet devices. Samsung has stated the software will not come with any user interface additions and will instead by a "vanilla" version of the Honeycomb OS. Key features of Android 3.0 Honeycomb include tabbed Web browsing, support for 3D graphics, added enterprise features like encrypted storage, a redesigned keyboard, and completely new interface that aims to take advantage of the larger tablet screen.
Like its Samsung Galaxy S II smartphone, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is made from sturdy-feeling plastic and features a textured carbon-like finish on the rear. In the hand, it feels well constructed, but it remains lightweight, just tipping the scales at 599g.This adds style, and the textured back makes the tablet easy to grip, which makes sense in the world of tablets. During testing, we were able to comfortably hold the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in one hand while typing out a quick message with the other and not feel as though we were going to drop it.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 runs a "vanilla" version of Android 3 Honeycomb.
Made from sturdy plastic, the Galaxy Tab 10,1 features a textured rear, which makes it easy to grip.
The Galaxy Tab 10.1 handles very nicely and the extra screen space makes all the difference - taking notes on the 7in Galaxy Tab felt awkward while it seemed much more natural with a bigger screen.Although not as slim as the iPad, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is thin, notching the ruler at just over ilmm.
The Power Inside
Like the Motorola Xoom and the LG G-Slate, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is powered by a 1GHz nVidia Tegra 2 dual-core process or. The re's no TouchWiz overlay for this tablet, which is kind of surprising considering it's on the 7inTab and all of the Galaxy S smartphones. We're not sure why Samsung has decided to take this route for the GalaxyTab 10.1 as it's an opportunity for the company to stamp its branding on the user interface, tailoring it to the device. GalaxyTab 10.1 also has IGB of RAM and comes with either 16GB or 32GB of internal storage space.There's also a MicroSD card slot that offers expandability for either adding extra storage space or transferring files to and from the device.
"Galaxy Tab 10.1 handles very nicely and the extra screen space makes all the difference"
The Samsung GalaxyTab 10.1 features two cameras - a rear-facing 8-megapixel camera that doubles as a 1080p HD video recorder, and a front-facing 2-megapixel camera for video calls.Taking a photograph with the rear-facing camera felt awkward on such a large device, but it is possible.The tablet also comes with a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, but uses a proprietary charging and synchronising port - the same port used on the original GalaxyTab.
SPECIFICATIONS
1G Hz nVidiaTegra 2; Android 3.0 Honeycomb; lO.lin, 1,280 x 800-pixel resolution display; 16GB or 32G B storage options; 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, 2-megapixel front-facing camera, 108Op Full HD video, 24fps; 599g
Dell Streak 7
• PRICE £TBA
• COMPANY DELL
www.dell.co.uk
PROS
Sleek design; Good build quality
CONS
Unimpressive display; poor OS performance
VERDICT
The Dell Streak 7 counts smart and subtly sharp design among its strengths, however, its unimpressive display and poor software implementation constrain its appeal.
OVERALL SCORE ★ ★★
The Dell Streak 7 is the follow-up to the company's 5in Streak, introduced in 20l0.That model suffered from a size that was too compact for a tablet but too large for the phone that it really was. Still, that first iteration made us itch for a variant with a larger screen and more polish.The Streak 7 delivers on the first of those two items, at least.
Although the design of the original Dell Streak didn't impress, design is the Streak 7's biggest asset. It's not that the new Streak is especially slim or stylish; rather, its build quality, button placement, and subtle contours are appealing.
The unit measures 200 x 119mm, a little longer than the Galaxy Tab, and although both devices are half an inch thick, the Streak gives the impression of being a sliver thinner. It also seems to be lighter, even though it actually weighs 439g versus the Tab's 385g. In the hand, the subtle curves of the Streak feel comfortable to hold; they're preferable to the more squared-off design of the Galaxy Tab.The Streak also feels more conducive to hold in one hand.
Even the port cover is well designed: it's sturdy but not bulky, and it smoothly fits with the edge. It provides easy access to the full-size SD Card slot and the SIM-card slot.The three navigation buttons - one each for back, menu, and home - are aligned at the right in landscape mode.The positioning is offset, which means your palm won't accidentally invoke the capacitive touch buttons when you're holding the device.That said, the navigation buttons and other touchscreen elements seem to be annoyingly sensitive to accidental brushes.
The Dell Streak 7 uses the Stage Interface, which provides your home screen with widgets that are grouped around content type, such as Mail, Social, Music and Web.
The Dell Streak 7 favours the two-handed landscape orientation. For example, the front-facing 1.3-megapixel video camera is in the middle, which puts it at the top of the screen when in landscape mode. Likewise, the speakers are situated at the top left and right sides when it's situated horizontally, giving plenty of clearance from where you're likely to put your fingers.
Regrettably, design elements alone do not guarantee a tablet's usability.There are some issues with the Streak 7 that leave you with a lukewarm feeling towards the device. Dell has said that it will offer Android 3.0 on the Streak
7 in the future, but for now you get it with Android 2.2 - an OS that's clearly not optimised for use with tablets.
Unlike Samsung and its TouchWiz interface, Dell did little in the way of customising its Android build. Everything is stock Android, except for die home screens, which have Dell's Stage user interface,The company is actively deploying the Stage interface across its PC products. Here, the Stage interface provides some potentially useful home-screen widgets grouped around content type (Home, Mail, Social, Music and Web, with two customisable). Mail shows your most recent email, while Social provides hooks into Facebook and Twitter. While appealing, the implementation leaves much to be desired, for example, the Mail widget constantly requested an email address.
The mediocre capacitive multi-touch screen is another sore spot.The resolution is 800 x 480 pixels, the same as we've seen on tablets such as the ViewSonic ViewPad 7.The display is a huge disappointment, its weaknesses glaringly obvious when compared with the GalaxyTab (which has a 1024 x 600-pixel resolution). Images looked washed out and lacked punch; text was barely passable, and certainly not well suited for long stretches of reading.
Glitches Hold Back The Dell Streak 7
What really holds the Streak down, however, is its apparent bugginess.The screen on my test model became unresponsive on several occasions, for instance.And unlike most of the competition, the Streak 7 boasts a full-size SD Card slot, however, the Streak 7 locked up several times upon the insertion of four different SD Cards. However, when this feature did work, it gave a glimpse of how much fun it could be to view the contents of a camera's SD Card on the device.
As with the original Dell Streak, apps that are not designed for use on larger-screen Android devices display in their smaller form, flush to the upper-left corner of the screen.The unit froze when trying to open several apps downloaded from the Android Market, which could be due to bugginess in the Streak 7 or how Android 2.2 deals with those apps. But in all cases, the apps did just fine on the GalaxyTab yet they struggled on the Streak 7.
"The on-screen keyboard was responsive/ and actually quite conducive for two-handed thumb typing in the vertical position"
The battery life was another disappointment. In tests, the integrated 2780mAh battery drained very quickly if the mobile broadband radio was left on. After just
8 hours of being on, and after sporadic light use, the battery had already drained to 48%.The 5-megapixel rear-facing camera (with LED flash) also didn't live up to expectations as it felt awkward to use and produced poor quality images.
The on-screen keyboard was responsive, and actually quite conducive for two-handed thumb typing in the vertical position, but the Swipe button was ofter inadvertently activated when holding the device in this orientation.
What else is inside the Dell Streak 7? It has 16GB of internal memory, 802.1 I b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and, as you'd expect from an Android 2.2 tablet, it supports Adobe Flash 10,1. Del! describes the Streak 7 as having full HTML Web browser capabilities, but many Websites still recognise the OS as a mobile phone, not a full-blown Web browser.
SPECIFICATIONS
Android 2.2; 1G Hz dual-coreT20 nVidia Tegra; HSPA + @ 2100/1900/ AWS/850; 7in WVGA 800 X 430 resolution screen; 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, 5-megapixel rear-facing camera; H.263/H.264, 3GP, MPEG4, WMV, MP3, WM A, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR, MIDI, WAV; Full HTML WebKit browser, Adobe Flash 10.1; 16G B of internal storage; Support forupto32GB additional storage using the user accessible SD, MMC, SOHC memory card slot; Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n; Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR; 199.9 x 119.8 x 12.4mm; Dell Stage 1.0;GPS;439g
Advent Vega
Following in the footsteps of the iPad with a similar set of features, but at a lower price, the Advent Vega 10in tablet PC hardly breaks new ground
• PRICE £250
•COMPANY ADVENT COMPUTERS
www.advent.co.uk
PROS
The price makes it a bargain option
CONS
Poor screen quality; Cheap materials
VERDICT
We're not entirely sure whether it should deserve your attention because as it stands the Advent Vega joins a pile of cheap cash-in products. Spend a little more and you'll be a lot happier.
OVERALL SCORE ★ ★
With Apple dominating in the tablet market, some companies just can't wait to jump in and claim some of the lucrative action - even when their products are not ready for release. Such is the case with the Advent Vega. After the iPad, it's the most talked about tablet in the UK today. Why the buzz? Simply, it's the price - at sub-£250, this 10 in Android tablet appears a positive bargain next to Apple's £399 iPad 2.
The Advent Vega takes the same basic form as the iPad, then cheapens it in order to reduce the price tag.Whereas the original has a glass multi-touch IPS screen rich in colour and viewable from any angle, the Advent Vega has a plastic TN screen with weak colour when used face on.That's at its best - when tilted by a view degrees, the screen can fade to black, becoming an unviewable mess.
Resolution is comparable to the iPad's, but at 1024 x 600 instead of 1024 x 768 pixels, the Advent Vega has taken a wide screen 16:9 aspect ratio. Add in its 10.1 in screen size specification, and you could be forgiven for thinking you've seen this before - this is a standard-issue netbook screen, with capacitive touch for fingertip control. On paper this panel may seem larger than the iPad's; but the Advent Vega's screen is actually a little smaller, at 281 cm!, where iPad gives you 288cm².
The Advent Vega features a 10.1 in wide screen plastic TN screen with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels.
Flip the Advent Vega over and we find a plastic back, gently curved at die edges, and prone to picking up scratches when placed on the desk.
There's a flap on the right of that hides some useful looking connectors. First is a MicroSD card slot, with Advent throwing in a 2GB card to give basic storage. Next to that there's an unusual full-size (Type A) USB 2.0 port - an included A-to-A USB lead in the box lets you plug the Advent Vega into a PC, although we couldn't get it to charge from it.The mains charger is a 12V power supply, which implies the Advent Vega requires more power than the 5V/0.5A available from USB 2.0.
If you plug the Advent Vega into a PC - Windows, Mac or Linux - you can drag-and-drop music, video and photos into the relevant folders on the tablet. There's also aWindows-only program provided - Ad vent Transfer Companion - for the process. The third option under the flap is HDMI.We tried connecting the Advent Vega to a monitor, and saw a mirrored version of what was on the tablet's own screen. It looked to be at the same limited resolution too, with interface elements looking very pixellated.Worse, the speed of the device slowed so much it effectively became unusable.A restart of the Advent Vega tablet did not help. On the bottom edge of the Advent Vega is some form of Applelike dock connection port, although no cable nor explanation is included with the tablet.
"Some operations feel quick/ like opening the Web browser; others very slow and jerky, such as scrolling up and down a Web page"
In contrast to most Google Android phones, the Advent Vega does not have the usual fixed Home and Back buttons on the front panel. Instead the Home and Back buttons are embedded within a modified version of the Android user interface, however, there's a small silvered-plastic Back button on the top-right edge too.
The Advent Vega has attracted almost as much attention as the iPad with the main draw being its £250 price tag.
The Operational Capabilities
Some operations feel quick, like opening the Web browser; others very slow and jerky, such as scrolling up and down a Web page. Like ViewSonic's ViewPad 7, the Advent Vega cannot be used in portrait mode, as the home screen user interface doesn't rotate when you hold it upright.
As the Advent Vega is installed with Android 2.2 operating system, which was originally designed for mobile phones, it has the option for a plugin to give what's optimistically called 'Flash compatibility'. So Websites that use Adobe Flash will work with this device. Or at least, that's what we're told to believe. In fact, Flash on every mobile devices we've tried is, at best, very poor; at worse, useless. Interestingly, the designers must have known that Flash might be a problem, as they included a click-to-enable system like Flashblock or ClickToFlash,such that you must finger-click some individual Flash boxes in aWeb page to load content. This didn't help make Flash video any more enjoyable when is was playing though.
Also absent from is the usual Google Android Market app.Without this in place, it becomes very hard to supplement the limited number of apps already installed,The Advent Vega includes a forward-facing Webcam, but as with other video it's not a pleasant experience to use.
On the whole we have mixed feelings about devices like the Advent Vega. On the one hand it's nice to see tablets coming down towards the £200 mark where we think they'll really start to appeal to the general public. On the other hand we'd rather they didn't have to cut too many corners.The Advent Vega has too many cranky issues for us to recommend it.B
SPECIFICATIONS
10.1 in (1024 X 600 pixel resolution] plastic capacitive touchscreen LCD; 1GHz nVidiaTegra ARM Cortex M dual-core processor; Google Android 2.2; T20 graphics; 512MB flash storage; MicroSD card slot; 4GB MicroSD card; 602.11byg; Bluetooth 2,1 + E DR; 1.3-megapixel Webcam; 3.5mm mini-jack; dock connector; HDM1; USB 2.0; non-removable lithium polymer battery; 274 x 178 x 14mm; 715g
ViewSonic ViewPad 7
The ViewSonic ViewPad 7 is a 7in tablet in the same spirit as that of the Samsung Galaxy Tab, and comes equipped with Google's Android 2.2
• PRICE £399
• COMPANY VIEWSONIC
www.viewsoniceurope.com/uk
PROS
Vivid picture quality; Dual cameras
CONS
Display too bright for reading
VERDICT
Despite various issues, we could see ourselves making use of the ViewPad 7's video and gaming features. However, it is pricey, if it were £100 cheaper then the ViewPad 7 would be a bargain.
OVERALL SCORE ★ ★ ★
The ViewPad 7 marks the ViewSonic's first foray into the tablet arena.The device packs a fair number of features into its squared-off 7in frame -most notably the ability to handle 3G data and to double as a phone (if you pay for a voice plan and insert a SIM card into the available slot). Unfortunately, the ViewPad 7 disappoints in other respects, including display quality, button navigation, and battery life. And you'll pay dearly for the contract-free flexibility of the ViewPad, which is priced at £399.
The unit runs Android 2.2, just as the Dell Streak 7 does, however, its configuration isn't as beefy - the ViewPad 7 carries 512MB of internal memory, a 600MHz Qualcomm MSM7227 ARM I I CPU, and 512MB of user-accessible flash memory (upgradable to 32GB via the MicroSD Card slot).Among its other features are a 3G radio, 802.1 I b/g Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity.
The ViewPad 7 has a 7in capacitive multi-touch LCD screen, with 800 x 480-pixel resolution - lower than the resolution of the Samsung Galaxy Tab. We liked the fact that this is a widescreen tablet. At a 2:1 aspect ratio, it's wider than the 16:9 standard. In tests, the LCD display was too bright for reading eBooks and documents for more than about 10 minutes. Text looked pixellated, with the dots in the letters distractingly easy to see.
The tablet is a hair thinner than the Galaxy Tab, coming in at 11.5mm thick, which by anyone's standards is skinny.
The tablet's picture quality and video quality were much better. Colours looked bright and vivid, and the pixellation was only noticeable while watching the tablet's live wallpaper. Nevertheless, the colours still lacked the vibrancy of those experienced on the Samsung Galaxy Tab. The ViewPad 7 also has a mini-USB connector, for attaching a data/charging cable to your PC. Unlike some tablets -and we're looking at the Samsung Galaxy Tab here -ViewSonic's tablet can charge off a USB port.The company claims that the lithium-polymer rechargeable battery will last for 4 to 6 hours of continuous use and for 60 hours of standby time, but during our tests the battery lasted for only about 2 hours of continuous use.
The ViewPad 7's overall design, which features a flat back and rounded edges, is pleasing, though it's not especially streamlined or sexy —ViewSonic could be accused of creating an oversized iPhone 4, only here with a fake metallic band around its circumference.The tablet is a hair thinner than the Galaxy Tab, coming in at 11 .5mm thick, and it weighs 397g — 12g more than the Galaxy Tab. Four navigational buttons occupy the bottom of the device (when you hold it vertically): one each for Menu, Settings,Web Search, and Back.
The ViewPad comes loaded with a largely stock version of Android 2.2, albeit one that includes such Google mobile services as Android Market and Maps navigation. Integration with your Gmail and other Google apps is quick and simple, thanks to the Google support.And the GPS sensor works well with Google Maps — we could see ourselves using the ViewSonic ViewPad 7 as a large satnav device.The one obvious variation is the vaguely three-dimensional scrolling effect of the apps menu.
Accessing email on the tablet was quick, and typing on the ViewPad 7's onscreen Android keyboard was a pleasure thanks to the screen's responsiveness and the pop-up letters that appeared during typing.There was no trouble installing apps and games on the ViewPad 7 — Angry Birds took less than a minute to download and run on the device.
Several apps also came preloaded on the device, including Documents to Go andAldiko's impressive eReader app, which supports TXT, HTML, E-PUB and PDF, and has an on-board library and bookstore to keep your collection growing.
ViewSonic threw in a leatherette protective case for the ViewPad 7.Though aesthetically pleasing, the case proved to be something of a hindrance because it blocked access to some of the ports and volume buttons.The jacket also added some extra weight to the device, taking the total to 517g - it's not huge but when buying a tablet it's always worth considering the extra bulk that a case can add.
A G-Sensor allows automatic switching between landscape and portrait modes.
Front-And Rear-Facing Cameras
The ViewPad 7 follows the dual-camera trend by providing both front-facing and rear-facing cameras, though neither in our tests was particularly impressive.The front-facing camera is a skimpy 0.3-megapixel unit, and the back-facing camera is a 3-megapixel version with auto-focus but no flash.Though image quality was marginal, the video chat capabilities were much appreciated, however, you'll need to download an app to take advantage of video chat.
Making phone calls on the ViewPad 7 was a bit awkward due to the tablet's size — it's too large to use as a traditional phone. But for conducting calls via speaker phone or for video chatting, it's comfortable and works well.There's a pair of embedded speakers, top and bottom in portrait mode of the ViewPad 7 that greatly facilitate this functionality.
The biggest dings against this device are its menu navigation, slow speed, poor battery life, and bulky design. At £399, it's one of the better contract-free Android 2.2 tablets, but that's small consolation given the caveats.
SPECIFICATIONS
7in 800 x 400 pixel resolution 2:1 capacitive touchscreen LCD; Android 2.2 OS; Qualcomm MSM7227 600MHz ARM processor; 513MB flash storage; MicroSD card slot; SIM slot; HSDPA modem; 602.11b/g; Bluetooth 2,1 + EDR; stereo speakers; 3,5mm headphone mini-jack; mic; 3-megapixel rear-facing camera and 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera; mini-USB 2,0; 179 x 110 x 11.5mm; 397g
No comments:
Post a Comment