So, I've had a few quality hours with
my new tablet. Here's what I can tell you now.
Its light, thin and feels like its well built. The screen is bright and clear for indoor use. I haven't tried it in direct sunlight, although I suspect it wont' perform very well there. The touch interface is better than I expected given that its a resistive touch screen. Flipping between screens uses the swipe motion that anyone who's used an iphone will be familiar with. Zooming takes a double tap instead of the two finger zoom.
This model has Android 2.1 installed which is very nice. From the factory it has integrated gmail and gchat application installed. There is a very capable music player, video player and an ebook reader which presents EPUB and text books with a very nice 3-D page turning interface. Google maps is also included with wifi network location awareness
Also included is a web browser which has worked seamlessly so far. The touch screen keyboard worried me a little, but the buttons are large enough and the screen sensitive enough that its really very easy to type. I wouldn't want to type a book on it, but its more than sufficient for day to day use.
I immediately went to the android app market place and installed Adobe PDF viewer, angry birds, twitter client, facebook client, and am evaluating other apps to install.
The wifi works without issue and has comparable range to my ipod touch within my house.
My tablet claims to support an external USB 3G internet stick. I'll test that theory this week when I'll have a chance to test both GSM and HSPDA internet sticks in Canada.
I've done some research and the GPS isn't active in this version (android 2.1) of the firmware. This is really disappointing for me as that was a major selling point. All of the forums seem to indicate it will get support in the 2.2 firmware release. UPDATE: GPS is confirmed working. I did a drive around. Google Navigation Beta is sweet, but requires internet connection. Looking at alternatives.
I've used the on board camera (1.3megapixles) only one time and the result was a a fairly dark image. To be fare it was taken in my basement office. I'll test this more as time goes on.
The battery life seems to be good, with a LithiumIon battery, it should last a long time
The box contains a set of mediocre ear buds which you'll want to replace with a better set.
I have yet to test the HDMI output functionality. I'll do that as time allows. This is another of the major selling points for me. I'll use my tablet as a media player for my downloaded content. I'm looking for a streaming video player so I can view my library over my local wifi network. I'll post my findings here as I discover more.
In summary. This is a very very capable tablet at a reasonable price. Features to watch for in the next year will include the addition of a capacitative touch screen and an increased internal memory.
I can get these to you for $250USD delivered to your door. randyserious@gmail.com
Some add ons you might consider also.
32GB TF memory card - $30
Leather case with external keyboard - $30
